21 Days in Normandy by Angelo Caravaggio

Author:Angelo Caravaggio
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2016-04-06T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Closing the Falaise Gap

On the morning of 16 August, the area known as the Falaise Pocket was 35 miles deep and approximately 12 miles wide. Elements of twenty-one German divisions, comprising approximately 200,000 men, were in danger of encirclement but Field Marshal von Kluge had finally given the approval for a formal retreat to the Seine.1 The Germans concluded that they needed three nights to get the westernmost forces across the Orne River and one more night to complete the withdrawal behind the Dives River. The outcome of the operation to rescue the remaining German forces in Normandy depended, therefore, on their ability to keep the shoulders of the Gap open for four days.2

Despite the late order to withdraw, many German troops had already left the area. Senior German officers had seen what was coming and had been quietly evacuating troops to the east for some time. Earlier, von Kluge had authorized the withdrawal of ‘administrative troops and motorized transport’. German commanders stretched the interpretation of this directive to include complete formations or units. The 12 SS Pz Div, for example, retained only its headquarters and a battle group of 500 men inside the Pocket. Echelon personnel and non-combatworthy troops (gunners without guns, tankers without tanks) – a total according to Hubert Meyer of nearly 12,000 men – were sent to safety well before permission to retreat was granted. Other German formations did the same.3 Despite the terrible pounding by Allied aircraft, nearly 55,000 Germans, many without their transport, managed to escape from the Pocket in the first three days of the withdrawal.4

Field Marshal von Kluge directed the Fifth Panzer Army and Seventh Army to withdraw without delay to the sector of the Dives and the line Morteaux–Trun–Gacé–Laigle. The withdrawal was to be carried out under the overall command of the Seventh Army. Pz Grp Eberbach was to cover the withdrawal to Argentan and Gacé and, after the fulfilment of these orders, was to disband. Once extracted from the Pocket, Seventh Army was to take over control of the sector from the sea to Laigle inclusive and Eberbach was to assume command of Fifth Panzer Army and control the sector from Laigle to Paris. All the troops in these areas were to be brought under command of the Army in their respective zone.5

On the morning of 16 August, Simonds changed the tasks of his divisions. There was to be no set-piece plan of attack; in fact, there were to be no further ‘formal’ or detailed plans issued. Instead, he stated that he would now operate by telling his divisional commanders what he intended to do and what action he wanted them to take. Simonds’ intent for 2 Cdn Corps on 16 August was as follows:

• With two infantry divisions, form a firm base enclosing Falaise until relieved by British Second Army.

• With two armoured divisions, exploit to capture Trun and the high ground dominating it in the southwest and northeast.

• Prepare to advance in a northeast direction on Lisieux.6

The 2 Cdn Inf Div was given the assignment of taking Falaise.

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