SIX-PAGE LETTER WRITTEN 43 DAYS
AFTER THE D-DAY+1 INVASION
{LETTER NEAR END OF POST}
After 49 days since June 1, 1944, Uncle Charlie writes on July 19, 1944, his first letter since he landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day+1 (June 7, 1944). It is a six-page letter we will read for the first time since it was stored in my grandmother's house for nearly 75 years. We will read first about the battles he was fighting during which time he finds an opportunity to write home after seven long weeks of his parents hearing no news of any kind of where is their son and what is he having to endure. {As with his family, you will need to wait. It is on this post but not for a while. Patience is a virtue, remember}
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The Battle for St. Jean des Baisants (July 13-25, 1944)
ST. GERMAIN D'ELLE, LA CROIX ROUGE, LE SOULAIRE DEFENSIVE
General George Patton, Jr. broke through the German lines in Normandy with his tanks and infantry. Then all of the American divisions were on the offensive pushing back the German defenders.
"Hill 192, then St. Lo were the first symptoms. Like a volcano, the entire Normandy front had come alive- from Caen to Granville, from one coast of the Cherbourg peninsula to the other. The feverish flow of artillery, tanks and supply trucks, rumbling from the beach and from Cherbourg, had filled to bursting the tiny space occupied by men and material. Soon it erupted.
The 2nd now stood astride the St. Lo – Berigny highway, and, with the key city of St. Lo in American hands a few days later, the division attacked again on July 26 with the 3 infantry regiments abreast. The objective was St. Jean des Baisants. In the lull since Hill 192, the Germans frantically had dug defenses three hedgerows deep.
Tank-infantry teams had evolved new methods of attacking the miniature fortresses. No longer did tanks carry dangerous satchel charges on their backs. New devices, invented by ingenious GIs overnight, ripped open the thick earth walls of the hedgerows while infantry-tank-artillery coordination stunned the enemy to make easier the task of the dough-foot.
Buttoned-up medium tanks charged into the attack under time-fire of artillery to search out openings and routes of approach. Their guns spat steel into enemy machine gun nests. When the time-on-target fire lifted, tanks whirled around to their own lines behind a smokescreen to be joined by infantry, which came up with close support from the artillery- this time firing ground impact-bursts.
The Germans were making a last desperate stand and every hedgerow was bloodily defended between the St. Lo – Berigny road and St. Jean des Baisants.
Captain George R. Michell, commanding Co. K, 23rd, went ahead of his two assault platoons, fired five shots into one machine gun nest to kill the crew, and then charged another emplacement under withering fire, emptying a clipful of Garand ammunition to silence it. The 60 men left in his company, after coming through the barrage, stormed fortifications manned by 300 Germans. They took 40 prisoners, killing or routing the remainder. Capt. Mitchell was awarded the DSC for his action.
The route was on. Dough-feet battered stubbornly through German rearguard actions- so relentlessly that at times they fell exhausted against hedgerows, only to rise and slog wearily forward again. But what they paid in sweat, they saved in blood. The enemy had no time in which to dig in deeply and catch his breath for another stand.
The Germans were tricky. Once 50 of them advanced, hands held high in surrender. Suddenly they dropped flat to the ground, while their machine guns opened up on unwary GIs taken in by this treachery. Minefields always were to be reckoned with. Heavy artillery occasionally lobbed in death and destruction."
STAFF SERGEANT HANFORD MAURICE ROSS DIARY
July 13 thru 15, 1944 (Thursday thru Saturday): "French women in (fox) holes with the Germans. They were all dead."
July 16, 1944 (Sunday): "Supposed to get relieved. Came back from eighty-eight corner and went to church. Relieved by the 2nd Battalion. Everything is quiet."
July 17, 1944 (Monday): "Searched out houses. Held our lines. Found some donkeys and rode them."
July 18, 1944 (Tuesday): "(9th Infantry) Organization day. Everyone fired one round. Jerry sent propaganda leaflets over."
July 19, 1944 (Wednesday): "The engineers (combat engineers) relieved us. We went back and prepared for an attack."
July 20, 1944 (Thursday): "We dug in and held our positions."
July 21,1944(Friday): "Out posted 1st battalion area sweating out the attack."
July 22,1944 (Saturday): "Seven German airplanes came over. We shot down five. One pilot was burned all to pieces but I got part of his parachute."
July 23, 1944 (Sunday): "Sweating it out".
July 24, 1944 (Monday) "Sweating it out".
St. Jean des Baisants six miles from Saint-Lo, France
The Battle for St. Jean des Baisants
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Somewhere in France
July 19, 1944
Dear Mother,
I know this letter will be good news as by one of your last letters you didn't realize I was in France. Here I am well and safe after making or taking part in "The Great Invasion" of which I'll write more in this letter. No one can realize what it was like. Only those who took part and came through alive. I'm writing this letter in a foxhole and have slept in one every night for it's the safest place to sleep. Also, have made a few fast trips to these holes during the daytime or at night when a Jerry comes flying over. You can tell when a Jerry is coming by the sound of his motor. Let me start from the first and write a story or just give you a little picture of the whole thing.
We all partly knew what the story was because it took some time to get ready for that day. Got on a big boat days before we sailed and then the time came. I remember how nice the weather and the water was that day. A pretty blue with just a few white caps. I leaned over the rail of the ship and watched the shores of England as we sailed along. Then the night came and we headed for the coast of France. Next morning we were there and started into positions for we were on a large ship and had to stay off shore, then unload into smaller boats. Gee, you should have seen boats of all kinds. I was in front of the ship downstairs, just went into the latrine when a big explosion shook the ship all over nearly throwing us all to the floor, the bells to abandon ship sounded as we all hurried for our equipment then out on deck. We heard the ship in front of us had hit a mine and was hurt badly. In a short time it sunk. They took the men off so this held us up as we were schedule to get off before them.
