The 8th Infantry Division, in concert with the 2nd and 29th Infantry Divisions, closed up on the defenses of Brest.
Brest was heavily fortified and stoutly defended by 30,000 Germans, including the tough and capable 2nd Paratroop Division.
Recognizing that the reduction of Brest would require an arduous siege, the Americans mustered 18 corps artillery battalions in addition to 16 division artillery and tank destroyer battalions accompanying the divisions.
Preliminary operations isolated Brest and pushed the defenders into a restricted area.
The first major attack kicked off on 25 August.
After savage fighting, the city would finally fall on 19 September.
Meanwhile French and American troops entered Paris on 25 August, liberating the national capital amidst the jubilation of wildly exuberant crowds.