Operation Goodwood
Meanwhile, on July 18, Montgomery carries on with his tactics of permanent stitches and major operations for the destruction of the German tank weapon. The operation "Goodwood" rolls up. Between 05.30 and 08.30 the most intense bomb raid till now, operated by 2 100 bombers of the RAF and USAF, goes down on the men of the Army Group Rommel . But according to Max Hasting in "Overlord" "the German soldier proves once again how to defend himself with determination and destiny". Two hours after the beginning of the attack he British meet bitter resistance at Cagny. Four 8.8 flak guns of the 16. Luftwaffe Feld Division have escaped the bomb raid. By pistol point, Colonel Hans von Luck of the 21. Panzer Division compels their officer to abandon his delusions about his anti-aircraft-role, and to engage the advancing British tanks at once. With success, because 16 Shermans of the 11.Armoured Division fall to these guns alone.
The German forces are in a hopeless minority. Apart from of the 21. Panzer Division already mentioned and the 16. Luftwaffe Feld Division, the 1. SS Panzer Division and the 272. Infantry Division with no tanks and hardly any anti-tank guns lean heavily against the allied onslaught. In reserve are two task forces of the badly mauled 12. SS Panzer Division.
But the 78 8.8 cm flak guns reverently called "queen of the battlefield" by the British, bring the tank wave of the British and Canadians to a standstill. As well as the grenadiers of "Panzer- Meyer" who attack with mines and sticky bombs as well as the 8.8 of their Panzers. The result is shocking for the British. By 17.00 the 29. Tank Brigade has lost already 50% of its tanks, the 11. Armoured Division loses 126 tanks and the Guards Armoured Division in its first battle loses 60 of its vehicles. These losses make good quite fast again on an Allied side. The German crew and tank losses however, go to their substance.
The position of the Americans has improved further by the taking of Saint Lo by then. The geographical conditions in their part of the Normandy, hedges and narrow passes, also called Bocage, favour the defenders and force the attacker to increasingly more new methods to meet the adversities. Sergeant Curtis G. Culin jun. of the 102nd reconnaissance department invents a device, which enables the Sherman tanks to scurry through the hedgerows, instead of laying bare the unprotected bottom of the tank by driving up the hedges. Four steel teeth which pry out the bushes are welded to the bow. This "secret weapon" is held back up to the start of operation "Cobra". "Cobra" shall bring about the definite breakthrough into the wideness of the French hinterland and to guarantee this General Bradley reactivates his second "secret weapon", General George S. Patton.
The offensive shall start in an area west of Saint-Lo between the villages Hébécreyon and Montreuil with a gigantic bomb raid by 2 264 bombers on July 25. Through this gap three U.S. divisions shall thrust forward. West of it another three divisions shall head for direction Coutances fast and then push open the gate to Brittany, Avranches.
For the Panzer Lehr Division this means the end of it. General Bayerlein: "My flak batteries were hit directly, half of the guns were destroyed completely and the remaining ones were silenced. After an hour I had no connection to anybody anymore. Towards noon nothing more could be seen apart from dust and smoke. My positions were a lunar landscape and at least 70% of my soldiers fallen, wounded, had been out of one's mind or were absolutely incapable of acting. All of my tanks in the front lines were destroyed ". And still there is resistance from the survivors. Towards the evening the three U.S. divisions have traveled only three kilometres. But two days later the strength of these resistance nests are exhausted, too. The Americans take Coutances on July 29, Avranches on July 30. Patton urges his men again and again. Reflections of his flank safeguarding are ignored. Patton: "Care about your target, not about your flanks"! Patton's troops take Pontaubault and the bridge leading about the Sélune on July 31. The success of the invasion depends on just this bridge now.
The last German defence forces that von Kluge still had at his disposal were remains of the 77. Infantry Division under Oberst (colonel) Bacherer and 14 assault guns. He assembled stragglers and parts of the 5. Paratrooper Division.Von Kluge sent him the following radio message in the morning of July 30: „Avranches has to be taken and kept at all cost. It is the cardinal point of our defence. With it the decision stands and is made in the west." Oberst Bacherer attacked in the morning of July 31. It was rainy which kept the Allied Thunderbolts at bay. The attack gathered speed. Pontaubault was conquered and the attack further continued to Avranches. The first houses of the town were taken again, then it brightened up and the Jabos returned. Within an hour all 14 assault guns were destroyed and the German task forces forced back into their initial positions.
Patton now pushes with power in the wideness of France. He and his officers direct the traffic personally. They succeed to channel seven divisions with 100 000 man and 15 000 vehicles over these roads and bridges within 72 hours. Patton adopts Guderians philosophy: The protection of our flanks is the task of the following infantry. The target is in front". Rennes already falls on August 4!
Hitler is upset and demands to cut off the bottleneck at Avranches with all means. He demands that eight of nine Panzer Divisions shall be made available and concentrated for an attack at Mortain. To this, the last Luftwaffe reserves, 1 000 fighters, shall be thrown in the battle. In the night of August 6 to August 7, four Panzer Divisions form up an offensive battle group under the supreme command of General Freiherr von Funck (47. Panzer Korps): 2. Division under by General von Lüttwitz, 116. under Graf Schwerin, parts of 1. SS Leibstandarte under Brigadeführer (major general) Wisch, 2. SS Division "Das Reich" under Gruppenführer (lieutenant general) Lammerding, a task force of the 17. SS Panzergrenadier Division „Götz von Berlichingen“ and the remains of Panzer –Lehr.
