Battle of Villers-Bocage - Background

Background

Further information: Invasion of Normandy and Operation Overlord

For the soldiers of I Corps's 3rd Infantry Division who stormed ashore on Sword beach on 6 June 1944, the city of Caen some 9 miles (14 km) inland was the ultimate goal. Possession of Caen was especially attractive to Allied planners; the surrounding country contained airfields and was open, dry, and conducive to swift offensive operations where the Allies could bring their numerical superiority in tanks and mobile units to bear. The city's capture on D-Day was described by Chester Wilmot as an "ambitious" request to make of troops who would be landing "last, on the most exposed beaches, with the farthest to go, against what was potentially the greatest opposition". It proved to be beyond the 3rd Infantry Division's means. Congestion in the beachhead delayed the division's armoured support, and its thrust inland grew progressively weaker as it was forced to fight past strongly held German positions en route. The advance ran out of steam before nightfall, stopped short of Caen's outskirts by elements of the 21st Panzer Division.

The next day, following their pre-invasion timetable, the British launched Operation Perch. Envisaged as an advance to the southeast of Caen when it was planned before D-Day, Perch was heavily reliant on the city's rapid capture. For a few days, I Corps continued to attack the outskirts of Caen, but the Germans regarded the city and its surroundings as the linchpin of their position in Normandy and poured reinforcements into the area. With resistance solidifying it became clear to the British that any opportunity to rush Caen's defences with small-scale actions had passed. On 9 June the Allied ground forces commander, General Bernard Montgomery, altered Perch to incorporate a major two-pronged assault intended to surround and take the city.

After a delay caused by manoeuvring forces into position, on 12 June simultaneous attacks were launched to the west and east of Caen. Leading the drive around the eastern side of Caen, the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division soon ran into stiff resistance from the 21st Panzer Division. With casualties mounting for minimal gains, the next day the Highlanders' attack was called off. To the west of Caen XXX Corps was no more successful, rapidly becoming bogged down in heavy fighting for the village of Tilly-sur-Seulles. Defending the village was the newly arrived Panzer Lehr Division—one of the most powerful armoured formations in the German Army.

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