Operation Bluecoat
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| Operation Bluecoat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II, Battle of Normandy | |||||||
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| Combatants | |||||||
| Allied Powers | Germany | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey | SS General Paul Hausser | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 3 armoured divisions 3 infantry divisions 2 armoured brigades |
rising to: 3 Panzer Divisions 3 infantry divisions |
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| Casualties | |||||||
| N/A | N/A | ||||||
| Battle of Normandy |
|---|
| Sword – Juno – Gold – Omaha – Utah – Pointe du Hoc – Brécourt Manor – Chicago – Villers-Bocage – Cherbourg – Epsom – Goodwood – Atlantic – Spring – Cobra – Bluecoat – Lüttich – Totalise – Tractable – Falaise – Brest – Paris |
Operation Bluecoat was an attack by British Second Army at the Battle of Normandy during World War II, from 30 July 1944 to 7 August 1944. The geographical objectives of the attack were to secure the key road junction of Vire and the high ground of Mont Pinçon. Strategically, the attack was made to support the American exploitation of their breakout on the western flank of the Normandy beachhead.
Contents |
[edit] Situation
On July 25, the American army broke out of the beachhead, in Operation Cobra. With Operation Goodwood, the British and Canadian troops had caused the bulk of the German forces to be concentrated south of Caen. This prevented further progress south to be made here, and so the armour of the British Second Army under Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey,was switched westward towards Villers-Bocage adjacent to the American army. Originally, he planned to attack on August 2, but the speed of events forced him to advance the date.
Initially, only two German infantry divisions held the intended attack frontage, south and east of Caumont, although they had laid extensive minefields and constructed substantial defences. They also occupied ideal terrain for defence, the bocage.
[edit] The Attack
A preliminary bombardment by over 1,000 bombers was supposed to prepare the way for the attack. The weather was poor, and many of the bombers could not find their targets. When the attack followed up, many units were held up by minefields and steep gullies, but in the centre, the attackers gained five miles.
On the next day (July 31), units of British 11th Armoured Division captured a bridge over the River Soulevre intact, and broke up the first German armoured units sent to counter-attack.
British forces were now only five miles from Vire, but this was on the American side of the boundary between the British and American armies, and the British attack was diverted south-east. This gave the German Seventh Army time to regroup, and move SS Panzer Divisions to reinforce their defences.
[edit] End of the Operation
The British advance was held up by these reinforcements. British VIII Corps also had to protect its own eastern flank, because British XXX Corps had not maintained the same rate of advance. (The Corps commander, Gerard Bucknall was dismissed on August 2 and the commander of 7th Armoured Division, George Erskine, relieved of command the next day.) The advance was brought to a temporary halt on August 4.
After renewed efforts, Vire fell to British and American forces on August 6. On the same day, British 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division captured Mont Pinçon.
[edit] Results
Operation Bluecoat drew substantial forces away from the projected German counter-attack at Avranches, and contributed substantially to the later encirclement of the German forces at the Falaise Pocket.
[edit] Forces
British
British Second Army
German
initially present: German Fifth Panzer Army
- German XLVII Panzer Corps (part)
- German 276th Infantry Division
- German 326th Infantry Division
reinforcements: German Seventh Army
[edit] Notable Actions
- Night attack by 5th DCLI on Les Plessis Grimoult, south of Mont Pinçon.
- Destruction of most of a Squadron from 6th Guards Tank Brigade by Jagdpanthers from 654 schwere Panzerjägerabteilung
[edit] References
- UK MoD Brochure on Normandy
- Jary, Sydney '18 Platoon'
- Delaforce, Patrick 'The Black Bull'
- Delaforce, Patrick 'The Fighting Wessex Wyvern'
- D-Day Tanks Website
- Les Plessis Grimoult (French website
- The Struggle For Europe, Chester Wilmot, Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 1997
