Attack
During the Battle of Normandy, the headquarters of Panzer Group West was established in the Chateau at La Caine. On 9 June 1944, three days after the Normandy landings, the headquarters' location was revealed to British Intelligence by deciphering of German signals traffic. On 10 June 1944, aircraft of the Second Tactical Air Force bombed the village. The raid was carried out by 40 rocket-armed Typhoons of No. 124 Wing ( consisting of Nos. 181, 182 and 247 Squadrons) which attacked in three waves from low altitude and by 61 Mitchells of No. 137 and 139 Wings (cosisting Nos 226,98,180,and 320 Squadrons) which dropped 500 lb bombs from 12,000 ft.
No. 180 Squadron, headed by W/C Lynn, (139 Wing Commander Flying), led the formation. Some 33 Spitfires acted as escort. 42 Typhoons took part in the operation, eight were 'fighters' armed with just 20mm cannon, while the remaining 34 were also armed with RP-3 rockets. The Typhoons attacked in two waves with 30 minutes between waves. The first wave attack (Seventeen aircraft from 181 and 247 Squadrons) fired 136 rockets from 2,000 feet on the parked vehicles and the chateau and coincided with the assault by the Mitchells, who dropped 536 500 lb bombs accurately across the target area. The second wave's task was "to clear up". The raid sufferd no losses.
Read more about this topic: Attack On Panzer Group West's Headquarters At La Caine
Famous quotes containing the word attack:
“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched seabeams glitter in the dark near the Tennhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain. Time to die.”
—David Webb Peoples, U.S. screenwriter, and Ridley Scott. Roy Batty, Blade Runner, final words before dying—as an android he had a built-in life span that expired (1982)
“I make this direct statement to the American people that there is far less chance of the United States getting into war, if we do all we can now to support the nations defending themselves against attack by the Axis than if we acquiesce in their defeat, submit tamely to an Axis victory, and wait our turn to be the object of attack in another war later on.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“Scandal is an importunate wasp, against which we must make no movement unless we are quite sure that we can kill it; otherwise it will return to the attack more furious than ever.”
—Sébastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort (1741–1794)