Operation Epsom

Operation Epsom was a British offensive within the Battle of Normandy during World War II, that took place between June 26 and June 30 1944. The attack intended to outflank and seize the city of Caen in France, controlled by the Germans.

The British main offensive consisted of three infantry divisions, one armoured division and one armoured brigade, supported by a heavy artillery barrage. Bad weather conditions kept Allied aviation grounded, giving the defenders a major advantage. At some points, the British forces were held by the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, mainly consisting of young grenadiers and reservists. During June 27, British troops manage to seize two bridges over the river Odon and take Hill 112, a point of high strategic importance.

The Germans diverted a SS Panzer Corps of two divisions which had recently arrived from the Eastern front to a counter-attack against the British penetration of their lines. This counter-attack began on June 29 and by the evening of the next day, Hill 112 was again in German hands. The British forces suffered heavy infantry casualties and were forced to withdraw to the north bank of the Odon. Although the Germans achieved a defensive success, they were forced to abandon their offensive plans and tied most of their armoured units to a defensive role.

Background

The Allies originally intended to capture Caen on the first day of the invasion of Normandy. When this attack failed a pincer attack was launched by I and XXX Corps, codenamed Operation Perch, to encircle the city from the east and west. However the attack by I Corps, striking south out of the Orne bridgehead was halted by the 21st Panzer Division and the attack by XXX Corps bogged down in front of the town of Tilly-sur-Seulles, west of Caen, due to stiff resistance by the Panzer-Lehr-Division. In an attempt to force the Panzer-Lehr-Division to withdraw or surrender and to keep operations fluid the 7th Armoured Division pushed through a recently created gap in the German front line and attempted to capture the town of Villers-Bocage. The resulting day long Battle of Villers-Bocage saw the vanguard of the 7th Armoured Division withdraw from the town. On June 17 the Panzer-Lehr-Division finally withdrew and XXX Corps captured Tilly-sur-Seulles.

Due to the storm that then descended upon the Channel, all offensive operations were called off and a repeated attack from the 7th Armoured Division never materialised. Planning for a second pincer offensive began but, in the end, it was decided that the bridgehead over the Orne River was too small for an attack by an entire armoured and infantry corps.

The storm, which lasted from June 19 to June 22, severely delayed the Allied build-up in Normandy. Most of the convoys of landing craft and ships already at sea were driven back to ports in Britain, towed barges and other loads (including Vorlage:Convert of floating roadways for the Mulberry harbours) were lost, and no less than 800 craft were left stranded on the Normandy beaches until the next spring tides in July.

The weather also grounded Allied aircraft. The Germans took advantage of the respite from Allied air attacks to improve their defensive lines, strengthening infantry positions with minefields and posting approximately seventy 88 mm guns in hedgerows and woods.

Planning

Vorlage:See On June 20 Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was ordered, by Hitler, to launch a new offensive against the Allied lines between the towns of Caumont and Saint-Lô. The objective of this attack was to cut a corridor between the American and British armies by capturing the city of Bayeux and the coastline beyond. Four SS Panzer Divisions and one Heer Panzer Division were assigned this task. The spearhead of this counterattack would be the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions of the II SS Panzer Corps, recently transferred from the Ukraine to Normandy. They would be supported by the 1st, 2nd SS Panzer Divisions and the 2nd Panzer Division. The vast majority of the tanks used by these formations were Panzer IVs, supplemented with assault guns, Panthers and Tigers. The latter two having much more efficient protection and lethal firepower than the former.

General Bernard Montgomery, the ground forces commander of all Allied troops in Normandy, initially planned Operation Epsom as another pincer attack to be made by all three Corps of the Second Army to capture Caen. However other historians have argued that from ULTRA interceptions Montgomery had gained foreknowledge of the German attack and planned to forestall them with a pre-emptive attack.

Datei:Epsom map.jpg

The British attacks (planned attacks by I Corps are also shown) and the German counterattacks during Operation Epsom.

