WW2/Battles of WW2/Date-by-Date/European Theatre – West • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
The campaign that followed the D-Day landings: the grinding battle for Caen, the American breakout at Saint-Lô, the encirclement at Falaise, and the liberation of Paris. (6 June – 30 August 1944)
Chronological Storyline (24 Milestones)
Jun 7, 1944 CE
British push inland from Sword Beach
British 3rd Division advanced toward Caen but was halted by the 21st Panzer Division short of the city, establishing the frontline that would define the bloody struggle for Caen in the weeks to come. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_Caen
Week 250- The Invasion of Normandy begins! - WW2 - June 10, 1944Map, showing the Battle for Caen By Own work using: - Own work using: Image:Battleforcaenmap.png Overlord: D-Day and the Battle for Normandy, Vintage Books USA; (2006) [1985], ISBN 0-30727-571-X, pages 137–239., CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8097143
Jun 9, 1944 CE
Allies link the beachheads
By 9 June, the five Allied landing beaches were connected into a continuous front, allowing reinforcements and supplies to flow inland though the bridgehead remained confined to a narrow coastal strip. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_landings
A LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel) from the U.S. Coast Guard-manned USS Samuel Chase disembarks troops of Company A, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division (the Big Red One) wading onto the Fox Green section of Omaha Beach (Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France) on the morning of June 6, 1944. American soldiers encountered the newly formed German 352nd Division when landing. During the initial landing two-thirds of Company E became casualties. By Chief Photographer's Mate (CPHoM) Robert F. Sargent - This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17040973
Jun 13, 1944 CE
Battle of Villers-Bocage
Elements of the British 7th Armoured Division clashed with the 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion near Villers-Bocage; Michael Wittmann's tank ambush halted the British advance and forced a withdrawal, stalling the attempt to outflank Caen. ) · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Villers-Bocage
Information added by Wikimedia users. roughly translates as "France, Villers-Bocage.- destroyed British Cruiser Tank VIII Cromwell (Turret number: T 187749) in the village in front of burnt house; PK Signal-Einsatz" By Arthur Grimm - This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project. The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive., CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5413607
Jun 18, 1944 CE
US forces cut the Cotentin Peninsula
The US VII Corps reached the western coast of the Cotentin Peninsula, isolating Cherbourg from German reinforcements and setting the stage for the assault on the vital deep-water port. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherbourg
Aerial view of Cherbourg-Octeville By fr:Utilisateur:Steff - Peronnal picture, taken during a London Stansted-Dinard flight, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=781493
Jun 26, 1944 CE
Operation Epsom launched west of Caen
General O'Connor's British VIII Corps attacked west of Caen to outflank the city, gaining limited ground across the Odon River but being checked by German reserves including the II SS Panzer Corps. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Epsom
IWM caption : THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE NORMANDY CAMPAIGN 1944. An ammunition lorry of 11th Armoured Division explodes after being hit by mortar fire during Operation 'Epsom' By Sergeant Laing No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit - This photograph B 6017 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums(collection no. 4700-29), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=456657
Jun 27, 1944 CE
Cherbourg liberated by US forces
The US VII Corps under General Collins captured the port of Cherbourg after heavy fighting, though German demolition rendered the harbor unusable for weeks, complicating Allied logistics. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cherbourg
Cotentin Peninsula - Map By Historical Division, Department of the Army - Utah Beach to Cherbourg (6 June-27 June 1944). Washington, Historical Division, Department of the Army, 1947. Map was one of a collection included with the book in a map envelope. Immediate source: www.history.army.mil, Map I, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=236670
Jul 8, 1944 CE
Operation Charnwood captures northern Caen
British and Canadian forces launched a frontal assault on Caen, capturing the northern half of the city after intense bombardment, but German defenders retained control of the southern bank and the industrial suburbs. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Charnwood
The British Army in Normandy 1944 Troops pick their way through the rubble of Caen, 9 July 1944. By No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit, Christie (Sgt) - http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//48/media-48961/large.jpg This photograph B 6727 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30847793
Jul 10, 1944 CE
Caen north of the Orne secured
British I Corps cleared remaining resistance in northern Caen north of the Orne River, establishing a firm foothold while the Germans consolidated defenses on the south bank and at the Verrière Ridge. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Charnwood
