To continue from page 97... This short paragraph needs to be read in context with post #71 of the German part of this thread. The evening in question appears to be that of the 9th August from what I can deduce earlier in this section of the book. In true US Third Army tradition, Haislip's men covered 35 miles in just two days, arriving on the outskirts of Argentan by the evening of the 13th August. More follows. Regards, Pat
To continue from p.121 (Chap 11 - Patton stops below N 24 bis): '"Some of our units are at Argentan," Patton telephoned Bradley on the evening of August 12th. "Let me go on to Falaise and we'll drive the British back into the sea for another Dunkirk." "Nothing doing! You're not to go beyond Argentan," roared the C.-in-C. 12th Army Group. "Stop where you are." "But...my tanks are already on the way to Falaise" insisted "Blood and Guts". "We agreed to take Argentan ourselves, but now Montgomery will." True Montgomery was to reach Argentan, but he had not yet taken Falaise. Worse, he had not even begun his march on Falaise, having been halted on the Laison. "Haislip has been in Argentan since 1830 hours. We have already outstripped the British sector by 20 kilometres. Maybe more, maybe less. "If Haislip is in Argentan," Bradley pointed out, "it's because Montgomery sanctioned it on the 8th August. That's where we're to converge on the N 158. Stop the movement: Sibert tells me the Germans have begun to pull out. Button up your gaiters and get ready." Patton hung up. The order he had given his advance guard, in the bantering turn of phrase characteristic of him, "to push on slowly in the direction of Falaise," i.e. to take it, "and to continue pushing on slowly until we make contact with our allies," was countermanded. While Bradley, in Saint-Sauveur-en-Lendelin, made the acid comment, "I'd far rather get a solid foothold in Argentan than break my neck at Falaise", Patton was venting his rage in the Tac HQ at Andonville, near Laval. "What kind of an order is that? Given the go-ahead by Bradley, my four divisions could have easily gotten to Falaise, and completely closed the pocket." "But we still have to cover another thirty-odd kilometres of road riddled with R.A.F. bombs. The N 158 is unfit for armour," claimed the anti-Patton faction. "Phooey. I'm just not sure the British want to see me take Falaise...as far as I'm concerned it's a cinch." In any case, Patton had exaggerated. His tanks had stopped 1500 metres short of Argentan; nor were they to ever enter the town. Patton in fact never pushed on to Falaise, but halted along the edge of the N 24 bis on the 13th August. Leclerc drew up at Ecouche, with Combat Command A before Argentan and Combat Command B on the Castelle crossroads. Thirty kilometres to the north, on the other side of the Dives cauldron, the stage where the drama was about to be enacted, Montgomery was preparing to launch a second Canadian attack. For eight days these thirty kilometres were to keep the two armies apart. A clear halt to the day's hectic pattern of events had been called that evening.' More follows... Regards, Pat
To continue from p.123... 'The right wing of the 5th U.S. Armoured Division; Combat Command R, at midday on the 13th had reached the crossroads at Bourg-Saint-Leonard, a place of vital importance, because it opened the road that lead to Montgomery and closed the retreat route to the Seine, Dreux and Paris. It was ordered not to advance any farther. "We heard shots and bullets whistling on the Chambois road, then a loud explosion which made the few Germans who had remained flee towards the forest, clinging to the walls. A further explosion; an American tank advanced slowly. All the inhabitants hailed it as they did the two or three others which followed. The liberators were shaken by the hand, offered flowers and cool drinks. A general distribution of cigarettes, sweets and chewing gum... A moment of intense emotion. There were only a few dozen people around the three tanks but their eyes were starting out of their heads. A quarter of an hour later the tricolours which had been stored away for four years fluttered at the windows. The whole of that fine August afternoon Bourg was en fete. We were liberated. The Americans are here." They had spoken too soon. The square was still in no man's land. At 1500 hours a tragic-comic incident gave an inkling as to what it would be like for another six days. A German cycling along the Chambois road, stopped a hundred yards from the square and cried "Any Tommies here?" Then in a panic he turned about while the Americans prepared to snipe at him. A funeral procession passed on its way to the church. The soldiers did not dare to fire, and waited for the hearse to pass. The German had turned off and the bullets only ricocheted against the wall. Every day until the afternoon of Friday the 18th, the square was disputed for. Its inhabitants were evacuated, and it remained in the front line.' More follows... Regards, Pat