Buron (Calvados)
The cities of Normandy during the 1944 battles
Liberation: July 9, 1944
Deployed units:
27th Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Fusilier), 2nd Armoured, 3rd Infantry Division
Highland Light Infantry of Canada, 9th Canadian Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division
S.S.-Panzergrenadierregiment 25, 12. S.S. Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend
History:
On 7 June 1944, in the aftermath of D-Day, SS Panzergrenadierregiment 25 led by SS Standartenführer Kurt Meyer and belonging to the 12th SS Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend counterattacked towards the beaches and pushed Canadians beyond Buron.
Soldiers S.S., determined not to retreat and to die on the spot if necessary, hold this position for a full month, pushing back several Canadian patrols. General Montgomery set up several operations to capture the city of Caen: Operation Perch (June 7, 1944), Operation Epsom (June 26, 1944) and Operation Windsor (July 4, 1944). Operation Charnwood, launched at the dawn of July 8, 1944, was to change the situation: a few hours earlier, one of the most important aerial bombardments of the Battle of Normandy took place: 467 bombers of the Royal Air Strength, 656 pieces of artillery from five different divisions as well as four warships are dedicated to supporting the ground troops, not to mention reinforcements from the US Air Force and allied light fighter-bombers.
In spite of this devastating firepower, the SFs held firm, and when the Highland Light Infantry of Canada soldiers stormed to take over Buron, the Canadians were unable to settle permanently in the commune. The two armies clash with extreme violence. After an entire day in which 262 Allied soldiers are put out of action, the two camps settle in defensive for the night.
The furious battle resumed with an unchanged intensity at the dawn of July 9, 1944, the S.S. not retreating under any pretext and not hesitating to fight in hand to hand. In the middle of the morning, at 10 am, the Canadians finally seized the Buron, despite very heavy losses.
Buron maps: