Carpiquet

[klambie]

Always interested in information related to this operation, as my great uncle was killed with the Regina Rifles around La Villeneuve on 4 July 44. The Reginas were not directly involved in Windsor, but their positions at Rots and La Villeneuve overlooked much of the battlefield and they were shelled throughout the day.

I must have missed John's thread on Milner's book last year, but I think they have done a teriffic job in combining period airphotos, accounts, and Map References with current satellite imagery, and investigation on the ground to shed a lot of light on the details of the North Shore's experience in that first month or so ashore and identify detailed locations of various actions. This is the type of detail that I aspire to be able to provide for the Regina Rifles during the same period.

For subscribers to Canadian Military History, there is a piece that I have just skimmed so far in the current issue, by David Patterson. I believe that David's hypothesis is that Carpiquet had relatively little to do with preparations for the Canadian assault on Caen, and was much more focussed on eliminating German postions that overlooked the British in the low ground south of Carpiquet, captured during Epsom and suffering an ongoing pounding from the Germans that remained on that high ground.

[Rob S]

Milner's book is a short, but well written and rich in detail. I will definitely be hanging on to my copy.

[Dean (Ajax)]

I will be there this Saturday taking a look through the fence!!!

MY first trip to the Battlefields.

Dean

[John McGillivray]

Originally Posted by klambie

I believe that David's hypothesis is that Carpiquet had relatively little to do with preparations for the Canadian assault on Caen, and was much more focussed on eliminating German postions that overlooked the British in the low ground south of Carpiquet, captured during Epsom and suffering an ongoing pounding from the Germans that remained on that high ground.

I am currently reading Patrick Delaforce’s book “The Black Bull: from Normandy to the Baltic with the 11th Armoured Division”. In the chapter dealing with Operation Epson and Hill 112 there are a number of references to Carpiquet which shows the importance of that position to the German defence.

P 35 “The infantry battalions dug in around Hill 112 were under enemy observation Ops from Carpiquet aerodrome in the north.”

P38 “A terrific flap was in progress. Support troops were hurriedly digging in, tanks taking up position, shells coming over from Carpiquet aerodrome.”

P39 “On the right 30 Corps had not kept up with 8 Corps and on the left flank, the Canadian attack on Carpiquet airfield had been postponed” (on 29 June).

P41 on 30th June “3RTR had been lent to 32 Guards Brigade against the Germans ensconced at Carpiquet aerodrome, west of Caen”

P42 “…but Tim Ellis noted that the night of 3rd-4th (July) was “a hell of a bad night from Enemy mortars and artillery. The devil of it is that we get shell from the Germans in the Carpiquet area (almost directly behind us in the Salient)”

P42 “The Herefords on Hill 112 had nine days of constant shelling and mortaring, mainly from Carpiquet."

P42 “Both (Artillery) Regiments often received counter-battery fire from Carpiquet…”