USMA Library Homepage: Operation Cobra: Primary and Secondary Sources

Publications from the Center for Military History

The Mission of the Center for Military History (CMH): "To accurately collect, preserve, interpret, and express the Army's history and material culture to more broadly educate and develop our force, the military profession, and the nation." To that end, CMH publications include many primary source materials that can be excellent sources for research on military operations. Some examples of primary and secondary sources include the items listed below.

Breakout and Pursuit
For a good understanding of the campaign start with this book, written by Martin Blumenson - it is part of the U.S. Army in World War II series (see link below).
Allied Breakout From Normandy - Film
This youtube video is from the Army documentary series "The Big Picture." Note the commentator briefly discusses the origins of the U.S. Army in World War II series (the "Green Books") . The book "Breakout and Pursuit" by Martin Blumenson is one of the books in this series. Note: this is not a substitute for reading the book!
U.S. Army in World War II series (the Army's official history of World War II - commonly referred to as the "Green Books")
The United States Army in World War II series describes the organization, plans, and operations of the War Department and the Army, in the zone of interior and in all of the Army's five theaters of operations from 1939 to 1945.
St-Lô (7 July - 19 July, 1944).
This book describes the prelude to the Breakout. It is part of the Center for Military History "American Forces in Action" series.
Bombing the European Axis Powers : A Historical Digest of the Combined Bomber Offensive, 1939-1945
Goes by month; for information on Operation Cobra activities, look for July 1944 (starting on page 386).
Report by the Supreme Commander to the Combined Chiefs of Staff on the Operations in Europe of the Allied Expeditionary Force, 6 June 1944 to 8 May 1945
The report on the Breakthrough by General Eisenhower begins on page 35.

Combined Arms Research Digital Library

The Combined Arms Research Library (CARL) Digital Library contains a great deal of information on Operation Cobra. Resources in this library include both secondary and primary sources. Below are examples of the type of information you can get online. Follow this link to search for your area of interest: CARL Digital Library.

Primary Sources:

Secondary Sources:

History Section, United States Army European Theater of Operations (ETO)

ORDER OF BATTLE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY WORLD WAR II EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

4th Infantry Division records on microfilm

Reel-by-reel inventory of 4th Infantry Division documents on microfilm
USMA Library holds on microfilm a large collection of original records (AARs, periodic reports, journal files, et. al.) of the 4th Infantry Division and its subordinate units

The microfilm collection is located in the 2nd Floor Periodicals Area. See a library staff member for assistance locating the material and using the microfilm readers.