Battle for Caen

Morgan & COSSAC advise landong in Normandy within the Bay of the Seine close to Caen

Montgomery presents his strategy for the invasion at St Pauls School, a ninety day battle, ending when all the forces reach the Seine, pivoting on an Allied-held Caen, with British and Canadian armies forming a shoulder & US armies wheeling right

Montgomery presents his strategy for the invasion at St Pauls School, a ninety day battle, ending when all the forces reach the Seine, pivoting on an Allied-held Caen, with British and Canadian armies forming a shoulder & US armies wheeling right

Orders the Second Army to hold the line between Villers-Bocage & Caen

Orders the Second Army to hold the line between Villers-Bocage & Caen

3 Airbourne Divisions land behind enemy lines at St Mere-Eglise & Caen

Foster's brigade pushed inland from Juno Beach toward the western approaches to Caen.

Kitching prepared his armoured division for later operations intended to break the German front south of Caen.

1st day of the bombing of Caen

Feuchtinger's division launched the only major German armoured counterattack against the Allied bridgehead on D-Day.

Dollmann coordinated Seventh Army's response to the Allied invasion, including resistance around Caen.

Richter's coastal division defended the Caen sector and suffered heavy losses during the Allied landings.

1st day of the bombing of Caen

Crocker's I Corps directed the British and Canadian assault formations advancing toward Caen.

Dempsey commanded the British Second Army landing east of Bayeux and advancing toward Caen.

Keller commanded the Canadian division landing on Juno Beach and advancing toward the Caen-Bayeux road.

Montgomery directed the Allied ground campaign and treated Caen as the principal objective of the British Second Army.

The British 3rd Division fails to capture Caen

A major objective, was still in German hands by the end of D-Day, and would remain so until the battle for Caen, 8 August

Caen. Commander of all ground forces for Operation Overlord. By the end of the day the Allies land 130,000 men & 22,000 parachutists.

Rennie's division landed on Sword Beach with orders to advance rapidly toward Caen.

Gale's airborne division secured bridges and high ground east of Caen to protect the invasion flank.

German forces withdrew from Bayeux to concentrate their defence around Caen.

Meyer directed counterattacks against Canadian forces north-west of Caen.

Witt moved the 12th SS Panzer Division toward Caen to oppose the British and Canadian advance.

Omar Bradleys intention was to take advantage of the German preoccupation with British and Canadian activity around the town of Caen, and punch through the German defenses penning in his troops while his opponent was distracted and unbalanced

Bucknall directed XXX Corps in the western attempt to outflank Caen.

Dempsey ordered the attempt to encircle Caen from the west through the Villers-Bocage sector.

Erskine led the 7th Armoured Division through the western bridgehead during the attempt to envelop Caen.

Rommel returned to the Normandy front and reinforced the effort to hold Caen against Allied attacks.

Arrives at the front in Caen

Bayerlein deployed Panzer Lehr Division to block the British advance west of Caen.

Montgomery considered an airborne and armoured encirclement intended to isolate Caen.

Geyr prepared a concentrated armoured counterattack, but Allied air attacks disrupted his headquarters and planning.

Wittmann attacked British armour at Villers-Bocage during the wider struggle to outflank Caen.

Meyer assumed divisional command after Fritz Witt was killed near Caen.

Witt was killed by naval gunfire near Caen, leaving Kurt Meyer to command the division.

The Allies gain a bridgehead over the River Odon near Caen

Barker's division attacked toward Rauray to protect the Epsom flank near Caen.

Ritchie's corps launched Operation Martlet to secure the flank of the forthcoming Epsom offensive west of Caen.

Launches an attack on Caen, operation Epson. Fails to make any advance

Dempsey supervised the Second Army offensive across the Odon west of Caen.

Feuchtinger's division held positions south-east of the British Epsom attack and protected approaches to Caen.

Montgomery launched Operation Epsom to draw German armour into battle west of Caen.

O'Connor commanded VIII Corps in the offensive intended to cross the Odon and outflank Caen.

Launches an attack on Caen, operation Epson

Dietrich's corps reinforced German positions around Caen during Operation Epsom.

Adair's Guards Armoured Division reinforced the British advance during the fighting west of Caen.

Funck directed German armoured formations committed against the Epsom penetration near Caen.

Meyer's division resisted British and Canadian pressure north and west of Caen during Epsom.

Bittrich's newly arrived corps counterattacked the British bridgehead across the Odon.

Dietrich coordinated German resistance and counterattacks against the Epsom offensive.

Before the Normandy landings it is planned to take Caen within 24 hrs

Fights around Caen during the Normandy invasion where most of his Div is destroyed

Churchill asks Eisenhower to cancel Dragoon in order to break the deadllock at Caen

Churchill asks Eisenhower to cancel Dragoon in order to break the deadllock at Caen

Churchill asks Eisenhower to cancel Dragoon in order to break the deadllock at Caen

Churchill asks Eisenhower to cancel Dragoon in order to break the deadllock at Caen

Foster's brigade captured Carpiquet village during the battle west of Caen.

Keller directed the Canadian assault on Carpiquet village and airfield west of Caen.

Meyer committed troops to defend Carpiquet airfield against the Canadian attack.

Simonds oversaw the Canadian effort to capture Carpiquet and improve the approach to Caen.

