Operation Spring

Operation Spring called for the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Divisions supported by the 7th Guards Armored Division to make a deliberate attack in the direction of Falaise. The first phase of the plan was the capture of May-sur-Orne, Verrières Ridge …

1944-07-25

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Operation Spring called for the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Divisions supported by the 7th Guards Armored Division to make a deliberate attack in the direction of Falaise. The first phase of the plan was the capture of May-sur-Orne, Verrières Ridge and Tilly-la-Campagne. The ground from Saint-André-sur-Orne to Hubert-Folie was to be the start line, but on the night of the planned attack, July 24-25, it still remained partially uncleared. The German force in the area consisted of the 272nd Infantry Division, elements of 2nd, 9th and 10th Panzer Division and the 1st SS Panzer Division. On the left, the 3rd Division attacked Tilly-la-Campagne. Although it achieved a foothold in a wood and put pressure on the village, it could not clear the place. More infantry and armor were brought forward and suffered heavy losses without improving the situation. German tanks and infantry counter-attacked and the push on this flank was called off in the afternoon. In the center, the forward companies of the 2nd Division started up Verrières Ridge. But, even with armor support, they could not take the ridge or the town of Rocquancourt. On the right, the towns of Saint-Martin-de-Fontenay and Saint-André-sur-Orne were never completely cleared, causing trouble from the start. As the 2nd Division Canadian forces pushed forward around these towns toward May-sur-Orne, they came under heavy fire from the ridge, enemy positions beyond the Orne and the town of May-sur-Orne. Some units did make it up the ridge, but ran into dug-in tanks. Further advance being out of the question, the force was ordered to retreat back to the start line. The bold, yet bloody operation, by the Canadian Divisions was not in vain however, for it distracted the German command from 'Operation Cobra', the main Allied effort on this same day.

Tilly-la-Campagne, France

Operation Spring was an offensive operation conducted by II Canadian Corps during the Normandy campaign. The plan was intended to create pressure on the German forces operating on the British and Canadian front simultaneously to American offensive operations in their sector known as Operation Cobra, an attempt to break out from the Normandy lodgement. Specifically, Operation Spring was intended to capture Verrières Ridge and the towns on the south slope of the ridge. However, strong German defenses on the ridge, as well as strict adherence to a defensive doctrine of counter-attacks, stalled the offensive on the first day, inflicting heavy casualties on the attacking forces, while preventing a breakout in the Anglo-Canadian sector.

Wikipedia: Operation Spring

German

Canadian

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