Tuesday, June 27, 1944

The days that marked the Battle of Normandy

Operation Epsom continues east of Caen, and the 49th British infantry division, after heavy fighting, manages to liberate the village of Raurey. The 15th Scottish infantry division, after securing the village of Cheux, wants to continue its meteoric progress and is heading towards the bridges on the Odon river, the major objectives of the Epsom operation. But it is slowed down by defenders of the Panzer Lehr who refuse to lose more ground. The allied losses are very important.

However, advanced elements of the Scottish 15th Infantry Division succeeded in establishing a bridgehead on the right bank of the Odon river, reached at the Pont de Tourmanville. Other elements of this division, as well as the 11th Armored Division, cross the bridge and attack the strategic point of hill 112.

On the evening of June 27, the Scots broke through the German front about 10 kilometers deep, an impressive performance that did not meet the expectations of Montgomery, who, from his headquarters at Blay, was worried by the catastrophic reports of British losses since the beginningof operation Epsom.

In Cherbourg, the last German strongholds and the arsenal fell and the Allied engineers went to the port of the city, the main objective of the allies since D-Day. German destruction was extremely important and very long repairs are engaged.

On June 27: 177,000 allied vehicles landed in Normandy.

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