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Above: More evidence of the search on Hill 192. The remains of three model 38 Paratrooper helmets and a model 35 steel helmet. Once again the decades under the soil have done little to destroy these highly collectable items. The leather and padding in the helmets is not as supple as it once was, but it is still intact.
Company F of the 38th Infantry had made better progress against the Germans and was now beyond the Cloville-St-Georges-d'elle road. Less than 3 hours after leaving the line of departure Company F was at the Western end of the hill. Company E was still trying to enter Cloville, some 250 yards to their rear.
Cloville, a town shattered by the preparatory artillery barrage was fiercely defended by the Germans with the help of a Stug III and a Panzer MkIV. Luckily a Sherman dispatched both enemy vehicles and the men of Easy Company could clear the houses in short order, the will having gone from the Germans.
At 12.45 hrs the 2nd Platoon of E Company was pinned down by MG fire from it's right rear (this being in the boundary area between the 2nd Infantry Division and the 29th Infantry Division). Patrols were sent out and soon the boundary with 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division was clarified.
The attack of the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment (Companies A and C) was initially stalled by accurate mortar and artillery fire from the Germans. This knocked out all six of the supporting 741st Tank Battalions Shermans within the first 30 minutes of the assault!!Nevertheless the infantry continued the advance without this armoured support and were soon aided by B Company in the routing of yet another enemy strongpoint.
During the fight for Hill 192 the Germans had also committed men from the 12th Parachute Gun Brigade, 3rd Parachute Reconnaissance Company and the 3rd Parachute Engineer Company. But by the end of the day (11th July), the Hill belonged to the Americans. The losses to the Indianhead Division were 69 KIA, 328 WIA, 8 MIA. The German losses were even higher, some companies only having 20-30 souls left alive.
Below: The evidence of the bitter fighting; M35 with remains of strap fixings, right; bayonets, mess tins, cartridge pouches, canteen cups. Note the leatherwork on the scabbard on the left.
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