Research Sources

[SamB]

I suggest we use this topic to request / give research info.

I'm interested in detailed sources on fighting around Cherbourg, France in the summer of 1944.

The US Army official history has a little info, but not much. The following would be helpful.

1. Maps - especially if it showed miltary positions...
2. Unit Histories of units that fought there.
3. Detailed accounts of the fighting. I am not aware of any of these. No one (AFAIK) has done a "Longest Day" or "Bridge Too Far" book on this action.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Sam

 

[Anonymous]

Looking for good Dieppe historical material.

Maps, photos official and personal accounts of the Aug. 19, 1942 port raild.

 

[Thunderchief]

I suggest we use this topic to request / give research info.
I'm interested in detailed sources on fighting around Cherbourg, France in the summer of 1944.
The US Army official history has a little info, but not much. The following would be helpful.
1. Maps - especially if it showed miltary positions...
2. Unit Histories of units that fought there.
3. Detailed accounts of the fighting. I am not aware of any of these. No one (AFAIK) has done a "Longest Day" or "Bridge Too Far" book on this action.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Sam

Sam,
if you can let me know what units were involved - Infantry Divisions etc, even down to tank battalions and tank destroyer battalions I can send you a bunch of weblinks. I have over 300 webpages bookmarked for unit/battle histories etc for the US/UK/Germany/Australia etc that I use for my own scenario designs.
Just typing in "Tank Destroyer battalions" in google should get you 10-20 useful pages. The net is a wonderful place and US units seem to love publishing their exploits, I just wish everyone else did it is as much detail.
Adam.

 

[pryoung]

Adam, how about the U.S. 104th Infantry Division, esp. the 415th Infantry at Lucherberg, 12/44?

Pete

 

[SamB]

if you can let me know what units were involved

OK, a quick pass thro chapter X of "Cross Channel Attack" shows the following units involved in the fighting for Cherbourg. (I'm sure I missed many units. This is just a quick scan...)

June 8 to July 1

US Infantry Regiments:

505th Parachute Infantry
507th Parachute Infantry
508th Parachute Infantry
325th Glider Inf
8th Infantry
12th Infantry
22nd Infantry
357th Infantry
358th Infantry
359th Infantry
39th Infantry
60th Infantry
47th Infantry

US Tank Battalioins:

746th Tank Battalion

(I'm sure there were more...)

German Units:

77th Division
265th Division
91st Division
709 Division
243 Division

 

[SamB]

OK, a little smaller list this time. (I also realized that I need to concentrate on the final push into Cherbourg).

US Units:

4th Infantry Division
8th, 12th, and 22nd Infantry Reg

79th Infantry Diviaion
313th, 314th, and 315th Infantry Regiments

9th Infantry Division
29th, 47th, and 60th Infantry Regiments

Also: 4th Cav Regiment and 24th Recon Battalion.

German Units:

243rd Division
77th Division
Cherbourg Garrison Units

And in a "what if" scenario, the 15th Para Regiment, which was almost sent into Cherbourg as reinforcements.

Thanks
Sam

 

[Anonymous]

OK, a little smaller list this time. (I also realized that I need to concentrate on the final push into Cherbourg).
US Units:
4th Infantry Division
8th, 12th, and 22nd Infantry Reg
79th Infantry Diviaion
313th, 314th, and 315th Infantry Regiments
9th Infantry Division
29th, 47th, and 60th Infantry Regiments
Thanks
Sam

Sam,
here's something to get you started:

4th Inf Div - http://www.4thinfantry.org/home.html

79th Inf Div - http://home.earthlink.net/~jwitmeyer/314Reunion/79id.html

9th Inf Div - http://www.oldreliable.org/

these sites may also have links to associated sites with perhaps even moe detail.

Adam.

 

[SamB]

Thanks.

 

[Kevin Kenneally]

Sam Belcher

Sam,
The US Army series, "Utah Beach to Cherbourg" covers this in very good detail. Maps with units on different dates are all in this book, as well as German unit actions.

Try the Center of Military History site to get this in electronic digits.

Kevin

 

[Kevin Kenneally]

Sam Belcher

Sam,
The US Army series, "Utah Beach to Cherbourg" covers this in very good detail. Maps with units on different dates are all in this book, as well as German unit actions.

Try the Center of Military History site to get this in electronic digits.

Contact me at kkenneally@anteon.com and I will send you the link.

Kevin

 

[Anonymous]

Research

Since we're talking research, how about the other side of the coin?

I'm looking into the 442 RCT. I can find some info about this unit's actions, but how do I find out which Axis units they faced and get some concrete info about them?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Pitman]

There are numerous sources on the 442nd. Often these sources themselves will mention the Axis forces they faced. When they do not, your best bet is usually to check the Army "green book" official history for that action, because the U.S. Army official history is usually very good about detailing enemy forces.

 

[Kevin Kenneally]

Enemies of 442nd resources

The "Official Green Books" from the US Army series should be at your local library. They should be able to give you locations of German Divisions that the 442nd might have faced, then go to

www.feldgrau.com

For the German Inf Regiments that might be assigned to those German Divisions.

Kevin

 

[Kevin Kenneally]

Enemies of 442nd resources

The "Official Green Books" from the US Army series should be at your local library. They should be able to give you locations of German Divisions that the 442nd might have faced, then go to

www.feldgrau.com

For the German Inf Regiments that might be assigned to those German Divisions.

Kevin"Please excuse the double post"

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks

Thanks for the info.