Chapter XXX
The Battle for BrestFootnotes
1. PS SHAEF (44) 11, Post-NEPTUNE Opns, First Draft, 12 Aug, Final, 17 Aug, SHAEF File 18008, G-3 Plans.
2. Of the many papers and studies that echo this premise, see, for example, SHAEF Plng Staff, Post-NEPTUNE Courses of Action After Capture of Lodgment Area, 3 May, SGS SHAEF File 381, Post-OVERLORD Plng.
3. See Ruppenthal, Logistical Support, I, 483ff; The Gen Bd USFET, Rpt on Ammo Supply for FA, Study 58, p. 18, File 471/1.
4. Msg, Eisenhower to Marshall, CPA-90228, 17 Aug, Pogue Files; Ltr, Eisenhower to Montgomery,19 Aug, SGS SHAEF File 381, Post-OVERLORD Plng; 12th AGp Memo for Rcd (Additional Notes of Bradley-Patton Conf, 1730, 19 Aug), 19 Aug, 12th AGp File 371.3, Mil Obs, I.
5. 21 AGp Operational Situation and Dir, M-519, 20 Aug, SGS SHAEF File 381, Post-OVERLORD Plng; 12th AGp Operational Plan, 20 Aug, 12th AGp Ltrs of Instrs; 12th AGp G-4 Jnl, 20 Aug, 12th AGp File 371.3, Mil Obs, I; Maj Gen Manton S. Eddy's Diary, entry 22 Aug.
6. Ruppenthal, Logistical Support, I, 470-74, and II, Ch. II; see ANCXF to SHAEF, 15 Aug, SGS SHAEF File 373/2.
7. Ltr, Eisenhower to Montgomery, 19 Aug, SGS SHAEF File 381, Post-OVERLORD Plng; Eisenhower to CCS, CPA-90235, 22 Aug, SHAEF G-3 Ops A 322.011/1, Comd and Contl of U.S./Br Forces; see 12th AGp Ltr, Rpt of Staff Visit . . . to Hq VIII Corps, 16 Aug (Bradley-Middleton conf), ML-205.
8. 12th AGp Memo for Rcd, 19 Aug, ML-205.
9. See above, Ch. XXII.
10. Ruppenthal, Logistical Support, II, Ch. II; 12th AGp Ltr of Instrs 6, 25 Aug. The VIII Corps AAR's of August and September give excellent accounts of the action at Brest and have been used throughout the chapter as the basic sources; see also Kenneth Edwards, Operation NEPTUNE (London: Collins, 1946), pp. 264-69.
11. Middleton-Macon Conf Notes, 17 Aug; VIII G-2 Est 6, 15 Aug. All documents in this chapter, unless otherwise noted, are in the VIII Corps G-3 Journal and File.
12. VIII Corps G-2 Est 6, 1800, 15 Aug; 12th AGp Plug Sec Memo, 20 Aug.
13. XX Corps Msg, 25 Aug, and reply, VIII Corps G-3 Jnl.
14. 2d Cav Gp Unit Rpt 1, 15 Aug; 319th RCT FO 5, 15 Aug; Memos, Maddox for Evans and Evans for Maddox, 25 Aug; Memos, Gaffey for Middleton, 14 Aug, and Middleton for Patton, 14, 15, and 19 Aug; Bradley to Hodges and Patton, 18 Aug; TUSA Dir, 17 Aug, and Msg, 23 Aug; 12th AGp Ltr and Ltr of Instrs 5, 17 Aug; Journal des Marches.
15. Grow to Middleton, 20 Aug.
16. Memos, Middleton for Patton, JTR for Evans, 15 Aug, Middleton for Grow, 18 and 21 Aug; 6th Armd Div FO 14, 28 Aug; TUSA Operational Dir, 27 Aug; Patton to Middleton, 2 Sep; Read to Grow, 30 Aug, 6th Armd Div CCB Unit Jnl.
17. VIII Corps G-3 Jnl, entry 13 Aug; Ruppenthal, Logistical Support, I, 528ff is an excellent account of the logistical difficulties at Brest. See also Conquer, the Story of the Ninth Army, 1944-1945 (Washington: Infantry Journal Press, 1947) (hereafter cited as Story of Ninth Army), pp. 53ff.
