America in WWII - (Page 34) Bradley and Eisenhower looked at the same situation maps that Kluge studied and found a new opportunity: if strong elements of Patton’s Third Army turned north at Le Mans and moved aggressively toward the city of Alençon, they could link up with the Canadians and British, who were attacking south toward Falaise. This would block all the roads out of Normandy and trap Army Group B. Bradley saw this as a once-in-a-century opportunity to fight a major battle of annihilation. Victory would mean the path to the German border would be clear of enemies; the war might end earlier than anyone had dreamed. Bradley issued the order, and on August 11 Patton began to implement it, sending Haislip’s XV Corps north. First Army at the city of Argentan. Haislip’s XV Corps was given the job of making that rendezvous. The corps included the 79th and 90th Infantry divisions. Spearheading the advance were the tanks of the US 5th Armored Division and the 2nd French Armored Division under Major General Jacques Leclerc. Their opposition, in the vicinity of Argentan would be Panzer Group Eberbach, which Kluge was reinforcing as Haislip advanced. The Halt Order ON AUGUST 13 HAISLIP’S XV CORPS WAS just outside Argentan, the proposed rendezvous point with the Canadian First Army. But the Canadians were still making slow progress in the vicinity of Falaise. About 20 miles separated the Canadians from the XV Corps. Patton proposed to order Haislip to drive further north and meet the Canadians. It would mean crossing the boundary between the US 12th Army Group area of operations and entering Montgomery’s 21st Army Group area. Bradley said no. He told Patton on August 13 to keep the XV Corps at Argentan, the agreed-upon rendezvous. This would prove to be one of the most controversial decisions made by an Allied O AUGUST 12, the 1st Battalion of the 320th Infantry Regiment, under Major Bill Gillis, fought its way through the 17th SS Panzer Grenadiers to relieve the survivors of the Lost Battalion, who still held out atop Hill 314. This marked the effective end of the Operation Lüttich battle. The US First Army would switch to the offensive as Patton’s tanks and infantry streamed north to rendezvous with the Canadian N OCTOBER 2007 34 AMERICA IN WWII
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