Page 39 - History of War - Issue 05-14

ards Ba
yeux for 1 July; this would
towards Bayeux for 1 July; this would
tow
split the beachhead and enable
split the beachhead and enable
his forces to defeat the British and
his forces to defeat the British and
Americans in detail.
At the same time as the Führer was
At the same time as the Führer was
concocting his plans, Montgomery
concocting his plans, Montgomery
was preparing for another attempt
was preparing for another attempt
to envelop Caen, this time
from much closer to the city.
Instead of trying to infiltrate
an armoured division through
the bocage, Monty intended
to launch the three divisions
of VIII Corps in “an all-out
blitz attack” on 25 June –
Derby Day (hence the
codename for the offensive,
Operation Epsom). On 22
June, Montgomery summoned
all the corps and divisional
commanders in Second Army
to a conference at his tactical
HQ at Creully, and outlined his
plans. “We have now reached the
plans. “We have now reached the
‘showdown’ stage,” he proclaimed.
‘showdown’ stage,” he proclaimed.
“The first rush, inland to secure a
“The first rush, inland to secure a
good lodgement area, is over. The
good lodgement area, is over. The
enemy is ‘firming up’ and trying to
enemy is ‘firming up’ and trying to
hem us in… We have thus reached
hem us in… We have thus reached
a stage where carefully prepared
a stage where carefully prepared
operations are essential. We must
operations are essential. We must
have no setbacks. What we take
have no setbacks. What we take
we must hold… The whole army
we must hold… The whole army
front must flare up and the enemy
front must flare up and the enemy
must be fought to a standstill.”
must be fought to a standstill.”
The attack had two phases.
At 4.15am on 25 June, the
leading battalions of the 49th
(West Riding) Division advanced through
a thick mist towards the villages of
Fontenay and Rauray, to secure a start
line for the second and main phase of
in typical combat dress.
the operation. The mist was so thick
that it not only provided cover, but also
served to break up the cohesion of the
attacking units. By mid-morning, the mist
Iron Brigade during the
had cleared and German fire coming American Civil War.
from the bocage to the south-west
of Fontenay stopped 49th Division.
At dawn on 26 June, a tremendous
barrage of more than 700 artillery
pieces supplemented by naval guns –
The terrain behind the beachheads
favoured the German defenders.
Here, US troops dash for cover,
surrounded by tall hedgerows
the largest concentration yet employed
the largest concentration yet employed Yeomanry, struggled through the streets
in Normandy – heralded the opening
in Normandy – heralded the opening of Cheux and reached the gully of the
of the second phase. The 15th Odon, where they were attacked by
of the second phase. The 15th
(Scottish), 43rd (Wessex) and 11th
(Scottish), 43rd (Wessex) and 11th Hitlerjugend with Panzerfäuste and
Armoured Divisions – a total of 60,000 anti-tank grenades. A mile to the east,
Armoured Divisions – a total of 60,000
men and 600 tanks – advanced on a
men and 600 tanks – advanced on a the 2nd Battalion of the Argyll and
narrow, two-mile front east of Fontenay
narrow, two-mile front east of Fontenay Sutherland Highlanders also fought their
down the main street of the village
down the main street of the village way down to the Odon and seized the
of Cheux. This descended steeply
of Cheux. This descended steeply bridge at the hamlet of Tourmauville,
into a deep gully, at the bottom of over which the tanks of the 23rd Hussars
into a deep gully, at the bottom of
which was a small stone bridge over
which was a small stone bridge over passed in single file. During the next
the River Odon. Once across, VIII 48 hours, the Hussars pushed south
the River Odon. Once across, VIII
Corps was to swing south-east of up an 800-foot eminence dominating
Corps was to swing south-east of
Caen and link up with the 51st the south-western approach to Caen,
Highland Division, which would which appeared on Allied maps as Hill
THE EAGLE be advancing from the eastern 112. The Germans had been relying
HAS LANDED side of Caen. VIII Corps’ leading division, on their dual-purpose 88mm guns to
A paratrooper of the US the 15th Scottish, attacked into Cheux hold the British tanks at bay, but attacks
101st Airborne Division and found themselves in a carefully by Allied fighter-bombers cleared the
The screaming eagle on prepared killing zone. Engineers of the way for the Hussars. One German
the division’s insignia Hitlerjugend had mined the streets and survivor of the first battle of Hill 112
is Old Abe, the mascot booby-trapped every house. The Scots recalled, “In the early afternoon came
of a regiment of the had to clear Cheux by close-quarters the end. About a dozen tanks were rolling
fighting house to house, during which towards us, when two formations of
the leading battalion, the 2nd Glasgow twin-engined Lightnings attacked. Where
Highlanders, lost more than 200 men. to fire first? At the planes or at the
Early in the afternoon, the tanks? In the confusion of air attack, the
reconnaissance unit of 11th Armoured tanks opened fire at us. Gun after gun
Division, the Northamptonshire was knocked out, and the crews with
them. Only one thing to do – withdraw!”
Dollmann’s suicide
A German grenadier mans a defensive Signalling to Alan Brooke on the night
position on the flooded Cotentin Peninsula
of 27 June, Montgomery proclaimed
himself pleased with the development
of the battle, and believed that Miles
Dempsey would soon have the whole
of 11th Armoured Division up on Hill
112. The British were now close to
a significant victory, for possession of
Hill 112 would allow them to close off
the southern approaches to Caen. The
danger posed to the German position
was all too apparent to the Seventh
Army commander, Friedrich Dollmann.
Having just been informed of the loss
of Cherbourg, he found the loss of Hill
112 too much to bear, and he was dead
by the morning of 29 June. The German
press claimed that it had been a heart
attack, though rumours circulated that
he had committed suicide, spurred on
by his knowledge that he was about
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