18. 12th AGp Ltr of Instrs 8, 10 Sep.
19. 12th AGp Ltr, Rpt of Staff. Visit, 16 Aug, ML-205; Ruppenthal, Logistical Support, I, 532; Bradley, Effect of Air Power, pp. 70-71; ETOUSA Engr Hist Rpt 10, Combat Engineering, is a useful source and has been used extensively in this chapter.
20. Story of Ninth Army, pp. 21, 28-39, 45-46; 12th AGp Memo for Rcd, 19 Aug, ML-205; 12th AGp Ltr of Instrs 7, 5 Sep.
21. See Albert Vulliez, Brest au Combat, 1939-1944 (Paris, c. 1950), map facing p. 154.
22. MS # B-731 (Fahrmbacher); 12th AGp Immed Rpt 49, German Defenses at Brest, 9 Sep.
23. MS # B-427 (Kogard); Vulliez, Brest au Combat, pp. 224-25 has a good description of Ramcke.
24. Ramcke, Fallschirmjager, Damals und Danach, pp. 46-48, 51; CI 14 (2d Div).
26. Story of Ninth Army, p. 24; 12th AGp Plng Sec Memo, 20 Aug.
27. Ninth U.S. Army Operations, I, Brest-Crozon, USFET Hist Div, MS (1946), OCMH Files, is a valuable source.
28. Other components were: three field artillery battalions (from the 2d Division), the 50th Armored Infantry Battalion, a company each of the 68th Tank Battalion and the 603d Tank Destroyer Battalion, and a battery of the 777th AAA AW SP Battalion (from the 6th Armored Division). The components of Task Force A were: the 1st Tank Destroyer Brigade, controlling the 6th Tank Destroyer Group, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, a battalion of the 330th Infantry (83d Division), the 15th Cavalry Group, and an engineer combat battalion. VIII Corps G-3 Msg, 21 Aug. The 38th Infantry headquarters acted in a dual capacity--for the regiment and for Task Force B. Ltr, Zwicker to OCMH, 14 Mar 56.
29. Carey was awarded the Medal of Honor.
30. Memos, Van Fleet for Earnest, 21 Aug, and Evans for Middleton, 28 Aug.
31. CI 15 (2d Div); Buckley, History of the 50th Armored Infantry Battalion, pp. 27-28. Other 6th Armored Division elements rejoined the division early in September.
32. 12th AGp Immed Rpt 69, Supporting Fires at Brest, 28 Aug; Ltr, Zwicker to OCMH, 14 Mar 56.
33. Task Force S had a variable composition but in general consisted of a battalion of the 116th Infantry, the 2d and 5th Ranger Battalions, the 224th Field Artillery Battalion, parts of the 86th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, the 29th Division Reconnaissance Troop, and a company each of engineers, antiaircraft artillery, and 4.2-inch mortars. The task force was aided by two hundred Russians who had deserted the German Army. See Ninth U.S. Army Opns, I, Brest-Crozon, and Vulliez, Brest au Combat, pp. 206-08.
35. SHAEF Msg, 25 Aug, SGS SHAEF File 381, Post-OVERLORD Plng; Bradley to Middleton and Middleton to Bradley, 24 Aug; 12th AGp Immed Rpt 44, Air Ground Opns in Attack on Brest, 31 Aug; VIII Corps FO 11, 22 Aug. Vulliez, Brest au Combat, pp. 225ff., gives an interesting account of the battle from the point of view of the civilian population.
36. Bradley, Effect of Air Power, pp. 128ff.
37. 2d Lt. Earl O. Hall of the 13th Infantry, who participated in vicious fighting for trenches and concrete emplacements until killed by artillery fire, was posthumously awarded the DSC.
