SECOND WORLD WAR TH 60ANNIVERSARY The Drive on Caen Northern France 7 June – 9 July 1944 ‘Overcoming Hitler’s attempt to throw the Allies back into the sea’ No.4 The Drive on Caen CAEN, LOWER NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE London• Berlin• GERMANY Paris• London• FRANCE Southampton • Dover • • • Portsmouth Calais KEY FACTS ENGLISH CHANNEL Cherbourg• • Le Havre Caen is: • Caen • Capital of Lower Normandy • NORMANDY Paris • 148 miles NW of Paris • 74 miles SE of Cherbourg FRANCE • Situated on the banks of the River Orne Cover image: Troops engaging the enemy at Saint-Mauvieu. B 5963 THE DRIVE ON CAEN | 1 Foreword by the Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans, Ivor Caplin MP In carrying out my responsibilities as Minister for Veterans, I have become aware of the importance of meeting the desire of the British people to find ways of expressing their feelings for those who fought – and in many cases gave their lives – during the Second World War. These booklets aim not only to remember and commemorate those who served, but also to inform future generations of their efforts and achievements. Their stories can only serve as an inspiration for those growing up now. I want new generations to be aware of the veterans’ sacrifices, and of the important contributions they made to our security and to the way of life we enjoy today. This, the fourth book in the series, commemorates the actions of Operations Perch, Epsom and Charnwood that led to the liberation of Caen on 9 July 1944. Caen, the ancient capital of Normandy, was a vital road and rail junction that the Allies needed to capture before they could advance south through the excellent tank country of the Falaise Plain. Because of its strategic significance Hitler had ordered that Caen be defended to the last man, and the Second (British) Army had to fight doggedly to overcome a well prepared and resolute German defence that included fanatical SS soldiers and the potent ‘Hitler Youth’ Armoured Division that had been redeployed from the Eastern Front. The Royal Air Force played a crucial part in the Drive on Caen with more than 1250 aircraft, operating from bases in Normandy and Britain, destroying numerous tanks and armoured vehicles as well as attacking railway traffic bringing reinforcements into the area. Operation Charnwood was the first operation in Normandy where British strategic bombers directly supported a ground offensive. Following D-Day, these operations saw fierce fighting and considerable sacrifices. As we pass on the baton of remembrance to future generations, we will always remember what these brave men of our country did to liberate Europe from Nazi tyranny. 2 | THE DRIVE ON CAEN The Background to the Drive on Caen IWM C 4846 The ‘Mulberry’ artificial harbour off the French coast, mid June 1944 As dawn broke on Wednesday 7 June 1944, This facility enabled them to offload the Allies felt satisfied with the progress achieved supplies more rapidly than would otherwise over the previous 24 hours in Normandy during have been possible. While the American First the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France. Army aimed to seize the port of Cherbourg, The Allies now had four beachheads established Lieutenant-General Dempsey’s Second (British) on enemy-controlled soil. Although much had Army sought to capture the Norman capital, been accomplished, the Allies still faced a Caen. This city was a vital road and rail daunting task – advancing deeper into junction, which the Allies needed to capture Normandy. The Allies wished to gain territory before they could continue their advance so that the beachhead could be defended south. Bisected by the River Orne, the town against German counter-attacks. They also represented the last major geographical aspired to gain the space required to establish obstacle before the excellent tank country of airfields in France. This expanded territory was the Falaise Plain. Consequently, the British forces also required to establish the supply networks had to secure Caen in a timely fashion. General the Allied Forces would need to fight the Montgomery had hoped it might be reached on Germans effectively. Over the next three D-Day itself, but subsequent events ensured that weeks, vessels towed massive prefabricated northern Caen did not fall until 9 July 1944, concrete structures across the Channel. From one month later than planned. these components the Allies constructed the ‘Mulberry’ artificial harbour at Arromanches. THE DRIVE ON CAEN | 3 Operation “Perch” (9–14 June 1944) IWM CL 672 Tiger I and Panzer IV disabled in the bombed and the 12th SS ‘Hitler Youth’ Armoured out ruins of Villers-Bocage, June 1944 Division. During the night 12–13 June, the ‘Desert Rats’ advanced eight kilometres (five miles) through this gap to reach Livry. Next, during the hazy summer morning of the 13th, amixed battle group of armour from the 22nd Brigade and lorried infantry from the 131st Brigade thrust a further