June 1944

Western Front - Battle For Caen

The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division resume Operation MARTLET at 0650, although much of its artillery support from VIII Corps was diverted to the main operation. Maj-Gen Barker's plan for 8th Armored Brigade, along with the Tyneside Scots, is to attack west from the gap between Tessel Wood and Fontenay across the River Bordel toward Rauray. Regrouping overnight by the Hitler Youth produce a coherent front. The 24th Lancers and the 12th King's Royal Rifle Corps reach the outskirts of Tessel Bretteville, but another battlegroup fails to take the bridge near la Grande Farm and the Dukes (7th Duke of Wellingtons) fail to take St. Nicholas Farm. This leaves the Lancers and the 12th King's Royals dangerously exposed to the fire of the Panthers of the 1st Battalion of the 12th SS Panzer Grenadiers. The two units are withdrawn. The Germans are able to slow the British advance and then launch an armored thrust of their own. This initially gains ground but is stalled when British armor moves up and the two sides duel in the confined terrain. Informed during the afternoon that a big British offensive is under way further east, SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer of 12th SS Panzer calls off the counterattack and orders his tank companies to return to their positions south of Rauray. During the rest of the day the 49th Division is able to make progress, eventually halting just north of Rauray. Failing to secure Rauray meant the men of VIII Corp would be advancing into the guns of the Hitlerjugend.

Over 700 British guns open the barrage that would precede the movement by the tanks. The barrage stays on the opening line for 10 minutes which coincides with the outpost line of the Hitlerjugend defensive positions. The British attack begins at 0700 with somewhere between 500-600 tanks on a breadth of 5 kilometers. The 44th (Lowland) Infantry Brigade and the 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, supported by the 31st Tank Brigade move off their start lines behind a rolling barrage fired from 344 guns. The 46th Brigade initially advances without armored support, because in bypassing the mine and booby trap-ridden village of Le Mesnil-Patry, its tanks have been forced to negotiate minefields flanking the village. The 6th Royal Scots accompanied by the tanks of B Squadron, 9th Royal Tank Regiment, is to attack St Manvieu while the 8th Royal Scots with A Squadron, 9th RTR, have objectives astride the Caen-Fontenay Road and near the hamlet of le Gaule. The 2nd Battalion, Glasgow Highlanders, face only light resistance, while the 9th Battalion, The Cameronians, run into the grenadiers of the 12th SS Panzer Division, who had allowed the barrage to pass over their positions before opening fire.

The start does not go well for the 6th Royal Scots as some of their own artillery shells fall short causing casualties among the unit. 2 of their accompanying tanks are out losing tracks on anti-tank mines. Another problem for those advancing is the smoke of the barrage replacing the dawn mist which made keeping direction across the corn fields difficult. Enemy mortar and artillery fire is of far greater significance.

Advancing slowly the 6th Royal Scots reach St Manvieu about 0830 hours. Around 1030 hours they finally break into positions held by the 1st Battalion, 26th Panzer Grenadiers around the village and orchards of St Manvieu. This is only achieved by support from AVREs of 81st Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, RE. The Churchills of B Squadron, 9th RTR envelope the village and engage targets for the infantry. After reuniting with their tanks at around 1000, by noon the two battalions are fighting for control of their initial objectives; Cheux and Le Haut du Bosq. Inside St Manvieu the German troops have prepared mutually supporting defensive postions. After much hand-to-hand fighting they believe the villages to be captured just after midday, although they later find that some German remnants are holding out. Tanks and infantry from the 12th SS and the 21st Panzer Divisions launch two counterattacks to regain Sainte Manvieu but are repulsed with the aid of intensive artillery fire.

The 12th SS Pioneer Battalion's HQ is on a small hill south of the Caen-Fontenay road. It is being attacked by the left assault battalion of the 46th Highland Brigade, the 2nd Glasgow Highlanders, supported by 15 Churchills of A Squadron, 7th Royal Tank Regiment. The Brigade's right assault battalion, the 9th Cameronians is attacking the 2nd Battalion, 26th SS Panzer Grenadiers, along with the tanks of B Squadron. At the start of the advance, they run into a minefield. The rifle companies go on through, but the supporting tanks and ARVEs are held up. The flails of B Squadron, 22nd Dragoons are brought up to deal with the minefield. The Germans covered this mine belt with anti-tank guns which knock out 9 of the tanks and slow the tempo and cohesion of the adavance.

On 46th Brigade's left is the 2nd Glasgow Highlanders, whose objective is Cheux, but to reach it they will have to fight through the well-prepared defensive positions of the 12th SS Pioneer Battalion. Many of the SS soldiers survived the barrage and are missed by the first wave of attacking infantry and armor. From their bunkers they are able to either shoot into the rear of the first wave of Scots infantry or engage the following waves. Behind the SS Pioneers' main line of resistance, Cheux has been developed as a strongpoint. There is a battery of the 12th SS Panzer Artillery Regiment with 105mm guns and the Pioneers' supply platoons acting as infantry. The 2nd Highlanders fight from hedgerow, to house, to pile of rubble as the Scots fight through the ruins of Cheux. Casualties for the Scots that first day: 12 officers and almost 200 men.

