Operation Epsom, sometimes referred to as the
First battle of the Odon, is mostly known for the drive towards the Odon bridges, and the
initial fighting for the all-important Hill 112 near Baron and Esquay in the attempt to
outflank the German-held city of Caen during the Normandy campaign. In this video, we will
take a look at the battle that developed at Saint Manvieu on the extreme left flank of Operation
Epsom during the first day of the offensive. Caen had been one of the most important objectives
of the Normandy landings. However, staunch German resistance in front of the historic city as well
as a congested beachhead prevented the British 3rd Infantry Division from capturing Caen on June 6.
Further attacks over the course of the following days also led to little progress and attempts
to keep the battle moving at Tilly-sur-Seulles, west of the city, also turned into a deadlock. By
mid-June, the British-Canadian front had ground to a halt. Further attacks were planned for
mid- to late June, but the weather turned and a violent storm struck the Mulberry harbours which
were paramount to the logistics of the Normandy campaign. The time lost due to the storms delayed
the landings of the newly arrived VIII Corps, which was earmarked to launch the new attack to
encircle Caen from the southwest. In the meantime, the delays offered the Germans valuable time
to reorganise and strengthen their defences. The 15th (Scottish) Division was to launch
Operation Epsom. The first phase of the operation would see the capture of Saint-Manvieu
and Cheux. The Second Phase consisted of the drive towards the Odon river itself and entailed the
capture of several crossings to start building a bridgehead. The Scotsmen were tasked with
the capture of Mouen and Grainville. In the event that little resistance was met, the 11th
Armoured Division was to push through in a sharp action and race towards the bridges. The 43rd
(Wessex) Division was to hold firm bases at the successful termination of each phase, to allow the
15th (Scottish) Division to reorganise and expand the bridgehead towards the Orne river to continue
encircling Caen from the southwest. Originally, the offensive was to start on 22 June 1944.
However, this had to be postponed to 26 June to allow the logistical chain to catch
up from the rupture caused by the storm. One day prior to Epsom, the 49th (West Riding)
Division launched Operation Martlet to drive a wedge in between the Panzer Lehr and 12th SS
Hitlerjugend Divisions, and to capture the important high ground at Fontenay-le-Pesnel and
Rauray, which overlooked the terrain over which the 15th (Scottish) Division was to advance the
following morning. Fontenay proved well-defended, and the men of the West Riding advanced
around the village to capture Tessel wood, where further violent battles erupted. As
night fell, Rauray was still firmly in German hands as the 15th (Scottish) Division
moved into their jump-off locations. The 44th (Lowland) Brigade of the 15th
(Scottish) Division had been given the task of capturing Saint-Manvieu. Brigadier Money
committed two battalions to lead the assault, and deployed the 8th Royal Scots on the right
and Lieutenant-Colonel Buchanan’s 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers on the left. Both attacking
battalions deployed in a similar formation, with A company on the right and B company on the
left, followed by companies C and D. In order to secure their objective, Churchill tanks of the
9th battalion, Royal Tank Regiment accompanied the attacking Scotsmen. Also the flame-throwing
Churchill tanks of 4 and 5 troop, under the command of Captain Strachan, of the 141st
Regiment Royal Armoured Corps, had been put at the disposal of the brigade. The Brigade’s third
battalion, the 6th King’s Own Scottish Borderers, was kept in reserve. It was up to the 6th
Royal Scots Fusiliers to capture Saint-Manvieu, while the 8th Royal Scots would capture their
objective, namely the hamlet of La Gaule. Joining the 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers were Major
Stewart and Serjeant Connoly of No. 5 Army Film and Photo Section. Many of the shots taken by them
will be covered in this video as it provides an authentic account of the battle that developed
at Saint Manvieu. It shows the high grass and tall corn through which the Scots Fusiliers
attacked, as well as the thick mist and terrain the Churchill tanks had to manoeuvre trough.
