When was cherbourg captured

Moving along and around a ridge, the Americans had to fight for every yard. Discovering thick barbed wire, they had to use Bangalore torpedoes to blow gaps that infantry could then penetrate to attack the Germans. While all the attackers behaved bravely, two Americans set examples of heroism far above and beyond the call of duty. When Company E was pinned down by heavy machine gun fire from a well-sited German pillbox, 23 year old Corporal John D.

Kelly, a former logger from Venango County in northwest Pennsylvania, stepped forward and volunteered to take on the enemy. Sliding his way forward under enemy fire with a ten-foot pole with a pound TNT charge dangling from the end, Kelly placed and detonated the charge to no effect. Unfazed, he returned for another charge and again approached the pillbox.

This time he managed to blow off the end of the enemy machine guns. Kelly then blew open the back of the pillbox with another charge and hurled grenades inside, after which the few survivors surrendered. It was Kelly with the pole charges—long sticks with a charge of dynamite on the end.

He dropped three or four of them down the hole where the periscope sticks out of the pillbox and smoked the Heinies out. Dozens of small boats were thrown onto the beaches, larger vessels punctured seawalls, rocks and the artificial harbour at Omaha Beach was damaged, so that unloading there came to a complete halt.

It was not until the afternoon of the 23rd that the Allies had repaired the damage so far that unloading on the beaches could begin again. After making an unsuccessful radio attempt to get the Germans to surrender the city on the night of June 21, Collins began his direct assault on Cherbourg. On the 22nd, shortly after noon, the planes came up. Then 12 groups of fighter-bombers of the US 9th Air Force joined in, bombing and machine-gunning German positions in front of the American lines.

The American planes attacked at five-minute intervals. When the ground forces moved in, all 11 groups of the US 9th Bomber Command attacked 11 defended points. In all, about tons of bombs were dropped over a large area. Although the intensity of the bombardment was increased by artillery bombardment, the purpose of the air raid was rather to achieve the greatest possible demoralisation of the German troops, who were already in a hopeless position. As the three American divisions advanced towards Cherbourg, von Schlieben received a hint from Hitler, which was not to be misunderstood.

The German people and the whole world are following your battle. Your own honour and that of the German army are at stake. On June 23, the Americans achieved significant penetrations into the German positions, and the next day von Schlieben reported that he had used all his reserves during the battle of Cherbourg and had ordered his troops to fight to the last cartridge. In his opinion, the fall of Cherbourg was inevitable. Despite the collapse of the Cherbourg defences, small groups in excellent individual positions continued to resist to the bitter end.

To break the resistance General Bradley ordered a fleet bombardment of the Cherbourg batteries and at the same time a final ground attack on June While three battleships, four cruisers and several destroyers bombed the coastal fortifications, the American ground forces closed in on the city.

Is destruction of the remaining troops necessary in the context of the big picture, given the impossibility of launching an effective counterattack? In addition to superiority in equipment and artillery, air forces and tanks, a heavy bombardment from the sea has begun.

This bombardment is led by reconnaissance planes. Recherche Search for:. Share veterans accounts Share a testimony from a relative or a friend, veteran or civilian, resistance member, ally or German, actor or witness of History. D-Day Hour by Hour book This richly illustrated book chronologically describes the course of Operation Overlord through specific events. Media library D-Day and Battle of Normandy media library: archives photos and videos.

Photos: IWM. Photo: US National Archives. Battle for the capture of Cherbourg seen from the heights of the city. Column of German prisoners in Cherbourg. German destructions in the port of Cherbourg. Navy Personnel U. Cox, Rear Admiral Ret. Cherbourg, France. Related Content. Cherbourg, France The harsh weather, which destroyed Mulberry A , reminded the Allies that Cherbourg, France, must be quickly taken for a proper logistic point for supplies, materiel, and troops.

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