VILLERS-BOCAGE Calvados 20 km south-west of Caen The Operation Perch was a failure for the Desert rats The capture of Caumont-l'Eventé by the Americans on 13 June 1944 threatened the west flank of the German front. In the meantime General Montgomery launched the Operation Perch at the junction between the Vth American Corps and the XXXth British Corps. On 13 June at dawn the 7th British Armoured Division had to skirt round the Panzer-Lehr-Division positions. The progression went in good condition, an advance guard of the 22nd Armoured Brigade entered Villers-Bocage around 8 a. m. without fighting. The units spaced out in the town and on the road to Caen. Suddenly at 9 a. m. an attack of the 2nd Company of the SS Panzer-Abteilung 101 under Obersturmfuhrer Witmann annihilated the British column. The Operation Perch was a failure and for Villers-Bocage population it meant seven more weeks occupation. On 30 July began the Operation Bluecoat that ended on 3rd August in a strategic retreat of the Germans. The British liberated definitively Villers-Bocage on 4 August.
7th Armoured Division stele Stele dedicated to soldiers of the 7th British Armoured Division who fought and died in Villers-Bocage on 13 June 1944. Situation : at eastern entrance of the town, at the crossroads     Captain Rarey stele Stele in memory of Captain Georges W. Rarey, american pilot in the 366th Fighter Group whose plane crashed near this place on 27 June 1944. Situation : 1 km west of the town, at the crossroad between D67 road and D71 road
Reconstruction plaque   Plaque commemorating the laying of the first foundation stone for the reconstruction of Villers-Bocage on 7 March 1948. Situation : 34 Pasteur street, on the wall of an optician at the corner
ROAD MAP			INTERESTING WEB SITES Villers-Bocage city web site http://www.villers-bocage.info Personal web site about the 7th British Armoured Division http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/battles1944.htm Personal web site about Michael Wittmann http://www.panzerace.net/ Web site about tanks – download Michael Wittmann military file http://www.panzermuseum.com/downloads/doc_details.html   All rights of photos, texts, maps and graphics design are reserved