The British Army in Normandy 1944 Troops pick their way through the rubble of Caen, 9 July 1944. By No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit, Christie (Sgt) - http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//48/media-48961/large.jpg This photograph B 6727 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30847793
Jul 18, 1944 CE
Operation Goodwood begins east of Caen
Three British armoured divisions launched a massive armoured thrust east of Caen across the Orne, advancing several kilometers but being halted by determined German anti-tank defenses, making it one of the largest tank battles of the campaign. ) · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Goodwood
IWM caption : THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE NORMANDY CAMPAIGN 1944. Sherman tanks carrying infantry wait for the order to advance at the start of Operation 'Goodwood'. By Laing (Sgt), No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit - This photograph B 7510 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums(collection no. 4700-29), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=456635
Jul 20, 1944 CE
Goodwood concludes with heavy tank losses
Operation Goodwood ended with the British having suffered significant tank losses for limited territorial gains, though it pinned German armored forces east of Caen, facilitating the upcoming American breakout attempt in the west. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Goodwood
IWM caption : THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE NORMANDY CAMPAIGN 1944. Sherman tanks carrying infantry wait for the order to advance at the start of Operation 'Goodwood'. By Laing (Sgt), No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit - This photograph B 7510 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums(collection no. 4700-29), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=456635
Jul 25, 1944 CE
Operation Cobra: American breakout begins
General Bradley's US First Army launched Operation Cobra west of Saint-Lô, preceded by a massive carpet bombing of German positions that shattered the Panzer Lehr Division and opened a breach in the German line. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cobra
Original caption: American armored and infantry forces pass through the battered town of Coutances, France, in the new offensive against the Nazis. Signal Corps Photo ETO-HQ-44-9257 By Unknown author - US National Archives - 111-SC-199774, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6495321
Jul 26, 1944 CE
US VIII Corps exploits the Cobra breach
General Middleton's US VIII Corps poured through the gap opened by Cobra, advancing rapidly southward past Marigny as German defenses collapsed, marking the transition from attritional fighting to a war of maneuver. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cobra
Original caption: American armored and infantry forces pass through the battered town of Coutances, France, in the new offensive against the Nazis. Signal Corps Photo ETO-HQ-44-9257 By Unknown author - US National Archives - 111-SC-199774, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6495321
Jul 28, 1944 CE
Coutances liberated in the breakout
American forces captured Coutances, pushing the front line south by over twenty kilometers and effectively rupturing the German Seventh Army's front, as scattered remnants attempted to regroup. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cobra
Original caption: American armored and infantry forces pass through the battered town of Coutances, France, in the new offensive against the Nazis. Signal Corps Photo ETO-HQ-44-9257 By Unknown author - US National Archives - 111-SC-199774, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6495321
Jul 30, 1944 CE
Avranches seized, gateway to Brittany opens
General Patton's US Third Army became operational and seized Avranches at the base of the Cotentin Peninsula, opening the gateway into Brittany and threatening to turn the entire German flank in Normandy. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cobra
Original caption: American armored and infantry forces pass through the battered town of Coutances, France, in the new offensive against the Nazis. Signal Corps Photo ETO-HQ-44-9257 By Unknown author - US National Archives - 111-SC-199774, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6495321
Aug 1, 1944 CE
Patton's Third Army sweeps into Brittany
The newly activated US Third Army under General Patton launched an advance into Brittany, sending VIII Corps west toward Breton ports while XV Corps turned east, threatening the German rear. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cobra
Original caption: American armored and infantry forces pass through the battered town of Coutances, France, in the new offensive against the Nazis. Signal Corps Photo ETO-HQ-44-9257 By Unknown author - US National Archives - 111-SC-199774, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6495321
Aug 3, 1944 CE
Mortain counterattack ordered by Hitler
Hitler ordered Field Marshal von Kluge to launch a counterattack from Mortain westward toward Avranches to split the Allied armies, pulling vital panzer divisions away from the Caen sector despite objections from German commanders. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_L%C3%BCttich
Mortain counterattack ordered by Hitler By Unknown author, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=460779
Aug 7, 1944 CE
German Mortain counterattack fails
Operation Lüttich, the German counterattack at Mortain, was launched but immediately blunted by determined American resistance and overwhelming Allied air superiority, leaving German armored forces exposed and overextended. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_L%C3%BCttich
