Hill 112: Cornerstone of the Normandy Campaign

Hill 112: Cornerstone of the Normandy Campaign by J.J. How. Hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780921991816.

The capture of the town of Caen was the key to victory in the Normandy Campaign and Hill 112 was the key to taking Caen. General Bernard Montgomery, commander of Allied land forces in Normandy, planned to take Caen on the first day of the invasion - 6 June. After some of the most bitter fighting of the campaign, Caen was eventually captured by 18 July. On 3 August the Germans abandoned their positions on Hill 112. Major How, a decorated veteran of the fighting, has produced an enthralling account of the battles for Hill 112 and the two massive British armored offensives intended to capture Caen - Epsom and Goodwood. Sources from both sides, including many dramatic first-hand accounts, have been used to produce a balanced narrative. It was on the front facing the British and Canadian forces that the Germans massed the majority of their armor, including the I and II SS-Panzer-Korps comprising; 1. SS Panzer-Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler", 12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend", 9. SS-Panzer-Division "Hohenstaufen", 10. SS-Panzer-Division "Frundsberg" and SS-schwere-Panzer-Abteilungen 101 and 102 (Tiger). British units facing the Germans included the 15th Scottish Division, 43rd Wessex Division, 49th West Riding Division, 53rd Welsh Division and the 7th ("Desert Rats"), 11th, 79th and Guards Armoured Divisions. Some of the largest tank versus tank engagements of the European campaign took place around Caen. Includes 70 black and white photographs and 15 maps.