On the 24th of July 1944, the German forces around St Lo, in Normandy, did not have a clue about the hell that was about to be unleashed upon them. Their dispositions looked like this:

Source; http://www.dean.usma.edu/history/web03/atlases/AtlasesTableOfContents.html

To the west of St Lo, you can see the area that the Americans chose to breakout from the close hedgerow fighting that had so favoured the Germans for the months of June and July 1944.

Source; http://www.dean.usma.edu/history/web03/atlases/AtlasesTableOfContents.html

The Allies delivered a devastating aerial bombardment on the German front lines in the area on 25 July 1944. The line did not immediately give way. This was due to the American infantry not pushing quickly at first. Who could blame them? They had just spent 2 months fighting in the hedgerows and had learned to be cautious. Additionally, the lingering shock of the bombardment, which also killed and wounded several hundred Americans was still wearing off.
However, the American Commander on the ground, General J. Lawton Collins, saw no need to delay and committed his exploitation forces on the morning of the 26th. This was risky, because if the Germans had managed to slow down the attack further, it would have meant an American traffic jam right on the front lines. Luckily, they couldn't and the Americans pushed right through and found the German line disintegrating like it had not done for the Americans before in Normandy.
Thus began the great race from the beachheads to the German frontier that occurred over the next 2 months, including the liberation of Paris and most of the rest of France.

I rode through the breakout zone recently and below is some video of a wonderfully twisty ride I took from Gavray towards Avranches. This area was liberated around 28-30 July.

Normandy Breakout from TJ on Vimeo.

Ride Recommendation

Check out the Terre Liberte' route of Cobra- La Percee (the Breakout). The video above is from this route and starts in Gavray which is about half way in between Coutances and Avranches. Here's a Google map of the stretch of road on the video.

Book and Map Recommendations

In mid May, General William Tecumseh Sherman was picking his way down North Georgia. His counterpart, General Joseph E. Johnston had just reluctantly retreated from Cassville, Georgia to the Allatoona Gorge in the hopes of luring Sherman into a tight killing zone. Johnston's only worry was that the position at Allatoona was too good. Unbeknownst to Johnston, Sherman knew the position was too strong to attack head on. Sherman had spent a lot of time in the area as a young officer and had spent much time around the Etowah Indian burial mounds nearby. Sherman decided to swing west and go directly after the strategic crossroads around Dallas, Georgia.

After a few days rest, the Union forces moved south. General Joseph Hooker was in th van of the middle column and began a pursuit of a small band of Confederate cavalry which was acting as a screen for Johnston's forces to the south. "Fighting Joe" Hooker lived up to his name and went fast and hard at the Confederates under General John Bell Hood. Hooker had hoped to catch the Rebels off guard and press home and advantage. Hood had other ideas. Taking his cue from his cavalry screen, Hood had begun entrenchments and selecting defensive positions. The first of Hooker's assaults led by Brigadier General John W. Geary was thrown back when it encountered an undetected enfilade Confederate position which hit them hard. Hooker persisted with two more Divisions and the battle was enjoined.

Hood's middle was held by Major General Alexander P Stewart's Division and they bore the brunt of Hooker's onslaught for several hours in the afternoon. The battle raged with such ferocity that Johnston became worried that Stewart might relinquish the position. Stewart, a Tennessean, held firm even though some of Hooker's men got close. With a fierce thunderstorm brewing and setting in, Hooker made one last throw of the dice and pulled Geary out of reserve through dense wood to push through a perceived advantage. Stewart's artillery which had been so effective now opened up with even more canister rounds and caused the veteran Geary to claim that it was the hottest he had experienced with his command. The Union forces were praised for the courage and coolness, but the day was no to be theirs. With the drenching from the rain and the gloom of the stormy evening setting in, the Union forces settled down in their positions and awaited daylight. The battle has been called New Hope Church, but the soldiers knew it by "Hell's Hole."

The next day would bring probing for weakness all along the line, two days later, the fighting would continue near Pickett's Mill.

Ride Suggestion

Next time you are buzzing down I-75 from Chattanooga to Atlanta, jump off at Cartersville for a great little circular ride that takes in Allatoona Lake, The New Hope and Pickett's Mill Battlefields and a couple of mountainous switchback roads near Dallas, Georgia.

