lip ' s ▁XV ▁Corps ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Se vent h ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁September , ▁and ▁L ec ler c ▁fe ared ▁that ▁ 2 e ▁DB ▁would ▁be ▁transferred ▁to ▁Gén éral ▁d ' armée ▁Jean ▁de ▁L att re ▁de ▁T assign y ' s ▁French ▁First ▁Army . ▁L ec ler c ▁regarded ▁the ▁First ▁Army ▁as ▁being ▁full ▁of ▁tra itors ▁who ▁had ▁supported ▁V ich y ▁France . ▁Moreover , ▁de ▁L att re ▁had ▁s ack ed ▁Gén éral ▁de ▁division ▁Ed g ard ▁de ▁Lar min at ▁for ▁Ga ull ist ▁sent iments , ▁and ▁L ec ler c ▁had ▁good ▁reason ▁to ▁fear ▁that ▁he ▁might ▁meet ▁a ▁similar ▁fate . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁November , ▁H ais lip ▁gave ▁L ec ler c ▁permission ▁to ▁advance ▁on ▁Str as bourg . ▁L ec ler c ▁surprised ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁by ▁adv ancing ▁over ▁country ▁roads ▁and ▁tracks ▁to ▁by pass ▁their ▁def ences . ▁Str as bourg ▁was ▁reached ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁November , ▁and ▁that ▁afternoon ▁the ▁Tr icol our ▁fle w ▁over ▁the ▁Str as bourg ▁C athedral . ▁The ▁German ▁off ensive ▁in ▁the ▁Ar den nes ▁in ▁December ▁and ▁in ▁Als ace ▁in ▁January ▁led ▁Eisen h ower ▁to ▁consider ▁abandon ing ▁Str as bourg , ▁but ▁strong ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁idea ▁from ▁the ▁French ▁caused ▁him ▁to ▁back ▁down . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁ 2 e ▁DB ▁was