Operation Bluecoat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Operation Bluecoat

Part of World War II, Battle of Normandy

Date	July 30 – August 7, 1944
Location	Normandy, France
Result	Partial British success

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

Casualties

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.

1 Situation
2 The Attack
3 End of the Operation
4 Results
5 Forces
6 Notable Actions
7 References

[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

British VIII Corps

British 15th (Scottish) Division

British Guards Armoured Division

British 11th Armoured Division

British 6th Guards Armoured Brigade

British XXX Corps

British 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division

British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division

British 7th Armoured Division

British 8th Armoured Brigade

German
initially present: German Fifth Panzer Army

German XLVII Panzer Corps (part)

German 276th Infantry Division

German 326th Infantry Division

reinforcements: German Seventh Army

II SS Panzer Corps

9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen

10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg

German 21st Panzer Division

1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (part)

[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