Query: france second world war normandy

Relevant passages:
15th (Scottish) Infantry Division <=SEP=> The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that served with distinction in both World War I and World War II. In the Great War the 15th (Scottish) Division was formed from men volunteering for Kitchener's New Armies and served on the Western Front for three years. The division was later disbanded, after the war, in 1919.

1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos <=SEP=> 1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos was a Fusiliers Marins commando unit of  the Free French Navy which served during the Second World War. Initially its Commandant was then-Lieutenant de Vaisseau (Lieutenant) Philippe Kieffer of the Free French Navy, under whose command they participated in the Normandy landings.

2nd Armored Division (France) <=SEP=> The French 2nd Armored Division (French: 2e Division Blindée, 2e DB), commanded by General Philippe Leclerc, fought during the final phases of World War II in the Western Front.

51st (Highland) Division <=SEP=> The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the Great War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as the Highland Division and later 51st (Highland) Division from 1915. The division's insignia was a stylised 'HD' inside a red circle.

60th Infantry Regiment (United States) <=SEP=> The U.S. 60th Infantry Regiment is a regimental unit in the United States Army. Its 2nd and 3rd Battalion conduct Basic Combat Training.Participating in three wars on three continents, the 60th has played a conspicuous role in the achievements of 5th Division in WWI and 9th Infantry Division in World War II and Vietnam. The regimental crest reflects this.

8th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom) <=SEP=> The 8th Armoured Brigade was an armoured brigade of the British Army formed in August 1941, during the Second World War and active until 1956. The brigade was formed by the renaming of 6th Cavalry Brigade, when the 1st Cavalry Division based in Palestine (of which it was part) converted from a motorised formation (having been horse-mounted until January 1940) to an armoured unit.

American airborne landings in Normandy <=SEP=> The American airborne landings in Normandy were the first United States combat operations during Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy by the Western Allies on June 6, 1944. Around 13,100 paratroopers of the U.S. 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne Divisions made night parachute drops early on D-Day, June 6, followed by 3,937 glider troops flown in by day.

Apocalypse: The Second World War <=SEP=> Apocalypse: The Second World War (French: Apocalypse, la 2e Guerre mondiale) (2009) is a six-part French documentary by Daniel Costelle and Isabelle Clarke about the Second World War. The music of the documentary was composed by Kenji Kawai.The documentary is composed exclusively of actual footage of the war as filmed by war correspondents, soldiers, resistance fighters and private citizens.

Armistice of 22 June 1940 <=SEP=> The Armistice of 22 June 1940 was signed at 18:36 near Compiègne, France, by the top military officials of Nazi Germany and more junior representatives from the French Third Republic. They included General Wilhelm Keitel, the commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht (the German Army), and by General Charles Huntziger for the French side.

Battle for Caen <=SEP=> The Battle for Caen from June–August 1944 was a battle of the Second World War between Allied forces of the mainly Anglo-Canadian Second Army and German forces of Panzergruppe West during the Battle of Normandy. The Allies aimed to take Caen, one of the largest cities in Normandy on D-Day. Caen was an important Allied objective because it lay astride the Orne River and Caen Canal; these two water obstacles could strengthen a German defensive position if not crossed.

Battle of Carentan <=SEP=> The Battle of Carentan was an engagement in World War II between airborne forces of the United States Army and the German Wehrmacht during the Battle of Normandy. The battle took place between 10 and 15 June 1944, on the approaches to and within the city of Carentan, France.The objective of the attacking American forces was consolidation of the U.S. beachheads (Utah Beach and Omaha Beach) and establishment of a continuous defensive line against expected German counterattacks.

Battle of Cherbourg <=SEP=> The Battle of Cherbourg was part of the Battle of Normandy during World War II. It was fought immediately after the successful Allied landings on June 6, 1944. American troops isolated and captured the fortified port, which was considered vital to the campaign in Western Europe, in a hard-fought, month-long campaign.

Battle of Verrières Ridge <=SEP=> The Battle of Verrières Ridge was a series of engagements fought as part of the Battle of Normandy, in western France, during the Second World War. The main combatants were two Canadian infantry divisions—with additional support from the Canadian 2nd Armoured Brigade—against elements of three German SS Panzer divisions.

Battle of Villers-Bocage <=SEP=> The Battle of Villers-Bocage took place during the Second World War on 13 June 1944, one week after the Normandy Landings by the Western Allies to begin the conquest of German-occupied France. The battle was the result of a British attempt to improve their position, by exploiting a gap in the German defences west of the city of Caen.

Bayeux Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery <=SEP=> The Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest Second World War cemetery of Commonwealth soldiers in France, located in Bayeux, Normandy. The cemetery contains 4,648 burials, mostly of the Invasion of Normandy.

Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery <=SEP=> The Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery is a war cemetery containing predominantly Canadian soldiers killed during the later stages of the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. It is located close to the village of Cintheaux and named after Bretteville-sur-Laize in the Calvados department, between Caen and Falaise in lower Normandy.

British Army during the Second World War <=SEP=> The British Army during the Second World War was, in 1939, a volunteer army, that introduced limited conscription in early 1939, and full conscription shortly after the declaration of war with Germany. During the early years of the war, the army suffered defeat in almost every theatre in which it was deployed. With mass conscription, the expansion of the army was reflected in the formation of larger armies and army groups.

British Commando operations during the Second World War <=SEP=> The British Commandos formed during the Second World War, following an order from the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in June 1940 for a force that could carry out raids against German occupied Europe. Commandos were all volunteers for special service and originally came from the British Army but volunteers would eventually come from all branches of the United Kingdom's armed forces and foreign volunteers from countries occupied by the Germans.

British Expeditionary Force (World War II) <=SEP=> The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the British Army in Europe from 1939 to 1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force.The British Expeditionary Force was established in 1938 in readiness for a perceived threat of war after Germany annexed Austria in March 1938 and the claims on the Sudetenland, which led to the invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.

British anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War <=SEP=> British anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War entailed a large-scale division of military and civilian mobilisation in response to the threat of invasion by German armed forces in 1940 and 1941. The British army needed to recover from the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force in France, and 1.5 million men were enrolled as part-time soldiers in the Home Guard.

Brécourt Manor Assault <=SEP=> The Brécourt Manor Assault (6 June 1944) during the U.S. parachute assault of the Normandy Invasion of World War II is often cited as a classic example of small-unit tactics and leadership in overcoming a larger enemy force.

Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery <=SEP=> The Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery is a cemetery containing predominantly Canadian soldiers killed during the early stages of the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. It is located in and named after Bény-sur-Mer in the Calvados department, near Caen in lower Normandy.  As is typical of war cemeteries in France, the grounds are beautifully landscaped and immaculately kept.

Clearing the Channel Coast <=SEP=> Clearing the Channel Coast was the task assigned, in World War II, to the 1st Canadian Army in August 1944, following the Allied breakout from Normandy.The Canadian Army's line of advance took them from Normandy to the Scheldt. En route, they were to capture the Channel ports needed to supply the allied armies and clear the Germans from the Channel litoral and most of the launch sites for the V-1 missiles.

D-Day naval deceptions <=SEP=> Operations Taxable, Glimmer and Big Drum were tactical military deceptions conducted on 6 June 1944 in support of the Allied landings in Normandy. The operations formed the naval component of Operation Bodyguard, a wider series of tactical and strategic deceptions surrounding the invasion. Small boats, along with aircraft from RAF Bomber Command, simulated invasion fleets approaching Cap d'Antifer, Pas-de-Calais and Normandy.

Douglas Alexander Graham <=SEP=> Major-General Douglas Alexander Henry Graham CB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC, DL (26 March 1893 – 28 September 1971) was a senior officer of the British Army who fought with distinction in both World War I and World War II. During his early life he studied at the University of Glasgow. When the First World War broke out in August 1914, Graham was serving in the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and during the conflict was rescued by Henry May, the action that led to May being awarded the Victoria Cross.

European theatre of World War II <=SEP=> The European Theatre of World War II, also known as the European War, was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe, from Germany's and the Soviet Union's joint invasion of Poland in September 1939 until the end of the war with the Soviet Union conquering much of Europe along with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945 (V-E Day).

Falaise pocket <=SEP=> The Falaise Pocket or Battle of the Falaise Pocket (12–21 August 1944) was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. A pocket was formed around Falaise, Calvados, in which the German Army Group B, with the 7th Army and the Fifth Panzer Army (formerly Panzergruppe West) were encircled by the Western Allies.

