Bricqueville (Calvados)
The cities of Normandy during the 1944 battles
Liberation: June 9th, 1944
Deployed units:
115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 352, 352. Infanterie-Division
Grenadier-Regiment 916, 352. Infanterie-Division
History:
Before the landing, the village of Bricqueville houses the command post of the 1st company of Panzerjäger-Abteilung 352 (352. Infantry Division).
On June 9, 1944, the Americans of the 29th Infantry Division cross the valley of the Aure and its swamps: it is a real surprise for the Germans who did not anticipate the fact that the flooded lands of the Aure are crossed as quickly by their opponents.
After a particularly hard day of progress in the swamps, the 1st battalion of the 115th Infantry Regiment (IR) advances forcibly towards Bricqueville. Progressing on the left flank of the regiment, in accordance with the plan of operations number 4, the 1st battalion commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Richard C. Blatt must have reached the commune for noon. A very localized German counterattack was first repulsed by the Americans on the outskirts of Bricqueville, but the 115th IR soldiers managed to seize the town in a last effort. German snipers greatly hamper the movement of their opponents and maintain a sense of permanent insecurity, even within the village.
The Americans launch patrols at the crossroads of the locality of Taillepieds, in the immediate vicinity of Bricqueville, thus cutting off one of the withdrawal routes of the German forces Grenadier-Regiment 916 (352. Infantry-Division) retreating from Trévières: these last want to avoid encirclement by the west. On June 10, the 1st battalion of 115th IR then continues its progression towards Cartigny-l’Epinay.
From June 26 to 28, 1944, the town of Bricqueville hosts the command post of the 83rd Infantry Division. From July 6 to August 5 of the same year, the 44th Evacuation Hospital settled on the lands of Bricqueville. Medical personnel received up to more than 500 wounded simultaneously, particularly during the Battle of Saint-Lô. 50 German prisoners performed daily tasks there and the hospital received a total of 4,499 wounded at this site.
Map of Bricqueville:
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