Operation Goodwood

What can anyone tell me about since I have only a vage knowledge about the operation.

 

PzGr :

I have a bit of info on the shelves. What do you want to know specifically ? Anyone else add to this ???



E

 

Ok, the simpleton's version which I hope gets this rolling for other posters like Andreas or Timo with his knowledge of 1st SS Pz. Divsion.
At 0745 on 18 July, after an aerial bombardment of more than two hours, the operation started. Caen was cleared successfully by II Canadian Corps and the 3 British Division also achieving it's objectives.....but at what cost ? Reported in several sources of the losses of over 400 Allied tanks. 1st SS and 12th SS being fully committed to this area of battle.....
Ok experts, let's here more, bitte !!!

E

 

Good GRIEF!! I have little knowledge of this operation as I keep my head and thought in the east front areas mostly, but estimates of over 400 tanks destroyed--holy Jesus....

 

Carl :

I am digging further but since this op was in mid summer right before and and after two other major British/Canadian offensives.
What a mess, I can see why 1st, 9th and 10th as well as 12th SS Pz and 101 and 102 SS schwere abteilungs had such high scores. This doesn't even count the numerous Wehrmacht and Ground Luft units equipped with
8.8 cm Flak that racked up tallies as well.

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I remember reading in one of my books (dunno which one it was) but I had heard of an inexperianced 88 flak crew DID indeed stop a major allied armored thrust in that operation. I dont remember where they were but, they were attached to an SS unit, they were the sole 88 crew in that area. These guys ran out of ammo, and had to destroy their 88, as there were no prime movers available.

These Luft guys, not only destroyed their gun, but withdrew without orders of anykind. This really ticked off the local SS Commander, who threatened to have these men all shot, but only shot their commanding Leutnant; as an example.

This is about all I know of Goodwind.

 

Carl :

I'll have to dig into this also.....intersting !

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And I will have to remember that there was more to ww2 than just the Eastern Front...

 

i think i vaguely recall seeing something on TV about this. In which the British launched a massive offensive after a large aerial bombardment...the allied units went through the German front lines because they were so shell-shocked from the bombing...but after awhile came up against superior german tanks units. and thus stalling the allied operation for some time. Although the exact units etc i have no idea.

 

Im still picking my brain, trying to remember what book I read that in--im thinking it could have been a book by James Lucas?? That story sounds about his speed.

 

There's a bit in Hans Von Luck's book, ("Panzer" something) where IIRC, he threatens to shoot a FLAK commander if he does not deploy his 88's to fire at the British armor.

 

My knowledge of the entire battles in the West are minimal after 1940, but I seem to remember reading that the Anglo-American air forces dropped 4000 tons of bombs onto a line of 40 Tiger tanks in one night, managed to damage 20 of them thus and 10 of those were repaired again by dawn. Some efficiency.

 

G'day

In operation Goodwood the British and Canadian army tried to gain control of the high ground that dominated the road from Caen to Falaise. There was a massive artillery and aerial bombardment, the aerial part containing about 2000 planes delivering 7700 tons of bombs the heaviest and most concentrated air attack in support of ground forces ever attempted" according to Air Chief Marshal Leigh Mallory. In Goodwood the breaking of the German lines succeeded on 19th of July. The number of losses of tanks I have got in a paper on 271 at the end of Goodwood.

