Battle for Caen

Battle for Caen
“Battle of Caen” redirects here. For the medieval battle,
see Battle of Caen (1346).
The Battle for Caen from June–August 1944 was a battle between Allied forces of the mainly Anglo-Canadian
Second Army and German forces of Panzergruppe West
during the Battle of Normandy. The Allies aimed to
take the French city of Caen, one of the largest cities
in Normandy, on D-Day. Caen was a vital objective for
several reasons. Firstly, it lay astride the Orne River and
Caen Canal; these two water obstacles could strengthen
a German defensive position if not crossed. Secondly,
Caen was a road hub; in German hands it would enable the enemy to shift forces rapidly. Thirdly, the area
around Caen was relatively open, especially compared to
the bocage country in the west of Normandy. This area
was valued for airfield construction.
Map: invasion area, channels cleared of mines, bombardment
vessels and targets on shore
Allies also employed airborne troops. The American
82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, as well as the British
6th Airborne Division (with the attached 1st Canadian
Parachute Battalion), were inserted behind the enemy
lines. The British and Canadian paratroopers behind
Sword Beach were tasked in Operation Tonga with reaching and occupying the strategically important bridges
such as Horsa and Pegasus, as well as to take the artillery battery at Merville in order to hinder the forward
progress of the German forces. They managed to establish a bridgehead north of Caen, on the east bank of the
Orne, that the Allied troops could use to their advantage
in the battle for Caen. The first operation intended to capture Caen was the initial landings on Sword Beach by the
3rd British Infantry Division on 6 June. Despite being
The old city of Caen—with many buildings dating back to able to penetrate the Atlantic Wall and push south the dithe Middle Ages—was largely destroyed by Allied bomb- vision was unable to reach the city, their final objectives
ing and the fighting. The reconstruction of Caen lasted according to the plan, and in fact fell short by 3.7 mi (6.0
until 1962. Today, little of the pre-war city remains.
km). The 21st Panzer Division launched several counterattacks during the afternoon which blocked the road to
Caen.
On D-Day, Caen was an objective for the British 3rd Infantry Division and remained the focal point for a series
of battles throughout June, July and into August. The
battle did not go as planned for the Allies, instead dragging on for two months, because German forces devoted
most of their reserves to holding Caen, particularly their
armoured reserves. As a result German forces facing the
American invasion thrust further west were spread thin,
relying on the rough terrain of the back country to slow
down the American advance. With so many German
divisions held up defending Caen, the American forces
were eventually able to break through to the south and
east, threatening to encircle the German forces in Normandy from behind.
1
1.1
Background
2 Battle
Operation Neptune
2.1 Operation Perch
Main article: Normandy landings
On 6 June 1944, Allied forces invaded France by launching Operation Neptune, the beach landing operation of
Operation Overlord. A force of several thousand ships assaulted the beaches in Normandy, supported by c. 3,000
aircraft. The D-Day landings were successful, but the Allied forces were unable to take Caen as planned. The
Main article: Operation Perch
Operation Perch was the second attempt to capture Caen
after the direct attack from Sword Beach on 6 June failed.
According to its pre-D-Day design, Operation Perch was
intended to create the threat of a British breakout to
1
2
2 BATTLE
-0°45'
-0°40'
-0°35'
-0°30'
-0°25'
100
200
2 km
1 : 90 029
Topography of the area west of Caen
Aftermath of Battle of Villers-Bocage, 13 June 1944.
Allied and Axis dispositions on 12 June 1944
the south-east of Caen.[1] The operation was assigned to
XXX Corps; the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
was tasked with capturing Bayeux and the road to Tillysur-Seulles.[2][3] The 7th Armoured Division would then
spearhead the advance to Mont Pinçon.[3][4] On 9 June,
General Bernard Montgomery, Commander of all ground
troops in Normandy, ordered that Caen be taken by a
pincer movement.[5] The eastern arm of the attack would
consist of I Corps’s 51st (Highland) Infantry Division.
The Highlanders would cross into the Orne bridgehead,
the ground gained east of the Orne during Operation
Tonga, and attack southwards to Cagny, 6 mi (9.7 km)
to the southeast of Caen. XXX Corps would form the
pincer’s western arm; the 7th Armoured Division would
advance east, cross the Odon River to capture Évrecy and
the high ground near the town (Hill 112).[1][6]
draw southwards, which opened a 7.5 mi (12.1 km)
gap in the German front line.[4][11] Conscious of the
opportunity presented, Miles Dempsey, British Second
Army Commander, ordered the 7th Armoured Division
to exploit the opening in the German lines, seize the
town of Villers-Bocage and advance into the western
flank of the Panzer-Lehr Division.[12][13][14] After the
Battle of Villers-Bocage, the position was judged untenable and 7th Armoured Division was withdrawn on 14
June.[15][16] The Division was relieved to be reinforced
by the 33rd Armoured Brigade, which was landing in
the beachhead.[17][18] It was planned that the reinforced
division would resume the attack but on 19 June, a severe storm descended upon the English Channel, causing
widespread disruption to beach supply operations and further offensives were abandoned.[17][19]
2.2 Le Mesnil-Patry
