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Article: German counterattack at Mortain. (Originated from Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- July 26, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The ``Cobra'' breakout had shattered the German left flank, leaving Field Marshal Hans Gunther von Kluge only two options. The first, which he favored, was a fighting withdrawal. The problem was that there seemed no end to such a retreat except the West Wall fortifications on the German border. The Seine river line or the old World War I battlefields could at best delay, but not stop, the Allied advance. The other option, favored by Adolf Hitler, was a counterattack using some of the armored units that were still facing the British around Caen.
The U.S. First and Third Armies looked vulnerable to a bold stroke westward aimed at Avranches. The U.S. drive had pushed 12 ...