The Fight for St. Lô / Juni 1944 (Hagerstown, MD)

At this event, we were representing the 352nd Infantry Division in the St. Lô sector. After the failed attempt on June 20th to take the village of Villiers-Fossard, the US 29th Division began to follow the new First US Army policy of an active defense for the XIX Corps.  The Americans adjusted their positions to create a new front line running from les Esserts, to Hameau Secqueville, les Foulons, and Couvains.  This halt in the advance was due to the lack of supplies coming in off the beaches, especially that of artillery ammunition.  This lull would prove beneficial to the Germans, but only briefly.  It is this situation, that we were portraying at the Fight for St. Lô event.  Historically the lull seen on both sides in the weeks that followed the 29th Division's "active defense" was a stage for many skirmishes as reconnaissance parties searched for information and small raids took place.  To keep with this, we just had static lines, with the occasional patrol & excursion.