 Sheet
19Record of 508th Participation In Normandy
Operations (page 9 of 12) |
S E C R E T
and artillery. The effect of our fire on the Germans
was not observed and they did not counter attack. Artillery and mortar
fire was halted at 0800 and the enemy fire tapered off to occasional
rounds. At 1030 on 29 June a message was received advising that one
battalion of the 507th Parachute Infantry would relieve our 3rd
Battalion from the MLR starting at 2300, and that one Battalion of the
508th Parachute Infantry would relieve by Infiltration the 1st
Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry at 1530 on a 900 yard front on the
southeastern edge of the BOIS DE LIMORS. This relief was accomplished by
our 1st Battalion by infiltrating squads into position without drawing
enemy fire.
30 June 1944
The 3rd Battalion was relieved by 2nd Battalion, 507th Parachute
Infantry, on the MLR by 0140 and began its movement to the division
switch line position formerly held by the 1st Battalion. The 3rd
Battalion completed this move by 0354. At 0830 Division ordered the 1st
Battalion attached to the 505th Parachute Infantry tactically, and the
2nd Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry attached to the 508th Parachute
Infantry tactically. At 1000 the forward elements of the 1st Battalion
were pulled back into the BOIS DE LIMORS to permit an artillery
concentration, which was fired to their immediate front. The 3rd
Battalion attached its mortars to the 2nd Battalion in order that they
might be brought within range of targets in front of the MLR. During the
afternoon of 30 June the mortars of the units were zeroed and desirable
concentrations were planned and prepared.
1 July - 2 July 1944
2nd and 3rd Battalions remained in the regimental sector and held the
RRL and Division switch positions respectively. On the morning of 2 July
the enemy moved in close to the 1st Battalion position on the left
flank, threw smoke grenades and fired into the smoke in an apparent
effort to obtain prisoners. At 1545 the afternoon of 2 July the 2nd and
3rd Battalions were alerted for a move to forward assembly areas in the
BOIS DE LIMORS, in preparation for an attack against Hill 131. 2nd and
3rd Battalion mortar platoons moved into the woods, prepared fire data,
and zeroed in on targets preparatory to the attack. The Regimental CP
moved to a new location in the BOIS DE LIMORS. The battalions closed in
the new area by 2000. A message was received from division at 1940
stating that D day for the attack against Hill 131 was 3 July 1944, H
hour for the 8th Corps 0530, 82nd Division to attack at 0630.
3 July 1944
Following a fifteen minute artillery preparation the 2nd and 3rd
Battalions jumped off in attack abreast at 0630, with the 2nd Battalion
on the right and the 3rd Battalion on the left, both passing through the
1st Battalion, which defended the line of departure (BOIS DE LIMORS).
Initially the attacking echelons met stiff resistance but the violence
of their attack soon penetrated the German positions. The 1st Battalion,
which constituted the regimental reŽserve, assembled and made ready to
move after the other two battalions had passed through. The battalion
mopped up several pockets of German resistance by-passed by the leading
battalions in their speedy advance and occupied a new reserve locality
around LA COTELLERIE. By this time the leading battalions were
approaching the ALPHA phase line running along the high ground one
kilometer southeast of VARENQUEBEC and LA DAUDERIE after overrunning
numerous German positions and capturing scores of prisoners. At 0900 the
2nd and 3rd Battalions were on the ALPHA phase line. At 1100 the
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