Main article: Battle of Le Mesnil-Patry
The last big Canadian operation in June was directed
at gaining high ground to the south-west of Caen, in
support of attacks further west by the 50th (Northumbrian) and 7th Armoured divisions. No. 46 Royal Marine Commando, Canadian tanks and Le Régiment de
la Chaudière, advanced to Rots. An attack on 11 June
by The Queen’s Own Rifles and tanks of the 1st Hussars (6th Canadian Armoured Regiment) was repulsed at
Le Mesnil-Patry by troops of the 12th SS-Panzer Division, which had been preparing a counter-attack. The
attack had been planned for the early hours of 12 June
but was brought forward to 2:30 p.m. on 11 June.[20][21]
The Canadian column advanced with B Squadron of the
1st Hussars in the lead, with men of D Company of the
Queen’s Own Rifles riding on the 1st Hussar tanks.[21]
Over the next few days XXX Corps battled for control
of the town of Tilly-sur-Seulles, defended by the PanzerLehr Division and elements of the 12th SS Panzer Division; the allied forces became bogged down in the bocage
(hedgerows), unable to overcome the formidable resistance offered.[7][8][9] I Corps were delayed moving into
position, so their attack was rescheduled for 12 June.[6]
When the 51st Highland Division launched its attack, it
faced stiff resistance from the 21st Panzer Division in
its efforts to push south; with the Highlanders unable to Panzergrenadiers and tanks of the 12th SS-Panzer Dimake progress, by 13 June the offensive east of Caen was vision ambushed B Squadron in a grain field near Le
called off.[10]
Mesnil-Patry, having gleaned information from Hussar
On the right flank of XXX Corps, the Germans were radio traffic, after capturing wireless codes from a deunable to resist American attacks and began to with- stroyed Canadian tank on 9 June. Canadian Infantry rid-
2.4
Operation Epsom
3
ing on the tanks jumped off or were thrown off the tanks
which were hit and engaged the SS-Panzergrenadiers in
the wheatfields as the surviving tanks pushed on into
the village.[22] The commander of the lead element of
the Hussars, Lieutenant Colonel Colwell, ordered a retreat but the order was not heard by B Squadron. Using Panzerfausts, Panzerschrecks and anti-tank guns, the
Germans knocked out 51 of the 53 Shermans and inflicted casualties of 61 killed or missing, 2 wounded and
11 captured from the vanguard of the 1st Hussars. The
Queen’s Own Rifles suffered 55 killed, 33 wounded and
11 taken prisoner during the attack.[21] An English newspaper called it the modern equivalent of the Charge of
the Light Brigade.[22] The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division assumed a static role until Operation Windsor in the
first week of July.[23]
Early on 28 June, the 70th Brigade attacked towards Brettevillette but counter-attacks by part of Kampfgruppe
Weidinger delayed the British advance until the II SS
Panzer Corps arrived, retook Brettevillete and formed
a new defensive line around Rauray.[29][30] From 29–30
June, the 49th Division consolidated the area around Rauray, as the main counter-attack by II SS Panzer Corps
against Operation Epsom took place further south.[31]
On 1 July, Kampfgruppe Weidinger attacked Rauray
frontally at 6:00 a.m. The 11th Durham Light Infantry
and the 1st Tyneside Scottish eventually repulsed the attack and at 10:00 a.m. the Germans withdrew. At 11:00
a.m. Kampfgruppe Weidinger attacked again but failed
to breach the British line. An attack around noon by the
9th SS Panzer Division to the south made little progress
and by 6:00 p.m. the Germans withdrew, leaving about
thirty knocked-out armoured vehicles behind.[32]
2.3
2.4 Operation Epsom
Operation Martlet
Main article: Operation Martlet
Operation Martlet (also known as Operation Dauntless)
was a preliminary attack to support Operation Epsom was
launched on 25 June by the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry
Division, the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division and
the 8th Armoured Brigade of XXX Corps.[24] The objective was to secure ground on the right flank VIII Corps.
During Epsom, VIII Corps would be endangered by the
German forces on the Rauray Spur to the west, a ridge that
overlooked the line of advance of 15th (Scottish) Infantry
Division. The spur, and the villages of Rauray, Fontenayle-Pesnel, Tessel-Bretteville, Juvigny would be taken by
the 49th Division and the 50th Division was to advance
southwards from Tilly. Opposing the British were the
3rd Battalion, 26th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment and
elements from the 12th SS Panzer Regiment of 12th SS
Panzer Division, stationed on and around the spur. Both
had been depleted by the fighting in the preceding weeks
but were well dug-in.[25]
By the afternoon of 25 June, the 43rd Division had
reached its objective line at the woods near Vendes.[26]
By midnight, the 49th Division established a line roughly
south of Fontenay-le-Pesnel. Rauray and around half of
the spur remained in enemy hands. At 5:30 a.m. on
26 June, the 70th Infantry and 8th Armoured brigades
continued the 49th Division attack. A battlegroup of
the 24th Lancers and the 12th (Motorised) Battalion
King’s Royal Rifle Corps, reached Tessel-Bretteville but
were withdrawn during the afternoon, as the troops on
their right had been held up.[27] During the night, two
companies of II/192nd Panzer-Grenadier Regiment of
21st Panzer Division reinforced the Panzer-Lehr-Division
on the right flank near Vendes.[28] Next day the 146th
Brigade captured Tessel-Bretteville wood and the 70th
Infantry Brigade–8th Armoured Brigade battlegroup
reached Rauray, which was captured by nightfall.[29]