German Mortain counterattack fails By Unknown author, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=460779
Aug 8, 1944 CE
Operation Totalize advances toward Falaise
Canadian and Polish forces under General Simonds launched Operation Totalize, a combined arms night attack south of Caen toward Falaise, applying pressure on the German eastern flank while American forces drove south. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Totalize
A Cromwell tank and jeep pass an abandoned German PAK 43/41 gun during Operation 'Totalise'. By Wilkes (Sgt), No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit - This photograph B 8833 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums(collection no. 4700-29), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=458287
Aug 13, 1944 CE
Argentan reached, Falaise gap narrows
US XV Corps under General Haislip captured Argentan, approaching the southern shoulder of what would become the Falaise Pocket, while Canadian forces pressed from the north toward Falaise, threatening to encircle German Army Group B. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_Pocket
Map of the en:Falaise_pocket adapted into .svg form (with a coupl of minor presentation changes). By Falaise_Pocket_map.jpg: The original uploader was WikiDon at English Wikipedia. derivative work: Jarry1250 (talk) - Falaise_Pocket_map.jpg, from army.mil, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6769772
Aug 16, 1944 CE
Germans ordered to retreat from Falaise
Field Marshal Model, newly in command of Army Group B, ordered a withdrawal from the Falaise Pocket as the encirclement tightened, but the only viable escape route was a narrow gap between Chambois and Argentan under constant Allied fire. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_Pocket
Map of the en:Falaise_pocket adapted into .svg form (with a coupl of minor presentation changes). By Falaise_Pocket_map.jpg: The original uploader was WikiDon at English Wikipedia. derivative work: Jarry1250 (talk) - Falaise_Pocket_map.jpg, from army.mil, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6769772
Aug 19, 1944 CE
Falaise Pocket sealed at Chambois
Polish and American forces linked up at Chambois, sealing the Falaise Pocket and trapping tens of thousands of German soldiers, though significant numbers escaped through the narrowing gap before it was fully closed. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_Pocket
Map of the en:Falaise_pocket adapted into .svg form (with a coupl of minor presentation changes). By Falaise_Pocket_map.jpg: The original uploader was WikiDon at English Wikipedia. derivative work: Jarry1250 (talk) - Falaise_Pocket_map.jpg, from army.mil, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6769772
Aug 21, 1944 CE
Falaise Pocket collapses, German Army destroyed
The Falaise Pocket was fully eliminated, with German Seventh Army suffering catastrophic losses in men, tanks, and equipment, effectively destroying it as a fighting force and opening the way to the Seine River and Paris. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_Pocket
Map of the en:Falaise_pocket adapted into .svg form (with a coupl of minor presentation changes). By Falaise_Pocket_map.jpg: The original uploader was WikiDon at English Wikipedia. derivative work: Jarry1250 (talk) - Falaise_Pocket_map.jpg, from army.mil, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6769772
Aug 25, 1944 CE
Paris liberated by Allied and FFI forces
The French 2nd Armoured Division under General Leclerc and the US 4th Infantry Division entered Paris, accepting the German garrison's surrender and liberating the French capital, effectively concluding the Normandy campaign's operational objectives. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_of_Paris
Crowds of French patriots line the Champs Elysees to view Free French tanks and half tracks of General Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division passes through the Arc du Triomphe, after Paris was liberated on August 26, 1944. Among the crowd can be seen banners in support of Charles de Gaulle. By Jack Downey, U.S. Office of War Information - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID fsac.1a55001.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7453927
Aug 30, 1944 CE
Allies cross the Seine, campaign concludes
Allied forces crossed the Seine River in pursuit of retreating German remnants, with the British and Canadian armies advancing to the river and American forces already beyond it, marking the formal end of the Battle of Normandy and the beginning of the advance toward Germany. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Normandy
Landing ships putting cargo ashore on Omaha Beach at low tide during the early days of the Allied invasion, mid-June 1944. Among identifiable ships present are LST-532 (in the center of the view); USS LST-262 (3rd LST from right); USS LST-310 (2nd LST from right); USS LST-533 (partially visible at far right); and USS LST-524. Note barrage balloons overhead and U.S. Army "half-track" convoy forming up on the beach. The LST-262 was one of 10 Coast Guard-manned LSTs that participated in the invasion of Normandy, France. This is a retouched edit of the original file which can be found here. This version has had dust and scratches removed, slight tonal imbalances corrected and a tiny white residual border cropped out, otherwise as per the original. Edited and uploaded by mikaultalk 13:18, 16 April 2007 (UTC) By The original uploader was MIckStephenson at English Wikipedia. - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2263487
