Saving the Breakout: The 30th Division's Heroic Stand at Mortain, August 7-12, 1944

The German offensive at and near Mortain was another of Hitler's gambles. He wanted to restore the line in the west that was lost when the US 1st Army broke out during Operation Cobra in late July. It was critical to the German defense to restore Avranches as its western anchor as well as isolating 3rd Army to the south. To me the offensive was suicidal. Even if Eberbach was able to reach Avranches, the Germans didn't have the strength to exploit the position. In fact the 1st and 3rd Armies would have probably encircled the Germans causing either surrender or their destruction. None of the German generals believed the offensive had a real chance to succeed. Mr Featherston begins his story by telling us about the history of 30th Division which dates back to the civil war. He continues in Normandy when the 30th ID fought its way south after the fall of Cherbourg through the hedgerows and then played a key roll in the capture of St Lo and in Operation Cobra. The summary ends with Bradley repositions his troops to block a possible counterattack to retake Avranches while at the same time preparing his troops for the next offensive eastward. Bradley thought the Germans could be pocketed west of the Seine. The 30th ID would be defending Mortain and the high ground to the east of the small town of 1600 residents when Operation Luttich began. The Allied Air Force is also mentioned. The author speaks of the air force's tendency to shoot first before discovering who they're shooting at. The author also mentions the great job of the US Air Force did in stopping the large Luftwaffe squadron from reaching the assault area and wrecking havoc on the American line, especially on Hill 314 on the first day of the campaign. The author using information from after action reports, army journals and interviews performed by SLA Marshall after the battle as well as interviews performed by the author years after the war weaved this excellent story of bravery and determination by a few American divisions, especially the 30th ID, and a few FABs in stopping a superior German force from cuting the American line and reaching Avranches. The German outfits that were highlighted were 2nd PzD, 1st SS PzD, 2nd SS PzD along with 9th PzD and the 116th PzD. The engagements at Mortain, and Hill 314 where the isolated troops of the 120th IR, low on water, food and ammo, repulsed enemy's assaults for six days. St Barthelmy, L'Abbaye Blanche, Le Mesnil Adelee and LaBagoge were also given special attention for the fierce fighting that ocurred. In the last few chapters, the author moves on from Mortain to discuss the 30th ID's involvement at the Falaise Gap, Ardenne Offensive, the Rhine crossing and the reaching of the Elbe River on April 18th, just 50 miles from Berlin. Mr Featherston is highly critical of Montgomery and Bradley for stopping Patton at Argentan. And in the Malmendy-St Vith sector where the 30th was deployed the author is also critical of Eisenhower for releasing the 30th,

Mr Featherston has done an excellent job recreating the terrific battle of Mortain which ensured the Allied victory in France and the destruction of 19 German division in the Falaise Pocket. The book starts with a short history of the "Old Hickory" 30th US Infantry Division until it reached the Mortain area on August 5, 1944. The battle is analysed in detail and the author overturns many myths surrounding that episode. The Panzer divisions were indeed stopped before the Allied airpower intervened in the noon of August 7 and the Typhoon attacks were not so succesful as the British sources said at that time. Above all, it was the bravery and the stamina of the individual American soldiers that turned the tide of the battle, causing massive damage to the attacking German divisions and holding crucial ground. The same trends would be repeated in the Ardennes in December 1944 on a grander scale. There is also a synopsis of the 30th ID's history after Mortain and the explanation why the Germans regarded it as "Roosevelt's SS troops" and why the US leaders considered it to be the best division in the European Theater of Operations. There are many black & white maps and some good photos, and the only drawback of the book is the persistent misspelling of certain German names, like "Liebstandarte" etc.

My father landed on Utah Beach in the second wave on June 7, 1944 (D-Day +1). His unit was attached temporarily to the 28th Division, as reinforcements. Later they rejoined their real unit, the 1st Platoon, 2d Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division. After having defended Hill 314 for four days, out of ammunition and food, my father and three comrades were captured by German SS forces at Mortain on August 11, 1944. He spent the next 11 months in a German POW camp. Yes, I'm proud of his service. However, I recounted all of this to establish his authority to comment on this book. A man of few words, he shared that accounts of the aspects of the battle of which he had first-hand knowledge were very accurate. This book enabled my father to finally understand the full scope and nature of the battle, and reinforced for him (and his wife and five children) how amazing it is that he survived the experience. We continue to pass this book from one family member to the next. We have all found the book to be an excellent read.

Great book. I personally liked to read divisional histories, and this is in my top five. The writer takes you throught he divisions pre war history, European deployemnt, and combat history. The reader gets two stoies here, one is a history of a Army National Guard unit going to war, and the other is the Battle of Moritain, a pivital conflict in the conquest of France. I read it in a weekend, you will find it hard to put down as well.

As a current member of the 30th Mechanized Brigade I found this book to be an extremely interesting look into the roots and history of a forgotten Division. The author provided a great deal of insight into this critical battle through the personal experiences and recollections of the actual soldiers who fought against some of the best German troops at that time. This book was very informative and details a battle that very few people had heard of, which is a shame considering what these everyday soldiers accomplished under such exteme conditions. I would highly recommend.