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HEADQUARTERS VIII CORPS
APO 308, US ARMY,
20 JULY 1944.
SUBJECT:
Report After Action Against Enemy.
TO
:
The Adjutant Gen., United States Army, Washington, DC
THRU :
Commanding Gen., First United States Army, APO 230, U.S. Army.
1.
In compliance with the letter Headquarters First United states Army, File
No. 319.1/401 (C), Subject: Action Against Enemy, (C3) AR 345-105, the attached
report covering the action of the VIII Corps against the forces of the German Army on
the Contentin Peninsula, Normandy, France, is submitted. The report covers the period
15-30 June 44.
2.
Map references are to G.S., G.S. 4250 France, Scale 1:50,000. Time is
indicated in British Double Summer Time.
TROY H. MIDDLETON,
MAJ. GEN., US ARMY,
COMMANDING.
HEADQUARTERS VIII CORPS
APO 308, US Army
20 JULY 1944
The advanced echelon of Headquarters of the VIII Corps landed in FRANCE over
UTAH BEACH, on the 14th and 15th of June 1944. Because of the desire of the
Commanding General, FIRST UNITED STATES ARMY, to have an additional corps
headquarters available on the continent as soon as possible after D-Day, and because the
decision was made after the troop lists were compiled, only a skeletonized force could be
phased into the lift supported by the available shipping. Consequently the headquarters
echelon consisted of about one half of the personnel of the General Staff Sections,
Artillery, Surgeon, Quartermaster, Signal and Engineer Sections. The exception to this
was the G-3 Section, which came over with about 75% of its personnel. Accompanying
the echelon was a minimum amount of personnel from the Headquarters Company and
MP Company, a part of the 59th Signal Battalion and a battery of the 12th Artillery
Observation Battalion. An Advance Party consisting of three officers headed by the
Corps Chemical Warfare Officer preceded the advanced echelon, arriving with the 9th
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