The story
Early on 27 July, two battalions of the 79th Infantry Division infiltrated in single file across the Ay River, each man stepping into the footsteps of the soldier in front of him to avoid mines.
Once across the river, they swiftly seized the town of Lessay.
Division engineers threw a bridge across the river behind the advancing infantrymen, and the rest of the division poured across.
German resistance was crumbling and the division progressed quickly, passing elements of the 6th Armored Division through it to accelerate the momentum of the attack.
The 79th Infantry Division motorized a regimental combat team on borrowed Quartermaster trucks to race after the advancing tanks.
Coutances fell on 28 July and Avranches, after a turbulent overnight battle, on 31 July.
Abandoned German equipment and supplies littered the Cotentin countryside as their soldiers surrendered or attempted to flee the relentless American advance.
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.