Opposing the 44th Lowland Brigade were the men of SS-Sturmbannführer Bernhard Krause’s 1st
battalion SS-Panzer-Grenadier Regiment 26. Krause had deployed his 1st and 3rd companies
on the right, with the 2nd on the left, supported by the 4th company. Opposing the
right flank of the 44th Brigade was the 2nd company of the 12th SS Pionier battalion.
At 7.30am, the attack commenced. The 44th Brigade left their forming-up positions under the
cover of a heavy artillery barrage. Lieutenant Robert Woollcombe, of the 6th King’s Own
Scottish Borderers described the scene: “The minute hand touched 7.30 … On the
second, nine hundred guns of all calibres, topped by the fifteen inch broadsides from
the distant battleships lying off the beaches, vomited their inferno. Concealed guns opened
fire from fields, hedges and farms in every direction. During short pauses between salvos,
more guns could be heard further away.… It was like rolls of thunder, only it never slackened. …
Hurling itself onto strongpoints, enemy gun areas, forming up places, tank laagers, and above all
concentrated into the creeping mass of shells that raked ahead of our own infantrymen, as
thousands of gunners bent to their task.” The Scotsmen of the 44th Brigade began to advance
through the tall grass and corn. The corn was up to their waist as they advanced down the Mue
valley, towards the rifle slits manned by the SS Grenadiers. The left assaulting company of the
6th Royal Scots Fusiliers began to take casualties as shells began to fall short. Additionally, two
of the supporting Churchill tanks were immobilised as they struck mines, mines which had likely
ben laid out by the Canadians during previous fighting. The morning mist was supplemented by the
dust and smoke of the exploding artillery shells. Maintaining direction became difficult, but the
Scotsmen continued their advance. Being on the left flank of Operation Epsom, the Brigade was not
covered by advancing friendly forces on its left flank. Instead, German fire from the neighbouring
sector began to pester the Lowland Brigade. Buchanan’s 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers
advanced towards the Mue stream valley, just north of their objective. It was behind
this stream that the German defenders of the I. Bataillon SS-Panzer-Grenadier Regiment 26 had
dug their outpost line. Brief firefights ensued between the Scots Fusiliers and the German
Grenadiers, but by 8.30am, the 6th battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers had arrived at the gates
of Saint-Manvieu. The Germans had converted the village into a daunting stronghold, with the
stone farmhouses offering great protection to any defender. On the eastern edge of the village,
SS-Sturmbannführer Krause had converted the Perron house as the headquarters for his battalion.
The large stone residences and parkland was bustling with Hitler youth grenadiers running to
and from the battle stations. With many walled manor houses and farm buildings, Saint-Manvieu
would prove to be very difficult to capture. The British bombardment was, however,
able to destroy and knock out several of the Panzergrenadiers’ heavy weapons. Mortars
and anti-tank guns had to be abandoned as the ‘Grenadiere’ retired towards the Perron
house. Little by little, house by house, the Scots Fusiliers expanded their foothold in the
north of Saint-Manvieu. Pockets of resistance were pushed back to the German command post in the
southeast corner of the village. By 10.30am the Perron house was in Fusiliers’ sights. Artillery
shells crashed into the Perron park and the neighbouring houses and streets. The staff of the
first battalion 26th Panzergrenadier regiment was cramped in the cellar as runners came back with
updates from the frontline. News arrived that SS-Obersturmführer Gröschel, in command of the
2nd company had been killed. The joint in between the 1st and 2nd companies had been breached and
British tanks were rumbling outside the German command post. Krause, in command of the battalion,
promptly ordered to contact a neighbouring panzer company to set up a local counterattack.
