Operation Atlantic
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Operation Atlantic was a Canadian offensive during the Battle of Normandy, launched in as a follow-up attack to Operation Goodwood, from July 18 - 20, 1944. Although initially successful, with gains made on the flanks of the Orne River near St. Andre du Orne, a costly attack by the 4th & 6th Canadian Infantry Brigades against strongly defended positions on Verriéres Ridge resulted in heavy casualties and limited strategic gain.
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[edit] Background
When Operation Overlord was planned, the Normandy capital of Caen became a major objective for allied forces,[3] initially assigned to be captured on D-Day itself. British forces at Sword Beach, however, were unable to move far enough inland to capture the city. As a result, positional warfare along the Anglo-Canadian front ensued for the remainder of June 1944. Several attempts to take Caen, such as Operation Charnwood, ended in failure. On June 19th, 1944, the British launched Operation Goodwood, which managed to take Caen and reach the foot of Verriéres Ridge.[4] However, the western bank of the Orne River, on the left flank of the allied positions, remained in German hands. Operation Atlantic was designed with the intention of both capturing the eastern banks of the Orne, and with taking Verriéres Ridge.[5] The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, newly arrived in Normandy, was selected as the primary assault-force for the operation, with elements of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division in support.[6] If Verriéres could be captured, exploitation by Armoured Divisions would allow for rapid movement along the Falaise Road, and eventually towards Paris itself, with the hope of ending the positional warfare that had developed since mid-June.[7]
[edit] Orne Bridgehead
On the morning of July 20, with heavy aircraft support, advance elements of the 2nd Canadian Infantry were able to capture Colombelles & Faubour-de-Vaucelles, a series of industrial suburbs north of Caen along the Orne River. By mid-afternoon, two companies of the Black Watch were able to cross the Orne River, with A Company taking fewer than twenty casualties.[8]. Additional Battalions from 5th Brigade managed to push southward to St. Andre du Orne.[9] With the eastern bank of the Orne River secured, forces of the 4th & 6th Canadian Infantry Brigades moved into position for an assault on Verriéres Ridge itself, preparing to engage a forces of the 12th & 1st SS Panzer Divisions along the slopes of Verriéres Ridge.[10]
[edit] Assault on Verriéres Ridge
During the Battle of Caen, forces of "Sebb" Deitrich's I SS Panzer Corps had turned the 90-foot high ridge into their primary fortification, defending it with hundreds of guns, Tiger-tanks, rocket artillery, mortar-pits, and infantry from up to three divisions.[11] As part of a minor follow-up to Operation Goodwood, The Calgary Highlanders had managed to establish preliminary positions on Verriéres at Point 67, on the northern spur of the ridge.[12] On July 20, The South Saskatchewan Regiment, with support from The Cameron Highlanders & the Sherbrooke Hussars, as well as Hawker Typhoons, assaulted the ridge directly.[13] The Cameron Highlanders of Winnipeg were attacked from St. Andre du Orne, but were pushed back by heavy German defenses.[14] In addition, the main attack ran into torrential rains, rendering armour & aircraft effectively useless, and the infantry began to falter in the mud.[15] Without support, the South Saskatchewan's took 282 casualties in the face of tenacious German defenders.[16] In the aftermath of the South Sask's failed assault, two German SS Panzer Divisions counterattacked, causing Canadian forces to retreat past the original start-lines. The counterattack also heavily struck the supporting battalion, The Essex Scottish Regiment.[17][18] Over the remainder of the day, The Essex Scottish took close to 300 casualties[19][20] On July 21, General Guy Simonds sent in The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada & The Calgary Highlanders to stabilize the front along Verrières Ridge.[21] The two regiments, with additional support from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, were able to halt counterattacks by the two SS Panzer divisions, albeit with heavy casualties.[22]
[edit] Aftermath
In total, Operation Atlantic would account for 1,349 casualties for the First Canadian Army, a majority of them attained by the 4th & 6th Brigades.[23] The failure to seize Verrières Ridge resulted in Montgomery issuing orders on July 22 for another offensive, this time to be a "holding attack", within the next several days,[24] to be launched in conjunction with Operation Cobra. As a result, General Guy Simonds began to formulate the eventual plans for Operation Spring. However, the already-commenced Battle of Verrières Ridge would claim over 2,600 Canadian casualties by the end of July 26, 1944.[25]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Copp, Fifth Brigade at Verriéres Ridge, Pg. 5
- ^ Zuehlke, Pg. 166
- ^ Van Der Vat, Pg. 22
- ^ Van Der Vat, Pg. 152
- ^ Copp, Approach to Verriéres Ridge
- ^ Bercuson, Pg. 223
- ^ Jarymowycz, Pg. 1
- ^ Copp, The Approach to Verriéres Ridge
- ^ Copp, Approach to Verriéres Ridge
- ^ Jarymowycz, Pg. 3
- ^ Bercuson, Pg. 222
- ^ Copp, Fifth Brigade at Verriéres Ridge, Pg. 2
- ^ Bercuson, Pg. 223
- ^ Canada at War, Operation Atlantic
- ^ Bercuson, Pg. 223
- ^ Scislowski
- ^ Copp, Approach to Verriéres Ridge
- ^ Tank Tactics, Pg. 132
- ^ Bercuson, Pg. 224
- ^ Copp, Approach to Verriéres Ridge
- ^ Copp, Approach to Verrières Ridge
- ^ Scislowski
- ^ Zuehlke, Pg. 166
- ^ Copp, Approach to Verriéres Ridge
- ^ Zuehlke, Pg. 166
[edit] References
- Copp, Terry The Fifth Brigade at Verriéres Ridge Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies.
- Copp, Terry The Approach to Verriéres Ridge, Legion Magazine May/June 1999
- Zuehlke, Mark (2001). The Canadian Military Atlas. Stoddart. ISBN 0-77373-289-6.
- Bercuson, David [1996] (2004). Maple leaf Against the Axis. Red Deer Press. ISBN 0-88995-305-8.
- Jarymowycz, Roman. Der Gegenangriff vor Verrières German Counterattacks during Operation "Spring": 25-26 July 1944 (PDF). Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies.
- Jarymowycz, Roman. Tank Tactics, from Normandy to Lorraine. 2001 Lynne Rienner Publishers, ISBN 1555879500
- Scislowski, Stanley. Verrieres Ridge - A Canadian Sacrifice (HTML). Maple Leaf Up. Retrieved on 2007-06-20
- Van-der-Vat, Dan D-Day, the Greatest Invasion, a People's History. 2004
[edit] See also
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Western Europe · Eastern Europe · Africa · Mediterranean · Asia and the Pacific · Atlantic |
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