eight kilometres (five miles) SSE to capture the town of Villers- Bocage. A Sherman tank squadron from the 4th County of London Yeomanry, plus a company from the divisional motor battalion, then continued uphill to reach Hill 213. Unfortunately, this advance had been detected by SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant) Michael Wittmann, commander of the 2nd Company, SS Heavy Tank Battalion 101, and one of Germany’s leading tank aces. In response to this dangerous British thrust, Wittmann’s potent force of 13 Tiger heavy tanks, supported by infantry, launched a series of rapid counter-attacks. These ripostes caught the British forces located near Hill 213 and in Villers-Bocage by surprise. Within two hours, Wittmann’s Tigers had In the days immediately following D-Day, mauled this British brigade group, destroying 53 Second (British) Army units found themselves armoured vehicles in the process. However, locked in a series of fierce actions against thanks to the bravery of the defending British determined enemy resistance. Thus, they forces, the price Wittmann paid for this victory managed to push the front line only a few was high – no less than four of his precious miles further south while incurring heavy Tigers were knocked out. casualties. Then, on 12 June, intelligence received by Lieutenant-General Bucknall’s XXX KEY FACTS Corps indicated that there was a weak spot in the German line eight kilometres (five miles) List of commanders: SSW of Bayeux. Bucknall ordered the 7th 21st Army Group Commander-in-Chief Armoured Division – the famous ‘Desert Rats’ – General Bernard Montgomery to swing west around the resilient German Second Army defensive line at Tilly-sur-Seulles. The Division Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey was then to advance through this gap and audaciously thrust west to seize the high ground I Corps around Villers-Bocage. In so doing, Operation Lieutenant-General John Crocker Perch would threaten the rear of the firm defensive line established by the elite German ‘Panzer Lehr’ (Armoured Demonstration) Division 4 | THE DRIVE ON CAEN Operation “Epsom” (25–30 June 1944) Operation Epsom, situation on 30 June 1944 In the aftermath of the setback experienced at The aim of Operation Epsom was for VIII Villers-Bocage, Second (British) Army mounted Corps, commanded by Lieutenant-General small-scale attacks that would compel the O’Connor, to cross the River Odon in the close Germans to commit their newly arriving bocage countryside to the west of Caen. His armoured reserves to shoring up their hard- forces would then push on beyond the River pressed front line. In the meantime, British Orne and, eventually, seize the high ground forces began preparing for another major of Bretteville-sur-Laize that commanded the offensive against Caen, code-named Epsom. southern approaches to the city. If successful, Although Montgomery had hoped to capture this advance would compel the Germans to Caen not long after D-Day, he accepted withdraw from Caen. For Epsom, O’Connor the delay by arguing that his continuing had 60,000 troops, 600 tanks and over 700 thrusts towards the city were fulfilling his guns at his disposal. His forces included the original intention of aiding the American 15th (Scottish) and 43rd (Wessex) Divisions, advance towards Cherbourg by tying the 11th Armoured Division, plus the 4th down German resources in the east. Armoured and 31st Tank Brigades. The majority THE DRIVE ON CAEN | 5 of these formations, however, had little combat KEY FACTS experience. Waiting in well prepared defensive List of commanders (continued): positions against VIII Corps was the potent German 12th SS ‘Hitler Youth’ Armoured VIII Corps Division. Moreover, the 2nd SS Armoured Lieutenant-General Richard O’Connor Division would soon arrive to reinforce the XXX Corps German front line in Normandy. Finally, the Lieutenant-General Gerard Bucknall powerful II-SS Armoured Corps was moving to the area, having redeployed from the Eastern 3rd Canadian Infantry Division Front. Its mission was to launch a major counter- Major-General Rod Keller offensive against Bayeux that would throw the Allies back into the sea. planned preliminary aerial bombing raid on the German positions or with close air support. Preparations for Epsom were upset by a As a consequence, in spite of massive artillery great storm that lashed Normandy during support, when the 15th (Scottish) Division and 19–22 June, but VIII Corps’ assembly was just the armour of the 31st Tank Brigade advanced completed on time. On 25 June, elements from at 0730 hours on 26 June, enemy fire poured XXX Corps tried to deny the Germans the high into them from three sides. The Germans – the ground of the Rauray spur on VIII Corps’ right SS troops especially – fought with determination, flank. Sadly, this preparatory attack failed. Bad particularly in the village of Cheux, and the weather also undermined the power of Epsom, British quickly fell behind schedule.