Company L
1 officer 48 enlisted men
Late on 10 July the Battalion Commander was evacuated. The Battalion S-3 assumed command
of the forward elements. The next day, the battalion was organized as one battle group. At 2000 hours,
the group resumed the attack. The unit overran and destroyed eleven machine-gun nests and drove, the
enemy back to the village of Lastelle. The group reached a point 400 yards north of Lastelle after two
hours of fighting, but withdrew 400 yards to make contact with the 1st Battalion, 359th Infantry, which
had been committed on the left of the 3rd Battalion, 359th Infantry. Together with this battalion, the 3rd
Battalion advanced at 2400 to the near edge of Lastelle, gaining the position with little opposition at
0200.
On the third day, namely 12 July, the German resistance was found to be broken. The enemy had
withdrawn. The battalion, now consisting of but four officers and 126 men in the three rifle companies,
drove through to its objective and continued the advance for approximately 2000 yards against slight
resistance. The 3rd Battalion, its mission completed, was relieved shortly thereafter. (36)
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