The story
Breakout from Normandy required fighting through a dense and difficult perimeter of marshes and bocage to reach ground suitable for mechanized warfare.
Redeploying from the grueling battle for Cherbourg, the 4th Infantry Division was directed to attack alongside the 83rd Infantry Division down the narrow strip of land separating the marshy Prairies Marecageuses de Gorges from the flooded Taute River.
This offensive was to push German artillery out of range of the vital coastal highway through Carentan and achieve more open ground near Périers for further offensives.
The attack progressed slowly against determined resistance in the soggy terrain.
Intermittent foul weather diminished visibility and air support.
The division did get one break when it hammered an exposed enemy counterattack with artillery, and then quickly followed up to seize the ground they had been on.
On 15 July, after having suffered 2,300 casualties in 10 days, the division was pulled out of the line to prepare for another mission.
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.