Popski

 

Between 5:30 and 8:30 a.m. on the morning of July 18th one of the greatest ever air bombardments of ground forces was unleashed upon Panzer Group West by heavy and medium bombers of the US and RAF air forces. 11th armored, 7th armored and the Guards Armored Divisions came into the 1st SS Pz. Divisions defences. To take the high ground of Bourguebus ridge. On their right the west side of Caen came down the Canadian 2nd Division through Louvigny towards St. Andre again through 1st SS Panzer and the 272nd and towards a part of the 2nd Pz. Divison. Around the village of Cagny stood just 4 8.8cm flak of the 16th Luft. Field Div. Forgeting their AA role Colonel Hans von Luck of the 21st Pz. Div compelled the Kommandeur to engage the British tanks. 16 of the 11th Armored Div.s' tanks went up in flames due to the effect of these 4 guns. Pak and Tank fire grew as the British and Canadian's advanced. The 7th Armored did not reach the 29th Brigades squadron's until 5 p.m., by which time the latter had suffered 50 % tank losses, the 11th armored losing a total of 126 tanks during the day. The Guards Armored Div. losing 60 tanks in this, it's first battle.
The Canadians had gained most of Caen, but the Germans remained in absolute control of Bourgebus ridge, which they reinforced strongly during the night. The Canadians lost 1.965 casualties. Two infantry battalions bore the brunt of this.......South Saskatchewans and the Essex Scottish. Two days later 7th Armored gained part of the ridge but in the heavy rain and mud which now made the closure of the operation inevitable, the German line was still unbroken. The British had suffered 5,537 casualties and lost 400 tanks, 36 % of their armored strength in France, of which only a proportion could be recoverd and repaired. So vast were the Allied reserves of material that replacements were made to almost every armored division within 36 hours.
The British had attacked across more open country than in any battle of the campaign thus far and .........more later !

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Schwere SS-Panzerabteilung 101

18.07.44 The Tigers are in final assembly around Bourguebus. In a counterattack west of Hubert-Folie north of La Guinguette several enemy tanks are knocked out. South of Soliers a Firefly of the 5th Royal Tank rgt. knocks out a Tiger right through a haystack. 27 Tigers left.
19.07.44 Scattered actions of the operational tanks. The kommandeur of the 3rd company is knocked out by a 'friendly' AT gun and is killed. The TFK I, Hauptsturmführer Heurich, takes over command of the 3rd company which enters action near Chichebouille. 26 Tigers operational.
20.07.44 1 Tiger of 2nd company is knocked out by City of London Yeomanry. The 3rd company is in action near Ferme Beauvoir. 25 Tigers left.

More later........

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more interesting stuff....

1st SS Panzer Div.

having first been sent closer to Caen, between Eterville and Mondeville, the division was moved east towards CAgny at the time of Operation Goodwood-a few units being caught up in the bombing that preceded the offensive on July 18th.
I. Abteilung was in action in the vicinity of Bourguebus. No more than about 46 tanks were available and they suffered heavy losses, but the Allies lost a hundred and could advance no further.
On the 20th of July, near Verrieres, three kilometres west of Bourguebus on the other side of the main road from Caen to Falaise, SS Panzer Rgt. 1 was able to assemble 70 Panthers and Pz. IV's. After the Canadian attack on Verrieres ridge, the Allied offensive marked time.
The division continued the fight between the two main roads N158 CAen-Falaise and N13 Caen-Lisieux and took part in a counter attack at Tilly-la-Campagne on July 25th.

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Hello Sopwith, the book is Panzer Commander.

Hello Popski--long time no hear....

VERY well said Erich, if I had one to award you, I would award you the 1939 bar to your 1914 EK 2nd, for this posting Bubi.

 

ugh ! Just finished a 45 page account by the Canadians. The operation was code-named Operation Atlantic. In a nut-shell the Canadians lost over 1500 casualties and 200 tanks.

This operation as I find more info on it, and it seems to be turning up everywhere I look, sounds to me like a total flop ...... from the Allies point of view. So much slaughter for so little ground taken. I have read 6 different accounts now and am finishing up Paul Carrell's German version.

I'll be back......... !

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Egads!! but at least the book by Paul Carell is trustworthy--Lucas books-aint.

 

I read in CC Martins Battle Diary that allied Bombers hit the Canadians start line 2 days in a row causing a lot of casualties, it appears the RAF pathfinders got lost, resulting in their transfer out of that elite bombing unit