Brécey (Manche)
The cities of Normandy during the 1944 battles
- Liberation: 31st July 1944
- Deployed units:
Combat Command A, 3rd Armored Division
1st Infantry Division
353. Infanterie-Division
History :
Taking advantage of the breakthrough in German lines, General Collins’ 7th American Corps headed towards Mortain to secure a wide corridor towards Brittany. While the 4th Infantry Division struggled to reach Villedieu-les-Poêles, slowed down by defensive roadblocks set up by the 2nd SS Panzer Division ‘Das Reich’, the 1st Infantry Division was tasked with advancing to Brécey to secure the crossing of the Sées River.
In order to save time, on 31 July 1944, General Collins ordered the 3rd Armoured Division to advance towards Brécey and reach a hill overlooking the Sées valley, north of Reffuveille. This high point, referred to as point 242, became the new objective of Lieutenant Colonel Leander L. Doan, head of Task Force X, who had just distinguished himself during the liberation of Gavray the day before.
As usual, Doan took the lead of the tank column when the advance was not fast enough for his liking. In the early evening, after bypassing Villedieu-les-Poêles to the west, his armoured vehicles entered the still-occupied town of Brécey at full speed. Lieutenant Colonel Doan, from his command tank, opened fire with his pistol on German soldiers, who were completely surprised to discover the Americans in this sector. The survivors fled, abandoning the village in complete disorder.
As the bridge over the Sées was destroyed, Doan immediately gave the order to create a ford by filling the riverbed with stones. He had no intention of stopping until he reached Hill 242. Despite sporadic fire from the last German defenders trying to delay them, the Americans managed to create an improvised crossing point and got their vehicles across. They reached their objective shortly after nightfall and set up camp on the wooded slopes north of the hill.
Brécey map:
