Operation Bluecoat
[1] After Goodwood, Ultra revealed that the Germans planned to withdraw the 21st Panzer Division into reserve, before moving to the west (American) sector of the front.The 326th Division, south and east of Caumont, was up to strength and took over a large number of field defences and camouflaged firing positions behind extensive minefields in the ideal defensive terrain of the Suisse Normande bocage.[4] XXX Corps was to lead the attack with the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division advancing to the top of Bois du Homme (Point 361).[7] Many British units were held up by minefields, sunken roads, thick hedges and steep gullies but in the centre the attackers gained 5 mi (8.0 km).[15] By the time of the American break-out at Avranches, there was little to no reserve strength left for Operation Luttich, the German counter-offensive, which was defeated by 12 August.The 7th Army had no choice but to retire rapidly east of the Orne river, covered by a rearguard of all the remaining armoured and motorised units, to allow time for the surviving infantry to reach the Seine.In the centre, three Panther tanks were spotted in a farmyard at Le Haut Perrier and ambushed, two being knocked out and the survivor being set on fire on the southern outskirts of the village by a PIAT gunner.The British advance continued towards Point 242 north of Chênedollé, where a German counter-attack knocked out six Sherman tanks for a loss of two Panthers and a Sturmgeschütz III assault gun.
Cromwell tanks
of the 7th Armoured Division move up in the morning of 30 July 1944
Operations Cobra and Bluecoat
St-Martin-des-Besaces (Map commune FR insee code 14629)
Royal Hussars Monument
Operation OverlordUniversal Carriersinfantry15th (Scottish) Infantry DivisionNormandyFranceUnited KingdomGermanyMiles DempseyPaul HausserAtlantic WallBodyguardFortitudeZeppelinTitanicTaxable, Glimmer & Big DrumCombined Bomber OffensivePointblankTransport PlanPostage AbleTarbrushFabiusCaen canal and Orne river bridgesMerville BatteryMallardAmerican SectorAlbanyBostonChicagoDetroitElmiraNormandy landingsPointe du HocGambitPort-en-BessinAmericanOperation ChastityBritishMulberryBrécourt ManorGraignesLa Haye-du-PuitsSaint-LôCarentanHill 30CherbourgBrévilleVillers-BocageLe Mesnil-PatryNormandy massacresArdenne AbbeyDouvresMartletWindsorCharnwoodJupiter2nd OdonAtlanticGoodwoodVerrières RidgeSpringTotalizeHill 140LüttichTractableHill 262ChamboisFalaiseSaint-MaloMantes-GassicourtLa RochelleUshantLa CainePierres NoiresAudierne BayJedburghDingsonSamwestCooneyBulbasketHoundsworthLoytonKiplingDragoonWallace & HardyCemeteriesoffensiveBattle of NormandySecond World WarVIII CorpsXXX CorpsSecond ArmyLieutenant-GeneralMont PinçonOperation CobraFirst US Armybeachhead2nd Panzer DivisionCaumontUnternehmen Lüttichcounter-offensiveOperation Goodwood21st Panzer DivisionCromwell tanksV US CorpsGuards Armoured326th Division276th Infantry DivisionPanzergruppe West7th ArmySuisse Normandebocage43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division50th (Northumbrian) Infantry DivisionSaint-Martin-des-Besacescounter-battery fireRAF Bomber CommandNinth Air ForceRiver Souleuvre3rd Fallschirmjager Division9th SS Panzer DivisionGerard BucknallMajor-GeneralGeorge ErskineBrian HorrocksNorth African campaign