On July 18, 1944, American soldiers searched for German soldiers hiding in the bushes in Saint-Lô, France. The bodies of German soldiers killed by American soldiers lay sprawled on the ground.

 　During the Western Front of World War II, on July 18, 1944, American soldiers searched for German soldiers hiding in the bushes in Saint-Lô, France. The body of a German soldier killed by American soldiers lay sprawled in the bushes.

　　Saint-Lô is a city located in the Normandy region of western France. Allied forces had fought hard to gain a foothold on the bloody beaches of Normandy, France, during the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944.On June 15, 1944, Allied paratroopers were dropped into the area with the German positions northeast of Saint-Lô as their target. After fierce fighting, the Allies liberated Saint-Lô. Many of the main roads in Normandy intersect at Saint-Lô. By capturing Saint-Lô, the Allies gained access to all of Normandy and secured the route for their advance toward Paris.

　　The Battle of Saint-Lô was one of three conflicts that comprised the “Battle of the Fens,” which took place from July 7 to 19, 1944, just before Operation Cobra. Saint-Lô had fallen to German forces in 1940. After the Normandy invasion, the city served as a strategic crossroads, making it a target for the Americans.American artillery fire caused extensive damage, with up to 95% of the city destroyed. The high number of casualties led to the city being dubbed the “Capital of Ruins.” Over 11,000 American soldiers were killed, with over 3,000 fatalities. German casualties are unknown. Among the civilian population of Saint-Lô, 352 people lost their lives.