In the early days of August 1944, Normandy frontlines are almost  drilled, Operation Cobra was a huge success. German Army was routed and was forced to withdraw. Some behind the natural line of defenses known as the Orne and Seine Rivers and others found shelter in the fortified towns of Brittany.

The situation of the German Army after the breakthrough.

After the taking of Granville and Avranches, 79^th Infantry Division continued its road of advance to the south toward the city of Fougères at the border between Brittany and Normandy. But before to enter into Brittany, the division made a stop at Pontaubault and at Pontorson. At Pontorson, 313^th Infantry Regiment Commanders ordered 1^st Battalion to hold some bridges to prevent German forces from east and southwest to counterattack. Their band of brothers of the 2^nd Battalion were at the time at the west of the town doing the same mission. 

It was around 0500pm on August 3^rd, through the Assistant Division Commander, that an order was received announcing that the 79^th Infantry Division was now part of the XV Corps.

Note: At the time XV Corps was composed of 5^th Armored Division, 90^th Infantry Division and of 79^th Infantry Division. New orders were received during the day, the division was assigned the mission to hold Fougères at the south.

When 313^th Infantry Regiment’s Commanders received the order to move south, all elements moved without delay at 0600pm passing through the towns of Pontorson, Pontaubault, Saint-James and finally Fougères.

Note: “A” Company of the 86^th Chemical Mortar Battalion, 813^th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 749^th Tank Battalion, 904^th Field Artillery Battalion and the 79^th Reconnaissance Troop were attached to the regiment for the move.

The first enemy resistance encountered was at La Blerie, a little hamlet north of Fougères which caused a delay of 2 hours. Upon their arrival in the outskirts of the town, German resistance pockets were waiting for the US Troops forcing battalions to deploy in the dark. 313^th Infantry Regiment’s men detrucked, but due to darkness they could not see anything in front of them and their attack on Fougères was postponed on the morning at 0715am on August 4^th.

Note: Trucks went back to the vicinity of Pontaubault in the early hours of the 4^th of August to pick up  the men of the 314^th Infantry Regiment.

To seize Fougères, regiment decided to pass through the main highway directly leading to the city itself with 2^nd Battalion on the east side and 1^st Battalion on the west side of the road. Around mid-morning Fougères was freed and both battalions pushed immediately to the south and east to take up defensive positions. It was later on the day, 3^rd Battalion moved to the south and west of the town to reinforce defensive positions.

Note: On the same day, orders from Army Group Commander were passing through Divisions Headquarters telling protections were needed at Fougères, Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët and Rennes.

• 79^th Infantry Division to defend Fougères.
• 4^th Infantry Division with the 4^th Armored Division in support to capture Rennes.
• 90^th Infantry Division to occupy Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouet and Louvigné-du-désert. 
• 5^th Armored Division to occupy the assembly area at the northeast of the 90^th. 
• 2^nd Cavalry Group to clear all roads from Rennes to Fougères. 
  

The regiment, after almost two days in defensive positions (until August 5^th, 1944 at 0700am) was ordered as the other elements of the XV Corps to cross the Mayenne River.

Orders were received as follows:

• 79^th Infantry Division was summoned to create a bridgehead across the Mayenne river at Laval.
• Combat Command "A" of the 5^th Armored Division was ordered to cross the Mayenne river between Château-Gontier-Mayenne and Laval and block the two main roads which run into Laval from the south and southeast then to get ready to advance to the east on Corps order.
• 90^th Infantry Division was ordered to cross the Mayenne river and establish roadblocks at Forêt de Bourgon - Marcilly-la-Ville - Saint-Fraimbault-de-Prières, then move south along the 3^rd Army boundary and resume movement to the east on Corps order.

On its way to Laval, 313^th Infantry Regiment was still motorized with the following attachments:

• 719^th Tank Battalion. 
• 613^th Tank Destroyer Battalion.
• 904^th Filed Artillery Battalion. 
• 79^th Division Reconnaissance Troop.
• "E" and "D" Companies of the 2^nd Battalion of the 749^th Tank Battalion. 
• One platoon of the 813^th Tank Destroyer Battalion.

All of them were stopped for three hours at La Croixille. The vanguard of the combat team was searching for German guns which were firing in the vicinity. Two 20^mm Antiaircraft guns, one 37^mm Antiaircraft gun and two 88^mm Antitank guns with fifty German soldiers were silenced out and taken as prisoners. At La Lande, regiment was forced to leave once again the trucks, as German opposition was too heavy and the vanguard could not deal with it by itself.

