Bloody VerrieRes. the I. Ss-Panzerkorps Defence of the VerrieRes-Bourguebus Ridges: Volume II: the Defeat of Operation Spring and the Battles of Tilly-La-Campagne, 23 July-5 August 1944

During World War II, the British Second Army aimed to break out of the Normandy bridgehead in late July 1944. The Germans considered Verrières Ridge a crucial defensive position, and the Allies launched Operation Spring to capture it. The operation faced strong German armored reserves, resulting in fierce combat. The Germans also attempted to restore their earlier defensive line further north, attacking the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. These were some of the most successful German armored operations in the Normandy campaign.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2022
Publisher: Casemate Publishers

South of the Norman city of Caen, Verrières Ridge played a crucial role in the British Second Army's efforts to break out of the Normandy bridgehead in late July 1944. Standing at an imposing height and offering perfect terrain for armored operations, the Germans considered it the lynchpin to their defenses south of Caen and east of the Orne River.

Following the unsuccessful British Operation Goodwood on 18-20 July and the containment of the Canadian Operation Atlantic, further Allied attempts to capture the ridge would face a formidable challenge. The I. SS-Panzerkorps 'Leibstandarte,' considered one of the strongest German armored formations in Normandy, posed a significant obstacle.

In the second volume of this two-volume work, the fighting from July 23 to August 3 is meticulously documented, focusing on the pivotal Anglo-Canadian operation to seize Verrières Ridge, Operation Spring, on July 25. Designed as an attack to seize the ridge and exploit southward with armor, this battle witnessed the 2nd Canadian Corps suffer another devastating defeat at the hands of German armored reserves specifically brought in to counter another Goodwood.

Unsatisfied with their defensive victory, German armored forces then set their sights on restoring an earlier defensive line further north. They launched a bold attack aimed at destroying the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. These operations, although largely unknown, were among the most successful and formidable German armored campaigns in the Normandy campaign.

Weight: 614g
Dimension: 161 x 238 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781636240947