75-MM. HOWITZER MOTOR CARRIAGES M8, partially concealed by a hedgerow, preparing to fire on enemy positions near Marigny (top). M5 light tanks pass through the streets of Coutances (bottom). The first attack was launched on a narrow front across the Périers road west of Saint-Lô. This attack was supported by heavy artillery and aerial bombardment. While the spearhead units advanced in the direction of Coutances, the rest of the First U. S. Army was to exert strong pressure and harass any attempted enemy withdrawal. Marigny was taken on 26 July and, though the enemy resisted stubbornly while trying to keep a corridor open for the withdrawing German forces, Coutances fell on 28 July.] [Illustration] [Illustration: FRANCE ENGINEERS WEARING CAMOUFLAGE SUITS clean out a street in Canisy (top). Infantry troops set up a 57-mm. antitank gun M1 (bottom). Advances south from Saint-Lô reached Tessy-sur-Vire on 28 July, while another attack farther east met with severe resistance in the vicinity of Forêt de Cerisy. In the British-Canadian sector the advance had been halted by a strong enemy belt of antitank guns, dug-in tanks, and mortars.] [Illustration] [Illustration: FRANCE MAIL CALL AT THE FRONT (top). The receiving of mail was always an important morale factor and every effort was made to get it to the men as quickly as possible. Infantrymen reading German propaganda leaflets during a rest period (bottom). German planes dropped propaganda leaflets in an attempt to discourage the Allies in their advances. These had little effect on the troops and the advances continued with all possible speed.] [Illustration] [Illustration: FRANCE PRISONERS TAKEN BY THE ALLIES during the early part of August. Many of the men of the enemy forces were non-Germanic, some were Russians or members of Russian units who had been captured by the Germans on the eastern front and sent to Normandy as part of the enemy defense units. As the enemy retreat began to degenerate into a disorderly rout many prisoners were taken, and on 28 July 4,500 were captured.] [Illustration] [Illustration: FRANCE FRENCH WOMAN, returning to her home after the German withdrawal, passes a knocked out self-propelled antitank gun (Pz. Jaeg. 38 with 7.5-cm. Pak. 40/3). Many of the civilians left their homes and towns during the fighting and returned afterwards, often to find that they had lost their homes during the artillery shelling and aerial bombing. However, in some cases the civilian population stayed in the towns during the fighting.] [Illustration: FRANCE MOTOR COLUMN ADVANCING ALONG A ROAD near Coutances. On 29 July U. S. armored divisions trapped an enemy column about seven miles southeast of Coutances. Fighter bombers came in and attacked the closely jammed columns of vehicles destroying 137 tanks and over 500 other vehicles.]