Compagnie Scamaroni

The German defense of Caen was tenacious, demanding great effort from the British and Canadian forces. Operation Atlantic (part of the Operation Goodwood offensive), opened with the attack of the Canadian 8th Brigade into Giberville and Colombelles, held by conscripts …

1944-07-18

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The German defense of Caen was tenacious, demanding great effort from the British and Canadian forces. Operation Atlantic (part of the Operation Goodwood offensive), opened with the attack of the Canadian 8th Brigade into Giberville and Colombelles, held by conscripts of the Luftwaffe 16th Division supported by a battle group of the 21st Panzer Division. There were delays in the advance into Colombelles and it was proposed that a platoon from the Royal Regina Rifles assisted by members of Compagnie Scamaroni (a very notable Ffiunit) should infiltrate and cross the River Orne at Vaucelles to secure a vital bridging site.

Caen, France

The Battle for Caen is the name given to fighting between the British Second Army and the German Panzergruppe West in the Second World War for control of the city of Caen and vicinity, during the larger Battle of Normandy. The battles followed Operation Neptune, the Allied landings on the French coast on 6 June 1944 (D-Day). Caen is about 9 mi (14 km) inland from the Calvados coast astride the Orne River and Caen Canal, at the junction of several roads and railways. The communication links made it an important operational objective for both sides. Caen and the area to the south is flatter and more open than the bocage country in western Normandy; Allied air force commanders wanted the area captured quickly to base more aircraft in France.

Wikipedia: Battle for Caen

German

Canadians