Product Description

In the week after the D-Day landings, British and Canadian forces in the east were ordered to pin down as many German troops as possible to take the pressure off the Americans, who planned to break out on the western flank. The British commander, Montgomery, wanted to capture Caen, however, and to extend the Allied bridgehead further south. To this end, two battle-hardened divisions were to make a flanking manoeuvre west of Caen, cross the River Odon, break through the enemy positions and take the high ground around Evrecy. 7th Armoured Division, the 'Desert Rats' were to capture Villers Bocage and Evrecy in a 'right hook' while 50th (Tyne Tees) Infantry Division were to take Lingevres and Les Verrieres. Unbeknown to the 'Desert Rats' a number of German Tiger tanks already held the high ground. Led by Waffen-SS tank ace Michael Wittman, these Tigers destroyed almost the entire British advance guard and forced the 'Desert Rats' to withdraw, Wittman's crew accounting for some 25 tanks and other vehicles before being knocked out themselves. At the same time the Geordies of 50th Infantry Division were fighting to take Lingevres and Les Verrieres, ably supported by the tanks of 4/7 Drag

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #112290 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

About the Author
Lt Col George Forty OBE, FMA is the author of over forty books on military subjects, including US Army Handbook 1939-1949, British Army Handbook 1939-1945 and The Desert War for Sutton. Lt Col Forty served in the British Army for thirty-two years with the Royal Tank Regiment and was formerly the Curator of the Bovington Tank Museum in Doraet.

Customer Reviews

One from the excellent series of books
Published to coincide with the 60th anniversary of D-Day, this series consists of 14 fascinating volumes, covering all the major and minor engagements in June 1944, that went together to create, what is now known as the Battle of Normandy.

Having covered the build up to D-Day together with the airborne and amphibious landings in the first 6 volumes of the series, the next five volumes (which include this publication) follow on, to cover the crucial battles that followed, as Allied forces broke out from the beaches and advanced further inland .

Each volume in this exciting series features a fully detailed section covering the history behind the action and includes many superb maps and brilliant photographs (some now published for the first time!), together with several useful itineraries for those wishing to visit the battlefields themselves.

For readers who are considering further research and require more detailed information on the engagement itself and the units which fought in the action, each volume also includes a comprehensive order of battle for both allied and German forces and a list of books, together with sources of useful information and many other valuable contacts.

At £14.99, I honestly believe this volume represents excellent value for money and will be invaluable for the researcher, battlefield guide and tourist alike.

Excellent!
This book gives an excellent account of the fighting between the 7th Armoured Division and German forces at Villers-Bocage and explodes the myths surrounding this battle. It also covers the continuation of fighting which both sides took part in the following day, a few miles down the road from Villers-Bocage, during the Battle of the Brigade Box. On top of this the book also covers the fighting for the villages of Lingevres and les Verrieres by the 50th Infantry Division.

However it is a shame that it does not cover the rest of Operation Perch and especially the fighting for the town of Tilly-sur-Seulles as it does Villers-Bocage and only glances over these.

On top of providing a historical account of the fighting, the book is full of maps, photographs and aerial reconnaissance photos to illustrate the fighting as the book goes along.

Another major appeal is the Battlefield Tours and Further Research section which takes up the last 80 pages, providing the reader with an extensive list of books covering Operation Perch and the battles within as well as excellent touring information.

When I visit Normandy soon, I will definitely be taking this book along with me!

A Forty Tour de Force
We've come to expect excellence from George Forty and this book is no exception. It is a detailed and well written account of one of the many battles in Normandy in the summer of 1944. It also serves as a guide to the battleground for the visitor and it will certainly be in my baggage when I return to Normandy this summer.