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CINTHEAUX
Calvados
- 15 km south of Caen
The onrush of the Allied Forces towards Falaise
In
the early August 1944, Caen was liberated, and the 3rd Army under
General Patton faned out in the Avranches breakthrough. On 7 August,
Hitler ordered the offensive towards Mortain. In the same time, during
the night of 7 to 8 August, General Simonds launched the Operation
Totalize south of Caen. The 8th Air Force stormed several objectives,
as Bretteville-sur-Laize and Cintheaux built up in strong points by
the Germans. The Canadian and Polish troops underwent losses due to
a short air bombing; General Keller Commander of the 3rd Canadian
Infantry Division was wounded. Tanks of the 12th SS Panzer-Division
progressing north of Cintheaux got through without damage, then they
withdrew in the town to face the onrush of the 4th Canadian Armoured
Division tanks. The Germans held the position till the end of the
afternoon. Around 6 pm the tanks of the 29th Armoured Reconnaissance
Regiment South Alberta, and the infantry of the Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders of Canada pushed back the Germans, Cintheaux was liberated.
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Canadian Cemetery
