Page 35 - History of War - Issue 05-14

and machine-gunned them. They herded
the women and children into the
church, threw in a satchel of high
explosives, then gunned down
the survivors as they sought to
escape the flames. In all, 642
died – 190 men, 245 women
and 207 children.
The advance guard pushed north.
When it reached the Loire on 11 June,
the Germans found that only a single-
track bridge had survived sabotage or air MIGHTY MUSTANG and a company of the Rifle Brigade about
attacks. The division following up behind, Wearing its invasion a mile north-east along the road to Caen,
stripes – the black
constantly harassed by Resistance and white bars that Panzer and Panzer Lehr. While 51st to a hill marked as Point 213 on Allied
attacks, jammed itself into a bottleneck, signified its allegiance Highland Division attacked south along maps. The Yeomanry’s commander,
a sitting target for air strikes. Meanwhile, to the Allied cause the eastern side of Caen, the newly Viscount Arthur Cranley, pointed out to
on 14 June, advance elements reached – Mustangs like this landed 7th Armoured Division – the Hinde that the road was narrow with
were responsible
the division’s assembly area at Domfront, for maintaining air “Desert Rats” – was to strike directly deep ditches on either side, and was
50 miles south of the beachheads. It superiority over the south through Villers-Bocage and then, bordered by hedgerows. He wanted to
was now that “cab ranks” of rocket-firing beachhead and moving east, link up with 51st Highland spend some time on reconnaissance,
Typhoons, directed in by the SOE, hit Das beyond, protecting the Division and encircle Caen. but Hinde told him to get on with it. At
bombers that were
Reich, destroying 16 vehicles in the first attacking rear areas. This was a daring plan and required 11am, the British were on the hill, from
attack. The full division finally limped daring men to carry it out. Unfortunately, where they could see the chimneys of
into Normandy on 23 June, too late to further down the chain of command were Colombelles, the industrial suburb of
influence the battles for the beachhead. officers who could not think beyond set- Caen. And a few hundred metres to the
piece battles, and other officers who had south of Point 213, Michael Wittmann,
Daring plan seen too much action in North Africa, the veteran of many tank battles on the
Bernard Montgomery had come ashore Sicily and Italy, and who were tired. On Eastern Front, could see through the
on 8 June, and had found his HQ 12 June, Miles Dempsey, commander of vision slit of his heavily camouflaged
caravans in the grounds of a château British Second Army and Montgomery’s Tiger tank the turrets of British tanks
near Cruelly. Visited by Winston direct subordinate, visited the HQ of above the hedgerows, stretching along
Churchill, Alan Brooke and Jan Smuts w ROMMEL Gerard Bucknall, the commander of XXX the road like ducks in a shooting gallery.
two days later, he outlined his plan for RUBBED OUT Corps, of which 7th Armoured Division Wittmann commanded No 2 Company,
ERWIN ROMMEL
the land battle. After initial setbacks, DIED JUST A was a part, and was horrified to discover 101st Heavy Panzer Battalion, which
the momentum of the US build-up FEW MONTHS that no preparations for the attack had had arrived outside Villers-Bocage during
was increasing, and Monty believed it AFTER THE D-DAY yet been made. When 7th Armoured’s the night, but for the moment he was
imperative that US forces strike west to LANDINGS. tanks did roll south on 13 June, the by himself. Speeding down a farm track
take the Cotentin Peninsula and capture IN OCTOBER divisional commander, George Erskine, that ran parallel to the road, he fired
the port of Cherbourg. He therefore 1944, HE WAS regretted that the order had not been and hit a Bren gun-carrier, which slewed
intended to attract as many of the SUSPECTED OF received a day earlier, as he was sure across the road, belching clouds of black
German forces as he could to the British BEING INVOLVED that the Germans would now be filling smoke. The Tiger roared in towards
sector, where intelligence indicated that IN A BOMB the gap. As speed was of the essence, Villers-Bocage, Wittmann pumping
ATTACK ON
there was a good chance of success. ADOLF HITLER’S Erskine selected Robert Hinde’s 22nd another 22 rounds at the British column,
It was clear that the Germans were WOLF’S LAIR HQ Armoured Brigade to spearhead the each round demolishing a tank or lighter
experiencing difficulties moving reserves THREE MONTHS drive. Hinde, whose often reckless armoured vehicle, while British shells
to Normandy and in coordinating their EARLIER, AND bravery in North Africa had earned him bounced off the German’s armour.
counter-attacks, and that a gap had “ENCOURAGED” the nickname “Looney”, stormed into Entering the town, Wittmann knocked
opened up in the area of Villers-Bocage TO TAKE A Villers-Bocage at 8am on 13 June, then out Viscount Cranley’s tank, then the
south-west of Caen, between 12 SS CYANIDE PILL. ordered 4th County of London Yeomanry tanks of the second-in-command and

KEY FIGURES

BERNARD MONTGOMERY ERWIN ROMMEL OMAR BRADLEY ALAN BROOKE GEORGE ERSKINE GUNTHER VON KLUGE
The man in overall charge The “Desert Fox” was the As the most senior Chief of the Imperial As the man in charge of Following the dismissal
of ground operations during German commander in commander of US ground General Staff, Brooke 7th Armoured, Erskine was of Gerd von Rundstedt by
the Normandy campaign, charge of defending the forces during the Normandy was the foremost military faced with the challenge Adolf Hitler, von Kluge was
Montgomery was criticised Atlantic Wall. Broadsided campaign, Bradley was adviser to Winston of overcoming the German made Commander-in-Chief
– notably by Prime Minister by the D-Day invasion, he integral to the liberation Churchill. A considerate defences in the difficult of German forces on the
Winston Churchill – for his managed to revitalise his of Cherbourg and, later, man, he stepped up to bocage region. When Western Front. After Erwin
initial inability to capture forces to stage a stern the capture of Saint-Lô. defend Montgomery the division struggled to Rommel was wounded in
the city of Caen. Monty was fightback. Rommel was For his efforts, he was when the impatient Prime meet its objectives, Erskine an aerial attack, von Kluge
defended from dismissal wounded during an aerial promoted to the role of Minister criticised Monty was removed from his took over the command
by his superior, Alan Brooke. bombing raid on 17 July. General in March 1945. for his slow progress. position and reassigned. of Army Group B as well.

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