Villedieu-les-Poêles (Manche)
The cities of Normandy during the 1944 battles
August 2, 1944: Private C. L. Scott of the 4th U.S. Infantry Division takes advantage of the public fountain in Villedieu-les-Poëles to freshen up. Photo: US National Archives
- Liberation: 2 August 1944
- Deployed units:
12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division
2. Panzer-Division
243. Infanterie-Division
363. Infanterie-Division
- History:
In early August 1944, the town of Villedieu-les-Poêles was defended by units belonging to the 243rd Infantry Division and elements of the 363rd Infantry Division. For the new commander of Army Group B, General Field Marshal von Kluge, Villedieu represented the key to accessing Brittany: this town must be defended and, if necessary, recaptured, no matter the cost. Villedieu represented an important road junction in the region, halfway between Vire and Granville, making it a priority target for General Barton’s 4th Infantry Division.
After securing and crossing the Sienne River on July 30, American forces overwhelmed the German defenses and advanced at full speed toward the southern Cotentin Peninsula. Attacking with two regiments abreast starting on July 31, the American division was nevertheless blocked six kilometers north of Villedieu: the 1st Battalion of the 12th Infantry Regiment was stopped by defensive plugs manned by residual elements of the 2nd SS Panzer Division, which was withdrawing from Percy. Simultaneously, Lieutenant Colonel Leander L. Doan’s “Task Force X” (32nd Armored Regiment) bypassed Villedieu from the west and largely surpassed the town, reaching Brécey by the end of the day, thanks in particular to the support of Allied fighter-bombers. Only the 26th Infantry Regiment settled for the night on the heights of La Tondière, dominating the axis linking Villedieu-les-Poêles to Granville and its various crossings over the Douquette River.
On August 1, 1944, the 12th Infantry Regiment renewed its offensive against Villedieu but proved unable to break through the defensive line established by the Germans. However, the defenders lacked information regarding the exact contours of the enemy’s position; the reports reaching high command were terribly confusing and led to fears of the worst, particularly in the Avranches sector, where the defensive lines had reportedly collapsed. Von Kluge gave the order to hold the front between Villedieu and Percy in spite of everything in order to limit the American advance south of the Cotentin Peninsula.
But the breakthrough of “Task Force X” south of Villedieu led to a further retreat by the Germans, who feared a new encirclement after the one they had experienced at Roncey a few days earlier. They abandoned the commune during the night of August 1-2, withdrawing southeastward. Thus, on August 2nd at around 3:30 p.m., the 12th Infantry Regiment entered Villedieu-les-Poêles and began searching the homes. But the Germans had successfully escaped, and the residents came to meet their liberators, relieved that the Allied bombing had finally stopped.
Villedieu-les-Poêles map:
Back to the Normandy cities in 1944