Main article: Operation Epsom
After a delay caused by the three-day storm that de-
An ammunition carrier of the 11th Armoured Division explodes
after being hit by a mortar round during Operation Epsom on
26 June 1944.
scended upon the English Channel, 2nd Army launched
Operation Epsom on 26 June.[19][33] The objective of
the operation was to capture the high ground south of
Caen, near Bretteville-sur-Laize.[34] The attack was carried out by the newly arrived VIII Corps, under the
command of Lieutenant-General Sir Richard O'Connor,
which consisted of 60,244 men.[35] The operation would
be supported by 736 artillery pieces, the Royal Navy,
close air support and a preliminary bombardment by
250 bombers of the Royal Air Force.[36][37] However the
planned bombing mission for the start of the operation
had to be called off due to poor weather over Britain.[38]
I and XXX Corps were also assigned to support Epsom
but delays in landing equipment and reinforcements led to
4
2 BATTLE
their role being reduced. On the day before the attack was
to be launched, Operation Martlet (also known as Operation Dauntless) was to be launched; 49th (West Riding)
Infantry Division, supported by tanks, was to secure the
VIII Corps flank, by capturing the high ground to the right
of their advance.[24][39][39] I Corps would launch two supporting operations, several days following the launch of
Epsom, codenamed Aberlour and Ottawa. The 3rd Division, supported by the 8th Canadian Brigade, would
launch the former and attack north of Caen; the latter
would be a move by the 3rd Canadian Division, supported
by tanks, to take the village and airfield of Carpiquet but
the attacks were cancelled.[40]
and 20 mm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns were around
the airfield, behind mine fields and barbed wire entanglements. Operation Windsor was planned to break
through the strongly held German positions near the airfield. The 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade was reinforced
by the Royal Winnipeg Rifles from the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade and tanks of The Fort Garry Horse (10th
Armoured Regiment) and three squadrons of specialist tanks from the 79th Armoured Division, including a
flame thrower squadron. Artillery support was provided
by the battleship HMS Rodney, 21 artillery regiments and
two squadrons of RAF Hawker Typhoon ground support
aircraft.[48]
Supported by the tanks of the 31st Tank Brigade, the 15th
(Scottish) Infantry Division made steady progress and by
the end of the first day, had largely overrun the German
outpost line, although there remained some difficulties
in securing the flanks of the advance. Over the following two days, a foothold was secured across the River
Odon and efforts were made to expand this, by capturing strategic points around the salient and moving up the
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division. However, in response
to powerful German counter-attacks by the I SS Panzer
Corps and II SS Panzer Corps, some of the British positions across the river were withdrawn by 30 June; VIII
Corps had advanced nearly 6 mi (9.7 km).[41] The Germans throwing in their last available reserves, had been
able to achieve a defensive success at the operational level
and contain the British offensive.[42] Tactically the fighting was indecisive and after the initial gains made, neither
side was able to make much progress; German counterattacks were repulsed and further advances by British
forces halted.[43]
The French Resistance had informed the Canadian troops
about the defences surrounding the airfield. The Canadians took Carpiquet village on 5 July and three days later,
after repulsing several German counter-attacks, took the
airfield and adjacent villages during Operation Charnwood. Major-General Rod Keller, The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division commander, was severely criticized for
not sending two brigades into Operation Windsor and for
delegating detailed planning to Brigadier Blackader of the
8th Brigade.[49] The perceived poor performance of the
3rd Canadian Infantry Division was seen by LieutenantGeneral John Crocker the I Corps commander, as more
evidence that Keller was unfit for his command. After
the performance of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
in Operation Atlantic, Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds
the II Canadian Corps commander, decided that Keller
should retain his command.[50]
The Second Army had retained the initiative over the
German forces in Normandy, had halted a massed German counter-attack against the Allied beachhead before
it could be launched and prevented German armoured
forces being redeployed to face the Americans or being
relieved and passed into reserve.[44] The operation cost
the Second Army up to 4,078 casualties, from 26–30 June
VIII Corps suffered 470 men killed, 2,187 wounded and
706 men missing. During 1 July, a further 488 men were
killed and wounded and 227 men were reported missing. These figures exclude formations conducting preliminary operations and attacks in support of Epsom.[45]
and the German Army lost over 3,000 men and 126 tanks
knocked out.[46][47]
Main article: Operation Charnwood
Three infantry divisions and three armoured brigades
of I Corps were to attack southwards through Caen to
the Orne river and capture bridgeheads in the districts of
Caen south of the river.[51][52] An armoured column was
prepared to advance through the city to rush the bridges;
it was hoped that I Corps could exploit the situation to
sweep on through southern Caen toward the Verrières and
Bourguébus ridges, opening the way for the British 2nd
Army to advance toward Falaise.[53][54] New tactics were
tried, including a preparatory bombardment by Allied
strategic bombers to assist the Anglo-Canadian advance
and to prevent German reinforcements from reaching the
battle or retreating.[55][56][57][58] Suppression of the German defences was of a secondary consideration; close
support aircraft and 656 guns supported the attack.[54][59]
2.5
Operation Windsor
Main article: Operation Windsor
The airfield at Carpiquet near Caen was to have been
taken on D-Day but German resistance prevented its
capture. Many concrete shelters, machine gun towers,
underground tunnels, 75 mm (2.95 in) anti-tank guns
2.6 Operation Charnwood
On the night of 7 July, the first wave of bombers
dropped over 2,000 short tons (1,800 t) of bombs on the
city.[nb 1] The attack began at 04:30 on 8 July and several hours later the final wave of bombers arrived over
the battlefield.[58][64] By evening, the Allied force had
reached the outskirts of Caen and the German command
authorised the withdrawal of all heavy weapons and the
remnants of the 16th Luftwaffe Field Division across the
2.8
Operation Atlantic
5
Soldiers of the 43rd Wessex Division seek shelter from German
mortar attacks, 10 July.
ments of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen and
the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend in reserve. The
attack was intended to capture the villages of Baron-surOdon, Fontaine-Étoupefour, Château de Fontaine and recapture the top of Hill 112 by 9:00 a.m.[71] After the first
Orne to the southern side of Caen. The remnants of the phase, positions on Hill 112 were to cover an advance on
12th SS-Panzer Division fought a rearguard action and Éterville, Maltot and the ground up to the River Orne. A
bombardment of mortars and over 100 field guns was to
then retired over the Orne.[65][66]
precede the attack.[72]
“Mountains of rubble, [approximately] 20 or 30 feet [≈ 6
The German troops endured naval bombardment, air ator 9 meter] high [...] the dead lay everywhere.”
tack and artillery fire but held their ground, with supArthur Wilkes describing the situation following the port from Tiger tanks of the schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung
operation.[67]
102 carrying 88 mm guns which out-ranged the opposing
British Churchill and Sherman tanks. Hill 112 was not
Early on 9 July, Anglo-Canadian patrols entered the captured and was left as a no-man’s-land between the two
city and Carpiquet airfield was occupied after 12th SS- armies. Several villages nearby were taken and the 9th SS
Panzer Division withdrew during the night.[68] By noon, Panzer Division was sent from reserve to contain the atthe Allied infantry had reached the north bank of the tack, which achieved the Allied operational objective. (In
Orne and inflicted many losses on the 16th Luftwaffe August the Germans withdrew from Hill 112 and the 53rd
Field Division.[69] Some bridges were left intact but were (Welsh) Division occupied the feature almost unopposed.
blocked by rubble and covered by German troops on British casualties during the period were c. 25,000 troops
the south side of the river, ready for a German counter- and c. 500 tanks. The 43rd Infantry Division had 7,000
attack.[70] By mid-afternoon on 9 July, Operation Charn- casualties from 10–22 July.)[73]
wood was complete.[61] Following the battle “In the
houses that were still standing there slowly came life, as
the French civilians realized that we had taken the city. 2.8 Operation Atlantic
They came running out of their houses with glasses and
Main article: Operation Atlantic
bottles of wine.”.[67]
Royal Engineers move through the ruins of Caen, looking for
mines and booby-traps, 10 July 1944.
