Mont PinconIn late July 1944 the Allies began their breakout from the Normandy beachheads. The Americans in Operation COBRA and the British in Operation BLUECOAT. VIII and XXX British Corps were to seize the dominating ground running north west from Mont Pincon and exploit towards Vire. Mont Pincon is the highest hill in Normandy and is a formidable obstacle as well as magnificent observation post. The Germans saw it as essential to their defensive plans for Normandy. Three armored and three infantry divisions, together with two armored brigades, were hurriedly regrouped for the BLUECOAT advance into the bocage, in which determined German resistance meant that it was 5 August before the 'mountain' itself could be tackled. The Guide outlines the principal actions of BLUECOAT, but concentrates on the key players in the assault on Mont Pincon: 43rd Wessex Division and 8th Armoured Brigade. Contemporary accounts, including personal diaries, as well as more recent personal interviews are also covered. |
Contents
Acknowledgements | 6 |
Introduction | 8 |
1 Chapt COBRA_BLUECOAT | 25 |
2 Chapt30 July XX Corps | 35 |
3 Chapt30 July VIII Corps | 47 |
4 Chapt Aug XXX Corps | 57 |
5 Chapt Aug VIII Corps | 69 |
6 Chapt 3_4Aug XXX Corps | 77 |
9 Chapt A Footing | 107 |
9a10 Chapt Assault | 119 |
9b 11 Chapt Elsehere | 131 |
9c 12 Chapt ight on Picon | 139 |
9d 13 Chapt Grimoult | 149 |
9e 14 Capture Mont Picon | 155 |
9f 15 Guide to Battlefield | 165 |
Bibliography | 171 |
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Common terms and phrases
129 Brigade 130 Brigade 15th Division 214 Brigade 4/7 Dragoon Guards 43rd Division 46 Brigade 50th Division 7th Armoured Division advance Armoured Brigade Army artillery attack August Aunay Aunay-sur-Odon battalion battle Bigne bocage Bois du Homme bridge Briquessard British Cahagnes Captain capture casualties Caumont Coldstream company commander counter-attacks crossroads DCLI Divisional Dorset enemy Estry fighting forward German Grenadiers Guards Armoured Division heavy high ground Irish Guards Julius Neave July Jurques left flank Lieutenant machine guns miles Mont Pinçon Montchauvet moved Nigel Cave night Normandy Ondefontaine Operation BLUECOAT patrol platoon Plessis Grimoult position Quarry Hill Queen’s reached Regiment ridge right flank road Scots Guards Sergeant shelling Sherman Sherwood Rangers slopes Somerset Light Infantry Somme Squadron 13/18 Hussars SS Panzer Division St Jean-le-Blanc St Pierre-du-Fresne Tiger tanks took track troops Varinière VIII Corps village Villers-Bocage Vire Welsh Guards Wilts Wiltshire wooded wounded XXX Corps