Fall Rot <=SEP=> During World War II, Fall Rot (Case Red) was the plan for the second phase of the conquest of France by the German Army and began on 5 June 1940. It had been made possible by the success of Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), the invasion of Belgium in the Battle of France and the encirclement of the Allied armies in the north on the Channel coast.

First United States Army <=SEP=> The First Army is the oldest and longest established field army of the United States Army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, under some of the most famous and distinguished officers of the U.S. Army. It now serves as a mobilization, readiness and training command.

France–United Kingdom relations <=SEP=> France–United Kingdom relations are the relations between the governments of the French Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). The historical ties between the two countries are long and complex, including conquest, wars, and alliances at various points in history.

Free France <=SEP=> Free France and its Free French Forces (French: France Libre and Forces françaises libres) were the government-in-exile led by Charles de Gaulle during the Second World War and its military forces that continued to fight against the Axis powers as an Ally after the fall of France.

Georges Journois <=SEP=> Georges Henri Journois (13 November 1896 – 26 September 1944) was a French resistance fighter and Brigadier General who died in a subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp in Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

German military administration in occupied France during World War II <=SEP=> The Military Administration in France (German: Militärverwaltung in Frankreich; French: Occupation de la France par l'Allemagne) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France.

Gold Beach <=SEP=> Gold, commonly known as Gold Beach, was the code name for one of the five areas of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. Gold, the central of the five areas, was located between Port-en-Bessin on the west and La Rivière on the east. High cliffs at the western end of the zone meant that the landings took place on the flat section between Le Hamel and La Rivière, in the sectors code-named Jig and King.

H-hour (D-day) <=SEP=> H-hour was the name given to the airborne assault in the Battle of Normandy.  It included the American 101st Airborne Division and 82nd Airborne Division With the British 6th Airborne Division. This took place about three hours before the main beach landings on the Normandy.  The Airborne invasion consisted of over 50,000 men and around 1,200 planes and gliders.

Hell in Normandy <=SEP=> Hell in Normandy (Italian title: Testa di sbarco per otto implacabili, French title: Tête de pont pour huit implacables) is a 1968 French/Italian international co-production World War II film directed by Alfonso Brescia.

Hill 262 <=SEP=> Hill 262, or the Mont Ormel ridge (elevation 262 metres (860 ft)), is an area of high ground above the village of Coudehard in Normandy that was the location of a bloody engagement in the final stages of the Normandy Campaign during the Second World War. By late summer 1944, the bulk of two German armies had become surrounded by the Allies near the town of Falaise. The Mont Ormel ridge, with its commanding view of the area, sat astride the Germans' only escape route.

Hillman Site <=SEP=> The Hillman Site (French: Site fortifié Hillman) was a German command post built during the Second World War and located at Colleville-Montgomery in Normandy, France.

History of Normandy <=SEP=> Normandy was a province in the North-West of France under the Ancien Régime. Initially populated by Celtic tribes in the West and Belgic tribes in the North East, it was conquered in 98 AD by the Romans and integrated into the province of Gallia Lugdunensis by Augustus. In the 4th century, Gratian divided the province into the civitates which constitute the historical borders.

History of the Second World War <=SEP=> The History of the Second World War is the official history of Britain's contribution to the Second World War and was published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO). This immense project was sub-divided into areas to ease publication. Military operations are covered in the United Kingdom Military Series, the United Kingdom Civil Series covers aspects of the civilian war effortand the Foreign Policy series; the Intelligence series and the Medical series are eponymous.

Index of World War II articles (L) <=SEP=> This is an Index of World War II articles, that can be found on Wikipedia.

Invasion of Normandy <=SEP=> The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion by and establishment of Western Allied forces in Normandy, during Operation Overlord in 1944 during World War II; the largest amphibious invasion to ever take place.D-Day, the day of the initial assaults, was Tuesday 6 June 1944. Allied land forces that saw combat in Normandy on that day came from Canada, the Free French forces, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

James Hargest <=SEP=> Brigadier James Hargest CBE, DSO & Two Bars, MC, ED, MP (4 September 1891 – 12 August 1944) was an officer in the New Zealand Military Forces, serving in the First and Second World Wars.  He was a Member of New Zealand's Parliament from 1931 to 1944, representing firstly the Invercargill and then the Awarua electorates.Born in Gore in 1891, Hargest was a farmer when he volunteered for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force following the outbreak of the First World War.