2.7
Operation Jupiter
Main article: Operation Jupiter (1944)
Operation Jupiter was a VIII Corps attack by the
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division and the 4th Armoured
Brigade on 10 July, the day after the conclusion of Operation Charnwood. The German defenders had five infantry battalions, two Tiger heavy tank battalions, two
Sturmgeschütz companies and Nebelwerfer drawn mostly
from the 10th SS-Panzer Division Frundsberg, with ele-
During the Battle of Caen, the I SS Panzer Corps had
turned the 90-foot (27 m) high ridge into their primary
fortification, defending it with hundreds of guns, tanks,
Nebelwerfers, mortars, and infantry from up to three
divisions.[74] As part of a minor follow-up to Operation
Goodwood, The Calgary Highlanders had managed to establish preliminary positions on Verrières at Point 67, on
the northern spur of the ridge.[75] On 20 July, The South
Saskatchewan Regiment, with support from The Queen’s
Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada and the 27th Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment),
6
3 AFTERMATH
as well as Hawker Typhoons, assaulted the ridge.[76]
The Cameron Highlanders attacked Saint-André-surOrne but were repulsed.[77] The main attack took place in
torrential rain, rendering tanks and infantry immobile and
aircraft grounded.[76] The South Saskatchewans lost 282
casualties.[78] In the aftermath of the South Saskatchewan
attack, two German SS Panzer divisions counter-attacked
and forced the Canadians back past their start-lines. The
counter-attack also forced the supporting The Essex Scottish Regiment back. The Essex Scottish lost c. 300
casualties.[79] On 21 July, Simonds ordered The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada and The
Calgary Highlanders to stabilize the front along Verrières
Ridge.[80] The two battalions and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division defeated counter-attacks by the two SS
Panzer divisions in costly defensive fighting.[78]
ground in such depth in the sector south of Caen.[82] The
south bank suburbs and industrial districts of Caen were
captured by the Canadians, the British advanced 7 miles
(11 km) east of Caen and ground for about 12,000 yards
(11,000 m) to the south of Caen was taken.[83][84] The
attack reinforced the German view that the Allied threat
on the eastern flank was the most dangerous and more
units were transferred eastwards, including the remaining mobile elements of the 2nd Panzer Division from the
area south of Caumont. At the western end of the bridgehead, the US and Allied forces faced 1½ panzer divisions
compared with 6½ facing the Allied forces on the eastern
flank. Operation Cobra (25–31 July) broke through the
defences of the Seventh Army west of St. Lô on 25 July,
with few German armoured units in the area to counterattack.[85]
2.9
3 Aftermath
Operation Goodwood
Main article: Operation Goodwood
Operation Goodwood took place from 18–20 July 1944. 3.1
Map showing territory gained in Operations Atlantic and
Goodwood
VIII Corps, with three armoured divisions, attacked towards the German-held Bourguébus Ridge, along with
the area between Bretteville-sur-Laize and Vimont, intending to force the Germans to commit their armoured
reserves in costly counter-attacks. Goodwood was preceded by the Second Battle of the Odon, preliminary attacks intended to inflict casualties and keep German attention on the east end of the bridgehead. On 18 July,
I Corps conducted an advance to secure villages and the
eastern flank of VIII Corps. On the western flank of VIII
Corps, the II Canadian Corps conducted Operation Atlantic to capture the remaining German-held sections of
the city of Caen south of the Orne River.
The Germans were able to contain the offensive, holding many of their rear defences on Bourguébus Ridge but
had been shocked by the weight of the attack and preliminary aerial bombardment.[81] A defensive system less
than 5 miles (8.0 km) deep could be overwhelmed at a
stroke and the Germans had only the resources to hold
Analysis
Shulman wrote that due to the attacks around the city of
Caen, seven of the ten German Panzer Divisions in Normandy were facing the Anglo-Canadian forces, when the
American armies launched Operation Cobra.[86] “What
better justification for the strategy adopted by Allied
planners to attract to the anvil of Caen the bulk of
German armour and there methodically hammer it to
bits!"[87] In 1962, British Official historian L. F. Ellis
wrote that “Twenty-First Army Group’s persistent pressure had compelled Rommel to make good a shortage of
infantry by using his armour defensively. The strongest
armoured divisions were clustered around that eastern
flank until the American army had reached a position
from which it was ready to break through the less heavily
guarded western front.”[88] Overy wrote that von Kluge
warned Hitler that the German left flank had collapsed
following Operation Cobra and “The choice was between
holding at Caen and abandoning western France, or dividing German forces between two battles, and risking collapse in both.” Hitler compromised by ordering the German army to hold in front of Caen, while armoured forces
were diverted to tackle the American attack. “The result
was predictable. Strong British and Canadian thrusts both
sides of Caen immobilised the German forces and intercepted those driving towards the American front.”[89]
Ford called the battle for Caen a pyrrhic victory; the War
Office had forecast that the 21st Army Group would have
suffered 65,751 casualties by 7 August and actual casualties were 50,539 men.[90][91]
3.2 Damage and civilian casualties
Before the invasion, Caen had a population of 60,000
people. On 6 June, Allied aircraft dropped leaflets urging
the population to leave, but only a few hundred did so.
