Convoy 10:00 Fougers, Antrain, La Bousac, Dinan,
High Bridge repaired by U.S. G.
Sign across St. "welcome at our liberators"
St. Brieuc- 4 year old threw onion and called sweetly in english "I love you"
Many "vive la america" more gifts of apples, eggs, onions, even buttered bread, 2 slices to our truck.
Cognac for pack of cigs. Threw many cigs to people-
Miserable night in Bivouc w of st. Brieuc-
Guard-
Rain Mud-Camouflage net crushing pup tent-
Priebe too much cognac-
Morale strengthened by French warmth, antagonized by SNAFU officers.
Lu, from his memoirs: The battalion History noted: "On 22 August the battalion liaison officer returned with orders attaching the battalion to VIII Corps Artillery for a mission in the Brest Area." Brest is located on the very tip of the Brittany Peninsula, and has a large and deep harbor. The Germans had established a major submarine base there ,with covered 'submarine pens' and huge fortifications on the surrounding hills. Large railroad mounted guns could throw shells far out to sea, keeping allied warships at bay.
The German troops, cut off when the allies broke out of the 'St. Lo Pocket' and surged south, west and east between Avranches and Mortain, retreated to the ports of Brest, Lorient, Quibereron, and St. Nazaire. They carried with them most of their equipment, and ammunition, and the ports were well supplied. Brest was liberated on Sept. 18, 1944 but the others were left under siege till the end of the war. Perhaps the costs in men and material to reduce Brest dictated a less costly strategy. Cliff's research for his book found that 'The allied command had not anticipated either the number of German troops or their fierce resistance, led by Lieutenant General Herman B. Ramoke, Commander of the elite Second Parachute Division and a hero of the 1941 battle for Crete. U.S. intelligence estimated 16,000 German Troops in the area, whereas eventually 38,000 surrendered. General Troy Middleton, U.S. VIII Corps commander had at his disposal the 2nd, 8th, and 29th infantry Divisions and Task Force A, plus considerable air support. These combat forces suffered almost 10,000 casualties.
The battalion history for Sept. 22nd continued: "The battalion moved up to a bivouac area outside the town of Plugat near St. Brieo. 'The warm reception by the French populace continued, " says the official record. But we'll remember too the ruins of St. Malo, which had fallen the day before.
From Cliff Hope's book: Notes in my diary sketched our route through Fougeres, Antrain, le Boussac, Dol de Bretagne, and Dinan, where I noted a high bridge that had been repaired by U.S. engineers. There also, we were attracted by sidewalk cafes. At Jugon a sign stretched across the street said "Welcome at (sic) our Liberators.' Beyond Lamballe, at St. Brieuc a small girl threw an onion our way and shouted sweetly and in perfect English, "I love you." Many shouted "Vive L'Amerique!" Almost everyone waved, threw kisses and gifts of food-eggs, apples, tomatoes, onions. One little girl tossed two slices of buttered bread. A pack of cigarettes from the troops brought a bottle of "white lightning" in return. In addition to cigarettes, we tossed sugar, dextrose tablets and lemonade powder to greeters along the way. The day ended with a miserable night at the bivouac area west of St. Brieuc, where we were rained out of our pup tents.
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