Dose any one have another the source for the engagement by the Sherbrooke Fusiliers on the morning of 9th June? The only one I know about is the one in the history of The Royal Canadian armoured Corps by Marteinson and McNorgan. It reads as followers: (p244)
“On the morning of 9 June a composite Sherbrooke squadron under Major Vincent Walsh was sent out on a raid to the southeast of Bretteville l’Orgueilleuse. Soon after setting out, a company of twelve Panthers was spotted advancing rapidly across the open fields toward Norrey-en-Bessin, then held by a single company of the Regina Rifles. The Sherbrooke gunners quickly brought this foray to a halt, knocking out seven Panthers in quick order. Later in the day, 'C' Squadron of the Hussars had similar good shooting against another attack by German tanks just west of Bretteville:
“Trooper A. Chapman, crack gunner in Lieut. G.K. Henry's tank, established a bridgehead record. When six tanks penetrated his position he held his fire until all were visible; then with Tpr. 'Sass' Seaman slapping the rounds into the 17-pdr.... He fired five times. Five rounds - five Panthers. Before he got to the sixth one, another "C" Sqn. tank, commanded by Sgt. Boyle, had accounted for it.”
There is no reference to any tank battles on the morning of 9th June in Hubert Mayer’s, Craig Luther’s, or Herbert Walter’s books on the history of the 12th SS. They cover the attacks by 1st and 4th Companies on the night of 8/9th June and the attack of 3rd company in the early afternoon, but have nothing occurring between these two attacks.
To me it appears that all three Armoured Regiments in 2nd CAB were claiming credit for the destruction of the 3rd company.
The response posted by Bill Alexander on the Canuck site appears to be the most logical one I have seen.
Quote:
Vanguard, the history of the Fort Garry Horse in the Second World War has an appendix, which contains the following description of the Bretteville L'Orgueilleuse action. Major C.D.A.Tweedle was designated as first reinforcement in May of 1944 and was the officer bringing replacement tanks to the Fort Garry's, 1st Hussars and Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regt.He was a Fort Garry officer, and the first reinforcement unit appears to have been a composite unit made up of all three 2nd Armd Bde units and the Elgins. The following is a direct quote of his report on the action (pg 126-127 of Vanguard):
We reported to Major Marks of C Sqn 1st Hussars and on the 8th June and held a defensive position. On the morning of 9th June, I was ordered to take two troops south to the area just east of Bray overlooking Rots and Rosel as tank busting equipment had been seen by the Tac R in that area. Nothing was seen by us, and at noon the rest of the squadron came up and we proceded to Bretteville L'Orgueilleuse, when we were ordered back by Brig to high ground I was on at noon. On retiring, a Lt with a depleted company stopped one of the troop officers and said he had to go into Bretteville and secure it as their Bn HQ, and had been isolated by infiltration. We called up the Brig, and got permission. Our plan was this:two troops of tanks on the right,one in the centre to proceed into the town with the infantry and three on the left (we had six troops, our two (FGH)on the left.) We got down the Bretteville-Caen road with no trouble and put the infantry into the town. We were busily "brassing up" Norrey en Bessin, and an ammo train at the station (Cross fire with co-ax etc in a good hull down position), when I noticed a hell of a big tank with a long gun pass our front about 900 yds away and going at a good speed. We called up and told the right troops about it. When low and behold six "Panthers" came up to the crest in orderly fashion and slowly , about 850-1050 yds range. We let them have it and knocked the six without them firing a shot at us or traversing their guns in our direction. We thought there were only five but found we had knocked out six on later inspection. The right troops got the lead tank, which no doubt a lot of the Regiment saw on the road between Bretteville and Norrey; our Garry tanks accounted for three. We later found a company of Regina Rifles had been isolated out there and over-run; these men were saved by our action. ... So there you have an action where nine Shermans took on eleven Panthers, knocked out seven and routed four without loss from a range as stated above. (Lt Henry of the 1st Hussars had a 17pr). The crew commanders I can remember were Sgt Graham and Sgt Chadioisky. My gunner was Tpr Bennett W.L. and loader Tpr Argue R.D.: The boys of the other tanks claimed Bennett and Argue got off three rounds before any of the others fired. Bennett's first shot out of out tank knocked out a Panther at 850 yds, the second shot missed the tank aimed at and hit another, it exploded and blew off the turret.
Capt Tweedle was awarded a MC, a periodic award, which is partly due to this action.
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