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the St. Lo-Periers highway before dark.
The Corps resumed the attack early on 27 July. Extensive mines and booby-traps were
encountered, causing annoying delays, but the tempo of the advance increased rapidly as the day wore
on. It became increasingly evident that the effects of the VII Corps attack were being felt on the enemy
in front of the VIII Corps.
In the zone of the VII Corps, the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions were able to exploit the
breakthrough effected by the infantry, and penetrated deep into the enemy rear. By nightfall armored
units were east of Coutances and within 5 miles of the city, while the infantry held the high ground
dominating the terrain to the north and west of that town.
In the zone of the VIII Corps, the 8th Division cut the Lessay-Periers highway by 1600 and at
nightfall was about 1000 yards southwest of Periers. The 79th crossed the Ay River in the zone of the
8th Division and push to the right flank, capturing Lessay at 272130. The 90th Division occupied
Periers about 271500, as well as the island of St. Germain-Sur-Seves in the division center. It continued
to advance to align generally east of the positions held by the leading elements on the 8th Division,
south of Periers. The 83rd Division advanced to limited objectives south of the Taute River, the
principal opposition being enemy mine fields. The 330th Infantry on the extreme left was the only
Corps unit in contact with the enemy at nightfall on 27 July.
Since it appeared that the enemy was making a general withdrawal in the Corps sector, it was
decided to employ the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions to spearhead a rapid drive to the south. In the
evening of 27 July, the 6th Armored Division reconnoitered routes of advance in the western half of the
Corps zone, while the Corps engineers worked through the night constructing bridges across the Ay and
the Seves.
28 July was a day of marked advance for all units of the Corps, principal delays being caused
by extensive and well prepared mine fields, the widespread use of anti-personnel mines, and booby-
traps. Active resistance was limited to delaying tactics, usually by small groups of rifleman who had
become separated or lost from their units during the withdrawal action. Only a few prisoners were
captured by VIII Corps units, but the PW's were from the 77th, 91st, 243rd, 265th, 353rd, and SS "Das
Reich" divisions, previously known to have elements only Corps front, as well as from the 17th SS
Panzer Grenadier Division and the 5th Paratroop Division.
Combat Command "B" of the 4th Armored Division advanced down the Periers-Coutances
highway through St. Sauveur Lendelin, and captured Coutances at about 281700 July. They established
contact on their left with elements of the 3rd Armored Division, and at dark were approximately one
kilometer south of Coutances.
Combat Command "A" of the 6th Armored Division crossed the Ay River at Lessay where
they were held up until 1340 by extensive mines along the approaches to the bridge and through the
town. Free at last, they advanced down the highway toward Coutances against light resistance. Their
first enemy contact being at 1910. They reached a point about 1500 yards northwest of Coutances by
dark.
The 79th Division advanced the 314th and 315th Regiments in column of battalions, without
opposition, through areas thick with anti-personnel mines, to positions generally along the lateral road
from Coutances north west to Gouville-Sur-Mer, on a line with, and to the right of, Combat Command
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