June 1944

Western Front - Battle For Caen

In the British 2nd Army's XXX Corps area, the 50th Division maintains pressure on the enemy near Tilly-sur-Seulles. The 7th Armoredd Division begins a flanking attack on the right flank of the corps and pushes through Livry to positions east of Caumont.

A new opportunity has emerged on the right flank of the British position. It the British infantry units could temporarily hold the Panzer Lehr Division in place, there is a good chance that the 7th Armored Division could push through beyond the vitla crossroads town of Villers-Bocage, outflank the enemy from the west and punch a gaping hole in the German line. 2nd Army Commandder, Gen Miles Dempsey, meets with 7th Armored commander, Gen George Erskine. He orders Erskine to disengage from the unit's current front and deploy every available tank and half-track to move on to Villers-Bocage before the Germans realize their peril.

Erskine in turn orders Brig Robert Hinde with his 22nd Armored Brigade to lead the striking force. In the 22nd Armored Brigade are the 4th County of London Yeomanry, two tank battalions of the Royal Tank Regiment and a motorized infantry battalion. There is a maze of undefended secondary roads and tracks to the west of the original line which could outflank Panzer Lehr. At 1600, the leading elements of Hinde's force reach the Caumont-Villers-Bocage road five miles west of their objective.