3.3
Atrocities
7
only 15,000 inhabitants remained. 467 heavy bombers
prepared the way for Operation Charnwood. Although
the delayed-action bombs were aimed at the northern
edge of Caen, massive damage was again inflicted on the
city centre. At least two civilian shelters were hit and
the University of Caen was destroyed, 350 people being
killed by the raid and the fighting in Caen on 8 July, bringing the civilian death toll to 1,150 since D-Day.[95] The
Germans withdrew from Caen north of the Orne on 9 July
and blew the last bridge.[96] The southern part of the city
was liberated on 18 July, by the 3rd Canadian Infantry
Division.[97]
By the end of the battle, the civil population of Caen
had fallen from 60,000–17,000 people. Caen and many
of the surrounding towns and villages were mostly destroyed; the cathedral in Caen and the University of
Caen (founded in 1432) were both razed to the ground.
The buildings were eventually rebuilt after the war, and
the University of Caen adopted the Phoenix as its symbol. c. 35,000 citizens were made homeless after Allied bombing and the destruction of the city caused much
resentment.[98] After the war, the West German government paid reparations to the families of civilians killed,
starved or left homeless by Allied bombing and fighting in
Caen. The rebuilding of Caen officially lasted from 1948
to 1962. On 6 June 2004, Gerhard Schröder became the
first German Chancellor to be invited to the anniversary
celebration of the invasion.
The ruins of Caen.
3.3 Atrocities
Later that day, British heavy bombers attacked the city
to slow the flow of German reinforcements; 800 civilians
were killed in the first 48 hours of the invasion. Streets
were blocked by rubble, so the injured were taken to an
emergency hospital set up in the Bon Sauveur convent.
The Palais des Ducs, the church of Saint-Étienne and the
railway station were all destroyed or severely damaged.
c. 15,000 people took refuge for more than a month in
medieval quarry tunnels south of the city.[92]
The Défense Passive and other civil defence coordinated
medical relief. Six surgical teams were alerted on the
morning of the invasion and police brought medical supplies to Bon Sauveur and hospitals at Lycée Malherbe and
Hospice des Petites Sœurs des Pauvres.[93] Many buildings caught fire and molten lead dripped from their roofs.
c. 3,000 people took refuge in Bon Sauveur, Abbaye
aux Hommes and Saint Etienne church. Foraging parties
were set out into the countryside for food, and old wells
were re-opened. On 9 June, the bell tower of Saint Pierre
was destroyed by a shell from the battleship Rodney. The
Vichy government in Paris managed to get some supplies
through to Caen under the auspices of Secours Nationale,
250 short tons (230 t) in total.[94]
A memorial to the murdered Canadian soldiers in the garden of
the Abbey.
One hundred and fifty-six Canadian prisoners-of-war
were shot near Caen by the 12th SS Panzer Division in the
days and weeks following D-Day.[99] Twenty Canadians
were killed near Villons-les-Buissons, north-west of Caen
in Ardenne Abbey. The Abbey was captured at midnight
on 8 July by the Regina Rifles. The soldiers were exThe Germans ordered all remaining civilians to leave on humed and buried in the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War
6 July; by the bombing during the evening of 7 July, Cemetery. After the war, Kurt Meyer was convicted and
8
7 NOTES
sentenced to death on charges of inappropriate behaviour
towards civilians and the execution of prisoners,[100] a
sentence later commuted to life imprisonment. He was
released after serving eight years.[101]
5 See also
• Bombing of Normandy
6 Media
4
Commemoration
6.1 Films
• D-Day 6.6.44 BBC documents advances on Caen
• based on Eisenhower: Crusade in Europe (1949)
• The Norman Summer (1962) CBS documentary
• In Desperate Battle: Normandy 1944 (1992) Canadian TV movie
• Road to Ortona (1962) Canadian documentary
• Turn of the Tide (1962) Canadian documentary
• V Was for Victory (1962) Canadian documentary
• Crisis on the Hill (1962) Canadian documentary
6.2 Games
Provisional wood shop in the destroyed city during the
rebuilding, 1945.
There are many monuments to the Battle for Caen and
Operation Overlord. For example on the road to Odonbridge at Tourmauville, there is a memorial for the 15th
(Scottish) Infantry Division; or the monument on hill 112
for the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division, as well as one for
the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division. Near Hill 112, a
forest was planted in memory of those that fought there.
The landings at Normandy, the Battle for Caen and the
Second World War are remembered today with many
memorials; Caen hosts the Mémorial with a “peace museum” (Musée de la paix). The museum was built by
the city of Caen on top of where the bunker of General
Wilhelm Richter, the commander of the 716th Infantry
Division, was located. On 6 June 1988 French President
François Mitterrand and twelve ambassadors from countries that took part in the fighting in Normandy joined to
open the museum. The museum is dedicated to pacifism
and borders the Parc international pour la Libération de
l'Europe, a garden in remembrance of the Allied participants in the invasion.
The fallen are buried in the Brouay War Cemetery
(377 graves), the Banneville-la-Campagne War Cemetery
(2,170 graves), the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery (2,049 graves), the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian
War Cemetery (2,957 graves), La Cambe German war
cemetery (21,222 graves) as well as many more.
• Call of Duty 2: Video game from the U.S. game
developer Infinity Ward. Released on 3 November
2005, the player is British Sergeant John Davis in
the attack on Caen.
• Hidden & Dangerous 2: The player is a British SAS
soldier that must liberate a town near Caen from the
Germans.
• Battlefield 1942: This extremely popular multiplayer game features a map of Caen only available
with the latest patch which can be found on the Battlefield 1942 website. The two opposing teams, the
Germans and the Canadians, must fight over the city
of Caen.
• Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts: The entire
British campaign, spanning 9 missions, is about the
British 2nd Army’s advance towards Caen and the
battle of Caen.
• Day of Defeat a multiplayer Second World War firstperson shooter computer video game features a map
titled Caen which is based on the battle.
