US M3 105mm Howitzer Firing on German Forces at Carentan – July 1944

June 17, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

U.S. soldiers fire a 105mm M3 howitzer on German positions near Carentan during the Allied advance through Normandy.

Carentan, France — July 11, 1944.
The sky rumbles, and the narrow hedgerows of Normandy amplify the thunder. This photo captures a U.S. Army artillery crew firing a 105-mm howitzer M3, targeting retreating German units near the strategic town of Carentan.

Part of the Allied effort to expand the beachhead after D-Day, Carentan was a key objective: a crossroads between Utah Beach and Omaha, vital for linking the landings into a single front. The town had already seen fierce house-to-house combat. Now, as German troops fell back, artillery sealed their retreat.

The M3 howitzer, a shortened and lightweight version of the standard 105-mm piece, was originally developed for airborne and mountain troops. Mounted here on a split-trail carriage, it delivers deadly firepower with surprising mobility — perfect for the close-quarters, fast-paced fighting in Normandy.

Behind the cannon, the gun crew works with calm precision. No drama. No shouting. Just the methodical ritual of war — load, aim, fire, repeat. Shell after shell arcs over the French countryside, finding targets the infantry can’t yet reach.

This is how Allied forces kept the pressure on, day after day, mile after bloody mile, until German forces had nowhere left to run.

📷 Technical photo data:
📸 Photographer: Franklin
🌐 Source: U.S. National Archives
📅 Date: July 11, 1944
📍 Location: Carentan, Normandy, France

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