Juno Beach <=SEP=> Juno or Juno Beach was one of five beaches of the Allied invasion of German occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The beach spanned from Courseulles-sur-Mer, a village just east of the British beach Gold, to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, just west of the British beach Sword.

Keith Douglas <=SEP=> Keith Castellain Douglas (24 January 1920 – 9 June 1944) was an English poet noted for his war poetry during the Second World War and his wry memoir of the Western Desert campaign, Alamein to Zem Zem. He was killed in action during the invasion of Normandy.

La Coupole <=SEP=> La Coupole (English: The Dome), also known as the Coupole d'Helfaut-Wizernes and originally codenamed Bauvorhaben 21 (Building Project 21) or Schotterwerk Nordwest (Northwest Gravel Works), is a Second World War bunker complex in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Saint-Omer, and some 14.4 kilometers (8.9 miles) south-southeast from the less developed Blockhaus d'Eperlecques V-2 launch installation in the same area.

List of Second World War British airborne battalions <=SEP=> The Second World War British airborne forces comprised the Parachute Regiment, the Glider Pilot Regiment, the airlanding battalions and from 1944 the Special Air Service Brigade.Their formation followed the success of the German airborne operations, during the Battle of France. The British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, directed the War Office to investigate the possibility of creating a corps of 5,000 parachute troops.On 22 June 1940, No.

List of Second World War Victoria Cross recipients <=SEP=> The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other Orders, decorations and medals; it may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and to civilians under military command.

List of military cemeteries in Normandy <=SEP=> The following military cemeteries were established in the French region of Normandy in memory for casualties of the World War II battles there:

List of military engagements of World War II <=SEP=> This is a list of military engagements of World War II encompassing land, naval, and air engagements as well as campaigns, operations, defensive lines and sieges. Campaigns generally refer to broader strategic operations conducted over a large bit of territory and over a long period. Battles generally refer to short periods of intense combat localised to a specific area and over a specific period. However, use of the terms in naming such events is not consistent.

Maquis du Mont Mouchet <=SEP=> The Maquis du Mont Mouchet were a group of French resistance fighters during the Second World War. Based at Mont Mouchet, its goal was to delay the convergence of German forces in the south of France with those in Normandy, in order to aid the Allies (World War II) in the reconquest of France.The Germans, having discovered the maquis, made several attacks up until May 1944 with about 3,000 men and using aviation and armoured units.

Merville Gun Battery <=SEP=> The Merville Gun Battery was a coastal fortification in Normandy, France, in use as part of the Nazis' Atlantic Wall built to defend continental Europe from Allied invasion. It was a particularly heavily fortified position and one of the first places to be attacked by Allied forces during the Normandy Landings commonly known as D-Day.

Military history of Canada during World War II <=SEP=> The Second World War officially began on 1 September 1939, with the German invasion of Poland. Britain and France declared war on the Third Reich, two days later, on 3 September 1939. One week later, on 10 September 1939, Canada likewise declared war on Germany, the country's first independent declaration of war and the beginning of Canada's participation in the largest combined national effort in its history.

Military history of France <=SEP=> The military history of France encompasses an immense panorama of conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2,000 years across areas including modern France, the European continent, and a variety of regions throughout the world.The first major recorded wars in the territory of modern-day France itself revolved around the Gallo-Roman conflict that predominated from 60 BC to 50 BC. The Romans eventually emerged victorious through the celebrated campaigns of Julius Caesar.

Military history of France during World War II <=SEP=> The military history of France during World War II covers the period from 1939 until 1940, which witnessed French military participation under the French Third Republic, and the period from 1940 until 1945, which was marked by mainland and overseas military administration and struggles for the French colonies (under the command of Admiral François Darlan) between  Vichy France, the Free French Forces under General Charles de Gaulle (London) and the Army of Africa under General Henri Giraud (French Algeria), with French Resistance and National Council of the Resistance.In August 1943, the de Gaulle and Giraud forces merged in a single chain of command subordinated to Anglo-American leadership, meanwhile opposing French forces on the Eastern Front were subordinated to Soviet or German leaderships.

Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II <=SEP=> Britain, along with most of its dominions, Crown colonies, and British India, declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939. War with Japan began in 1941, after it attacked British colonies in Asia. The Axis powers were defeated by the Allies in 1945.

Mission Albany <=SEP=> Mission Albany was a parachute combat assault at night by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division on June 6, 1944, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy. It was the opening step of Operation Neptune, the assault portion of the Allied invasion of France, Operation Overlord.

Mission Boston <=SEP=> Mission Boston was a parachute combat assault at night by the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division on June 6, 1944, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy. Boston was a component of Operation Neptune, the assault portion of the Allied invasion of France, Operation Overlord.

Mémorial de Caen <=SEP=> The Mémorial de Caen is a museum and war memorial in Caen, Normandy, France commemorating the Second World War and the Battle for Caen. The building and grounds are located in the northern suburbs of the city of Caen on the site of an old blockhouse. The architect was Jacques Millet and the original curator was Yves Degraine.The memorial is dedicated to the history of violence and intensive, outstanding conflict in the 20th Century and particularly World War II.

Normandy <=SEP=> Normandy (/ˈnɔrməndi/; French: Normandie, pronounced [nɔʁ.mɑ̃.di], Norman: Normaundie, from Old French Normanz, plural of Normant, originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical region of France corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy.Since 1956, Normandy has been divided into two administrative regions: Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy; the regions will be merged into one single region effective 1 January 2016.

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial <=SEP=> The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War II cemetery and memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, that honours American troops who died in Europe during World War II.

Normandy Campaign <=SEP=> The Battle of Normandy or Normandy Campaign includes the following: Operation Overlord – The Western Allied campaign in France from June 6 – August 25, 1944 The Invasion of Normandy, or "Operation Neptune" – The initial part of Overlord, from June 6 – mid-July 1944 The Normandy landings on June 6, 1944Operation Cobra, the breakout from Normandy, starting on July 25, 1944The "Battle of Normandy" is the official term for the British, French and Canadian military campaign lasting from June 6 – September 1, 1944.

Normandy landings <=SEP=> The Normandy landings (codenamed Operation Neptune) were the landing operations on 6 June 1944 (termed D-Day) of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the liberation of German-occupied northwestern Europe from Nazi control, and contributed to the Allied victory on the Western Front.Planning for the operation began in 1943.

Occupation of the Channel Islands <=SEP=> The Channel Islands were occupied by Nazi Germany for most of the Second World War, from 30 June 1940 until their liberation on 9 May 1945. The Bailiwick of Jersey and Bailiwick of Guernsey are two British Crown dependencies in the English Channel, near the coast of Normandy. The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be invaded and occupied by German forces during the war.

Omaha Beach <=SEP=> Omaha Beach was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II. Omaha is located on the coast of Normandy, France, facing the English Channel, and is 8 kilometres (5 mi) long, from east of Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes to west of Vierville-sur-Mer on the right bank of the Douve River estuary.

Operation Aquatint <=SEP=> Operation Aquatint was the codename for a failed raid by British Commandos on the coast of occupied France during the Second World War. The raid was undertaken in September 1942 on part of what later became Omaha Beach by No. 62 Commando, also known as the Small Scale Raiding Force.Prior to the operation, a raid on the French coastal town of Dieppe had placed the German occupying forces on a high state of alert, and this ultimately contributed to Aquatint's failure.

Operation Astrakan <=SEP=> Operation Astrakan was a raid by British Commandos during the Second World War. The raid against Houlgate in France  was carried out  by No. 101 (Folbot) Troop, No. 6 Commando over the night of 12/13 November 1941.

Operation Atlantic <=SEP=> Operation Atlantic (18–21 July 1944) was a Canadian offensive during the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. The offensive, launched in conjunction with the British-led Operation Goodwood, was part of an ongoing effort to seize the French city of Caen and vicinity from German forces.

Operation Batman <=SEP=> Operation Batman was a Second World War raid by British Commandos near Cherbourg France in November 1942. The men that took part in the raid were drawn from No. 12 Commando and No. 62 Commando.

Operation Bluecoat <=SEP=> Operation Bluecoat was an attack by the British Army during the Battle of Normandy, lasting from 30 July until 7 August 1944, during the Second World War. The geographical objectives of the attack, launched by VIII Corps and XXX Corps of the British Second Army, were to secure the road junction of Vire and the high ground of Mont Pinçon.