7 Notes
[1] Keegan wrote of c. 2,000 tons and Cawthorne of 2,300
tons and Trew 2,562 tons.[60][61][62] D'Este wrote that
Bomber Command dropped 6,000 bombs in northern
Caen.[63]
9
8
Citations
[1] Trew, p. 22
[2] Forty, p. 36
[3] Buckley (2004), p. 23
[4] Taylor, p. 9
[5] Stacey, p. 142
[6] Ellis, p. 247
[7] Gill, p. 24
[36] Jackson3031
[37] Clark, p. 29
[38] Ellis, p. 277
[39] Clark, p. 21
[40] Stacey, p. 150
[41] Jackson, p. 57
[42] Hart, p. 108
[43] Clark, p. 100
[8] Clay, p. 254 and 256
[44] Clark, p. 104; Copp, p. 18; Daglish, pp. 218–219; Gill,
p. 30; Jackson, pp. 59, 114; Wilmot, p. 348
[9] Forty, p. 37
[45] Jackson, pp. 37, 40, 44, 53, 55 & 59
[10] Ellis, p. 250
[46] Clark, pp. 107–109
[11] Weigley, pp. 109–110
[47] Jackson, p. 59
[12] Hart, p. 134
[48] Reynolds,p. 146
[13] Buckley24
[49] Copp 2004, pp. 98, 111–112.
[14] Wilmot, p. 308
[50] Copp 2004, pp. 98, 113–115.
[15] Taylor, pp. 16–78
[51] Trew, p. 38
[16] Forty, p. 160
[52] Stacey, p. 157
[17] Ellis, p. 255
[53] Wilmot, p. 351
[18] Fortin, p. 69
[54] Keegan, pp. 82–188
[19] Williams, p. 114
[55] Buckley, p. 31
[20] http://www.normandie44lamemoire.com/
versionanglaise/fichesvillesus/lemesnpatrus2.html
[56] Trew, pp. 34, 36–37
[21] http://warchronicle.com/canadian_third_div/
historiantales_wwii/victorycampaignmesnil.htm
[57] Ellis, p. 313
[58] Trew, p. 37
[22] Martin & Whitsed 2008, p. 20.
[59] Scarfe, p. 70
[23] Stacey, p. 140
[60] Keegan, p. 189
[24] Ellis, p. 275
[61] Cawthorne, p. 120
[25] Meyer, p. 340
[62] Trew, p. 36
[26] Saunders, p. 35
[63] D'Este, p. 313
[27] Saunders, pp. 35–36
[64] Copp (2004), p. 103
[28] Meyer, p. 386; Clark, pp. 42, 65
[65] Copp, p. 105
[29] Baverstock, pp. 40–47
[66] Wood, p. 92
[30] Saunders, p. 123
[67] British Ministry of Defence
[31] Ellis, p. 283
[68] Van der Vat, p. 150
[32] Baverstock, pp. 65–149
[69] D'Este, p. 318
[33] Clark, p. 22
[70] Ellis, p. 316
[34] Clark, pp. 31–32
[71] Jackson, p. 62
[35] Jackson, pp. 12, 22, 27
[72] Jackson, pp. 61–62
10
9
[73] Jackson, p. 62 et al.
[74] Bercuson, Pg. 222
[75] Copp, Fifth Brigade at Verrières Ridge, Pg. 2
[76] Bercuson, Pg. 223
[77] Canada at War, Operation Atlantic
REFERENCES
• Clark, Lloyd (2004). Operation Epsom. Battle Zone
Normandy. The History Press. ISBN 0-7509-3008X.
• Clay, Major Ewart W. (1950). The path of the 50th:
The Story of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division in the
Second World War. Aldershot: Gale and Polden.
OCLC 12049041.
[78] Scislowski
[79] Bercuson, Pg. 224
[80] Tank Tactics, Jarymowycz p. 132
[81] Ellis 1962, p. 352.
[82] Wilmot, p. 264
[83] Williams 2004, p. 131.
[84] Trew, p. 94
[85] Williams, p. 185
[86] Shulman, pp. 162–163
[87] Shulman, p. 166
[88] Ellis, p. 492
[89] Overy, p. 212
[90] Ford, p. 9
[91] Hart, p. 47
[92] Beevor, pp. 144–147
[93] Beevor, p. 146
[94] Beevor, pp. 200–202
[95] Beevor, pp. 266–269
• Copp, Terry (2004) [2003]. Fields of Fire: The
Canadians in Normandy. Toronto: University of
Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-3780-1. OCLC
56329119.
• Daglish, Ian (2005). Operation Goodwood. Over
the Battlefield. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 184415-153-0. OCLC 68762230.
• D'Este, Carlo (2004) [1983]. Decision in Normandy: The Real Story of Montgomery and the Allied Campaign. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14101761-9. OCLC 44772546.
• Ellis, L. F. (2004) [1962]. Victory in the West: The
Battle of Normandy. History of the Second World
War, United Kingdom Military Series I (N & M
Press ed.). London: HMSO. ISBN 1-845740-58-0.
• Ford, Ken; Howard, Gerrard (2004). Caen 1944:
Montgomery’s Breakout Attempt. Osprey. ISBN 184176-625-9.
• Fortin, Ludovic (2004). British Tanks In Normandy.
Histoire & Collections. ISBN 2-915239-33-9.
• Forty, George (2004). Villers Bocage. Battle Zone
Normandy. Sutton. ISBN 0-7509-3012-8.
[96] Beevor, p. 272
[97] Beevor, p. 315
[98] Beevor, p. 147
[99] Margolian, p. x (preface)
[100] Meyer, pp. 357, 372
[101] Meyer, p. 379
9
References
• Beevor, Antony (2009). D-Day: The Battle for Normandy. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-88703-3.
• Gill, Ronald; Groves, John (2006) [1946]. Club
Route in Europe: The History of 30 Corps from DDay to May 1945. MLRS Books. ISBN 978-1905696-24-6.
• Hart, Stephen Ashley (2007) [2000]. Colossal
Cracks: Montgomery’s 21st Army Group in Northwest Europe, 1944–45. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole
Books. ISBN 0-8117-3383-1. OCLC 70698935.
• Hastings, Max (2006) [1985]. Overlord: D-Day
and the Battle for Normandy. New York: Vintage
Books USA; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-307-27571X. OCLC 62785673.