View Larger Map

Sources and Book Recommendations

In the late 1600s, tensions rose between the native tribes of present day Maine, principally the Abnaki, and the English settlers of the area. As so often was the case, the tensions which might have arisen over local grievances took on a more Atlantic nature due to war in Europe.

In Europe, at the time, William of Orange had taken the English throne in the Glorious Revolution and had joined the League of Augsburg (Grand Alliance) to halt Louis XIV's aggression in the low countries and German palatinates. In New England, the English colonists and the Indians, goaded on by French Jesuits, fought for dominance as part of "King William's War."

At the break of day on 25 January 1692, Chief Madockawando of the Abnaki, led his warriors on a raid of the village of York, Maine. The Abnaki, probably with the verbal backing of Father Louis-Pierre Thury, killed almost 50 villagers and took more than that hostage. Destroying the village and its people was not enough for Madockawando, he also torced the farms around York on his way out.

The English would settle with the largest of the tribes in the Northeast, the Iroquois, in 1694, which effectively put an end to French hopes for rallying the tribes of the New England against the English. However, it did not stop the French and Abnaki from trying for five more years, two more than the war in Europe. The Abnaki finally came to peace with the settlers in 1699 at Casco Bay, Maine.

Books from Amazon.com

Motorcycle Ride

Start at the John Paul Jones Memorial in Kittery Maine and follow the coast through York and on to Kennebunkport and Biddeford Pool.

Maps

Battle of Nantwich - 25 January 1644

With the arrival of Irish forces (somewhat) loyal to the King in late 1643, the Royalists had developed a strong footing in the northwest of England and were besieging the strategically important town of Nantwich. The Royalist commander Lord Byron decided to complete his conquest of Cheshire by quickly capturing Nantwich, which was being defended by Parliamentarian Sir William Brereton. However, the Parliamentarian Sir Thomas Fairfax had other plans. Showing his grasp of the whole war and not just that of his eastern England locality, Fairfax pulled together his disparate forces around Lincolnshire and marched to the relief of Nantwich. The two forces met near the present day Shropshire Union Canal on the close, flat pastures to the west of Nantwich.
Having deployed tightly coming out of Nantwich, Fairfax had to fight on each flank to open up space for his cavalry. On the other hand, Byron, converging on Nantwich, had to deal with over-extension. One has to imagine an inner concentric arc pushing against an outer concentric arc to understand the tension between the two forces. Fairfax was able to hold both flanks as his centre made the advance into Byron*s centre who were unsupported by their flanks due to the over-extension. Eventually, the Royalist centre cleaved in two and flanked away in opposing directions. This saved the left side, but doomed the right which fell back near Acton church.
Things went from bad to worse for Byron, as the blocking force meant to hold the Nantwich Roundhead forces at bay, failed. These Parliamentary forces proceeded to attack the Royalist baggage train near Acton church and the Royalist right flank near the present day Acton Bridge (footbridge) over the canal. In the melee, the Royalist lost many, but many more surrendered, including whole Irish regiments who felt they had been tricked into coming to England to fight for the King.
Nantwich was a clear win for the Parliamentary forces, having relieved the siege, captured the Royalist baggage train and not a few senior officers. Strategically, it kept the centre of England in play and established Fairfax as a Parliamentarian commander of national stature.

Rides, Routes and Waypoints,/h3>
40-45 miles, depending on the options chosen. Take the A51(T) west/ northwest out of Nantwich to the A49 south. Turn left onto the A49 and go to Whitchurch. Follow the A49/A41 ring road around Whitchurch to the A525 going to Nantwich / Stoke. Just before Burleydam, take the A530 back to Nantwich. In Nantwich, follow the A534 to Acton. The area around Acton foot bridge is where most of the fighting occurred. Good views can be had from Welshman*s Lane and the parking area next to the canal bridge on the A51(T). If you have extra time, try the excellent A41 from Whitchurch to Tong, near the M54, adding 30 extra miles.
Use Ordnance Survey Landranger 118. The battlefield is centred on SJ 635536. If using a road map, the battlefield is located in west Nantwich and Acton.

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