Ken Tout - The Bloody Battle for Tilly: Normandy 1944

THE BLOODY
BATTLE FOR

TILLY

NORMANDY
1944

THE BLOODY
BATTLE FOR

TILLY

NORMANDY
1944

KEN TOUT

Cover illustration: smoke and mist make the attack more dangerous as two infantrymen move in to clear yet another house, near Tilly-la-Campagne, 2 August 1944. (IWM B8587)

First published in 2000

This edition published in 2010

The History Press

The Mill, Brimscombe Port

Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

This ebook edition first published in 2013

All rights reserved

Ken Tout, 2000, 2002, 2010, 2013

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EPUB ISBN 978 0 7524 9985 7

Original typesetting by The History Press

Contents

Normandy, JuneAugust 1944.

Acknowledgements

When the idea of this book was taking shape with Jonathan Falconer, ever helpful at Sutton Publishing, the Canadian research looked to be a mammoth and complicated task. In the event I was overwhelmed by the response. Two people especially saved my bacon. Maj Peter Williams, RCA, on a posting to RSA on Salisbury Plain, had shared with me a Normandy tour and then promised, and delivered, a list of Canadian contacts and sources. He in turn recommended to me Professor Terry Copp who not only heads the Wilfrid Laurier centre but also edits Canadian Military History. At short notice, Terry set up a tour of Ontario for me, opened vast treasures of information and, with Linda, offered me hospitality of home and office.

Others who helped me practically in Canada, in addition to those quoted in the text and Notes, included (in civilian style alphabetical order): T. Roy Adams; Maj W.R. Bennett, CD; Capt G. Blackburn, MC; Lt H.N. Brosseau; Cliff Brown; Drs J.L. Granatstein, R. Sarty and War Museum staff; Dr G. Hayes; Maj D. Learment, DSO; Col J. Martin, DSO; Dr W. McAndrew; M.J. Morin; Lt-Col J.W. Ostiguy, DSO; Lt-Col D. Patterson, CD; Brig S.V. Radley-Walters, CMM, DSO, MC, CD, OLdH; Lt-Col F.H. Wheeler; Brig D. Whitaker, DSO, CM, ED, OLdH. Begging their several pardons for any errors of rank or honours.

Willing assistance from France was forthcoming from the Mayors of May, St Andre, St Martin, and Tilly-la-Campagne, and adjoints, Messieurs Grard, Poulain and Samson. Also from Jenny Bourrienne and Guy Merle. A thank you too, for German responses from Gevert Haslob, Manfred and Hazel Toon-Thorn and Gerhard Stiller. Advice and help in Britain was offered by Mrs M.C. Beech (Keele University Air Photo Library); Col Hugh Cuming, MBE, JP; Lt-Col A.M. Cumming, OBE; Lt-Col A.A. Fairrie; Lt-Col S.J. Lindsay; Bob Moore, MM; Maj James Nairne; Sir Patrick Nairne, GCB, MC; Dr Tom Renouf, MM; Pat Shurmur. From my own regiment, among many, I am indebted to Lt-Col Rt Hon. Lord Boardman, MC, TD, DL; Joe Ekins; Rex Jackson, MM; Sid Jones, Les Spud Taylor and Reg Spittles.

My wife Jai gave me valuable help in navigating the Normandy battlefields once again, and taking photos, not only for publication but also to refresh the writers mind as memory tended to fade or become confused with too much detail. My son Roger found a treasure trove of yellowing newspapers from July 1944 (!) when renovating an old workshop for his surfboard business in Bude, and sent me this most useful hoard.

Thank you again also to all those quoted in the text! The turn of the millennium is a critical time for Second World War memoirs. Memories and veterans fade. Frank Cox of the Royals died before he could send me his recollections. That angry Tilly survivor, Charles Kipp, completed his contribution although very ill, but has since gone to his Last Parade.

Introduction

1944 for four years most of Europe had been occupied by the Nazis. Now the Russians were advancing from the east and allied forces were probing up the spine of Italy. Then on 6 June, D-Day, Allied armies stormed ashore in Normandy.

A few miles inland from the beaches, that is to the south, lay the important city of Caen. In addition to its own intrinsic value, it stood at the strategic crossroads of the region. An advance south-east would take the Allies to Paris, and on through the Low Countries to Germany. It was therefore essential for the Germans to defend the Caen sector to the utmost of their ability.

Field commander Montgomery had hoped to capture Caen on D-Day itself. The task eventually took a month. But, having liberated the city, the Allies looked optimistically at the terrain ahead. If they could cross the River Orne, which circled south of Caen, beyond it lay the enticing gentle slopes of the Verrieres-Bourguebus Ridge, so much like Salisbury Plain where much British tank practice had taken place. Montgomerys strategy was therefore to attack hard south of Caen with his British and Canadian armies on that left flank. This would draw the elite German panzers to the area and allow the Americans on the right to break through weaker German defences. It looked as though the Americans would be advancing into the Cherbourg peninsula cul de sac, but a quick advance and a left swing would bring them behind the main German army pinned down around Caen.

In the Caen area the allies had only one bridgehead over the Orne through which tanks could advance and this was actually north-east of the city. So it would be necessary to cross that bridge, circle the city outskirts and then face up the ridges ready for an all-out armoured charge. This task would be undertaken with the code name Goodwood by the three British armoured divisions.

Meanwhile, the Canadian army would walk south through Caens ruins, fight their way across the unbridged Orne, and enable engineers to push Bailey Bridges over the river. So in the Caen sector, looking south, the British were on the left and the Canadians on the right (with the Americans even farther to the right). Also coming ashore soon, in mid-July, would be the leading elements of the Polish armoured division. Against these around Caen would be lined up the best of Germanys panzer divisions, including the 1st SS Panzers LAH (the initials signifying Hitlers own bodyguard) and the 12th SS Panzers Hitler Youth.

What was worrying to more percipient observers was that in almost every element of ground equipment the defenders had the advantage more powerful tank and anti-tank guns, demoralizing multiple mortars, the fastest firing machine-guns, ammunition causing less flash and smoke, and long battle experience. Against this the allies had command of the sea and air, plus an almost inexhaustible supply of materiel, especially tanks, however outgunned these might be.

As the two sides prepared for the anticipated Allied break-out from Caen in mid-July many of the best formations had been involved in bitter fighting in the close country just in from the beaches. The Germans, dug in along the ridges, had evacuated civilians from villages and turned the stone cottages and farms into formidable small fortresses dominating all the open land in between. There was little room for the attackers to spring surprises as the British, led by their three armoured divisions, the Guards, 7th and 11th, together with the Canadian 2nd and 3rd infantry divisions, prepared their weapons on the north bank of the Orne.