• Buckley, John (2006) [2004]. British Armour in the
Normandy Campaign 1944. Abingdon: Taylor &
Francis. ISBN 0-415-40773-7. OCLC 154699922.
• Jackson, G. S.; Staff, 8 Corps (2006) [1945]. 8
Corps: Normandy to the Baltic. Smalldale: MLRS
Books. ISBN 978-1-905696-25-3.
• Cawthorne, Nigel (2005). Victory in World War II.
London: Capella (Acturus). ISBN 1-84193-351-1.
OCLC 222830404.
• Jarymowycz, R. (2001). Tank Tactics, from Normandy to Lorraine. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.
ISBN 1-55587-950-0.
11
• Keegan, John (2004) [1982]. Six Armies in Normandy: From D-Day to the Liberation at Paris.
London: Pimlico. ISBN 1-84413-739-2. OCLC
56462089.
• Weigley, Russell F. (1981). Eisenhower’s Lieutenants: The Campaigns of France and Germany,
1944–1945. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN 0-28398801-0.
• Margolian, Howard (1998). Conduct Unbecoming:
The Story of the Murder of Canadian Prisoners of
War in Normandy. University of Toronto Press.
ISBN 0-8020-8360-9.
• Williams, Andrew (2004). D-Day to Berlin. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-83397-1.
OCLC 60416729.
• Martin, C. C.; Whitsed, R. (2008). Battle Diary:
From D-Day and Normandy to the Zuider Zee and
VE. Toronto: Dundurn Press. ISBN 1-55488-0920.
• Meyer, Kurt (2005) [1957]. Grenadiers: The Story
of Waffen SS General Kurt “Panzer” Meyer. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, U.S.; New Ed
edition. ISBN 0-8117-3197-9.
• Overy, Richard (1996). Why the Allies Won: Explaining Victory in World War II. Pimlico. ISBN
978-0-7126-7453-9.
• Reid, Brian (2005). No Holding Back. Robin Brass
Studio. ISBN 1-896941-40-0.
• Reynolds, Michael (2001) [1997]. Steel Inferno: I SS
Panzer Corps in Normandy. Da Capo Press. ISBN
1-885119-44-5.
• Scarfe, Norman (2006) [1947]. Assault Division:
A History of the 3rd Division from the Invasion of
Normandy to the Surrender of Germany. Stroud,
Gloucestershire: Spellmount. ISBN 1-86227-3383.
• Shulman, Milton (2004) [1947]. Defeat in the West.
Cassell. ISBN 0-304-36603-X.
• Stacey, Colonel Charles Perry; Bond, Major C. C.
J. (1960). The Victory Campaign: The Operations in
North-West Europe 1944–1945 (PDF). Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War
III. Ottawa: The Queen’s Printer and Controller of
Stationery. OCLC 58964926. Retrieved 21 May
2014.
• Tamelander, Michael; Zetterling, Niklas (2004).
Avgörandets Ögonblick: Invasionen i Normandie
1944. Norsteds Förlag. ISBN 978-91-7001-203-7.
Retrieved 21 May 2014.
• Taylor, Daniel (1999). Villers-Bocage Through the
Lens. Old Harlow: Battle of Britain International.
ISBN 1-870067-07-X. OCLC 43719285.
• Trew, Simon; Badsey, Stephen (2004). Battle for
Caen. Battle Zone Normandy. Stroud: Sutton.
ISBN 0-7509-3010-1. OCLC 56759608.
• Van der Vat, Dan (2003). D-Day; The Greatest Invasion, A People’s History. Toronto: Madison Press.
ISBN 1-55192-586-9. OCLC 51290297.
• Wilmot, Chester; Christopher Daniel McDevitt
(1997) [1952]. The Struggle For Europe. Ware,
Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions. ISBN 185326-677-9. OCLC 39697844.
• Wood, James A. (2007). Army of the West: The
Weekly Reports of German Army Group B from
Normandy to the West Wall. Mechanicsburg, PA:
Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-3404-8. OCLC
126229849.
10 Further reading
• Pogue, F. C. (1950). “D-Day to the Breakout”. The
Supreme Command. United States Army in World
War II The European Theater of Operations. Washington: Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army. OCLC 252766501.
• Steiger, A. G. (1952). Invasion and Battle of Normandy, 6 June – 22 August 1944 (PDF). The Campaign in North-West Europe: Information from
German Sources II (50). Ottawa: Canadian Army,
Army Historical Section. OCLC 32228446. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
• “The Drive on Caen: Northern France, 7 June – 9
July 1944” (PDF). Commemorative Booklets (4).
London: Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 21 May
2014.
