Overlooking Maltot

While its sister brigade advanced on the summit of Hill 112, the 130th Brigade jumped off on July 10th at 08:00 to secure the left flank. Intelligence reported the town of Maltot to be lightly defended, so the plan was …

1944-07-10

HOD5

While its sister brigade advanced on the summit of Hill 112, the 130th Brigade jumped off on July 10th at 08:00 to secure the left flank. Intelligence reported the town of Maltot to be lightly defended, so the plan was simple. The 7th Hampshires, with elements of the 9th RTR, would advance down into the valley, pass through Maltot, and dig in on the southern ridge overlooking the town. Observation Post variante of the Churchill, along with forward observers in Carriers, would be able to quickly call in artillery support if needed, to crack the line. The advance went well until the British closed on the town, then shot and shell rang out from the village and from German AT guns on Hill 112. Compounding the situation. a platoon of Tigers from the 102nd Heavy Tank Regiment had advanced almost simultaneously to support the defenders of Maltot. The 7th Hampshires bypassed the town defenders and thrust toward their objective, the southern heights. The 7th battalion HQ and reserve companies followed up closer with the intent of mopping up Maltot, but the Germans were not going to give up one the few dominating features on the eastern flank of the hill. Units of the 12th SS Hitler Jugend were dispatched along the river Orneto support the eastern flank. Meanwhile the 10th SS reconnaissance, were rushed in from their marshalling areas to help stem the British tide. The German high command, seeing the situation becoming tenuous, committed elements of the 8th Werfer Brigade to bloody the British. After hours of fighting on both the hill and in and around Maltot, both sides found themselves in a stalemate. Fighting for the town of Maltot would continue over the next several weeks, with the lines ebbing and flowing along the valley floor.

Maltot, France

Operation Jupiter was an offensive by VIII Corps of the British Second Army on 10 to 11 July 1944 during the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. The objective of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, was to capture the villages of Baron-sur-Odon, Fontaine-Étoupefour, Chateau de Fontaine and to recapture Hill 112. An attached brigade of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division would take Éterville, Maltot and the ground up to the River Orne and then the tanks of the 4th Armoured Brigade, supported by infantry, would advance through the captured ground and secure several villages to the west of the River Orne. It was hoped that the initial objectives could be captured by 9:00 a.m., after which the 4th Armoured Brigade would exploit the success.

Wikipedia: Operation Jupiter (1944)

German

British