Falaise pocket
On the 25th of July 1944, American forces launched Operation Cobra near Saint-Lô. This offensive shattered German defenses and pushed troops south into open country. By the 30th of July, Avranches fell to the US VIII Corps. Lieutenant General George S. Patton took command of the Third Army on the 1st of August. His units advanced rapidly toward Alençon without meeting significant resistance. The speed of this advance forced Field Marshal Günther von Kluge to commit reserves for a counter-attack at Mortain. That German operation began on the 7th of August but failed within twenty-four hours due to Allied air superiority. The failure left the Normandy front on the verge of collapse.
Canadian forces initiated Operation Totalize on the night of the 7th through the 8th of August. They used Kangaroo armored personnel carriers to transport infantry across the battlefield. The attack aimed to capture high ground north of Falaise to trap Army Group B. Verrières Ridge and Cintheaux were taken by the 9th of August, though progress slowed significantly. On the 14th of August, Operation Tractable commenced with an artillery smokescreen covering the advance. The 4th Canadian Armoured Division crossed the Laison River while delays at the Dives allowed Tiger tanks to counter-attack. Yellow smoke mistaken for target markers caused some friendly fire incidents against Canadian troops. By the 17th of August, the town of Falaise was secured by the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division.
Polish battlegroups occupied part of Hill 262, also known as Mont Ormel, during the night of the 19th of August. Paul Hausser ordered that these positions be eliminated to allow German escape routes to remain open. The 352nd Infantry Division and elements of the 2nd SS Panzer Division attacked the Polish lines throughout the day. Despite heavy casualties, the Poles repulsed the assault by mid-afternoon on the 20th of August. At about 11:00 AM, a final attempt by nearby SS troops failed at close quarters. Canadian Grenadier Guards reached Mont Ormel soon after midday. Polish forces lost 351 men killed or wounded and eleven tanks during the fighting. German losses in their assaults were estimated at 500 killed and 1,000 prisoners taken from the 12th SS-Panzer Division.
Wilhelm Bittrich ordered the 2nd SS Panzer Division to launch a relief operation from Vimoutiers on the 19th of August. An armored column broke through Canadian lines in St. Lambert and kept a road open for six hours until nightfall. About 10,000 German troops passed out of the pocket by mid-afternoon despite the gap remaining open. Many retreating soldiers crossed the Dives River, whose waters were choked with corpses of fallen soldiers and horses. By the evening of the 21st of August, tanks of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division linked with Polish forces at Coudehard. The Falaise pocket was finally sealed. On the 22nd of August, all German soldiers west of Allied lines were either dead or captured.
General Bernard Montgomery planned a long envelopment strategy while General Dwight D. Eisenhower recommended a shorter one at Argentan. A telephone conversation on the 8th of August saw Montgomery accept Bradley's proposal to stop at Argentan. Patton objected but complied when Bradley overruled orders for a further push northwards on the 13th of August. This decision left an exit for German forces in the Falaise pocket. Post-battle claims that Americans could have prevented escape were dismissed as absurd oversimplifications. Historians note that Bradley halted Patton not due to fear of clashes with British forces, but because American units lacked means to defend an early blocking position against powerful German formations still operational.
The battle resulted in more than forty German divisions being destroyed during the Battle of Normandy. Estimates suggest the Germans lost 450,000 men including 240,000 killed or wounded. Canadian casualties totaled nearly 5,500 with 1,470 killed and 177 captured. The 1st Polish Armoured Division listed 1,441 casualties including 466 killed. Villages had been destroyed and derelict equipment made roads impassable. Corpses of soldiers and civilians littered the area along with thousands of dead cattle and horses. Maggots crawled over bodies while swarms of flies descended on the area. Pilots reported the smell from hundreds of feet in the air. General Eisenhower declared the area an unhealthy zone due to fear of infection.
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Common questions
When did the Falaise pocket close during World War II?
The Falaise pocket closed on the 21st of August 1944 when tanks of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division linked with Polish forces at Coudehard. All German soldiers west of Allied lines were either dead or captured by the 22nd of August.
Who commanded the Third Army during the Falaise pocket engagement?
Lieutenant General George S. Patton took command of the Third Army on the 1st of August 1944. His units advanced rapidly toward Alençon without meeting significant resistance before the pocket formed.
What happened to Hill 262 Mont Ormel in the Falaise pocket battle?
Polish battlegroups occupied part of Hill 262 also known as Mont Ormel during the night of the 19th of August 1944. The Poles repulsed heavy assaults from the 352nd Infantry Division and elements of the 2nd SS Panzer Division by mid-afternoon on the 20th of August.
How many casualties did the Canadians suffer in the Falaise pocket operation?
Canadian casualties totaled nearly 5,500 men including 1,470 killed and 177 captured during the operations. The 1st Polish Armoured Division listed 1,441 casualties including 466 killed while fighting near the pocket.
Why was the exit at Argentan left open for German forces in the Falaise pocket?
General Bernard Montgomery accepted General Omar Bradley's proposal to stop at Argentan after a telephone conversation on the 8th of August 1944. Historians note that Bradley halted Patton not due to fear of clashes with British forces but because American units lacked means to defend an early blocking position against powerful German formations still operational.