On the early morning of 19 june 1944 bad weather struck the English channel just as delivering supplies across Utah and Omaha beach had begun to work at full capacity. This bad weather called the “Big Storm” lasted for four days and seriously damaged the Mulberry port. Before noon all ferrying operations were suspended on both landingbeaches.On 20 june the storm continued and the artificial port showed signs of breaking up. The supplies that could be brought to land were nearly not enough to accomplish any tactical plans. On top of the raging storm 116 German aircraft were active in the night of 19 to 20 june over the beaches and shippinglanes. At Omaha the Naval commander concluded the artifiacial ports had proven to be impractical and should not be reconstructed. The American army desperatly needed a real port to unload its supplies. Before the storm ended Major General J. Lawton Collins, commander of VII Corps, issued orders for resumption for the attack on Cherbourg.You are to command elements of Kampfgruppe Rohrbach to stop the American 4th Infantry Division's advance from the north of Bois du Roudou in the direction of La Boissais and La Besnarderie. The Americans must be prevented from moving to the high ground east of La Glacerie just south of Cherbourg.
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