Bloody Verrières. The I. SS-Panzerkorps Defence of the Verrières-Bourguebus Ridges
Volume II: The Defeat of Operation Spring and the Battles of Tilly-la-Campagne, 23 July–5 August 1944
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Casemate Publishers
Published:15th Dec '22
Should be back in stock very soon
South of the Norman city of Caen, Verrières Ridge was seen a key stepping-stone for the British Second Army if it was to break out of the Normandy bridgehead in late July 1944. Imposing in height and containing perfect terrain for armoured operations, the Germans viewed it as the lynchpin to their defences south of the city of Caen and east of the Orne river. Following the failure of British Operation Goodwood on 18–20 July and the containment of the Canadian Operation Atlantic, further Allied attacks to seize the ridge would have to defeat arguably the strongest German armoured formation in Normandy: The I. SS-Panzerkorps ‘Leibstandarte’. In the second volume of this two-volume work, the fighting of 23 July–3 August is chronicled in detail, specifically the premier Anglo-Canadian operation to capture Verrières Ridge, Operation Spring on 25 July. Designed as an attack to seize the ridge and exploit south with armour, this battle saw the 2nd Canadian Corps attack savaged again by German armoured reserves brought in specifically to defeat another Goodwood. Not satisfied with this defensive victory, German armoured forces would then seek to restore an earlier defensive line further north, attacking to destroy the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. Largely unknown, these were some of the strongest and most successful German armoured operations to take place in the Normandy campaign.
Gullachsen's attention to detail, analysis, and honest appraisal of controversial aspects of this combat are all to be commended. He does not pull his punches. Nor does he attempt to muddle through when a clear answer to a given issue has of yet not been revealed by the historical record. The reader can trust when he speculates that such theorizing is from a well-informed position backed by a considerable effort to get to the heart of the matter in question. * Globe at War *
In this second volume of Arthur’s masterful work on the Allied efforts to break out from the Atlantic, serious WWII enthusiasts have in excellent prose the full story of what happened a month after the Normandy Invasion. * Argunners Magazine *
An invaluable and superbly researched contribution to personal, professional, community, and academic library World War II European Theatre histories. * Midwest Book Review *
Written by a Canadian Army officer, the book not only offers the battle history, but an analysis of tactics and strategy on both sides that ultimately became a temporary Allied failure and Axis triumph. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 11/01/2023 *
“The actions fought south of Caen in Normandy, from late July into early August 1944, have often been overlooked. Drawing on a wealth of sources, Arthur Gullachsen makes a very important contribution to our understanding of this crucial period of the battle in Normandy 1944 in this new book.” * Niklas Zetterling, author of Normandy 1944 and Blitzkrieg *
“In this exquisitely written second volume, Gullachsen has produced an unprecedentedly detailed operational and tactical analysis of the German defence of the Verrierès-Bourguébus Ridge during late July and early August 1944, including their defeat of Operation Spring. His analysis combines meticulous research in American, British, Canadian, and German archives with a forensically keen analytical eye; in so doing, he has added significantly to the historiography of the 1944 Normandy campaign.” * Dr Stephen Hart, MA FRHistS, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Leadership, Security and Warfare, The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst *
ISBN: 9781636240947
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
288 pages