The story
On 11 June 1944 in Normandy, the 1st American Infantry Division Big Red One was assigned the task to take Caumont-l'Éventé. On 12 June, at 6 am the 18th and the 26th Infantry Regiments started the attack ; the initial progression was easy, Sallen, three kilometers north of Caumont-l'Éventé was seized. But in the vicinity of the objective, the Big Red One, under General Huebner hit hard resistance from the 2nd Panzer-Division. The 26th Infantry Regiment entered the city, but the Germans counter-attacked with support of self-propelled guns and repelled the Americans. The battle raged all night long. On 13 June the next morning, with infantry and the 743rd Tank Battalion reinforcement, the Americans pushed back the Germans from Caumont-l'Éventé.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.