OPERATION COBRA

Operation Cobra begins

On the far side of the world, the same date saw the United States First Army launch a long-awaited breakout from the Normandy hedgerows. After weeks of slow, attritional fighting among the bocage lanes, Operation Cobra aimed to shatter German defenses west of Saint-Lô with a massive aerial bombardment followed by concentrated armored and infantry thrusts. The opening air attack inflicted terrible damage on German positions but also caused tragic friendly fire casualties among American troops when bombs fell short. Despite this, units regrouped, punched through weakened enemy lines, and exploited the breach with tank and mechanized columns rolling south. German forces, already strained and short of reserves, began to collapse under the pressure, leading to encirclements and rapid advances across Brittany and toward the Seine. Cobra transformed the Normandy campaign from a slog into a war of movement and opened the door to the liberation of Paris and the drive toward Germany’s western borders.