Asks for heavy bomber support from Leigh-Mallory

Churchill criticizes Montgomery at a Chiefs of Staffs meeting for being too catious

A massive air bombardment commences on Caen which devastates the city

The press refer to attempts at capturing Caen a "stalemate"

1st day of the operation launched by Montgomery to capture Caen

Crocker's I Corps coordinated three divisions in the direct assault on Caen.

Dempsey directed the British and Canadian corps attacking into northern Caen.

Foster's brigade fought through the western approaches during the capture of northern Caen.

Keller's division advanced from the west toward the centre of Caen.

Meyer defended the north-western approaches before withdrawing surviving forces across the Orne.

Montgomery launched Charnwood to capture northern Caen and force German troops behind the Orne.

1st day of the operation launched by Montgomery to capture Caen

Rennie's division advanced into the eastern districts of Caen during Charnwood.

1st day of the operation launched by Montgomery to capture Caen

1st day of the operation launched by Montgomery to capture Caen

Dempsey's troops entered northern Caen after German forces withdrew across the Orne.

Montgomery's forces occupied northern Caen while German troops retained the southern suburbs.

Guillou remained associated with the municipal administration as Allied troops entered the devastated northern city.

Eberbach organized German armoured reserves south of Caen after the northern city was lost.

Caen is bombed to obliterate enemy defences but only the southern suburbs are taken

Foulkes led his division across the Orne through Caen and toward the high ground south of the city.

Keller's division advanced through eastern Caen during the Canadian portion of Goodwood.

Kitching prepared armoured forces to exploit beyond Caen as Canadian troops moved toward Verrieres Ridge.

Simonds directed the Canadian attack through southern Caen toward Verrieres Ridge.

Adair's division advanced through the narrow armoured corridor east of Caen.

Dempsey directed Goodwood as the principal Second Army offensive east of Caen.

Dietrich coordinated German armoured resistance against the British attack east of Caen.

Eberbach organized reserves and counterattacks against the Goodwood penetration south-east of Caen.

Hobart's specialized armoured vehicles supported the crossing and attack east of Caen.

Montgomery intended Goodwood to hold German armour around Caen and gain ground south-east of the city.

Launched in order to clear Caen but the British lose 5,537 casualties & 400 tanks. Caen is bombed to obliterate enemy defences but only the southern suburbs are taken. 7 out of 8 Panzers in Normandy are engaged in battle

The British VIII and I Corps, to the east of Caen, launch Operation Goodwood. The British lose 450 tanks, the Sherman displays serious weaknesses. Launches 3 Divisions east of Caen to gain the Bourguebus Ridge on the road to Falaise.

The offensive began with the largest air bombardment in support of ground forces yet, with more than a thousand aircraft dropping 6,000 short tons (5,400 t) of high explosive and fragmentation bombs from low altitude.

O'Connor commanded the massed armoured assault east of Caen toward Bourguebus Ridge.

Roberts led the 11th Armoured Division toward Cagny and Bourguebus Ridge south-east of Caen.

Von Luck helped organize the defence near Cagny against British armour advancing from Caen.

Wunsche's panzer regiment reinforced German positions south of Caen during Goodwood.

The southern suburbs of Caen are captured. Caen is bombed in to obliterate enemy defences but only the southern suburbs are taken

The Allies capture Caen

Churchill visited Caen with Montgomery and Dempsey and inspected Bailey bridges across the Orne basin.

Dempsey accompanied Churchill during his inspection of troops and bridges in Caen.

Montgomery accompanied Churchill through Caen and explained the current battle situation.

Crerar's First Canadian Army became operational and assumed responsibility for the Allied sector around Caen.

Foulkes commanded the Canadian division making costly attacks south of Caen toward Verrieres Ridge.

Meyer's forces defended Verrieres Ridge against Canadian attacks south of Caen.

Simonds planned Spring to seize Verrieres Ridge and open the route south from Caen.

Supports Bradleys left flank & engages the Germans south of Caen

Supports Bradleys left flank & engages the Germans south of Caen

Authorizes Patton to outflank the Germans at Caen

An attempt to outflank the Germans at Caen

Commands an encirclement of the German Army Group B in the Caen sector

A major objective, was still in German hands by the end of D-Day, and would remain so until the battle for Caen, 8 August

Eberbach attempted to contain the Allied breakthrough south of Caen.

Foster commanded Canadian infantry during the first phases of the attack south of Caen.

Kitching led his armoured division in the offensive south from Caen.

Maczek's division joined the armoured exploitation from the Caen sector toward Falaise.

Meyer directed German resistance against the Canadian-led offensive from Caen toward Falaise.

Simonds planned the night attack using armoured columns and heavy bombing south of Caen.

Keller was wounded when Allied bombers accidentally struck Canadian positions during Operation Totalize.

Operation Totalize is abandoned after failure to advance along the Caen-Falaise Road

Crerar's army continued the advance from the Caen sector toward Falaise and Trun.

Simonds launched Tractable as the next armoured drive from the Caen-Falaise axis.

Operation Cobra, together with concurrent offensives by the Second British and First Canadian Armies, was decisive in securing an Allied victory in the Normandy Campaign

Defends the Caen-Falaise road forcing the abandonment of Operation Totalize