June 1944

Western Front - Battle For Caen

The 6th North Staffords take Malan, another village that had been turned into a fortress by trenches, dug-in Tigers and 75mm anti-tank guns. They have suffered 190 casualties, about a quarter of their strength and are withdrawn after only 48 hours of battle. The right flank in Caen is now being held by an infantry division which has replaced the worn-out 21st Panzer Division; the left flank by the battered remnants of the Hitler Youth division. The commander, Meyer, has requested to pull back to the river line which runs through the center of the city, but is refused each time. On this day, without orders and defying Hitler, Meyer begins pulling his troops back over the river barrier into the industrial suburbs of Colombelles and Faubourg de Vaucelles from the airfield area of Carpiquet.

British and Canadian patrols begin to infiltrate the city at dawn on July 9. The airfield at Carpiquet finally falls into Allied hands during the early morning, when the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division discovers that the 26th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment has withdrawn during the night. With the German situation north of the river becoming increasingly precarious, the 21st Panzer Division battle groups and the remaining regiments of the 12th SS Panzer Division conduct a slow withdrawal across the Orne, making for the Verrières and Bourguébus Ridges.

By noon the 3rd British Infantry Division has reached the Orne's north bank, virtually destroying the elements of the 16th Luftwaffe Field Division, positioned west of the Orne, in the process. A few hours later the British and Canadians meet in the center of the city and by 1800 the northern half of Caen is firmly under Allied control; all I Corps's objectives have been achieved. A few of Caen's bridges are intact but these are either blocked by rubble or defended by German troops on the south bank and the 1st SS Panzer Division has by now positioned itself to oppose any further advance.

The 12th SS Panzer Division (by the end of the battle the division's infantry strength has been reduced to that of a battalion)—claims over the course of two days to have destroyed 103 British and Canadian tanks for the loss of 20. On entering Caen the Anglo-Canadian troops find it in ruins, with four-fifths of the Old City reduced to rubble by the July 7 bombings. The debris that choked the streets makes it almost impossible for British armour to maneuver through the northern half of the city, preventing Second Army from exploiting I Corps's success. Without possession of the terrain flanking the south of the city, no further gains can be made within Caen so by mid-afternoon on July 9, Operation CHARNWOOD is over.