Bloody Verrieres: the I. Ss-Panzerkorps' Defence of the VerrieRes-Bourguebus Ridges: Volume I: Operations Goodwood and Atlantic, 18-22 July 1944

The Verrières and Bourguebus ridges were key stepping stones for the British Second Army in late July 1944, but the resulting battles of late July and early August 1944 saw powerful German defensive counterattacks south of Caen inflict tremendous casualties and regain lost ground. Anglo-Canadian doctrine was overly dependent on the supremacy of its artillery forces, and weaknesses in Allied tank technology inhibited their armored forces from fighting a decisive armored battle. The Royal Artillery and Royal Canadian Artillery units pummelled the German tankers and grenadiers, but ground could not be captured by concentrated artillery fire alone.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 05 April 2022
Publisher: Casemate Publishers

The twin features of the Verrières and Bourguebus ridges were crucial stepping stones for the British Second Army in late July 1944, as they sought to break out of the Normandy bridgehead. To capture this vital ground, Allied forces would have to defeat the I. SS-Panzerkorps Leibstandarte, the strongest German armoured formation in Normandy. The resulting battles of late July and early August 1944 saw powerful German defensive counterattacks south of Caen inflict tremendous casualties, regain lost ground, and at times defeat Anglo-Canadian operations in detail. The German leadership viewed the battles as militarily critical, and deployed their armored assets to dominate this excellent tank country east of the Orne river. However, these defeats and the experience of meeting an enemy with near-equal resources exposed a flawed Anglo-Canadian offensive tactical doctrine that was overly dependent on the supremacy of its artillery forces. Weaknesses in Allied tank technology also inhibited their armored forces from fighting a decisive armored battle, forcing them to rely on First World War Bite and Hold tactics, massively supported by artillery. In response, the Royal Artillery and Royal Canadian Artillery units pummelled the German tankers and grenadiers, but despite their best efforts, ground could not be captured by concentrated artillery fire alone. This is a detailed account of the success of I. SS-Panzerkorps defensive operations, aimed at holding the Vèrrieres-Bourgebus ridges in late July 1944.

Dimension: 228 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781636240022