The main attack for Operation Epsom would be undertaken by the newly arrived VIII Corps, which at the start of the operation consisted of 60,244 men, under the command of Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor. The final plan for Operation Epsom called for I Corp’s 51st (Highland) Infantry Division to strike south out of the Orne bridgehead to pin down elements of the 21st Panzer Division three days before the main assault. On the day before Epsom XXX Corp's 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, supported by the 8th Armoured Brigade, was to launch Operation Martlet; a preliminary attack to capture the high ground on the right of VIII Corps axis of advance to secure there flank. VIII Corps attack, originally planned for June 22 but postponed until June 26 to make up deficiencies in manpower and material, would be launched from the bridgehead gained from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. The operation, split into four phases, intended for the Corps to advance and capture the high ground near Bretteville-sur-Laize, south of Caen. VIII Corps attack would be supported by 736 artillery guns, naval gunfire from 3 cruisers and the monitor H.M.S. Roberts, close air support and an aerial bombardment carried out by 250 Royal Air Force bombers.

The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division would lead the attack. During Phase I, codenamed Gout, they were tasked with the capture of the villages of St. Mauvieu and Cheux. Phase II, codenamed Hangover, tasked the division with capturing several crossings over the Odon River and the villages of Mouen and Grainville-sur-Odon. However if little resistance was met, during the opening phase, the 11th Armoured Division would rush the bridges over the Odon River and seize the crossings. During the opening two phases of Epsom the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, reinforced with the Guards Armoured Division's infantry brigade, were to remain on the start line to provide a "firm base". In the third phase of the operation, Impetigo, the division would relieve all Scottish infantry north of the Odon. The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division would then assemble across the river. The bridgehead was also to be expanded, during this phase, by capturing several key villages. In the final phase of the operation, Goitre, elements of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division would cross the river to hold the river area while Scottish infantry would continue to expand the bridgehead. The 11th Armoured Division, however, would attempt to create a bridgehead over the Orne and advance on there final objective Bretteville-sur-Laize. The 4th Armoured Brigade, although attached to the 11th Armoured Division, was restricted to operations between the Odon and Orne to protect the Corps flank and be a position to attack westwards or towards Caen when and if needed.

Depending on the success of VIII Corps attack, I Corps would then launch two supporting attacks. These two operations were codenamed Aberlour and Ottawa. The former would see the 3rd Infantry Division, supported by a Canadian infantry brigade, attack north of Caen. The latter would be an attack by the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, supported by the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade, to capture the village and airfield of Carpiquet.

The German main line of resistance, which was to face this up coming threat, initially consisted of the depleted 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, mainly consisting of young grenadiers and with its tank regiment not in the divisional sector, along with elements of both the 21st Panzer Division and the Panzer-Lehr.

Preliminary attacks

The first attack was launched on June 23 by elements of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division's 152nd (Highland) Infantry Brigade. Before daybreak, without an initial artillery bombardment, highland infantry advanced in silence towards the village of Sainte-Honorine-la-Chardronette. They took the German garrison by surprise and had taken complete control of the village while it was still dark. During the morning a counterattack was launched by elements of the 21st Panzer Division's Kampfgruppe von Luck. Fighting for control of the village lasted all morning but by midday it was firmly in British hands. The success of this attack diverted German attention and resources away from VIII Corps front as they prepared for further attacks out of the Orne bridgehead.

At 0415 hours on June 25 the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, supported by the 8th Armoured Brigade and 250 artillery guns, launched Operation Martlet against elements of the Panzer-Lehr-Division and the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend. The operations first objective, the village of Fontenay-le-Pesnel, was fought over all day but stubborn German resistance denied the village to the British infantry. A British infantry battalion, supported by tanks, advanced around the village to the west and captured the Tessel Wood. A series of German counter attacks were mounted to evict the British infantry from this wood but they were hampered by British artillery fire and close air support. By the end of the day the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division had failed to capture the village of Rauray, there ultimate objective, leaving the dominating terrain on the right flank of the intended attack by VIII Corps still in German hands. The attack however did force I SS Panzer Corps to commit the remaining tanks of the 12th SS Panzer Division onto XXX Corps front for a planned counterattack the following day. During the night the German forces still holding the village of Fontenay-le-Pesnel withdrew to straighten the frontline, following which infantry from the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division secured the village before dawn.

Operation

Nevertheless, to be certain of anticipating any German attack at Caumont, the main offensive was launched on June 26, with a heavy artillery barrage. Brigadeführer Kurt Meyer's grenadiers and reserves of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend managed to hold, although with heavy casualties, the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division and the 11th Armoured Division which were gaining few miles on their left flank. Further to their left, the 43rd Wessex Infantry Division also managed to gain ground.