Operation Charnwood <=SEP=> Operation Charnwood was an offensive by British and Canadian troops that took place from 8 to 9 July 1944, during the Battle for Caen in the Second World War. The operation was intended to at least partially capture the German-occupied French city of Caen (French pronunciation: ​[kɑ̃]), which was an important objective for the Allies during the opening stages of Operation Overlord, the codename for the Battle of Normandy.

Operation Chopper (commando raid) <=SEP=> Operation Chopper was a British Commando raid by No. 1 Commando during the Second World War.The raid, over the night of 27/28 September 1941, targeted Saint-Aubin-d'Arquenay in France; a troop of No. 1 Commando spent a day ashore.

Operation Cobra <=SEP=> Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the First United States Army seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy Campaign of World War II. American Lieutenant General Omar Bradley's intention was to take advantage of the German preoccupation with British and Canadian activity around the town of Caen, in Operation Goodwood, and immediately punch through the German defenses that were penning in his troops while the Germans were distracted and unbalanced.

Operation Dragoon <=SEP=> Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on 15 August 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the United States Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up primarily of the French First Army. The landing caused the German Army Group G to abandon southern France and to retreat under constant Allied attacks to the Vosges Mountains.

Operation Epsom <=SEP=> Operation Epsom, also known as the First Battle of the Odon, was a Second World War British offensive that took place between 26 and 30 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy.

Operation Goodwood <=SEP=> Operation Goodwood was a Second World War British offensive that took place between 18 and 20 July 1944 as part of the ongoing battle for Caen in Normandy, France. British VIII Corps, with three armoured divisions, launched the attack aiming to seize the German-held Bourguébus Ridge, along with the area between Bretteville-sur-Laize and Vimont, while also destroying as many German tanks as possible. Goodwood was preceded by preliminary attacks dubbed the Second Battle of the Odon.

Operation Houndsworth <=SEP=> Operation Houndsworth was the codename for a British Special Air Service operation during the Second World War. The operation carried out by 'A' Squadron, 1st Special Air Service between 6 June and 6 September 1944, was centred on Dijon in the Burgundy region of France. Their objective was to disrupt German lines of communication, coordinate the activities of the French Resistance and prevent German reinforcements moving to the Normandy beachheads especially the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.

Operation Jupiter (1944) <=SEP=> This article is about the 1944 Operation Jupiter in France. For other uses, see Operation Jupiter (disambiguation).Operation Jupiter was an offensive launched by VIII Corps of the British Second Army on 10 July 1944 during the Battle of Normandy of World War II. The objective of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was to capture the villages of Baron-sur-Odon, Fontaine-Étoupefour, Chateau de Fontaine and recapture Hill 112.

Operation Martlet <=SEP=> Operation Martlet (also known as Operation Dauntless) was part of the series of Allied attacks to capture the town of Caen and environs from German forces in Normandy, France, during the Second World War. It was a preliminary operation undertaken on 25 June 1944 by XXX Corps of the British Second Army, to capture Rauray and the area around Noyers, to protect the right flank of VIII Corps as it began Operation Epsom, an offensive into the Odon Valley west of Caen on 26 June.

Operation Overlord <=SEP=> Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings (Operation Neptune, commonly known as D-Day). A 1,200-plane airborne assault preceded an amphibious assault involving more than 5,000 vessels.

Operation Perch <=SEP=> Operation Perch was a British offensive of the Second World War which took place from 7–14 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy. The operation was intended to encircle and seize the German occupied city of Caen, which was an Allied D-Day objective in the early stages of the Operation Overlord. Operation Perch was to begin immediately after the British beach landings with an advance to the south-east of Caen by XXX Corps.

Operation Spring <=SEP=> Operation Spring was an offensive operation conducted by II Canadian Corps during the Normandy campaign.  The plan was intended to create pressure on the German forces operating on the British and Canadian front simultaneously to American offensive operations in their sector known as Operation Cobra, an attempt to break out from the Normandy lodgement. Specifically, Operation Spring was intended to capture Verrières Ridge and the towns on the south slope of the ridge.

