June 1944

Western Front - Battle For Caen

All day on the 29th, in the drizzling rain, the British who had taken defensive positions wait for the upcoming attack. The 43rd Wessex Division lined the east side of the Corridor while the Scottish facing west toward the II SS Panzer Corps.

With the weather improving over the United Kingdom and Normandy, Hausser's preparations for his counter-stroke came under continual harassment from Allied aircraft and artillery fire, delaying the start of the attack to the afternoon. From the number of German reinforcements arriving in the VIII Corps sector and aerial reconnaissance, Lt-Gen Sir Richard O'Connor suspected that the Germans were organizing a counter-stroke. XXX Corps is still some way to the north, leaving the VIII Corps right flank vulnerable, O'Connor postpones attacks by I Corps and orders VIII Corps onto the defensive. Dempsey, privy to ULTRA decrypts of intercepted German signal traffic, knew the counterattack was coming and approves O'Connor's precautions. VIII Corps begins to reorganise to meet the attack. Supply echelons for Hausser's divisions are located in the Évrecy–Noyers-Bocage–Villers-Bocage area and are the focus of RAF fighter-bomber attention throughout the morning and early afternoon; the RAF claims the destruction of over 200 vehicles.

The situation on this morning is that the VIII Corps have taken their first objective, crossing over the Odon, although somewhat behind schedule. The biggest problem for the British at the moment is still the traffic jam in Cheux. The VIII Corps, with the 10th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, in the cornfield, is trying to turn a breakthrough into a breakout that would sweep around the entire German front in the area of Caen, but the road is clogged. The Germans, however, are reinforcing their positions.

VIII Corps also launches spoiling attacks, at 0800 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, from the 43rd Division, assaults Mouen, without tanks behind an artillery barrage. By 1100 the battalion has forced the 1st S Panzer Division panzergrenadiers back and the 7th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry moves up and digs in on the Caen–Villers-Bocage road. The 129th Brigade of the 43rd Division, sweeps the woods and orchards around Tourville-sur-Odon, before crossing the river north of Baron-sur-Odon and clearing the south bank. An attempt by the 44th Brigade of the 15th Division to advance towards the Odon and link up with the force holding the Gavrus bridges fails, leaving this position isolated and in the salient the 44th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment fails to capture Hill 113 north of Évrecy, after clashing with 10th SS Panzer Division and losing six tanks. After that the 29th Armored Brigade starts for Hill 112 which dominates the southwestern approach to Caen. As the Shermans of the 23rd Hussars move onto part of Hill 112, the Motorized Flak Unit I/53, armed with their dual-purpose 88mm guns, intend to prevent them from reaching the summit. The German guns take postion on the hill and begin to look for the British tanks who are now moving into the village of Esquay hiding among the houses there. The first tank that appears is knocked out almost immediately. The others deploy smoke and withdraw. The infantry battalions of the 15th Division hold the south bank of the Odon while their supporting guns mow down the attacking Germans from their positions on the north side of the river. There is an enemy assault on the bridgehead, but it is repulsed with heavy lossed on both sides. Elements of the 11th Armored Division attacks Esquay-Notre-Dame west of Hill 112 but are repulsed and an attack by the 8th Rifle Brigade and the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment on the southern slope of the hill, drives the Germans from the position.

The 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders take the Odon bridge at Gavrus. They then head toward the fiverfront village of Tourmauville, two and a half miles to the south. Tanks from the 11th Armored Division are quickly deployted to create a small but formidable bridgehead over the Odon. The Germans, however are determined to push the British back across the river.

Hausser intends that the 9th SS Panzer Division, with Kampfgruppe Weidinger protecting its left flank, to cut across the British salient north of the Odon, while the 10th SS Panzer Division re-takes Gavrus and Hill 112 south of the river. The 9th SS Panzer Division moves up through Villers-Bocage and takes cover in the woods north of Noyer. Their attack begins at 1400, heavily supported by artillery. The 19th and 20th SS Panzergrenadier Regiments supported by Panthers, Panzer IV's and assault guns attack Grainville, le Haut du Bosq and le Valtru, aiming for Cheux. It was the task of the 20th Panzer Grenadier Regiment to take Cheux. The 3rd Armored Grenadier Battalion of that regiment is lying in a forest near Bas des Forges when a bombing attack by 100 Lancasters hits the Germans delaying their advance on Cheux. A British company is overrun and tanks and infantry penetrate le Valtru, where anti-tank guns knock out four German tanks in the village and artillery fire forces their supporting infantry to withdraw. Confused fighting, at times hand-to-hand, takes place outside Grainville and the Panzergrenadiers capture a tactically important wood, before being forced back by a British counterattack. The Panzergrenadiers claim they also captured Grainville but no British sources support this and by nightfall British infantry are in control of the village.

The 9th SS Panzer does attack in the le Valtru area and even has some tanks get into Cheux, but the British infantry hold their postions knocking out some tanks before the Germans fall back. At the southern end of the 'corridor', the 10th SS Panzer Division pushes forward near Esquan and Gavrus. The German counter-offensive breaks down because of Allied and artillery support especially from the gunfire of the big ships offshsore.

At around 1600, the British capture an officer of the 9th SS Panzer Division who is conducting a reconnaissance. He is found to be carrying a map and notebook containing details of new attacks. Around 1830, the Germans attack the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division on the right flank. One unit is being relieved and in the confusion, German tanks and infantry slip through the British defenses, with some units advancing 2 miles before running into heavy resistance. By 2300, the attack by the 9th SS Panzer has been stopped. Supporting attacks against the British eastern flank had been planned but German tank concentrations assembling in the Carpiquet area, have been so severely disrupted by RAF fighter-bombers during the afternoon, that the attacks never materialize.

Believing the German attacks on June 29 indicate more counterattacks for the following day, Dempsey reinforces the Odon bridgehead with a brigade of the 43rd Division and pulls in its perimeter. The 159th Infantry Brigade of the 11th Armored Division is placed under the command of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division and acceding to O’Connor’s wishes for additional infantry, Dempsey attaches the newly arrived 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division to VIII Corps; the lead brigade arrives near the EPSOM start line during the night. To hold Hill 112, it is necessary to hold Évrecy and Hill 113 also, for which there are insufficient troops and Dempsey orders the 29th Armored Brigade to abandon the hill. To hold the area between Rauray and the Odon, Dempsey withdraws the 29th Armored Brigade north across the river after dark, ready for the expected German offensive.