Carroll H. Dunn
That left the battalion headquarters and the headquarters company as the general
support for all of the line companies. That also meant that since the line companies
were dispersed, working with individual regiments, I spent a major portion of my time
actually operating as the division engineer at division headquarters. I anticipated what
would be the requirements for engineers, and also took part in the planning associated
with G-3, primarily, but also G-2 and G-4.
Actually, this planning started with the initial movement into France. I was one of eight
people who made up the advance detachment of the division going into France under
the command of the division artillery commander, who was a brigadier general.
Q.
At Saint Lo, you were injured, which required that yoube sent back to England. You
mentioned that your injury was related to a mine explosion.
A ..
Yes, but first some background. In the breakout at Saint Lo, which really was the
breakout
the hedgerow country of Normandy, an attempt was made to assist the
breakout by a massive air bombardment. This bombardment was scheduled and partially
took place. Then, for reasons that I'm not sure of at this point, it was called off and
rescheduled for late July.
When the attack was launched, our plan as one of the principal divisions to make the
breakout, had advance infantry units supported by armor and engineers near the front
lines. We tried quickly to break through the German lines closely following the heavy
aerial bombardment. There were difficulties with the bombardment, resulting in a
number of friendly casualties. As the bombardment took place, the smoke, dust, and
debris in some cases obscured the terrain features that the Air Force was using for
bomb release. It was at this time that General [Leslie]
who was visiting the
front, was killed in the 30th Infantry Division sector by our own air bombardment.
Because of the criticality of the operation, I had a platoon with each of the two
battalions
different infantry regiments scheduled to make the initial breakthrough.
Being concerned about the success of this, I personally went forward and was with one
of the platoons as the last of the bombardment took place. We had actually started
moving forward. As the last group of planes came over, they dropped their bombs
short, straddling the road on which we were located.
Fortunately, it was a depressed road in that area and the detonations took place on each
side of the road without any serious casualties to the group with which I was moving.
I had had several trucks hit earlier in the bombardment and there was some
disorganization. There were casualties among the infantry units, including, as I
remember, at least one of the infantry company commanders with the forward element.
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