Snapshots of Hill 112: The Pivotal Normandy Battle

What was it to fight in a 6 week battle of pure attrition, where all that mattered was the complete destruction of the enemy?

A battle where any movement could get you & your mates killed?

Well... /1
#WW2 #SWW #History

Marksmen played a major role, as Ran Williams discovered when his 13 Platoon took over 7 Seaforths most exposed position. Upon seeing the fresh lieutenant, the sergeant pulled out a machete, slicing off Ran's epaulettes and shoulder titles... /2

Snipers developed a particularly dangerous reputation, and Brigadier Michael Carver stamped on what he felt was 'particularly jittery' behaviour from 53rd Welsh early on, ordering that marksmen were now to be called 'isolated enemy riflemen'.

Remove skill
Insert vulnerability /3

Both sides cursed apparent snipers in trees, only to eventually discover the remains of strange,mysterious dolls. These became particularly hated lures...

But they were nothing more sinister than fifty 'Rupert' paradummies scattered over the area from D-Day. /4

Mortars were particularly reviled, easily able to pummel troops packed into the 'Scottish Corridor' and quickly redeploy before counter-mortar fire could be directed. /5

For the first few days after Operation Epsom, the Odon Valley was known as "Happy Valley".

A few days more and such humour steadily eroded, just becoming known as "Death Valley."

After all, it was bloody congested and pre-registered by thundering German guns. /6

Soldiers learned to dig deeper, constantly reinforcing their slit trenches with more loopholes, places to shove a brew.

But dig too deep and you risked collapse, and being smothered to death by your own creation. /7

Mortars and shell fire inflicted the majority of casualties, rendering any movement above ground near-suicidal by day, threatening a deluge of rounds to punish any impertinence.

Fieldcraft became ever more important, as did discipline to just take the stonking lashing. /8

The mental toll from enduring incessant mortar bombs' hail, and sitting through bombardment after bombardment was punishing.

Some manifested in more extreme ways than others, such as an NCO who wildly opened up with a Bren gun. /9

Bodies littered the field.

Many remaining unrecovered.

Entire herds of cattle were scythed down, steadily bloating, distending and warping as millions upon millions of fat, greedy bluebottles feasted on man and beast. /10

Bruce Coombes was stood in a field surveying one such scene, when a Scottish soldier of the Durham Light Infantry walked by and caught his eye, "Now you know what it's gonna be like now." /11

Many British soldiers were well trained but inexperienced, some cursed that at first "every bush looked like it had a German helmet".

Some did, as the bodies of SS-Panzergrenadiere from 12th Hitlerjugend SS-Panzer still remained, occasionally swaying in the breeze. /12

Firefights did not end cleanly, "One man we didn't kill I know, as he spent the rest of the night groaning and calling for 'Mutti! Mutti! Mutti!'.... it wasn't very nice." /13

Booby traps were placed under dead British soldiers, left to bait in any stretcher bearers or those wishing to provide assistance.

Others had flare systems rigged to their bodies, to fire when touched and bring down a devastating mortar or arty stonk. /14

German bombers came at night.

As did both sides' standing, fighting and recce patrols.

Stalking each other as a wall of HAA and LAA shells lit up the sky. /15

Dicey night patrols snuck out to acquire prisoners, locate positions or loot the dead for identification.

Rifling through a corpse's possessions was essential work.

Some bodies writhed with maggots or groaning when touched, as decomposing gasses left the body. /16

Some tankies were curious what a knocked out tank looked like.

Early on, someone would go to inspect a drunkenly angled tank, open a hatch and look inside.

They usually vomited.

Warning others to not be so foolish. /17

Such was the 'sicky smell of corpses' around Hill 112's summit several weeks in, Erich Werkmeister recalled how 10th SS-Panzer sent up vats of 'sweet, hot soup' to alleviate the stench.

It sort of helped cheer them, but did nothing for the choking aroma of decay. /18

Smoke shells were frequently employed for signalling or screening attacks.

Both sides donned gas masks on occasion, as eyes watered & skin crawled, convinced of lethal gas.

But no, just a good solid irritant dose of the smoke's byproduct: phosphine gas.
*Cassino pic* /19

All this misery for Hill 112's remarkably gentle rise.

Observation from which could decide the entire campaign, and perhaps, the battle for France. /thread