CARPIQUET Calvados - 1 km west of Caen
 The Hitlerjugend Panzer-grenadiere died in Carpiquet
On 4 July, General Dempsey launched the Operation Windsor. The first target was the Carpiquet airfield. It was one of the initial objectives set for the D-Day, like Caen, and the airfield had been resisting since nearly a month. At 5 am the Canadians of the 8th Brigade started the attack against Carpiquet, while the Royal Winnipeg Rifles drew on a diversion manoeuvre. The troops closely followed the artillery shelling, reinforced by the Navy guns. Around 8:30 am, after fierce fighting, the town of Carpiquet was liberated. The assault moved on toward the airfield, supported by tanks of the Fort Garry Horse, the North Shore and La Chaudière infantry regiments. But they broke against the solid german defenses. During the night, the Hitlerjugend SS grenadiere onrush was repulsed by the Camerons machine-guns. It took three more days of fierce fighting with the Operation charnwood to take the airfield. On 9 July, the 8th Brigade and the 1st Hussars tanks seized the last hangars, and pushed back the grenadiere, who defended their trenches to the bitter end.
   
 
 
 
The Fort Garry Horse plaque
 Plaque dedicated to the 10th Armoured Regiment The Fort Garry Horse, a second plaque is in memory of Canadian soldiers.
 Situation : in the town centre at the edge of the D9 road
  
   
  Airfield blockhouse
This blockhouse is nearly buried, it is the last vestige of Carpiquet airfield fortifications in 1944.
Situation : at the entrance of the airfield, right of the building
  North Shore (New Brunswick) monument
 Monument in memory of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment soldiers and civilian people.
 Situation : in the town centre, at the edge of the D9 road
     
Canadian and Gauvin monument
 Monument dedicated to Captain Gauvin of Le Régiment de La Chaudière, and to the soldiers of The Queen’s Own Rifles, The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, The North Shore and The Fort Garry Horse who liberated Carpiquet.
 Situation : at D9 and D14 crossroads
  Canadian soldiers monument
Monument dedicated to Canadian regiments who fought from 4 to 8 July 1944 to take Carpiquet airfield.
Situation : at the entrance of the airfield, left of the building
   
ROAD MAP
 
INTERESTING WEB SITES

Personal web site about the Hitlerjugend Panzer-Division
http://home.att.net/~SSPzHJ/Index.html
Personal web site about the British artillery during World War II
http://members.tripod.com/~nigelef/index.htm
Personal web site about the World War II tanks
http://www.chars-francais.net/de1942a1945.htm
Personal web site about the Canadian Army
http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/

 
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