Then the time came and over the side of the big ship and down the rope net we went into a small landing boat. The officer told us to hit the water when the front opened and if he or anyone else fell just to keep on going. You could see the Germans shelling the beach ahead. Also saw boys that hadn't made the grade. At first, I didn't think the water was going to be very deep because it was only above my knees but then I must have walked into a shell hole or something for the water came far above my waist. I was one of the first eighteen from my battery to hit shore. The rest coming in later in the day. That night I went on guard and at two o'clock in the morning heard a crack of a rifle and the groan of a man not far from the hedgerow where I was. Another Jerry made the mistake of trying to get back to his line. There were Germans everywhere even in the trees. Gosh, that was a cold night for all the clothes we had were on our back as we didn't bring a thing, only what we needed. I had on a pair of woolen underwear which I wore for over a month before they gave me new ones. Had only two shaves in June. This being the first time I ever raised a beard. Things are better now.
You should have seen what those Krauts had to do to try stop us from making an invasion. Every field near the coast had big poles with wire from one to the others so gliders couldn't land, roads were mined, houses had guns in them, roads were blocked and machine gun nests had been built for years. You couldn't see them until you were right on top of the emplacement but those damn rats just forgot one thing, "You can't stop a Yank". The snipers along the coast were bad and as some papers stated the worst in any part of the war. Many turned out to be civilians. Germans I guess who had been moved in just for such a job and also to make it safer along the coast. As they wouldn't double cross the Nazi like some of the patriotic French would do.
War is hell and ruins or kills everything in its path. I have seen dead horses, cows, pigs, and chickens and one place while marching down a road I saw dead Germans everywhere. Even at one place beside the road they were piled up in a stack about eight or ten of them. One day while eating chow I smelt a terrible stink, then remembered seeing two dead cows and one pig in the corner of the field near the place we had moved in. The cows were swelled twice their normal size.
I've seen men jump from planes and parachute down, seen dog fights with a Jerry coming out on the small end. I remember the first Jerry plane I saw go down. He came over very low and a fifty machine gun set him on fire. He started for the ground in flames, trying to bail out, his chute failed to open, we watched him go down calling him a few names and cheering as he fell. Maybe some people wonder how we could do such a thing, but they have never gone down a road where all at once someone took a shot at you from the rear. The snipers hide in trees or holes in the hedge with sniper suits that make it so hard to see them that just a few feet away you'd never know they were there. Sometimes they get five or six men before they are found. Now the boys are lots wiser, learning the hard way and Jerry is getting plenty. How long he can take it I do not know. One thing we have found out he hates the American Artillery and wonder how we fire so fast.
There are many things the people back home do not read about but I feel it would make them realize in a bigger way what war was like if more of the bad news was printed along with the good.
So much about the war for now so will try to answer a few of the questions in your letters. I've received most all of them now, but you seem to be the only one writing.
I received the two pictures you sent, you and Dad by the car with a plant and one of you on the back porch. Seems Dad looked a little thin in the picture but I guess you've had lots of hot weather which is hard on Dad. Also got the three post cards which I passed around with pride.
The knife you sent came about a month ago and its alright. I did some work on it and you'd never know it was the same one. The blade was a little thin but being good steel it won't break and have it sharp as a razor. I must write and thank Frank.
What a surprise, Jones got his card the other night and at first couldn't make out how come. He came up to see me and I told him all.
Gee, I'm glad you received your tablecloth but did you notice the stain where I got it wet? As far as the pictures, except one, I just put them in. The ones standing were terrible. I was planning on throwing them away. I don't care what you do with them as you got the best one.
I broke my new teeth eating those dog biscuits we had at first as that's just about what they were but guess later I'll have them fixed. I was getting along good with them too.
The weather is good now but a little cold. At first, all it did was rain, rain and it made me think what the boys said about the other war, the mud and rain in the trenches.
The money I sent home you can take out as you like to show it as I intend fixing it different when I get home but as you know now I had to hurry and get it out of the way as we were making ready to move so I just made up that cardboard in order to send it home.
I got little Pauline's letter and will save it. It was good. [She was my almost 5 years old sister.]
You were talking about George Fuller. Gee, that's swell, guess the change was a big help. I know all about it as I wrote you about one person some time ago. It sure killed my courage or hopes of trying and it's the best way to get along.
Thanks for the birthday card. Helen [his sister] sent me two, one from her and Joe and one from Joe Jr. ha ha.
Gee, Mom, I don't know what Mildred can be thinking of but remember love is carried even if it's sent in a ___________. Oh well maybe someday she'll think it over as I've seen others do when it's too late.
Well, this is about all I can think of as I never save the letters very often and always do away with the address in case of being captured the enemy won't find out anything. Please try not to worry much as everything is alright and I'll be home soon, at least this war will be over which will be a big help. Say hello to Dad and give my love to all. I'll try to write every time I can now. Tell the others I'll write them soon. Keep up your courage.
Love Son
Charles
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Hedgerows are small, man-made earthen walls that surround a field. The hedgerows in Normandy date back to Roman times. They were used to enclose pastures and mark property lines. Each hedge is generally between two and six feet wide at its base. They are from three to fifteen feet high. On top this earthen base is a tangle of trees, shrubs, and prickly brambles creating all-natural fences around the small field.
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