Operation Sunstar <=SEP=> Operation Sunstar was a Second World War raid on Houlgate in Normandy, France over the night of 22/23 November 1941. British Commandos of No. 9 Commando took part in the raid their objective was the Batterie de Tournebride on the Butte de Houlgate. Ninety men of No.9 Commando travelled across the English Channel on the HMS Prince Leopold and landed at the bottom of the Vaches Noires.

Operation Tonga <=SEP=> This article summarises British airborne operations during the Normandy landings.

Operation Totalize <=SEP=> Operation Totalize (also spelled "Operation Totalise" in some more recent British sources) was an offensive launched by Allied troops of the First Canadian Army during the later stages of Operation Overlord, from 8 to 13 August 1944. The intention was to break through the German defences south of Caen on the eastern flank of the Allied positions in Normandy and exploit success by driving south to capture the high ground north of the city of Falaise.

Operation Tractable <=SEP=> Operation Tractable was the final offensive conducted by Canadian and Polish Army troops, supported by one brigade of British tanks, as part of the Battle of Normandy. The goal of this operation was to capture the strategically important French town of Falaise, and following that, the smaller towns of Trun and Chambois.

Orglandes German war cemetery <=SEP=> Orglandes War Cemetery is a German World War II cemetery in Normandy, France. It is located on the northern edge of the village of Orglandes, about 25 km west of Bayeux. The burials come from summer 1944, immediately following D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.The entrance is marked by a small house surmounted by a bell-tower. The cemetery consists of 28 rows of graves, each grave marked by a stone cross.

Outline of World War II <=SEP=> The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to World War II:World War II, or the Second World War – global military conflict from 1939 to 1945, which was fought between the Allied powers of the United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union against the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan, with their respective allies. Over 60 million people, the majority of them civilians, were killed, making it the deadliest conflict in human history.

Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom) <=SEP=> The Parachute Regiment, colloquially known as the Paras, is an airborne infantry regiment of the British Army. One battalion is permanently under the command of the Director Special Forces in the Special Forces Support Group. The other battalions are the parachute infantry component of the British Army's rapid response formation, 16 Air Assault Brigade.

Pegasus Bridge <=SEP=> Pegasus Bridge is a bascule bridge (a type of movable bridge), that was built in 1934, that crossed the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham, in Normandy, France.Also known as the Bénouville Bridge after the neighbouring village, it was, with the nearby Ranville Bridge over the river Orne, a major objective of the British airborne troops during Operation Deadstick, part of Operation Tonga in the opening minutes of the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944 during the Second World War.

Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque <=SEP=> Philippe François Marie Leclerc de Hauteclocque, (French pronunciation: ​[filip ləklɛʁ də otklɔk]; 22 November 1902 – 28 November 1947), was a French general during the Second World War. He became Marshal of France posthumously in 1952, and is known in France simply as le maréchal Leclerc or just Leclerc.The son of an aristocratic family, de Hauteclocque graduated from the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, the French military academy, in 1924.

Pointe du Hoc <=SEP=> Pointe du Hoc (French pronunciation: ​[pwɛ̃t dy ɔk]) is a promontory with a 100 ft (30 m) cliff overlooking the English Channel on the coast of Normandy in northern France. During World War II it was the highest point between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east. The German army fortified the area with concrete casements and gun pits. On D-Day (6 June 1944) the United States Army Ranger Assault Group assaulted and captured Pointe du Hoc after scaling the cliffs.

Ranville War Cemetery <=SEP=> The Ranville War Cemetery is a Second World War cemetery containing predominantly British soldiers killed during the early stages of the Battle of Normandy. It is located in and named after Ranville in the Calvados department, east of Caen in lower Normandy. A large proportion of those interred were members of the British 6th Airborne Division.

Rape during the liberation of France <=SEP=> Rape during the liberation of France is documented both during and after the advance of United States forces across France against Nazi Germany in later stages of World War II.

Royal Norfolk Regiment <=SEP=> The Royal Norfolk Regiment, originally formed as the Norfolk Regiment, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. The Norfolk Regiment was created on 1 July 1881, as part of the Childers Reforms, as the county regiment of Norfolk. It was formed from the 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot and covered the local militia and rifle volunteers.The Norfolk Regiment fought in the Great War on the Western Front and in the Middle East.

