​​Major Johns Command Post​

​​On 18 July, the US forces were tasked to continue with the pressure and advance towards Saint-Lo. The plan was now to enter the town and liberate it. After days of bitter fighting and casualties the men of the 115th Infantry Regiment were now able to push the Germans back. 

​The 1st Battalion were tasked to advance along the Isigny-Saint-Lo Road and moved swiftly into the outskirts of the town. They met limited German resistance and secured the high ground to the west of the road in the area of St-George-Montcocq. At 14:30 General Cota had briefed his men and they were set to now push on into the town from the north and northeast. 

​At 15:00 Task Force C headed towards Saint-Lo from the area of Couvains. The 1st Battalion were ahead and the furthest advanced unit at this point. Some patrols had already started to probe into the town. 

​Major Johns reported back that they were receiving heavy machine gun fire from around 60 Germans. There were in an orchard to the west of Saint-Gorge-Montcocq. This is to the north of the town. He was ordered to then move off to the east to avoid this and try to link up with Task Force C. They were aiming to advance towards the square that was to the west of the cemetery. 

​It was reported at 19:00 that after serious of skirmished around the town, it was now firmly in the hands of the Americans. Major Johns had advanced into the area of the cemetery and setup his CP inside the Blanchet Mausoleum. 

​It had taken 43 days to reach and take Saint-Lo. The Germans had now established the next line of defence. This was 1000 yards south of the town and were ready for the next phase of the battle. 

​The Blanchet Mausoleum and graves around the area show the scars of the fighting during July 1944. Signs of shrapnel hits can be seen on the sides. It is within here that Major Johns had setup his CP during the battle.