With farthest to advance, the 9th Cameronians have objectives in le Haut du Bosq, but they wwill have to break through the 2nd Battalion, 26th Panzer Grenadier's main line of resistance. They do not advance very far until they come under the fire of Battery 5, 12th SS Panzer Artillery Regiment which is positioned between le Haut du Bosq and Cheux. Supporting the Cameronians are the tanks of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment. Resuming their advance the Cameronians expected their right flank to be protected by the 49th Division which should have taken Raury Spur. That attack had failed, however, and the Cameronians are exposed to flank fire in the final stage of their advance to le Haut du Bosq. They approach the village about 1100 hours. This village is also prepared as a strongpoint with two batteries of the 1st Battalion, 12th SS Artillery Regiment and the Regimental HQ of the 26th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment. The advance is held up on the open slope into le Haut du Bosq. A duel develops between the Churchills of the 7th Royal Tanks and the German artillery guns. Help comes in the form of the crocodiles of the 141st Regiment, RAC. The Cameronians burst through the burning hedgerows of le Haut du Bosq at 1130 and report they are mopping up their objective. Their casualties: 6 officers, 120 men.

To complete EPSOM's first phase, the 7th Seaforth, 46th Brigade's reserve, is to advance from Cheux and occupy the exposed Ring Countour 100, about 1500 yards to the southeast. The area is held by a mixed bag of SS panzer grenadiers and other arms who had been pushed back by the morning's action. The 7th Seaforth has been badly delayed in its advance by artillery fire, bypassed enemy riflemen and the chaos in Cheux. At 1400 the 7th are ordered to take Ring Countour 100. Held up initially by intense mortar fire, they head out of Cheux and reach the railway line at Colleville. Attempting to move farther up the humb, the top of Ring Contour 100, they find it heavily defended.

With the capture of the villages of St Manvieu and Cheux and the northern slope of Ring Contour 100, 15th Division's Phase One objectives have been reached, but villages and orchards still have enemy snipers.

During the morning, lacking sufficient artillery support, 49th Division's renewed attack had failed to dislodge the Hitlerjugend armor. Back at the start line, the 7th DWR supported by the Shermans of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry are to attack St Nicholas Farm at 1500 hours for a second time. They are successful due to some of the German armor being redeployed to deal with the main attack. The SRY press on alone, up the ridge a further mile to the Cheux-Tessel Road, halting 500 yards shorth of Rauray. They call for infantry support and the 11th DLI reach tham about 2100 hours and help secure a toehold on Rauray Spur's northern end.

Marching up the road to Puton-en-Bessin in the rain under the noise of the shelling, they begin to hear the unfamiliar sounds of German machine-gun fire. The advance is going slowly. After passing Puton-en-Bessin, the first signs of previous actions are seen. There are several destroyed Churchill tanks which had entered a minefield before the Caen road. They continue forward knowing their flanks are up in the air. Cheux is cleared, St Manvieu taken. They are ordered across the Caen road toward Cheux before advancing through the orchards of Le Haut du Bosc toward Grainville. The 31st Tank Brigade goes forward with the infantry. As soon as they reach the Caen road which runs parallel to the front between Cheux and St Manvieu, the 11th Armored Division is to advance with the 29th Brigade leading. The 23rd Hussars and the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry advance, followed by the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment as reserve. 'C' Squadron of the 23rd Hussars bypasses Cheux while the remainder, after going through the village and working their way through difficult terrain, move to support the 2nd Gordons on Colleville. 'C' Squadron becomes separated from the rest of the regiment because of the traffic mess in Cheux, where two divisions and two brigades are trying to pass on a single road. Because of the traffic jam only two companies of the Gordons advanced on Colleville. 'A' Company is pinned down in a cornfield by mortar fire while 'B' Company manages to get into Colleville. The rest of the battalion is miles away in the traffic jam. 'C' Squadron of the 23rd Hussars is joined by 'B' Squadron where they both try to help the infantry forward. The Churchills, unfortunately, are taking fire as soon as they clear the crest. Soon several are on fire. Much of the resistance met by the 227th Highland Brigade and the 23rd Armored Brigade in the evening had not been there in the morning. It is not until 1400 that the regiment is able to make progress. By 1430 the squadron arrives on a ridge south of Cheux where it is engaged by twenty Panzer IVs, sent by the 12th SS Panzer Division from the Rauray area, Tiger tanks from the 3rd Company, 101st Heavy SS Panzer Battalion and armor from the 21st Panzer Division. More tanks from the 11th Armored Division arrive but determined German resistance halt any further advance and by the end of the day the division has lost twenty-one tanks. In order to stop the British breakthrough, a tank counterattack comes from the direction of Rauray, which is still in German hands.

These attacks, southeast from Tessel through Le Manoir toward Rauray, are being driven back by elements of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment. Late in the afternoon units of that regiment are ordered away from Rauray to counterattack the 15th Scottish and 11th Armored Divisions in the flank in order to plug the gap that had been created there. Almost instantly the Germans are in action against the leading brigades of the 11th Armored, the 15th Scottish and the supporting Churchills of the 31st Tank Brigade. Taking advantage of the confusion, this surprise attack has enabled these Panzers to race across an open field to take cover in a little hollow. The German artillery begins to bring down defensive fire as the tanks and infantry spread out to close the gap that had broken in the German defensive line. They dig in for the night eastward of Le Haut du Bosc facing toward Cheux. At the same time the leading squadrons of the 23rd Hussars pull back behind a hill for the night. Also digging in for the night in the orchards of Le Haut du Bosc was the 10th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry.

At 1800 the 227th (Highland) Brigade of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, is committed to the battle. The Highlanders are delayed by fighting in support of the rest of the division and only two companies from the 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, make much progress. They enter the northern outskirts of Colleville by 2100 but soon find themselves cut off by German counterattacks. After heavy and confused fighting one company is able to break out and rejoin the battalion. To stop the British offensive, that evening Field Marshal Rommel orders assistance from all available units of II SS Panzer Corps.