Cherbourg was one of the US Army's first major targets during Operation Overlord. The city at the end of the Cotentin peninsula was a significant base for the occupying German forces. Capturing it would remove a threat from the Allies' rear before they advanced south. It would also give them access to port facilities to unload supplies.
Preparing for Cherbourg
In the aftermath of the D-Day landings of 6th June 1944, General J. Lawton Collins, the commander of VII Corps, wanted to make a swift advance on Cherbourg. Known as Lightning Joe, Collins was an ambitious but sometimes nervous commander who had made his reputation in the fighting on Guadalcanal. A rush towards the town was characteristic of his leadership style.
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