ww2dbaseOperation Cobra
25-30 Jul
ww2dbaseBy Jul, it was apparent that despite a generally successful campaign in Normandy thus far, Allied progress had been excruciatingly slow. By mid-Jul the front lines were what the Allied high command planned to be five days after a successful landing. The first attempt at a breakout, Operation Goodwood, was a failure; the predominantly British attempt utilized a large armor formation to, unsuccessfully, create a gap. On 25 Jul Omar Bradley launched Operation Cobra, using VII Corps' infantry divisions to create and hold a gap in the German lines while sending three divisions of men through the gap, bring the war beyond the hedgerow country that had frustrated the Allied troops so much. Preceding this massive breakout operation was an even larger air bombardment. American artillery officer Donald Bennett recalled the morning of 25 Jul when the bombing by 1,500 aircraft started:
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