CAGNY/EMIEVILLE Calvados - 4 km et 6 km sud-est de Caen
The British tanks facing the German guns
On 18 July 1944, major von Luck returned from leave as the Operation Goodwood is on the way. The German officer commanded to a Kampfgruppe of the 21st Panzer-Division, he realised that the British shelling had annihilated the first German defense line. In Cagny he used a 88 mm battery of the Luftwaffe against British tanks. The German guns badly mauled tanks of the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry. At the end of the afternoon, the 5th Armoured Brigade of the Guards Division renewed the attack against Cagny, they tried to outflank by Emiéville. But they broke against the Tiger of the Heavy Battalion 503 and lost several Sherman. After sharp engagement, tanks of the Irish Guards entered Cagny in the middle of the afternoon. On 19 July, the Kampfgruppe Waldmuller of the 12th SS Panzer-Division arrived on the battlefield and occupied the left wing of the 21st Panzer-Division near Emiéville. On 20 July, the British pushed back several German counter-attacks in this area. Emiéville remained on the front line during nearly a month, until the Operation Paddle launched on 17 August.