On 6 August, 176th Brigade, 59th Division, crossed the Orne
near Bas de Brieux (near Grimbosq). The 271.ID fought fiercely, but the English
were able establish a bridgehead. Kampfgruppe Wünsche counter-attacked on 7 and
8 August with Panther tanks and Tigers from 2nd Company.
SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche, commander of
Kampfgruppe Wünsche.
However, the intervention of the 271.Infanterie-Division and
Kampfgruppe Wünsche at the bridgehead prevented the 89.Infanterie-Division
collapsing of its left flank. Despite their bridgehead, the British would
remain temporarily blocked, unable to extend it, and this decisive action
remained limited within the context of Operation Totalize.
However, at the time of the fighting, at 21:40 on 7 August,
Heeresgruppe B ordered the transfer of the Hitlerjugend Division to reinforce
the Panzergruppe, who were fighting next to the 7th Army. The transfer
operations were activated and Kampfgruppe Wünsche was to follow at 10:00 on 8
August, after the destruction of the Grimbosq bridgehead. But two hours after
the order arrived, at 19:45 on 7 August, SS-Brigadeführer Kraemer told the
Panzerarmee that shelling was taking place in the Bretteville-sur-Laize sector
and between Boulon and Grimbosq. Meanwhile, violent Allied artillery fire was
falling on the German front line, which was the sign of an imminent offensive,
and Kraemer requested that the Hitlerjugend Division remained at the disposal
of I.SS-Panzer-Korps. It would eventually stay in the sector and thus play an
important role in Operation Totalize.
The 12.SS-Panzer-Division was no longer at full strength,
having suffered casualties following two months of heavy fighting, and some of
its elements had been detached to the west (Kampfgruppe Olboeter). It currently
comprised of Kampfgruppe Wünsche (as we have seen), which gathered all
available panzers, Panthers at the Grimbosq bridgehead;, thirty-nine Panzer
IVs, and around twenty Tigers (2nd and 3rd companies of SS Panzer-Abteilung
101), three grenadier battalions (I./25, I./26, III./26) and artillery
(SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 12 and SS-Werfer-Abteilung 12).
On I./SS-Panzer-Korps’ right flank, to the east, the 272.Infanterie-Division would play an intermittent role against the left flank of the Allied offensive. But overall, the balance of power was very much in II Canadian Corps’ favour, which launched 60,000 men and more than 600 tanks into battle, meaning the odds were about three to one for men, and ten to one for tanks.
The 12 Manitoba Dragoons: This was the II Canadian Corps reconnaissance group and was launched into battle on 9 August 1944. 13 August was a black day for this unit, when nine vehicles were destroyed. C Squadron was in contact with elements of the 51st Infantry Highland Division in the Saint-Sylvain area. The unit would then participate in the closing of the Falaise Pocket. A Staghound from A Squadron.
The Canadian Corps
The 4th Canadian Armoured Division provided the other armed
force of the offensive, and was part of the 1st Canadian Army and II Canadian
Corps, commanded by Major General George Kitching. It was created in Canada in
1942 and transferred to Great Britain from the autumn of 1943. It landed in
Normandy in the last week of July 1944, taking over from the 3rd Canadian
Infantry Division on the night of 30-31 July. By 2 August it was already
advancing towards Tilly-la-Campagne, although it failed to capture this
position, and then came to a halt at La Hogue on 5 August. However, it was now
preparing for the new operation and was comprised of an armoured brigade, as
well as an infantry brigade.
– Reconnaissance was provided by the 29th Reconnaissance
Regiment, The South Alberta Regiment.
– The 4th Armoured Brigade aligned the 21st Armoured
Regiment (The Governor General’s Foot Guards), the 22nd Armoured Regiment (The
Canadian Grenadier Guards), the 28th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia
Regiment) and a motorised infantry battalion attached to The Lake Superior
Regiment.
– The 10th Infantry Brigade aligned The Lincoln and Welland
Regiment, The Algonquin Regiment, and The Argyll and Sutherland Regiment
(Princess Louise’s).
– It also included artillery from the 15th and 23rd Field
Artillery Regiments, 5th Anti-Tank Regiment and the 8th Light Anti-Aircraft
Regiment. In addition, engineering support was provided by the 4th Canadian
Armoured Divisional Engineers and communication and information was provided by
the 4th Canadian Armoured Divisional Signals.
