Fights of June 7 in Vierville
in the castle wood
The Germans were still present on June 7 in the woods of Vierville Castle, not to mention the isolated shooters who were showing up everywhere. Here is the story of a skirmish in the path ("The Ash Hunt") that separates Than's mansion from the castle of Vierville.
"A platoon of a dozen Americans had embarked on the path "The Ash Hunt" between 2 high walls, starting from the church to the west and towards the wood of the castle. They were in line. At the end of the road, the fence wall of the wood, pierced by a killer (where there is currently a door in the wall), blocked the road. Germans were behind, they were waiting for the Americans to be well on the way to shoot with the automatic weapon. The Americans were surprised, with no possibility of shelter, no ditches along the large walls of the "Bricsart" field and the "Than manor". They were all shot down, except the last one in the line who stepped back flat, taking advantage of the fact that the path is slightly on the back of a donkey. As soon as he moved, he was shot, but only his backpack was pierced with bullets.
At the end of this path, a killer pierced in the old wall.
On the right the "return" of the path "Chasse au Frêne"
On the left, near the post, there was a door in the south wall of the wood
Later (afternoon?) the Americans again tried to force the passage. They couldn't have tanks. They again longed the wall of Than's mansion, but on the park side of the mansion. They thus approached the wood of the castle, and jumping over the large wall that borders the manor park to the west, they passed in the return of the "Chasse au Frêne" path. Then they hired the Germans who were in the wood, passing over the wood wall, and through the door that gave access to the wood from the South. A close fight with grenades and submachine guns led to new losses among Americans (8?) and the anniation of the group of 7 Germans who were in the woods."
Later (June 8?), a resident of the village (Madame Jeanne Coliboeuf) crossed the wood coming from the castle and saw many corpses in the southeast corner and in particular a German lying across the back door of the wood.
Several years later, the trees in this southeast corner had to be cut down and it was found that they were particularly affected by splinters and bullets, much more than the other trees in the wood.
Here is a poem composed by Jean-Paul Hausermann, which evokes this battle:
In the small wood, behind my house,
On June 7, 1944 in the morning,
Just 300 meters from OMAHA BEACH
nicknamed "the bloody" because 3,000 American soldiers had been killed there in half an hour, landing there the day before,
7 soldiers of the German Army were waiting: They had been ordered to defend...
This little wood, behind my house.
This same June 7, 1944 in the morning, 8 U.S. Army soldiers, as soon as they landed, had received the order to seize...
This little wood, behind my house.
The first attack was brief:
None of the 7 German soldiers was killed or even injured.
But of the 8 American soldiers, only one was not killed.
He was the one who told me the whole story of...
This little wood, behind my house.
It was in the early afternoon that American soldiers returned, much more numerous.
The struggle was fierce, atrocious, appalling, merciless, first with grenade, with a rifle, then with a bayonet, and finally with melee.
Everyone equaled his opponent in courage and self-denial.
9 other American soldiers were killed and there were injuries.
The 7 German soldiers were all killed. No one went.
This is how 23 soldiers gave their lives in the fulfillment of their duty...
For this little wood, behind my house.
Most of these 23 young men, both German and American, were barely 17 and 18 years old.
They faced each other for a few moments of their short lives to reunite in anonymous heroism for eternity...
In the small wood, behind my house.
Since, sometimes, in spring, when the daffodils bloom in their bright yellow like a sun in a blue sky, or like a serene soul of a soldier in the paradise of the brave, some of these wild flowers have small red spots, like blood, without being able to say if it is German or American blood, because the blood of all soldiers has the same color and it has mixed together, in the earth...
Small wood, behind my house.
When I cross it, I think of these 23 boys, but also of these 23 mothers who did not see their child return, and the probable fiancées from whom Dame La Guerre took their beloved...
For a small wood, behind my house.
I ask you, my brothers and sisters, to pray with me for all of them, for these 23 families united by mourning and pain but also a just pride in the duty fulfilled in honor by their son...
In this little wood, behind my house.
I invite you, say that you come from the U.S.A., Germany and we will go together, united as the members of the same Christian family in peace thank and pray to God...
In the small wood, behind my house.
Jean-Paul HAUSERMANN