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Division. The work of this advance party proved invaluable in preparing for the
reception of the headquarters.
Shortly after arrival of the leading elements of the headquarters, a command post
was established at BLOSVILLE (T369924) and opened at 151200B. At this time the
Corps became operational with the mission of protecting a portion of the South flank of
the VII Corps, along the line LES FEVRES-LA MAISENTRIE-LA SABOTTERIE,
while that Corps pressed its attack north towards CHERBOURG.
On the Corps front as initially established, the enemy is believed to have had the
6th Parachute Regiment, an OST Battalion, and elements of the 17th SS Panzer
Grenadier Division. When the Corps took over the line across the peninsula, enemy
forces included a comparatively intact 265th Division, the 77th and elements of the 91st
Division, in addition to scattered smaller units.
Troops attached to the Corps initially consisted only of the 101st Airborne
Division, with attachments. This division had suffered relatively heavy casualties in its
dropping early on D-Day and after that in its move south securing the exits to causeways
3 and 4 from UTAH BEACH, disrupting enemy communications and destroying pockets
of resistance. The division's strength at the time of its attachment to Corps was between
60 and 70 per cent of its committed strength. In the battle for CARENTAN, which was
taken 12 June, it overcame organized enemy defenses along the road from STE. MERE
EGLISE to CARENTAN. This road runs through inundated areas, canalizing the
advance of the 101st; there were heavy engagements at each of the four main bridges
north of CARENTAN. The enemy withdrew approximately a mile to the south west of
CARENTAN when elements of the 101st entered the northwest part of the town. On the
morning of 15 June an enemy force, which included five or six tanks, counterattacked
and fought its way into the northwestern outskirts of the town before it was driven off.
For the remainder of the period as the101st Airborne Division was assigned to the
Corps, the division occupied and continued to improve defensive positions approximately
two miles southwest of CARENTAN. The division front was in an arc approximately
seven miles long, facing generally southwest. It was bounded on the east by the
intersection of the river FAUTE [TAUTE] and the CANAL DE VIRE ET FAUTE
[TAUTE] and on the west by the village of LES FEVRES . Swamps on both flanks
limited the enemy's possible avenues of approach. Minefields were laid in the division
defense zone, extending across the area between the swamps on either flank. These were
laid mainly by the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion of the 1110th Engineer Group,
which was attached to the Corps on 16 June. They consisted of deliberate minefields and
double-apron fence on the most likely approaches and hasty minefields elsewhere. The
area defended by the Corps at the beginning of its operations is shown on Map A.
When it became known that the enemy had some armor on our front and
identifications from the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division were made, Combat
Command "A" of the 2nd Armored Division was attached to the 101st to stiffen its
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