Two Canadian infantry divisions would also join the
offensive.
The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division was under the command of
Major General Charles Foulkes. Born on 3 January 1903, he was a lieutenant in
the Royal Canadian Regiment in 1926, made captain by 1930, lieutenant colonel
in 1940, brigadier in September 1942, then finally major general in 1944, when
he took command of division on 11 January.
– Its 1st Infantry Brigade (4th Brigade), aligned The Royal
Regiment of Canada, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and The Essex Scottish
Regiment.
– Its 2nd Infantry Brigade (5th Brigade) aligned The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Le Régiment de Maisonneuve and The
Calgary Highlanders.
– Its 3rd Infantry Brigade (6th Brigade) aligned Les
Fusiliers Mont-Royal, The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada and The
South Saskatchewan Regiment.
Reconnaissance was provided by the 8th Reconnaissance
Regiment (14th Canadian Hussars) and artillery was provided by the 4th, 5th and
6th Field Artillery Regiments, the 2nd Anti-Tank Regiment, the 3rd Light
Anti-Aircraft Regiment, the Toronto Scottish Regiment (machine guns and
mortars), the 2nd Canadian Divisional Engineers and the 2nd Canadian Divisional
Signals.
The division was formed at Aldershot in 1940 and
participated in the landing attempt at Dieppe in August 1942. It landed in
Normandy in the first week of July 1944, attached to the II Canadian Corps with
the 51st ID, and took part in Operation Atlantic from 18 July onwards. It then
unsuccessfully attacked the Verrieres ridge on 20 and 21 July, before taking
part in Operation Spring from the 25th. The Black Watch had lost 324 men after
finally taking Verrieres, but now remained stuck at May-sur-Orne, Saint-André-sur-Orne
and Saint-Martin-de-Fontenay. However, all this meant that the men knew the
area well.
The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, commanded by Major
General R.F.L. Keller, had been fighting in the Battle of Normandy since 6 June
1944. It was formed on 20 May 1940 and was chosen in July 1943 as the first
Canadian division to land in Normandy. It fought bravely in the fighting to the
west of Caen against the Hitlerjugend, and was the first to enter the city on 9
July. It was attached to the II Canadian Corp as of 11 July, along with the 2nd
Canadian Infantry Division. It proceeded to participate in Operation Atlantic
on the 18th and Operation Spring on the 25th, before finally being relieved by
the 4th Canadian Armoured Division on the night of 30-31 July and being sent to
the rear to recuperate. On 7 July it was recalled in order to participate in
Operation Totalize and would be in action on the night of 9-10 July.
– Its 7th Brigade comprised of The Royal Winnipeg Rifle
Regiment (The Winnipegs), The Regina Rifle Regiment (the Reginas) and the 1st
Battalion The Canadian Scottish Regiment.
– Its 8th Brigade comprised of The Queen’s Own Rifle of
Canada, Le Régiment de la Chaudière and The North Shore (New Brunswick)
Regiment.
– Its 9th Brigade comprised of The Highland Light Infantry
of Canada (HLI), The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders (Glens or SDG)
and The North Nova Scotia Highlanders (Novas or NNSH).
Reconnaissance was provided by the 7th Reconnaissance
Regiment (17th Duke of York’s Royal Canadian Hussars) and artillery by the
12th, 13th and 14th Régiments, the 3rd Anti-Tank Regiment and the 4th Light
Anti-Aircraft Regiment.
The Canadian Corps also included the 51st (Highland)
Division, a British unit, which was commanded by Major General Tom Gordon
Rennie. He had been injured on 12 June while in charge of the 3rd Infantry
Division, and then took over command of 51st Division on 26 July following the
dismissal of Major General C. Bullen Smith. The division comprised of three
battalions of the Black Watch, a regiment that had first been created in 1740.
– Its 152nd Brigade comprised of the 2nd and 5th Battalions
The Seaforth Highlanders, and the 5th Battalion The Queen’s Own Cameron
Highlanders.
– Its 153rd Brigade aligned the 5th Battalion The Black
Watch, and the 1st and 5th/7th Battalions The Gordon Highlanders.
– Finally, its 154th Brigade was made up of the 1st and 7th
Battalions The Black Watch, and the 7th Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders.