Résistance Joué-du-Plain and the Assassination of Emile Buffon <=SEP=> The French Résistance of Joué-du-Plain, and the assassination of Emile Buffon.The events concerns two tenants of Chateau de la Motte during World War II in Lower Normandy, France. The first was the mayor of the commune of Joue du Plain, Emile Buffon, who owned an animal brokering business, and rented the Chateau’s attached farm.

Second Battle of the Odon <=SEP=> The Second Battle of the Odon was a series of operations fought by the British Army in World War II in mid-July 1944 against Panzergruppe West as part of the Battle of Normandy. Operations Greenline and Pomegranate were intended to draw German attention away from the upcoming assault from the Orne bridgehead, codenamed Operation Goodwood.

Second World War at Sea series <=SEP=> Second World War at Sea is a game series produced by Avalanche Press covering naval combat during World War II.  The series is based on Avalanche Press' Great War at Sea.  The two series share many features although they are separate both from a rules standpoint and a scale standpoint (see SOPAC below).

Stanisław Maczek <=SEP=> General Stanisław Maczek ([staˈɲiswav ˈmat͡ʂɛk]; 31 March 1892 – 11 December 1994) was a Polish tank commander of World War II, whose division was instrumental in the Allied liberation of France, closing the Falaise pocket, resulting in the destruction of 14 German Wehrmacht and SS divisions.

Sword Beach <=SEP=> Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944. Stretching 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Ouistreham to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, the beach was the easternmost landing site of the invasion.

The Bayeux speeches <=SEP=> The Bayeux speeches are two speeches delivered by General Charles de Gaulle of France in the context of liberation after the Normandy landings in June 1944 and in the immediate postwar period in June 1946.They were spoken in a public square in Bayeux (formerly Place du Château, since 1946 Place de Gaulle).

The Second World War (book) <=SEP=> The Second World War is a narrative history of World War II by British historian Antony Beevor. The book starts with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, and covers the entire Second World War ending with the final surrender of Axis forces.

The Second World War (book series) <=SEP=> The Second World War is a history of the period from the end of the First World War to July 1945, written by Winston Churchill. It was largely responsible for his being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953.

Utah Beach <=SEP=> Utah Beach was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, during World War II. The westernmost of the five landing beaches, Utah is on the Cotentin Peninsula, west of the mouths of the Douve and Vire rivers. Amphibious landings at Utah were undertaken by United States Army troops, with sea transport and naval artillery support provided by the U.S.

VIII Corps (United States) <=SEP=> The U.S. VIII Corps was a corps of the United States Army that saw service during various times over a fifty-year period during the 20th century. The VIII Corps was organized 26–29 November 1918 in the Regular Army in France and demobilized on 20 April 1919. The VIII Corps was soon reactivated, being constituted in the Organized Reserves in 1921. It was allotted to the Regular Army in 1933 and activated on 14 October 1940 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Violette Szabo <=SEP=> Violette Reine Elizabeth Szabo, GC (née Bushell; 26 June 1921 – c. 5 February 1945) was a French-born English Special Operations Executive agent during the Second World War, and a posthumous recipient of the George Cross. On her second mission into occupied France, Szabo was captured by the German Army, interrogated and tortured, and deported to Germany where she was eventually executed at Ravensbrück concentration camp.

Western Front (World War II) <=SEP=> The Western Front of the European theatre of World War II encompassed Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Western Germany. World War II military engagements in Southern Europe and elsewhere are generally considered under separate headings. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale combat operations.

World War II <=SEP=> World War II (WWII or WW2), also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, though related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries.

XV Corps (United States) <=SEP=> The XV Corps of the US Army was initially constituted on 1 October 1933 as part of the Organized Reserves, and was activated on 15 February 1943 at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. During the Second World War, XV Corps fought for 307 days in the European Theater of Operations, fighting from Normandy through France and southern Germany into Austria. The corps was commanded in combat by Major General Wade H. Haislip, initially as a subordinate unit to the Third U.S.

Écouché in the Second World War <=SEP=> World War II for Écouché culminated with several days of street fighting by Free French forces under General Philippe Leclerc.  This engagement was part of the encirclement of the remaining German army in the final engagement of the Battle of Normandy. This final carnage of the German army was later called the Falaise Pocket, the Argentan-Falaise Pocket or Couloir de la Mort (Hall of Death) as the local French named it.