Thursday, July 27, 1944
The days that marked the Battle of Normandy
This is the third day of operation Cobra. The front is finally pierced to the southwest of Saint-Lô and the Americans now want to exploit this situation. East of the breakthrough, the 1st Infantry Division and the 3rd Armored Division repulsed the German defenders of the 2nd and 17th divisions S.S. Panzer to the village of Camprond, a progression of six kilometers.
At the center of the breakthrough, the 2nd Armored Division passed the village of Notre-Dame-de-Cenilly, seven kilometers to the south, and reached the Saint-Lô-Tessy-sur-Vire road at Mesnil-Opac. The town of Périers is finally liberated by the soldiers of the 90th Infantry Division and Lessay falls into the hands of the troops belonging to the 79th Infantry.
Several tank fights took place between the American armored divisions and the isolated elements of the “Das Reich” and “Götz von Berlichingen” Panzer divisions. SS-Oscha (adjutant) Ernst Barkmann, belonging to the 2nd SS Panzer Division “Das Reich”, destroyed nine American Sherman tanks and several other vehicles of the 3rd Armored Division along the road linking Saint-Lô to Coutances, near the village of Lorey. But the Germans, although possessing some superior tanks in firepower, are unable to slow down the irresistible American advance.
On the Commonwealth front, it is the return to war of positions, after the very murderous Spring operation which did not open the front to the south of Caen, but which simply fixed a maximum of German divisions in that region which can not reinforce the front in the Cotentin area.
