Evening star., 1944-07-22
Caen Area Battle
BY Mai. George Fieldinp Eliot

The battle in the Caen area for the
past week has been one of brilliant
tactical accomplishment for the British
I'd Army commanded by 1t. Gen. Sir
Miles c. Dempsey.
When the first move in this battle
opened, almost exactly a week ago, the
situation could be described as
follows:
The city of Caen lies on both banks
OF the River Orne. about miles from
the sea. This rivers course is roughly
east-northeast, though Caen lies on a
bend where the river flows almost
straight from west to east A mile or
so above Caen, the Orne is joined by
the River Odon, whose course is almost
due northeast. The two rivers thus
form a triangle which widens as one
gees southwest from Caen. About 8
miles east of the Orne its course from
Caen to the sea is paralleled by the
River Dives, much smaller stream.
Between the Orne and the Dives. the
ground is extremely marshy except
close to the Orne; part of this area
is occupied by the Forest of Bavent.
But south and southeast of Caen-that
is. east of the Orne and south of the
Caen-Troarn road-the ground is fiat,
dotted with villages and lightly
wooded-ideal country for armored
troops The main highway and railway
from Paris run across this plain.
As the battle opened. the British I'd
Army held the left bank of the Orne
from Caen to the sea and that part
of the city of Caen which was on the
left bank The British also held a
bridgehead on the right bank of the
Orne northeast Of Caen, centering
around the village of Breville.
South of Caen, the Germans held
both banks of the Orne; they held
the Faubourg de Vaucelles (the suburb
of Caen on the right bank, and they
haG small bridgehead across the Odon
southwest of Caen, reaching up almost
to Carpiquet, which is 3 miles due west
of the city. Just below this, the British
had q bridgehead of their own across
the Odon, around the village of Baron.
From this bridgehead the British line
ran almost due west, crossing the Caen-
Villers Bocage road northeast OF
Meyers.
The British opened the fight by driv-
ing southwest along this road toward
Meyers. Marshal Rommel-whom Gen.
Montgomery once described as a man
who cannot wait, but must always do
something right now-reacted with
nervous energy to this threat and rushed
armor into action around Meyers. But
the Meyers attack was feint. On Tues
day morning, the main attack COM
menced, preceded by one of the most
terrific concentrated air bombardments
of the war. Before the Germans could
recover from the effects Of the air at
tack-in one phase of which 5000 tons
OF bombs we're dropped In As minutes
the British infantry and armor were
moving forward. The attack was
launched in a southerly direction from
the southern face of the salient so long
held by the British 9Th Borne Divi-
sion east of the Orne, between Caen
and the sea.
One column of Canadian infantry,
hugging the right bank Of the Orne,
moved southwark into the suburb Of
Vaucelles, aided by direct attack across
the one remaining bridge from Caen,
carried out by another Canadian col
uuln. British infantry on the right
flank of the assaulting force moved to-
ward Sannerville and Troarn. Between
these two infantry forces, the British
and Canadian tanka roarAd os,t ty,tn tha