38. 2d Div FO 10, 23 Aug, and Ltr of Instrs, 2030, 26 Aug; MS # B-731 (Fahrmbacher); Brest Fortress Comdr Rpt, 12 Aug, OB WEST KTB, Anlage
39. Colonel Wesson was posthumously awarded the DSC.
41. Memo, Kibler for Swift, Brest, 2 Sep, ML-205; Leigh-Mallory to Vandenberg, Smith to Vandenberg, and Eisenhower to Vandenberg 4, 6, and 7 Sep, SGS SHAEF File 381. General Middleton also sought landing craft for local amphibious operations against Brest, but his request was denied by naval authorities on the ground that no plan had been developed for such action. SHAEF to ANCXF, FWD-13554, 2 Sep, SGS SHAEF File 381, Post-OVERLORD Plng.
43. See S.L.A. Marshall and John Westover, Capture of Kergonant Strong Point During the Brest Campaign (hereafter cited as Marshall and West-over, Kergonant Strong Point), ETOUSA Hist Sec, Bn and Small Unit Study 3, n.d. Pfc. Prussman was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. S. Sgt. George T. Scanlon of the 121st Infantry, who led an assault on enemy dugouts, was awarded the DSC.
44. VIII Corps AAR, Sep; see Story of Ninth Army, pp. 32ff.
46. Story of Ninth Army, pp. 32-33; 8th Div AAR, Sep.
47. VIII Corps G-3 Jnl and File, 13 Sep; Captured German Documents, Brest (Middleton-Ramcke correspondence), OCMH Files.
48. Hallman received the Medal of Honor.
49. 12th AGp Immed Rpt 46, Employment of Crocodile (Flame Throwing) Tanks Near Brest, 27 Sep; Action at Fort Montbarey, ETOUSA Hist Sec, Bn and Small Unit Study 2, n.d.
50. For a detailed account, see CI 88 (29th Div).
51. 29th Div AAR, Sep; CI 14 (2d Div); Ninth U.S. Army Opns, Brest-Crozon.
53. Ramcke, Fallschirmjaeger, Damals und Danach, p. 67; Ninth U.S. Army Opns, Brest-Crozon.
54. Marshall and Westover, Kergonant Strong Point; CI 14 (2d Div); 2d Div Ltr of Instrs, 2000, 14 Sep; Interv with Capt Robert E. Garcia, Hosp Intervs, ML-2234; Ltr, Gerhardt to OCMH, 26 Apr 56; 29th Div AAR, Sep.
55. CI 87 (29th Div), Air Support at Brest; Bradley, Effect of Air Power, 128ff.; 12th AGp Immed Rpt 65, Close Air Support of Ground Forces Around Brest, 26 Sep.
56. Air Chief Marshal Harris suggests (Bomber Offensive, p. 214) that without heavy bombers the Allies would have been able to capture Brest (and other fortified ports) only after much more prolonged siege warfare.
57. VIII Corps G-1 Per Rpt, 19 Sep; CI 16 (2d Div); Ninth U.S. Army Opns, Brest-Crozon; 8th Div AAR, Sep.
58. Story of Ninth Army, pp. 53-55. Some heavy equipment was moved by water transport through the English Channel. Edwards, Operation NEPTUNE, p. 269.
59. Inside German-Occupied France, September 1944; 329th Inf AAR, Sep; 83d Div AAR, Sep; Story of Ninth Army, pp. 47-50.
60. Ramcke, Fallschirmjaeger, Damals und Danach, p. 65.
61. See Alix de Carbonnieres and Antoine Coste, L'Assaut de Brest (Brest: P. le Bris, 1951), passim.
62. See Remarks of Lt Col William Wihe, 26 Sep, CI 87 (29th Div).
63. Msg, Eisenhower to Bradley, FWD-14066, 7 Sep, SHAEF File Eisenhower's Ltrs and Dirs; Msg, Eisenhower to Bradley, FWD-14764, 13 Sep, 12th AGp Incoming Cables; see Msg, Eisenhower to CCS, FWD-14376, 9 Sep, SGS SHAEF File 381.
64. Story of Ninth Army, pp. 39-49; MS # B-731 (Fahrmbacher).
65. Bradley, Soldier's Story, p. 367; Patton, War as I Knew It, p. 128.
66. See Pogue, Supreme Command, pp. 259-60, and Ruppenthal, Logistical Support, I, 535-36.