MARCHESIEUX/LA VARDE Manche - 10 km east of Périers
The Americans conquested the island of La Varde
On 19 July 1944 General Bradley met in England all the Commanders of the Allied Air Forces to prepare the Operation Cobra to be launched on 25 July. To assure a better departure base he ordered to reduce a German salient in the American front line. La Varde was a small hamlet one kilometer north of Marchésieux, where was set up the headquarter of a SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment. La Varde was amid marshes the sector of the 83rd Infantry Division under General Macon. In the night of 18 July, the 331st Infantry Regiment crossed the flooded area and approached La Varde. The engineer spanned the river Taute with a Bailey bridge, but it was destroyed by a German shell, preventing the support of tanks. A kampfgruppe of the 17th SS-Panzergrenadier Division counter-attacked; the American infantry started to pull back, then they retreated in disorder undergoing heavy losses. La Varde and Marchésieux were liberated a few days later with the Offensive Cobra.
  
   
 
   
 

83rd Infantry Division stele
La Varde
 Stele in memory of the 83rd Infantry Division soldiers, killed in the fighting for the liberation of Marchésieux in July 1944.
 Situation : 2 km north of the town, at the edge of the D57 road

  
   
  Wallace Rock monument
Marchesieux
 Monument dedicated to US pilote Wallace E. Rock of the 365th Fighter Squadron, whose aircraft crashed in marshes on 22 July 1944. The remnants of the P47 Thunderbolt plane are displayed in the Memorial.
 Situation : in the town center
 
ROAD MAP
 
INTERESTING WEB SITES
US Army official web site - US Army divisions structure
http://www.army.mil/cmh/lineage/cc/comp.htm
Manche departmental tourism office web site
http://www.manchetourisme.com/
Personal web site about the World War II generals
http://www.generals.dk/
Personal web site about the German Army (in German)
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/inhaltsverzeichnis1.htm
 
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