The command post at the Perron house became the location where the remnants of the battered
companies rallied to reorganise and continue the fight. Among those concentrated at the Perron
residence was SS-Unterscharführer Emil Dürr, of the 4. ‘Schwere’ kompanie. A German war
correspondent who had arrived at Krause’s command post was able to report the action in
which Dürr was killed. Dürr’s action is one of many acts of heroism carried out by both sides
during the bitter fighting for Saint Manvieu. As the 44th Lowland Brigade had finally
broken through the perimeter defences, and the supporting tanks had been brought forward
to capture the command post of the I. battalion SS-Panzer-Grenadier Regiment 26, heavy fighting
broke out. The Panzer Grenadiere were desperately fighting back the Churchill tanks and Scottish
infantry from the walled Perron estate. One of the Churchill crocodile flame-throwing tanks
of the 141st Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, arrived at the park’s entrance and began spewing
fire into the defending Germans. Georges Bernage in ‘Battle of the Odon’ describes Dürr’s
prompt action after grabbing a Panzerfaust. “It was difficult to get close to the tank as
it was sitting in a position that dominated the terrain on all three sides. (…) [Dürr]
jumped across the inner wall of the yard and ran straight at the tank. But the
Panzerfaust did not pierce the tank.” It was at this stage that Dürr was shot in
the chest. Bernage quotes the unknown German war correspondent to describe what happened next.
“[Dürr] picked up another Panzerfaust and ran up to the tank a second time. This time (…) he aimed
at the tracks. The tank rattled, the track ripped. But again, Dürr was covered by violent machine gun
fire. Crawling, he worked his way back. He spotted a magnetic charge and quickly grabbed it.”
“For the third time, now quite weakened, he jumped across the wall. He grabbed the charge
with a strong fist, pressed it against the tank, staggered once, pushed, gasping, against the
diabolic dynamite. Everything exploded in fire and flames, and night fell before his eyes.”
Severely wounded, Dürr crawled back to the Perron park where he was collected by his comrades and
brought to the first aid post where he succumbed to his wounds several hours later. The 24-year-old
SS-Unterscharführer Dürr was to posthumously receive the prestigious Knight’s Cross of the
Iron Cross for his actions at Saint Manvieu. He is buried at the German war cemetery in La Cambe.
The war diary of the 141st Regiment tells its version of the fighting at Saint Manvieu. Captain
Strachan’s two troops of flame-throwing Churchill tanks had been called up to support the Scots
Fusiliers in the clearing of Saint Manvieu. The attack went well and house by house, Saint Manvieu
was being cleared of the German defenders. As they neared the Perron House, however, fighting was
becoming increasingly difficult. There was only room for one tank to proceed to the courtyard of
the walled estate. In trying to enter the gate, Lieutenant Harvey’s Churchill shed a track. In
total, the two troops lost three of its tanks, two of them shedding a track and the third
being overturned. Much has been speculated about the fate of Lieutenant Harvey’s crew. Only
one occupant of his tank was taken prisoner. The remaining four, including Harvey, were never
seen again. It was later believed that all four were taken by the SS and shot. However, without
solid sources this account remains speculative. Meanwhile, south of the village, the 8th
Royal Scots had advanced towards La Gaule. The positions were held by the 2nd company,
SS-Panzer-Pionier-batallion 12. However, this company of engineers became surrounded
and overwhelmed by the Churchill tanks of A Squadron, 9th Royal Tank Regiment.
It took the Scots two hours to clear the cornfields and reach the Caen-Fontenay
road. However, once the road had been reached, the Scotsmen made quick progress and captured
La Gaule within the hour. The right flank of the 44th Brigade had inadvertently attacked the weak
link between the first battalion Panzer Grenadier Regiment 26 and the 12th SS Pionier Battalion.
Back at Saint Manvieu, the remnants of the 2nd and 4th companies remained heavily entrenched
around the battalion CP. At 5pm, the 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers finally reported that the northern
edge of the village had been cleared. However, the day’s fighting had proved very costly and
the battalion was very stretched on manpower. At about 6pm, a local counterattack struck
the battalion’s left flank as the 1. Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 26, aided by an
assault gun battery of the 21st Panzer Division tried to break through to Krause’s command post.
