The Rains Came
The preceding battles in the Normandy Hedgerow country had been rough but the ensuing battles
were to be equal tests of the mettle of the fighting men of the 358th Infantry. On the July 3rd, a
memorable day in the battle of France, the Division launched an attack southwest against a strong
enemy line defended by determined, fanatical paratroopers and SS men. On the first day of the attack,
the rains came and the damp dismal weather of the succeeding days made the battle one of the most
unforgettable in history. Casualties were heavy and communications and supply were hampered by
heavy enemy shelling. The 2nd Battalion charged through to Les Sablons, bypassed it, and continued
south, while the First Battalion fought for St. Jores. The Third Battalion, initially in reserve, moved up
to Les Sablons to clean out the town and tie in with a Second Battalion. These were days that put a
man’s courage and strength to the most severe test – days that did not end with nightfall, but dragged on
incessantly through daylight and darkness, with rain and mist that apparently would never cease. Hard
fighting continued until the Division faced a great hill covered with deep woods, that rose from the land
like a powerful giant and engulfed all who were so bold to enter.
Foret De Mont Castre
This was the formidable Foret de Mont Castre the famous Hill 122 that looked out on the English
Channel and the very beach in which the Regiment first set foot. Here was to be the supreme test. For
the great courage and tenacity displayed here in routing enemy from his mighty wooded fortress, the
Third Battalion was to be cited by the President of the United States.
The First Battalion was committed in the Division sector between the 357th Infantry and the
359th Infantry Regiments and launched a successful attack against the eastern nose of the Hill 122.
Success was short lived, however, for on the first night the Battalion was pushed off the hill by a furious
counterattack, and Division Engineers were hurriedly moved up to help bolster the line. The rest of the
Regiment was committed on the following day. The Second Battalion was moved to the extreme right
flank of the Regiment and temporarily went to the control of the 359th infantry while the Third Battalion
went into action on the left of the Second Battalion. Meanwhile, the enemy increased his desperate
efforts to retain control of the important hill. He plastered the reverse side of the hill incessantly with
mortars and artillery. He sent small groups of paratroopers infiltrating into the lines to attack from the
rear.
Hand To Hand fighting
On the 11th of July the Third Battalion executed a bold, hazardous flanking maneuver cutting in
rear of the hill, hitting an enemy nerve – his main supply line. Instantly the battalion was hit from all
sides by frenzied enemy paratroopers. The most bitter hand to hand fighting the outfit was ever to see
took place as the battalion fought against vastly superior numbers of the enemy’s best troops. In the
thick brush of the mighty forest a man could see only to the next bush. Casualties were extremely heavy
as the battle became a fight to the finish. Meanwhile, the First Battalion had finally seized and regained
control of the eastern nose of the hill and the Second Battalion thrashed on through the thick brush along
with the 359th Infantry Regiment. On the 12th of July, the entire Regimental front moved as the enemy
withdrew leaving his dead in the once impregnable forest. This was the day they finally emerged from
the jungle-like woods after cracking the Mahlman Line – one of the enemy’s greatest defensive
positions.
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