| Operation Bluecoat | |||||||
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| Part of Operation Overlord, Battle of Normandy | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| United Kingdom | Germany | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Miles Dempsey | Paul Hausser | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 3 Armoured Divisions 3 Infantry Divisions 2 Armoured Brigades |
rising to: 4 Panzer Divisions 2 Infantry Divisions |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| N/A | Unknown but significant. | ||||||
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Operation Bluecoat was an attack by the British Second Army at the Battle of Normandy during the Second World War, from 30 July – 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 break-out on the western flank of the Normandy beachhead.
Contents |
On 25 July, the American army broke out of the beachhead, in Operation Cobra. A few days earlier, the British and Canadian forces had launched Operation Goodwood south of Caen on the eastern flank of the Allied beachhead. This had induced the Germans to keep the bulk of their forces, particularly their armoured units, in this sector. As this would make further Allied progress on this part of the front difficult and costly, the armour of the British Second Army under Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey was switched westwards toward Villers-Bocage adjacent to the American army. Originally, Dempsey planned to attack on 2 August, but the speed of events on the American front forced him to advance the date.
Initially, only two weak 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.
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 5 mi (8.0 km).
On the next day (31 July), units of the 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 5 mi (8.0 km) 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 7th Army time to regroup, and move SS Panzer Divisions to reinforce their defences.
The British advance was held up by these reinforcements. VIII Corps also had to protect its own eastern flank, because XXX Corps had not kept up the same rate of advance. The commander of XXX Corps, Lieutenant-General Gerard Bucknall, was dismissed on 2 August and the commander of the 7th Armoured Division, Major-General George Erskine, was relieved of command the next day. Replacing Bucknall was Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks, a seasoned veteran of North Africa. The 2nd Army's advance was brought to a temporary halt on 4 August.
After renewed efforts, Vire fell to British/American forces on 6 August. On the same day, the British 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division and tanks of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars captured Mont Pinçon.
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.
British Second Army (Miles Dempsey)
5th Panzer Army (Heinrich Eberbach)
initially present:
reinforcements: