Operation Spring
About 8 km (5.0 mi) south of Caen, Verrières Ridge blocked a direct advance by Allied forces on Falaise.Late on 19 July, a counter-attack against the gains made during Goodwood was delayed until the 116th Panzer Division had arrived, which had been ordered to move by road regardless of loss.To their west, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, encountered determined initial opposition, managed to secure Verrières village by 05:30.On July 25, the Calgary Highlanders attacked May-sur-Orne and Bourguebus Ridge but found that the assembly area of St Martin was still occupied by German troops.For several days German troops, mainly the 9th and 12th SS Panzer divisions, continued to chip away at Canadian positions gained in Operation Spring.Over the next two days, the RHLI fought "fanatically" to defend the ridge, defeating dozens of counter-attacks from well-placed anti-tank gun and machine-gun positions.On 26 July, German commanders declared "If you cross the ridge, you are a dead man" to soldiers being deployed on the southern slope of Verrières.[11] The Official History of the Canadian Army, refers to Spring as a "holding attack" in that it was launched with offensive objectives but also firmly with the intent to delay the redeployment of German forces westward."Spring" was merely the last and not the least costly incident of the long "holding attack" which the British and Canadian forces had conducted, in accordance with Montgomery's plan, to create the opportunity for a decisive blow on the opposite flank of the bridgehead.
25-pounder field guns in action during an attack on Tilly-sur-Seulles, 17 June 1944.
A Canadian soldier near
Fleury-sur-Orne
during the 25/26 July night attack
German counter-attacks in the aftermath of Operation Spring
German
King Tiger
tanks in north-western France, July 1944
Operation Spring (disambiguation)Operation OverlordBattle of NormandyCanadaUnited KingdomGermanyGuy SimondsJosef DietrichAtlantic 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 RidgeBluecoatTotalizeHill 140LüttichTractableHill 262ChamboisFalaiseSaint-MaloMantes-GassicourtLa RochelleUshantLa CainePierres NoiresAudierne BayJedburghDingsonSamwestCooneyBulbasketHoundsworthLoytonKiplingDragoonWallace & HardyCemeteriesSecond World WarII Canadian CorpsNormandy campaignOperation CobraOperation CharnwoodOperation GoodwoodOperation AtlanticI SS Panzer CorpsSepp DietrichMay-sur-OrneFontenay-le-Marmion8th Army Group Royal Artillery83 Group RAF25-pounder105 mm howitzers5.5-inch guns155 mm guns7.2-inch howitzers3.7-inch anti-aircraft guns116th Panzer DivisionXLVII Panzer CorpsII SS Panzer CorpsKampfgruppen1st SS Panzer DivisionSturmgeschütz IIIPanzerjägerJagdpanzer IVNebelwerfer272nd Infantry Division101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion10th SS Panzer Division9th SS Panzer Division2nd Panzer Division501st Heavy Panzer Battalion102nd SS Heavy Panzer BattalionCramesnilY serviceFleury-sur-OrneThe North Nova Scotia HighlandersTilly-la-CampagneThe Royal Hamilton Light InfantryBattle of Verrières Ridge