PART ONE
NORMANDY AND FALAISE BATTLES
THE BUILDUP
At 0130 June 17, 1944 (D plus 11 forward) the Headquarters Company Forward and Company
A, 607th Tank Destroyer Battalion, landed on Utah Beach, the beach on the East Coast of the Cherbourg
Peninsula of France – Companies B and C were unable to land until June 23 due to the roughness of the
weather. After de-waterproofing the vehicles and equipment at St. Germain de Verraville, the Battalion,
less Companies B and C, moved up to support the 9th Infantry Division, Company A, with the 2nd
Reconnaissance Platoon attached, employed in the vicinity of Canville, and was given the mission of
protecting the Division, as it advanced toward Cherbourg, from an attack from the south and southwest.
While on this mission Company A captured its and the Battalion’s first prisoner. The Battalion CP had
moved successively to Ste. Mere Eglise, Pigard, Ste. Sauveur Le Vicomte and Blandamour during the
period. Orders were received on June 19th relieving the Battalion from attachment to the VII Corps and
the 9th Infantry Division and attaching it to the VIII Corps which faced to the south. Company A was
attached to the 82nd A/B Division and the Battalion, less Company A, to the 90th Infantry Division.
Company A joined the 325th Glider Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division, two and one half miles
south of Pont l’Abbe and was immediately emplaced to reinforce the divisional antitank defense. The
Battalion CP moved to Ste. Colombe and on the next day to Cretteville via Vents and Picauville.
On June 23 Companies B and C landed in three feet of water and de-waterproofed in the vicinity
of St. Germain de Verraville. Company B was attached to the 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Division,
joined them in the vicinity of Besneville and went into position at St. Lo d’Ourville. Company C moved
to the TD’S secondary mission – that of indirect fire – in the vicinity of Cretteville and fired the first
rounds from a 3in. gun of this Battalion on French soil. During the period of June 24 – July 5, they fired
5994 rounds interdicting roads in the enemy’s rear areas. The enemy counter-batteried several times;
the first on June 24, causing no casualties but some damage to materiel.
Company B went into indirect fire positions two miles east of Cretteville in support of the 357th
Combat Team on June 30th. Three days later, July 3rd, Company B and Company C each placed one
platoon in direct AT support of the 358th Infantry and the 357th Infantry, respectively, while the
remainder stayed in general support of the Division Artillery.
The next day all of Company C was placed in direct AT support of the 359th Infantry in the
vicinity of Ste. Suzanne. Company A and Company B returned to Battalion control and were placed in
general support of the Division Artillery, Company A having been relieved from attachment to the 82nd
A/B Division.
The Battalion CP moved from Cretteville to a field one mile south of Pretot on July 5th.
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