Bataille de Villers-Bocage

Discover the incredible story of the battle of Villers-Bocage.

On June 12, 1944, six days after the D-Day Landings, American troops were at the gates of Caumont-L'Eventé.
General Montgomery took advantage of this rapid advance of the American army to immediately strike another blow against the German forces. His main objective is the city of Caen, which he decides to bypass from the west. He launched the 7th British Armored Division towards Villers-Bocage. Aunay-sur-Odon was heavily bombed by the British air force to prevent the arrival of German reinforcements.

The next day, June 13, the tanks of the 7th British Armored Division and the SS heavy tank battalion No. 101 clash in this small town of Villers-Bocage, in Calvados. The British, defeated in the morning, manage to gain the upper hand in the afternoon. However, they were forced to turn around because the German reinforcements surrounded them ...

The bocage is locked, firmly defended, it will not be finally released until the beginning of August after intense efforts (Operation Bluecoat).