August 13, 1944: The situation for the Germans in Normandy is now borderline catastrophic - dozens of divisions are almost completely encircled by the Allies in the Falaise pocket. The Americans attack south of the pocket along three axes: to the east, the XIX Corps of the 1st Army assaults four divisions (including one armored), on its right flank, the VII Corps of the 1st Army, the French 2nd Armored Division and the American XV Corps progress to close the trap. After Bradley unexpectedly halted the advance of Patton's XV Corps yesterday - stopping just 25 miles south of the Canadian forces to the north - the Allies fail to close the Argentan-Falaise pocket containing the almost-surrounded German forces. The Germans of the 7th Army, led by General Hausser, begin to evacuate a maximum number of divisions outside the pocket, and large units such as SS Panzer divisions take priority (especially the tanks). The Allied air forces tirelessly bomb the pocket, almost like a ‘training ground’ for fighter-bombers pilots who have an impressive number of retreating targets.
Bradley, over-cautious, had incorrectly assumed that most of the the Germans had already escaped, and feared a German counterattack against overextended Americans. Bradley later admitted a mistake had been made, but blamed his superior Montgomery (as did Eisenhower), for moving the Canadians too slowly. Bradley has underestimated the effectiveness of the Allied air forces in stopping all German movements during the daytime, thus making a counterattack highly risky for them. This mistake eventually allows about 240,000 German troops (and 30,000 vehicles) escape through the gap, avoiding encirclement and almost certain destruction. At the end of the day, more than 10,000 German soldiers belonging to the 12th SS Panzer Division have escaped the pocket and head towards the Seine river.
Above France, RAF Bomber Command sends 29 aircraft to attack Brest and 15 aircraft to attack Bordeaux during the day. US 8th Air Force conducts attacks with 1,200 bombers in an effort to interdict German withdrawal from Normandy. US 8th Air Force also conducts 844 fighter sorties against transportation lines and motor vehicles. US 9th Air Force attacks transportation lines, bridges, and vehicle traffic around Falaise pocket. In the first operational use of unmanned B-17 (as part of Operation Aphrodite), the bomber misses its intended target at Le Havre.
On the eastern front, Soviet 3rd Baltic Front captures Verro and Valk.
In Poland, Germans deploy a 600mm mortar, two 380mm howitzers, and two 280mm howitzers against Polish Home Army in Warsaw. Allied Balkan Air Force sends 28 Polish, British, and South African bombers from Italian bases to drop supplies to Home Army in Warsaw overnight, with two aircraft lost.
In Italy, elements of British 8th Army cross the Ponte Vecchio into northern Florence. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets along the Arno River and in northern Italy. Kriegsmarine minelayer Dietrich von Bern sunk by Allied air attack at Genoa.
Pictured: A Hawker Typhoon fighter bomber flying over a destroyed German column attempting to escape the Falaise pocket; Two US soldiers take a look at the damage of a store in Rue de Lassay, Couterne. The town was liberated at August 13, 1944 between 9:00 PM and midnight by the 1 st US ID; Lance Corporal Bill Baggott sleeps on his motorcycle in Falaise, France, August 13, 1944 ; B-24J Liberators of the 565th Bomb Squadron bomb targets in St Malo, France, August 13, 1944. The aircraft seen here was destroyed the next day when it crash landed and burned at RAF Hethel, Norfolk
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