While the vanguard was fighting against tanks, artillery fire and mortar fire, 1^st Battalion has taken position on the east side of the highway leading to Laval and overcame the German forces. By midnight, 313^th Infantry Regiment reached a position approximately 1,86 Miles north of Laval spending the last hours of darkness in patrolling, to discover if bridges were still intact. During patrolling, some boys captured German soldiers and interrogated them. One of them said that the main German forces have withdrawn behind the Mayenne river.

Crossing of the Mayenne River

At 0700am on August 6^th, the final drive toward Mayenne River began with 1^st Battalion on the left, 2^nd Battalion on the right and the 3^rd echeloned on the right rear of the 2^nd. The remaining resistance was silenced out without troubles and 1^st plus 2^nd Battalions were able to move on the Mayenne River bank.

Laval was freed by 0600pm. Orders were received informing 313^th Infantry Regiment to cross the river.

313^th Infantry Regiment in Laval - ©CombatReels.com

While American troops were fighting Germans, Free French Forces were also fighting them. When they learned Americans will use the dam to cross the river, some members of the resistance opened the sluice gates to allow it to be used as a foot bridge.

Note: Men of the regiment were surprised that one bridge was still intact.

The dam and one bridge would not be enough to make the crossing, so a second foot bridge was created South of the dam. At 0600pm, 2^nd Battalion used the dam to cross the Mayenne River, and during the evening 1^st and 3^rd Battalions crossed the river by using the two-foot bridges.

At 1030pm, 304^th Engineer Battalion finalized the building of a pontoon bridge so 313^th Infantry Regiment could move all of its vehicles and equipment on the south bank of the river.

Let's take Le Mans

The liberation of France could continue. Once Laval was liberated, 313^th Infantry Regiment and all of its attachments were summoned to continue to advance toward Le Mans (known for its famous car race and for its rillettes).

The drive to Le Mans began at 0800am on August 7^th, passing through Forcé, Bazougers, La Bazouge-de -Chéméré, Chéméré-le-Roi, Cossé-en-Champagne, Brulon, made by columns of battalions as follows: 3^rd in lead, 2^nd in the middle and 1^st at the rear.

The first German resistance was encountered at Avessé which delayed the column approximately two hours, and at Loué where a roadblock was reported by the 106^th Cavalry which requested infantry men to reduce it. One truck of eighteen men was sent to support 106^th Cavalry but an error of instructions occurred "Where are the entire Company and tanks requested ?" Nevertheless, the eighteen men with their officer succeeded to seize the bridge that the enemy had attempted to mine. When the remainder of the company arrived at the bridge, German resistance increased and was forced to take up defensive positions, approximately 1,24 Miles north of the village.

Road of advance of the 79^th Infantry Division in Mayenne - ©GoogleMap.

Reconnaissance troop spotted a column of approximately 800 Germans marching north forcing 1^st Battalion to take up defensive positions south of Avessé, 2^nd Battalion detrucked between the villages of Mareil-en-Champagne and Loué while 3^rd continued to Vallon-sur-Gée.

Boys of 2^nd Battalion were following those of the 3^rd by a distance of 800 yards when hell has begun to fall. Indeed, enemy who was coming from the north succeeded to take position, wanting to cut the American column by attacking through their positions. Luckily for 2^nd Battalion, Germans ignored that tanks were in the vicinity and were forced to withdraw. However, the hill ahead of 313^th Infantry Regiment was still an enemy strongpoint with its 20mm Antiaircraft guns and mortars. Guns continued to fire into Loué until darkness. If the regiment wants to continue its advance toward Le Mans, it has to seize the hill. To do so, 3^rd Battalion was called back from Vallon-sur-Gée, to went back to Mareil-en-Champagne where it met the 1^st. At 0645am, August 8^th, 1944, the attack was resumed and finally enemy guns were silenced out.

The route to Le Mans could finally re-start. On its way the regiment passed through the villages of Vallon-sur-Gée, Crannes-en-Champagne, Fay, Pruillé-le-Chétif and Rouillon. Some prisoners were taken, not really fighters, but soldiers trying to surrender.

In the outskirts of Le Mans, 313^th Infantry Regiment set up its assembly area in the vicinity of Le Tertre in which it will remain until August 10^th. 

Note: 315^th Infantry Regiment was already into the city. 

On August 10^th, 313^th entered into Le Mans then moved north to reach Le-Mêle-sur-Sarthe one day later.

Note: From Le Mans to Le-Mêle-sur-Sarthe, 313^th Infantry Regiment passed through Changé, Beaufay, Courcemont, Saint-Aignan, Marolles-Les-Braults and Chérancé.

The road toward Paris is officially opened!

Written by Pierre Fallet - Normandy American Heroes