23 Dec 2021 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

The 35th Infantry Division arrived in England on 25 May 1944 and received further training. It landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy 5–7 July 1944 and entered combat on 11 July, fighting in the Normandy hedgerows north of St. Lo. The division turned away twelve German counterattacks at Emelie before entering St. Lo on 18 July. After mopping up in the St. Lo area, it took part in the offensive action southwest of St. Lo, pushing the Germans across the Vire River on 2 August, and breaking out of the Cotentin Peninsula. While en route to an assembly area, the division was "flagged off the road," to secure the Mortain-Avranches corridor and to rescue the 30th Division's "Lost Battalion" August 7–13, 1944.

Individual Awards:
Medal of Honor: 1 (Staff Sergeant Junior J. Spurrier)
Distinguished Service Cross: 44
Distinguished Service Medal: 1
Silver Star Medal: 688
Legion of Merit: 10
Distinguished Flying Cross: 1
Soldier's Medal: 22
Bronze Star Medal: 3,435
Air Medal: 133

Casualties
Total battle casualties: 15,822
Killed in action: 2,485
Wounded in action: 11,526
Missing in action: 340
Prisoner of war: 1,471

Considering that a typical infantry division in WW2 consisted of 15,000 soldiers it is a grim total "our general commanded 3 divisions one in the field, one in the hospital and one in the cemetery"

Information

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