Once a foothold has been established at Utah Beach it was necessary for the 4^th Infantry Division to push forward inland to link up with the 101^st and 82^nd Airborne Divisions. Even if some connections have been made on June 6^th, a vital town has not been yet taken as Carentan or Sainte-Mère-Église.

Being stationed south of Sainte-Mère-Église, it was crucial to seize the town, first to officially converge with the 82^nd Airborne Division and to have a starting point toward Cherbourg.

The Germans were holding the village of Turqueville, Ecoquenéauville and the hill south of Sainte-Mère-Église

The 8^th Infantry Regiment was dug-in at the south of Sainte-Mère-Église by the evening of June 6^th, as follows:

• 1^st Battalion near Turqueville (see map below)
• 2^nd Battalion spent the night at Le Bout de la Ville (see map below)
• 3^rd Battalion was between Chef-du-Pont and Sainte-Mère-Église (“K” Company)

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On June 7^th at 0300pm the 1^st Battalion launched its attack on Turqueville which was held by a battalion of Georgian soldiers fighting for the Germans. Those men knew how to fight, this is why a street-fighting combat took place forcing the boys of the 1^st Battalion to clean up house by house. However, the enemy surrendered very quickly.

In the meantime the 2^nd Battalion turned north on “Highway 13” toward Sainte-Mère-Église, on their way Lieutenant-Colonel Carlton McNeely’s boys had a stiff fight across a creek southeast of the village of Ecoquenéauville at the crossroad at coordinates 365951 (see map below). The Germans held the battalion with everything they had, artillery, small arms fire, once the boys had reached the crossroad along “Highway 13” at coordinates 3595 the enemy started to poor on the 2^nd Battalion all of the artillery pieces he had available.

Wrecked armored vehicles along "Highway 13" in Sainte-Mère-Église - ©Combatreels.com

As a response to the enemy shelling “A”, “B” and “C” Companies of the 87^th Chemical Mortar Battalion whom were in support of the 8^th Infantry Regiment since D-Day responded with their 4.2mm mortars by firing on enemy strongpoints and artillery emplacements.

©IGNMap.com

Indeed, according to Lieutenant-Colonel McNeely the southern part of Sainte-Mère-Église was still under German control. He then ordered his troops to move east of the town otherwise the battalion would have been completely wiped out. “I hope to never be in another barrage like that. I was scared green. And as I passed a house on the edge of town I saw, through an open door, two old Frenchmen drinking cider and watching the show. I felt like turning in my suit right there.”

Once on the northern portion of it the outfit swung back on “Highway 13” near Sigosville where two battalions of the 505^th Infantry Regiment were dug in since the previous night.

Being a crossroad town as for the Americans and Germans, the enemy hotly engaged the 2^nd Battalion once it took position. Indeed, the enemy was surrounded at the south by the 3^rd Battalion, at the east by the 1^st and in the north by the 2^nd and airborne troops. In the fading light, Lieutenant-Colonel McNeely’s boys had a sharp battle in which the enemy right was completely enveloped, being in support tanks of the 70^th Tank Battalion were a great use and the 8^th Infantry Regiment took around 300 prisoners.

In the meantime, the 3^rd Battalion commanded by Major Fred Colins was caught up at Fauville (see the first map) and Coquerie since the 6^th by two machine gun positions set up at the crossroad south of the village (see map below) whom were silenced by Captain George. He created a Task Force, took the lead by was killed in assaulting his objective. It was then decided to shell Fauville during the all night in preparation for the upcoming attack. In the early hours of June 7^th, the battalion launched its attack and captured 55 Germans and took 30 enemy trucks which couldn’t get out.

Once Fauville liberated, the all regiment moved along “Highway 13” toward the north then turned east, around Sainte-Mère-Église as follows: 1^st Battalion on the right, 3^rd Battalion in the middle, supported by a battalion from the 505^th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82^nd Airborne Division, the 2^nd Battalion on the left whom was about to be relieved by another battalion of the 505^th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Men of the 8^th Infantry Regiment taking a break in Sainte-Mère-Église - ©Combatreels.com