On the morning of the June 27, 600 men of the 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders surprised the enemy and seized two bridges over the Odon. Tanks of the 11th Armoured Division passed the slopes of a long low ridge to the south-east and captured Hill 112. This deep penetration alarmed the German command and, during the next days, fighting was fierce around this hill as the Germans made repeated efforts to push the British back across the Odon.

Map showing operations close to Caen.

On the morning of June 28, General Dollmann, commanding the German Seventh Army, ordered Hausser to divert his II SS Panzer Corps to counter-attack south of Cheux. Hausser suggested waiting for two days, until his divisions were fully assembled, but Dollman insisted that he should attack immediately. Later that morning, he died of a heart attack. This left the German command in some disarray, as Field Marshals Rommel and von Rundstedt were en route to a conference with Adolf Hitler and out of touch with the situation. Hausser was promoted to command Seventh Army the next day.

By now, the weather was improving, and Allied aircraft harassed Hausser's units as they moved into position. The attack was launched against the Scottish division's right flank on the evening of June 29. The Germans attackers were hit hard by British aircraft, artillery and anti-tank fire, but by the end of the third day of the operation, the 15th Scottish Division had suffered more than 2,300 casualties holding its positions. Although some German tanks reached two miles (3.5 km) into the British lines, by nightfall the attack was held. Nevertheless, the British salient was cramped and under fire from several sides, making it difficult to introduce fresh units. On 30 June, a bright summer's day, Allied fighters-bombers were hunting German armour approaching positions of the 11th Armoured Division, causing heavy casualties. However, during the evening, the Germans succeeded in recapturing Hill 112, forcing the British to pull their back to the north bank of the Odon, and the operation was called off.Vorlage:Dubious

Results and aftermath

The Germans scored a defensive success in containing the Allied offensive, while the British suffered more than 4,000 infantry casualties during the entire operation. On the other hand, the Germans had been forced to commit their armoured units piecemeal and counter-attack at a disadvantage. The armour units lost more than 120 tanks, and were disrupted and worn down. As there were few infantry units available, the armour was forced to remain in the front line rather than pulling back to rest and refit.

Using information from ULTRA, and the fortuitous capture of a set of German orders, Montgomery had been able to force the Germans to react to Allied moves. As the German armoured units were forming up to attack the salient across the Odon river, the British 11th Armoured Division was being withdrawn into reserve, ready for fresh attacks while the Germans were still trying to contain the last Allied offensive.

A few days after Epsom ended, Operation Charnwood finally captured the Caen, north of the Orne River, in a frontal assault.

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

• Lloyd Clark: Operation Epsom (= Battle Zone Normandy). The History Press Ltd, ISBN 0-7509-3008-X. 
• Major L.F. Ellis, Lt-Col Warhurst & Butler, James: Victory in the West Volume I: The Battle of Normandy (= History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series, Official Campaign History). Naval & Military Press Ltd, 2004, ISBN 1-84574-058-0. 
• G.S. Jackson, Staff, 8 Corps: 8 Corps: Normandy to the Baltic. MLRS Books, 2006, ISBN 978-1-905696-25-3. 
• Kurt Meyer: Grenadiers: The Story of Waffen SS General Kurt "Panzer" Meyer. Stackpole Books,U.S.; New Ed edition, 2005, ISBN 0-8117-3197-9. 
• Michael Reynolds: Steel Inferno: ISS Panzer Corps in Normandy. The History Press Ltd, 1997, ISBN 1-873376-90-1. 
• Michael Reynolds: Sons of the Reich: The History of II SS Panzer Corps in Normandy, Arnhem, the Ardennes and on the Eastern Front. Casemate Publishers and Book Distributors, 2002, ISBN 0-9711709-3-2. 
• Colonel Charles Perry Stacey, Bond, Major C.C.J.: Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War: Volume III. The Victory Campaign: The operations in North-West Europe 1944-1945. The Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationery Ottawa, abgerufen am 20. August 2008. 
• Daniel Taylor: Villers-Bocage Through the Lens. After After the Battle, 1999, ISBN 1-870067-07-X. 
• Williams, Andrew: D-Day to Berlin. Hodder, 2004, ISBN 0-340-83397-1. 
• Chester Wilmot, Christopher Daniel McDevitt: The Struggle For Europe. Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 1997, ISBN 1-85326-677-9.