Patton in the dog house

In the weeks before arriving in Normandy, General Patton had prepared what he called his 'Opus No 1,' a bold plan for a U.S army breakout and the complete liberation of France. He had passed this plan on to his Boss, General Omar Bradley.  Bradley had shown little interest  and as far as Patton was concerned, it had been filed away.

Patton had an intricate knowledge of the Norman countryside, having spent part of his second honeymoon touring the area in 1917.  He is reputed to have said, "We're going to have to fight a war here one day, so I might as well get to know the terrain."

Camp Patton, 2011

While continuing to 'cool his heels' in the apple orchard at Nehou, Patton was invited to the odd conference with Bradley and other Generals.


As U.S forces became progressively more bogged down in the hedgerow fighting, Bradley came up with a plan, 'Operation Cobra'. Patton could see that this plan was a virtual copy of his very own 'Opus No 1', but nowhere near as bold or ambitious: Nonetheless, it was for all intents and purposes, a plagiarized version of the Patton plan.  Ever generous of spirit, Patton preferred to believe that 'Cobra', had evolved from suggestions he had made.

Bradley, Patton and Montgomery

Although the plan was considered 'Top Secret', Patton decided to brief 

his senior aides in the strictest of confidence. 

Cobra plan

His public relations officer, Colonel Charles C. Blakeney, could see that Bradley's Cobra plan was plagiary, and shared his convictions with embedded journalists in an adjoining orchard - before Bradley had revealed anything about 'Cobra' to his own press corps. The men from the Patton camp let it be known that they had information on an impending action and the whole matter exploded. Once again Patton was in the 'dog house': However it did not prevent him from begging Bradley to make his Third Army operational immediately.


No go. It would be a while longer before the Patton 'Blitzkrieg' would get the thumbs up. He would have to content himself with the tranquility of the orchard at Nehou, as the front moved ever farther away. July 20th was a dark day for Patton. The bomb plot against Hitler caused him to worry that he would never get into the fight before it was all over.

Waiting proved a bitter pill for the man who said,

"Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base..."

D-Day +42

Saint-Lo is the capital of the Manche region of Normandy and a vital traffic hub. In 1944, it had been a key strategic objective for American forces . Sitting at the center of a major road and rail network which connects Normandy and Brittany, it was to form a pivotal role in the American attempt to swing into Brittany and begin the encirclement of the enemy. 

The Germans also had an important command and control centre in St. Lo. The Germans had been prepared for The Americans. As early as July1st, German High Command had dictated that a fight to the death policy would be adopted, ground was to be yielded only when overrun and harassing counterattacks were to be effectively utilized against the advancing Americans. Every field, lane and approach to St Lo had been prepared by the Germans. 

Territorial gains in the weeks leading up to the taking of ST-LO, could often be measured in terms of yards taken, for men killed.

Germans dug in, American casualty in foreground

The terrain even benefited the Germans. They were able to dig in, camouflage and lay in wait. They only had to knock out the lead tank in a column to bring an armored advance to a complete halt in the narrow country lanes, then their well sighted artillery could go about the job of picking of the remaining tanks at will. Every time a GI raised his head above a hedgerow, he was likely to get it blown off.

 German propaganda film - Germans capture Allied troops

The advance on St. Lo had been a miserable affair for the American soldiers, but on July 18^th 1944, the 29^th Division finally entered what was left of the ancient market town.

The taking of the town has always been credited to the 29^th as it was they who had fought their way in, but stout and costly support had been provided by the 30^th Division. Without the soldiers of ‘Old Hickory’, engaging the fanatical groups of German paratroopers and SS grenadiers, tightly holding on, the 29^th Division  casualties, already significant, would have been catastrophic.

 St. Lo had played a pivotal role in Normandy battles through the ages, and has a history dating back to the 8th century. From the Vikings to the Germans, it had been taken and occupied many times,
but no war had ever come close to punishing the inhabitants and obliterating their homes, like this one.
Thousands of civilians had perished in Allied bombing and artillery strikes and barely a building was left standing, when Lt. Edward G. Jones, Jr of the 29^th Recon troop entered the town. The people of St. Lo had paid a heavy price for their freedom.

Saint Lo, modern day, from http://christopheferey.over-blog.net/

Since 1999 St Lo has been twinned with Roanoke, Virginia, USA.