• “The Final Battle for Normandy: Northern France,
9 July – 30 August 1944” (PDF). Commemorative
Booklets (5). London: Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
11 External links
• 9th Canadian Brigade operations, 7 June 1944
(2012)
• The Battle of Caen, 1944
• Overview of the Battle for Caen
• Operation Charnwood
• Caen: Stalingrad of the Hitler Youth
• onWar.com Maps
12
• Caen Memorial
• Normandy field trip survival guide
• Légion Magazine Reassessing Operation Totalize
• Info about the massacre
• Info about the battle
• ornebridgehead.org
• junobeach.org
• Abbaye d'Ardenne
Coordinates: 49°11′10″N 0°21′45″W / 49.18611°N
0.36250°W
11
EXTERNAL LINKS
13
12
12.1
Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
Text
• Battle for Caen Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_Caen?oldid=663224289 Contributors: Gsl, DopefishJustin, GTBacchus,
Indefatigable, Postdlf, Folks at 137, Klemen Kocjancic, D6, CDN99, Man vyi, King nothing, Geschichte, Ferrierd, Sligocki, Hohum,
John N., Dragunova, Dismas, Kelly Martin, Theo F, Rjwilmsi, Tim!, Ian Dunster, Klosterdev, Jaraalbe, Sus scrofa, Noclador, Gaius
Cornelius, Manxruler, BOT-Superzerocool, Gadget850, HBR (usurped), LeonardoRob0t, Motorfix, Easter Monkey, Thomas Blomberg,
IP4240207xx, SmackBot, Burtonpe, DMorpheus, Michael Dorosh, Eskimbot, Mike McGregor (Can), Chris the speller, Bjmullan, EncMstr, MalafayaBot, Colonies Chris, Modest Genius, Jmlk17, Ohconfucius, Nishkid64, Ergative rlt, Cyclopaedic, Nobunaga24, Waggers,
Gamahler, Andrwsc, Dl2000, Hu12, Keith-264, Rwhealey, Civil Engineer III, Geeman, CmdrObot, Tristan benedict, Ballista, BFCockburn, Corporal Punishment, PamD, Dddelfin, Nirvana77, Magioladitis, Dodo19~enwiki, KConWiki, Semper-Fi 2006, BobFish, MarcoLittel, MisterBee1966, Philip Trueman, SilentOne17, Dormskirk, Broadbot, Wokelly, Koalorka, Climie.ca, SieBot, Jack1956, Kumioko
(renamed), Dabomb87, ClueBot, Selecciones de la Vida, Scartboy, EoGuy, Niceguyedc, Auntof6, EnigmaMcmxc, Alexbot, John Nevard,
Sustructu, Londonclanger, Eik Corell, Wmartin08, Jim Sweeney, Addbot, Magus732, Syber Sid, Delta 51, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Sageo,
Gunner357, QueenCake, AnomieBOT, Rubinbot, ArthurBot, MauritsBot, J04n, Feuer feu, Justiceforall1958, FrescoBot, Grey Furb, Wyrden, Trappist the monk, Chnou, RjwilmsiBot, MattMoissa, Furby99, IIIraute, David J Johnson, Mentibot, Albert of Words, Frietjes,
Helpful Pixie Bot, Rover411, Hamish59, Cobra 951, Dexbot, Mogism, GyaroMaguus, YvelinesFrance, Nimetapoeg, Daniellion, Jodosma,
Johansen.fred, Hayek79 and Anonymous: 102
12.2
Images
• File:Ardennes_Abbey_2.JPG Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Ardennes_Abbey_2.JPG License: CCBY-SA-3.0 Contributors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ardennes_Abbey_2.JPG Original artist: Burtonne
• File:Basse-Normandie_flag.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Flag_of_Basse-Normandie.svg License: GFDL Contributors: own work + <a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Haute-Normandie_flag.svg' class='image'><img
alt='Haute-Normandie
flag.svg'
src='//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Haute-Normandie_flag.svg/
30px-Haute-Normandie_flag.svg.png'
width='30'
height='18'
srcset='//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/
Haute-Normandie_flag.svg/45px-Haute-Normandie_flag.svg.png
1.5x,
//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/
Haute-Normandie_flag.svg/60px-Haute-Normandie_flag.svg.png 2x' data-file-width='500' data-file-height='300' /></a> Original artist:
Zorlot
• File:Battleforceanmapenglish.PNG Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Battleforceanmapenglish.PNG License: CC BY-SA 2.5 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-738-0267-21A,_Villers-Bocage,_zerstörte_Militärfahrzeuge.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.
org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-738-0267-21A%2C_Villers-Bocage%2C_zerst%C3%B6rte_Milit%C3%
A4rfahrzeuge.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 de Contributors: 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.
Original artist: Grimm, Arthur
• File:Caenafterbattle.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Caenafterbattle.jpg License: Public domain
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Canadian_Red_Ensign_1921-1957.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Canadian_Red_Ensign_
1921-1957.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Canadian_bulldozer_in_Caen.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Canadian_bulldozer_in_Caen.
jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie / Archives nationales du Canada http://www.
archivesnormandie39-45.org/specificPhoto.php?ref=p000006 Original artist: Not mentioned in source
• File:Commons-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
• File:Flag_of_German_Reich_(1935–1945).svg Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Flag_of_German_
Reich_%281935%E2%80%931945%29.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Fornax
• File:Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Heinkel_He_111_during_the_Battle_of_Britain.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Heinkel_
He_111_during_the_Battle_of_Britain.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: This is photograph MH6547 from the collections of the
Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-05) Original artist: Unknown
• File:Jupitermortar.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Jupitermortar.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: This is photograph B 6852 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-29) Original artist: Sergeant
Jones No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit
• File:Naval_Bombardments_on_D-Day.png Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Naval_Bombardments_
on_D-Day.png License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Operation_Perch.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Operation_Perch.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Taylor, Daniel (1999) Villers-Bocage Through the Lens, Old Harlow: Battle of Britain International ISBN: 1-87006-707-X. ISBN
1-87006-707-X Original artist: EyeSerene
• File:Operationepsom.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Operationepsom.jpg License: Public domain
Contributors: This is photograph B 6017 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-29) Original artist: Sergeant
Laing No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit
14
12
TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
• File:Royal_Engineers_in_Caen.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Royal_Engineers_in_Caen.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: This is photograph B 6897 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-29)
Original artist: Sergeant Mapham, No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit
• File:Second_Battle_of_Odon_EN.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Second_Battle_of_Odon_EN.svg
License: CC BY 4.0 Contributors:
• SS-Panzer-Division symbol.svg Original artist: Philg88; Attribution: Wikimedia Foundation (www.wikimedia.org)
• File:Wikibooks-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikibooks-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Own work Original artist: User:Bastique, User:Ramac et al.
• File:Wikinews-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Wikinews-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: This is a cropped version of Image:Wikinews-logo-en.png. Original artist: Vectorized by Simon 01:05, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
Updated by Time3000 17 April 2007 to use official Wikinews colours and appear correctly on dark backgrounds. Originally uploaded by
Simon.
• File:Wikiquote-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Wikisource-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Rei-artur Original artist: Nicholas Moreau
• File:Wiktionary-logo-en.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Wiktionary-logo-en.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Vector version of Image:Wiktionary-logo-en.png. Original artist: Vectorized by Fvasconcellos (talk · contribs), based
on original logo tossed together by Brion Vibber
• File:Wiktionary-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Wiktionary-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
12.3
Content license
• Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0