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(Click
this strip to get a detailed description of the operations)
| Patton
to conquer the west |
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Patton
had sworn it « One day, people will talk about
me in Europe ».
Old Bradley had just given him free rein. Then an incredible
and unique ride started in Pontaubault that only came
to an end in Prague districts.
Pontaubault,
on the 1st of August.
The military police, pistol in hand, had to manage a
huge traffic jam : a 50 km traffic-jam to be precise
! 1500 vehicles took the bridge and this procession
lasted three days. At that time, the Second Army went
into Brittany. « They were encouraged by Patton
like a horde of buffalos in the Far West ».
Their objective was Brest and other Breton harbours,
which had to be taken by surprise. Their instruction
was the following one : « go ahead, there's no plan
». Hitler couldn't believe his eyes : « This
General-cowboy goes to war in Brittany and takes only
one road and one bridge with a whole army of soldiers...
that's incredible ! »
(P. Carell).
Patton
succeeded in making his 100 000 men progress though
nobody thought he would ! That was really audacious.
(Photo
Mémorial de Caen - All
rights reserved)
GI's and citizens of Avranches meet
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The progress
of the american army lasted from the 3rd to the 7th of August.
They were constantly bombed by the Germans.
The AA destroyed 18 german planes in 40 hours.
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As
their operation was a real success, the Americans
thought they were invicible and that gave them
strength to go on fighting. They wanted to capture
the German army that was in Normandy in the rear.
Montgomery was in the north and Bradley and Patton
in the south. They were about to capture the whole
german army but before, the ground had to be cleaned
up.
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(Galery
photo-ciné-son TEL: 0233605820 - All
rights reserved)
An american jeep goes down Calandre street, with
a German helmet on it as a trophy. |
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Shock troops were ambushed in Brée, near the
railway line. Michel Delahaye could see the battle.
"I went to war in AIgeria but what I saw that very
day was really incomparable". A few american tanks
were destroyed by a cannon hidden in a farm. « They
shooted on one another with open sights and then the
Germans raised their arms, shouting "Kamarad kaputt
".
They fell into a group of black commandos who progressed
with their bayonet between their teeth. They didn't
spare them. Bulldozers very rapidly cleaned up the road
and pushed german vehicles and corpses into ditches.
Everything went so fast... » Rennes was liberated
on the 4th of August. The French were extremely happy
and the Americans proud of what they had done. Yet...
General Jodl, staff officer in the German army, called
Von Kluge and told him : «.. Our führer thinks
it is an excellent idea that most troops cross Avranches
before they are stopped at this very place » (E.
Florentin).
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PATTON
Considered
as a Demigod by his men, Patton believed
in reincarnation. During this summer of 1944,
he personified triumphant America more than
any other general. Patton was either admired
or hated. The american press had set the public
opinion against him. Didn't he hit two depressive
soldiers when he was in Sicily ? Calmer Generals
distrust this selfish and impulsive man. Patton
and Eisenhower had nothing in common. The latter,
who was a puritan, directed the liberation of
Europe as if it had been a religious crusade.
Patton was a born General. He became famous
in France when he directed his tanks during
the first World War. Georges Patton took many
risks to win as rapidly as possible while trying
to preserve his men from dying. He made their
life very hard. « Either your name and that
of the 3rd Army will become famous or they will
be engraved in registers of deaths », he
told them when they arrived in France.
According
to one of his former soldiers, the breakthrough
in Avranches shortened the length of the war
of about six months. That was worth a few slanging
matches !
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(All
ritghs reserved) |
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| Original
documents by Michel Coupard and Jack Lecoq |
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