Description

Spearhead

Vol. 1, No. 2 — 2nd Infantry Division, France — Wednesday, July 5, 1944

2 pages scanned

Names

• Bihlmire, James Martin (2nd Lt — born in Three Oaks, Michigan; schooled at New Troy; Silver Star award)
• Dissinger (Pfc — bathed with French-speaking cows in old swimming hole; Bonjour Soldats column)
• Hait, Haskell (T/5 — migrated to U.S. from Poland 18 years ago; member of sales department of wholesale textile firm; Silver Star award)
• Hughs (Pfc — bathed with French-speaking cows in old swimming hole; Bonjour Soldats column)
• Kopyczinski, Joe B. ‘Coppy’ (1st Lt — from Chapel Hill, Texas; bridge and road construction; peacetime hobby of pistol and rifle shooting; Silver Star award)
• Lind, Hugh J. (Sgt — comes from Boone, Colorado; unfinished work awaiting back in States as Divinity student at Columbia Baptist Bible Institute at of Arkansas; Silver Star award)
• McKinley, William D. (Lt Col — hails from Ft. Sam Houston, Texas; graduate of West Point; Foreign Duty in Hawaiian Islands before joining the Second Division; Silver Star award)
• Symons (Pfc — bathed with French-speaking cows in old swimming hole; Bonjour Soldats column)
• Thompson (Pfc — bathed with French-speaking cows in old swimming hole; Bonjour Soldats column)
• Wayman (Pfc — bathed with French-speaking cows in old swimming hole; Bonjour Soldats column)
• Webster (Pfc — bathed with French-speaking cows in old swimming hole; Bonjour Soldats column)
• Yarborough (Pfc — bathed with French-speaking cows in old swimming hole; Bonjour Soldats column)

Locations

• Caen, France — shown on Normandy map; British and Canadian forces gained ground in new attack west of Caen; Canadians linking up with right wing
• Carpiquet, France — Canadians captured the village and after advancing a mile and a half fought their way onto the airfield south of the village; under fierce struggle for possession
• Cherbourg Peninsula, France — U.S. forces striking southwards extended front to 25 miles; making good progress toward road and railroad center of La Haye du Puits
• England, Southern — more flying bombs coming over Southern England from German-occupied territory
• La Haye du Puits, France — road and railroad center less than two miles away from U.S. forces striking south from Cherbourg Peninsula
• Latvia — one arm of Russian force striking towards Latvian Republic; at one point less than 14 miles from border
• Leghorn, Italy — 5th Army troops reached a point 16 miles from the west coast port of Leghorn despite stubborn German opposition
• Normandy, France — publication location; freed Frenchmen paid tribute on July 4th; Stars and Stripes waved alongside the Tricolor; children threw roses at GIs; slogans ‘Vive L Amerique’ on hedgerows and walls
• Odon River, France — British troops further south pushed along upper bank of the river Odon; seized small town of Verson without opposition
• Pacific (island group within 800 miles of Tokyo) — American carrier-based planes attacked harbor works; sank 3 Japanese destroyers, two other vessels, destroyed 25 enemy planes
• Polotsk, Belarus — big rail junction; known as gateway to the Baltic; captured by one Red Army force; another force by-passed the town and is now fanning out more than 60 miles to the west
• Trevières, France — shown on Normandy map
• Verson, France — small town seized by British troops without opposition along upper bank of Odon River
• Vilna (Vilnius), Lithuania — other arm of Russian force pushing southwest towards Vilna

Units

• 2nd Infantry Division (U.S.) — publishing unit; operating from Normandy, France
• 5th Army (U.S.) — troops reached a point 16 miles from Leghorn despite stubborn German opposition
• A.F. (Royal Air Force) — bombers over German-occupied territory during the night