Operation Cobra

“By 27 July, Allied forces had driven five miles west toward Coutances in an effort to trap the German forces along the west coast of the Cotentin. The rest of the Armored units managed to push south and west to cover the flank of the drive, while, on VII Corps' eastern flank, Armored Divisions advanced through weak opposition to reach its COBRA objectives by the morning of 28 July. Despite US VIII Corps' efforts to pin down the Germans in the western Cotentin, most of units escaped the closing trap, but it left behind a vast store of equipment.


Notwithstanding the escape by the German units, the magnitude of First Army's breakthrough created opportunities unforeseen in the original COBRA plan. On the evening of 27 July, he turned the attack to the south in the direction of Avranches, the gateway to Brittany. He ordered his corps chiefs to maintain unrelenting pressure, allowing the enemy no time to regroup his forces. Given the rapid pace of operations, Bradley phrased his orders in rather general terms, specifying only that XIX Corps take Vire, an old, fortified town and critical transportation center slightly over twenty miles southeast of St. Lo.


Moving west of the Vire River and then heading south toward Vire, XIX Corps ran into two panzer divisions, which Kluge had rushed into the breach as the nucleus of a counterattack force. For the next four days, the two sides battled around the small crossroads town of Tessy-sur-Vire, which finally fell on 1 August. Although the XIX Corps had not yet reached Vire, it had blocked German efforts to reestablish a defensive line.”

– Quoted from “The US Army Campaigns of WW2”
 

Allied Situational Report (Historical)

The US forces have pushed past Tessy-sur-Vire. Units of the British 2nd Army have pushed past Le-Benny-Bocage and have linked up with US forces outside of Vire. German units are preparing defensive positions along the main crossroads leading into Vire. Orders are to clear the surrounding areas for the final push into Vire. As of 1 August, General Patton has taken control of the 3rd Army and begun pushing into Brittany as General Bradley takes command of the 12th Army Group.


German Situational Report (Historical)

German forces have been assaulted by Allied air and ground forces and find it difficult to move or reinforce any area during daylight hours. The Lehr Division has been decimated and the 2nd SS and 17th SS Pz Divisions have been forced to the east.

The town of Vire has become a hinge that the German flank is being pushed back on. Several miles south of Vire is Mortain. Just east of Mortain the Germans are amassing a counterattack (Operation Lüttich) to drive to Avanches and cut off the Allies from their supplies.
 

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Overall Situation Report (Odessa Event)

Allied troops (XIX Corps) are advancing on the town of Vire from the north.

German troops are setting up a sceen to prevent any further breakthroughs, secure the area around Vire, and to guard the northern flank of the upcoming German counterattack.