A young man's war - 7

After Operation Crossbow 30 AU pushes on to Cherbourg and runs into the heavy fighting.

08 July 2020

Cherbourg was a very heavily defended port and it proved to be a hard nut to crack. The German fighting withdrawal was hard and ruthless.

This post is part of a series: A Young Man's War

Ancient

Norman towns were smashed by both side's shellfire and bombing. In the countryside tanks could not manoeuvre through fields blocked by high-banked thick hedges without the help of armoured bulldozers.

Infantry had to use 'fire and movement' tactics, taking cover from German mortars, machine guns and snipers.

Brits in bocage
Ralph - "We saw these white squares laid out in the fields we were about to cross. They were sighting marks for German mortar teams."
30 AU France operations Octeville
Ralph - "We were sitting under a tree and couldn't understand why leaves were fluttering down on us."
30 AU France operations Octeville A troop position
Note hole in leaf, top right

Snipers wounded two others in 'A' troop.

The medical orderlies who went to tend the injured were deliberately targeted. One was killed, the other shot through the knee.

25th June was a bad day for 30 AU. Commander Woolley was wounded in the head by an 88-mm shell splinter off a Sherman tank.

Ralph - "We came across an 88 crew but they were in no condition to fight."
Arctic snow first prisoners
30 AU took their first prisoners
25 June SW Octeville for Chebourg
30 AU advanced towards Cherbourg alongside the heavy artillery of the US 9th Division
30 AU France operations entering Octeville
"Waiting to enter Octeville." (location of the Kriegsmarine Naval HQ)
30 AU France operations Octeville at Villa Maurice
The Allied forces could hear thunderous explosions as German demolition charges wrecked the harbour.

As they were fighting their way towards the Naval HQ, 30 Assault Unit were unintentionally filmed in action on the streets of Octeville by a cameraman following the US 9th Division into Cherbourg.

Film frame 1
Film frame 2
Film frame 3
Film frame 4
Film frame 5
Film frame 6

And then the moment when 30 AU took the Kriegsmarine HQ in Villa Meurice. However the protracted defence of Cherbourg had allowed the German forces ample time to prepare for defeat. All assets were to be denied to the enemy - the port was shattered and all materiél and intelligence of any conceivable use to the Allies was destroyed.

Commandos at villa meurice cherbourg
Commando tommy gun at villa meurice cherbourg
Villa Maurice Cherbourg BW
The Kriegsmarine HQ in Villa Meurice. There was also a large underground complex under the HQ.
Villa Maurice Cherbourg int
The Staff officer's meeting room.
30 AU France operations Octeville Admirals office under Villa Maurice
The Admiral's office was part of the underground installation. Little of intelligence value was recovered from the tunnel complex.
30 AU France operations Octeville prisoners taken from Naval tunnels
Officers and men in the underground complex of the Kriegsmarine HQ were encouraged to leave by the use of rifles, anti-tank guns and hand grenades
30 AU France operations Octeville surrender of Naval HQ
At the surrender of the Naval HQ. Commandos captured 20 officers and 800 men.
30 AU War Diary June 4 44 p2
The Unit war diary records events in Cherbourg in one simple line. "June 26 Advanced to Octeville and entered Villa Meurice."

The Unit moves on.

30 AU France operations Octeville Barbusse refugees to Cherbourg
As the refugees returned to a shattered Cherbourg, French collaborators magically vanished.
26 June Cherbourg prisoners 2
Thousands of German prisoners had to be managed by Allied forces
"30 AU regroups at Carteret which is damp and dour with disagreeable cooking by an oily corporal"
Map Jun 8 28 route
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