|
Storm Clouds |
Mobilization |
Fall of France |
Battle of Britain |
Pacific War |
Hong Kong |
Conscription |
Dieppe |
Spartan | Battle of
the Atlantic | Sicily |
Italy |
Overlord |
Falaise |
Occupation |
Holland |
Germany 45 |
VE | VJ
As the Normandy beachhead was
consolidated and the build-up of troops and equipment
proceeded, the American planned an breakout to the west
under the name operation Cobra. General Patton was to
swing wet and south and then come around behind the
German lines to Falaise.
The Canadian directives assigned them the
objective of driving south to Falaise where the could
meet up with the American forces and cut off a large
German force in a pocket. Lieutenant General Simonds
developed a innovative plan for conducting a night
attack. The plan called for a heavy bomber attack on he
German forces by U.S. bombers, and then utilizing
searchlights, tracer bullets and radio beams to guide
the Canadian forces through the darkness to specific
points of attack inside converted self propelled gun
carriers known as Kangaroos. The darkness would thus act
as an advantage for the assisted Canadian troops.
As with most newly
developed tactics, the executing was not perfect and
some confusion occurred and many casualties resulted
from lost troops and misdirected efforts. The attack
continued and by the middle of the next day most of the
objectives had been reached and the Canadian forces
began to dig in for the expected counterattack by the
Germans.
The initiative of
attack soon began to fade as the confusion of the
battlefield increased and an accidental friendly fire
incident occurred when American B17 bombers mistakenly
dropped their payload on the Canadian and Polish troops
killing or wounding over 300. The resultant logjam began
to bring the operation to a standstill. Simonds tried to
restart the offensive by ordering tanks from British
Columbia Regiment, carrying infantry from the Algonquin
Regiment, to attack. on August 9th, and take the
high ground near the Quesnay Wood on route to Falaise.
This was once again a night attack and the a replication
of the chaos and confusion occurred in addition to
running straight into the crack German 12th SS Division.
Unable to break the German Division or stand up to their
fierce counter attack, they were cut to pieces by the
experienced and elite German forces suffering 240
Casualties and the loss of 47 tanks.
On the 10th The
Queen's Own Rifles and the North Shore Regiment were
committed to action in an attempt to restart the
offensive and take the Quesnay Wood but were
counterattacked by a unit of Hitler Youth and the 12th
SS. They withstood the attack suffering 165 Causalities
but the Canadian attack had once again been blunted. The
pressure on Simonds to breakthrough the German lines and
hook up with the Americans at Falasie was growing. The
Americans had shattered the German front to the west and
the Germans were almost trapped in a large pocket with
town of Falaise being the only escape route left.
Simonds had decided
that a return to daylight attacks might be the wiser
plan and he launched Operation Tractable on August 14th.
A smokescreen, air support and an artillery barrage
covered the attack lead by two armoured groups which
were supported by infantry in their Kangaroos.
Unfortunately another friendly fire incident occurred
when allied aircraft once again bombed Canadian and
Polish troops resulting in 400 casualties. The armoured
columns pushed forward and breeched the Laison River and
by a innovative display of initiative that penetrated
the German lines which were mainly troops who had
recently arrived from Norway. On August 15th the
Canadian Scottish Regiment moved forward and once again
the 12th SS filled the gap refusing to surrender, and
dying in their places. The Canadian Scottish Regiment
experienced their worst losses since the landings on
June 6th.
Hitler had decided
that the remaining German forces inside the Falaise
pocket would be allowed to retreat in order to avoid the
loss of large number of men. The American forces had
completed their sweep around to their prearranged
position for the closing of the gap and were waiting for
the Canadians to close the 30 kilometre gap and trap the
Germans.
Another attack was
launched and Falaise fell to the 2nd Canadian Division,
while the 1st Polish Armoured Division and the 4th
Canadian Division raced around the east side of the town
to block the escaping Germans. The Free French, Polish
and Canadians frantically tried to seal the pocket and
push the German relief troops to the west back while
containing those that were trapped. On August 19th
contact was made with the Americans and the gap was
closed. The Polish forces were repeatedly attacked by
German forces on both sides and lost over 2,300 men but
they held their position and sealed the fate of the
Germans trapped inside the pocket.
The commander of the South Alberta
Regiment, David Currie, became the focal point of the
battle while holding their position against German Tiger
tanks their desperate attacks. The South Alberta knocked
out 7 German tanks, 12 - 88 antitank guns, 40 other
vehicles and over 2,000 German troops. For his courage
and leadership he was awarded the Victoria Cross. The
Normandy Campaign was now over and the race across
France began with the Germans in complete disarray and
retreating on all fronts. The war looked as though it
would be over in a matter of months.
|
Battle: |
Falaise |
August 12 - 21,
1944 |
|
Campaign: |
Normandy |
June 6 - August 21,
1944 |
|
War: |
World War II |
1939 - 1945 |
| |
|
Where: |
Falaise |
|
Western Front |
|
France |
| |
| |
Opponents |
|
Belligerents: |
Canada |
Germany |
|
Britain |
|
|
United States |
|
|
France |
|
| Poland |
|
| |
|
Commanders: |
| Harry Crerar - Cdn |
| Bernard Montgomery -
Br |
| Omar Bradley - US |
| Miles Dempsey - Br |
| Courtney Hodges - US |
| George Patton - US |
|
| Gunther von Kludge |
| Walter Model |
| Paul Hausser |
| Heinrich Eberbach |
|
|
Forces: |
17
Divisions |
15 Divisions |
| |
|
Result: |
Decisive Allied Victory |
|
|
Casualties: |
Canada & Allies |
Opponents |
|
Killed - 1,470 |
60,000
Casualties |
|
Canada Others - 5,500 |
|