The attack was largely beaten-off, apart from a small penetration in the orchard north of
the village. Later on, another counterattack was seen to develop on the right flank of the
battalion, prompting Lieutenant-Colonel Buchanan to request reinforcements in the form of the 6th
King’s Own Scottish Borderers. The Brigadier, in view of the heavy losses incurred by the Scots
Fusiliers, decided to engage the entirety of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, with the exception
of a rifle company which was kept in reserve. The 6th King’s Own Scottish Borderers subsequently
relieved the battered 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers inside Saint Manvieu. Lieutenant Woollcombe
would later recall entering the village: “A number of dulled men in steel helmets,
wearing anti-gas capes against the rain were discovered in a captured German position:
Scots Fusiliers, twenty eight of them, all that was left of a company that had crossed
the start-line that morning. The company commander was dead and a tired captain with handle bar
moustaches was in command. … He had been reduced to a state of fatalism and recited to me their
losses in a strain of mournful satisfaction.” The relief proved difficult to execute as small
local counterattacks kept harassing the line. Eventually, at 11pm, the final elements of the 6th
Royal Scots Fusiliers had withdrawn. At the same time, however, the 129th Infantry Brigade, of the
43rd Wessex Division was also making preparations to take over the line at Saint Manvieu.
While the British were relieving the line all along Saint Manvieu, at the German Command
Post SS-Sturmbannführer Bernhard Krause gave the order to withdraw. His largely encircled 2nd
and 4th companies were to break out and join friendly lines at Marcelet. Nevertheless, he
ordered his 1st and 3rd companies, which were still holding the line north and east of Saint
Manvieu, outside the British operational area, to remain in place. SS-Unterscharführer
Heinrich Bassenauer described the withdrawal. “After darkness we assembled for the breakout:
in the lead, Papa Krause, a huge figure and a shining fatherly example, followed by the rest
of his battalion, including our own wounded and prisoners. Unnoticed, we slipped through
the English [sic] in a tall grain field, crossed the Caen – Fontenay Road, and
reached the Marcelet – Verson road, where we were welcomed by our own units.”
By the end of the first day of Operation Epsom, the left flank of the 15th (Scottish) Division,
and particularly the 44th (Lowland) Division had succeeded in taking Saint Manvieu and La Gaule.
Nevertheless, the capture of both villages had been costly. The staunch resistance offered by the
defending Panzergrenadiers of the SS Hitlerjugend at Saint Manvieu was to greatly resemble
the remainder of Operation Epsom, in which a numerically inferior defending force managed
to contain the revolving British attacks in their attempts to clear the Odon bridges and capture
the ground south of Caen to envelop the city. The 6th battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers suffered
21 men killed, 113 wounded and 9 missing. The 8th Royal Scots had 16 men killed, 92 wounded –
of which three officers – and 2 missing. The log of the 12th Hitlerjugend Division records
that Krause’s 1st battalion had 6 men killed, 23 wounded and 40 missing for 26 June 1944.
These numbers could be higher depending on when information of casualties arrived at
the rear. The division’s pioneer battalion suffered greater losses. They suffered 18
killed, 23 wounded and 280 missing. Note, however, that not all casualties occurred
in front of La Gaule and Saint Manvieu. If you want to know more about the British dead
I would highly recommend you to look at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s handy ‘Find
War Dead’ tool to search for First and Second World War graves. In this video, I have mainly
covered the action of the Royal Scots Fusiliers on 26 June 1944. By entering these variables in
the database, you immediately get the list of names of soldiers of the regiment who died that
day. You can sort them in the way that suits you, and you can easily see in which cemetery they
are buried. If you click on a given soldier, you can find additional information, as well as
original documents from the CWGC’s online archive. This brings me to the end of this video.
I hope you have enjoyed it! Don’t forget to like and subscribe if you did, and
I hope to catch you in another video. If you want to see more videos like this
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