The new World Military History Blog has a concise history of the US Berlin Brigade.

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

I noticed an article in The Independent (UK) about the lesser known Australian contribution to the Somme battles near the end of the First World War. It's the 90th anniversary and it seems that there will be a special commemoration in the week leading up to the 25th of April at Viller-Bretonneux.

I may be dusting down the big cat for the first big ride of the year.

El Gato Negro

The United States last surviving World War I veteran has been honored by the Pentagon and President Bush.
My father also joined the Army under age in 1944. When his older brother entered the service, the Army found out that they had two men with the same (unusual) name and kicked my Dad out. He re-entered the service a few months later when he was old enough.
I offer a tight salute to the men who have seen it all and are still around to remind us of good lives lived.

Pointe du Hoc - D-Day - World war II

	A tank bag sized guide to the 2 Day battle with 16 pictures from the ride, a map of the planned assault and a custom route map of the ride from Pointe du Hoc to St Lo and the surrounding countryside, including the American cemetery at Omaha Beach and the German cemetery at La Cambe..
USD $4.99 for electronic PDF	USD $9.99 for laminated hard copy by snail mail