La percée du Bocage - Tome 2

After the success of the first volume of Brea- king out of the Bocage in the sector of the Bri- tish XXX Corps from 30 July to 15 August 1944, the second volume presents, for the first time in such a detailed way, the British VIII Corp’s operations during the same period, the actions which enabled the British to break through the German front in the Bocage.

On 28 July 1944, Monty ordered divisions from VIII Corps and XXX Corps to be transferred to the Caumont sector to launch a simultaneous attack. This was Operation Bluecoat. Caumont-l’Eventé, Sept-Vents, Saint-Martin-des Besaces, le Bény-Bocage, Saint-Charles-de-Percy, le Tourneur, Mointchamp, Chénédollé, and Vire are all just as many names which symbolise the bitter fighting of the British VIII Corps in its attempts to break out of the bocage during the first fortnight of August 1944.

British losses during this period were very high, as they confronted the German elite units’ Tigers and Jagdpanther taking advantage of the terrain. The operational zone was much more hilly and wooded than the bridgehead. The main targets were a series of hills between le Bény-Bocage and Aunay-sur-Odon in the direction of Vire, and then the Vire-Vassy road.

Using a lot of photographs, maps and mainly unpublished testimonies as well as the units’ log- books, the author who is Curator of the Musée de la Bataille de Tilly-sur-Seulles, gives an hour- by-hour account of the fighting in the bocage.