Operation Epsom: Over the Battlefield (Over the Battlefield)

By: Ian Daglish

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Synopsis: This WWII tactical study brings new clarity to the First Battle of the Odon, a significant Allied offensive in the early day of Operation Overlord. A vital yet overlooked episode of the Normandy Campaign, Operation Epsom was General Montgomery&’s first attempt to capture the city of Caen in the Odon valley. The notoriously chaotic battle pitted inexperienced British divisions against some of the best equipped, best led and battle-hardened formations of the Third Reich. Though there was no decisive victor, military historian Ian Daglish shows that this battle allowed the Allied forces to retain strategic initiative through the liberation of France and Belgium. Beginning with a British assault on the German lines in dense terrain, the battle developed into swirling armored action on the open slopes of Hills 112 and 113. The British then turned to defend their gains in the face of concentric attacks by two full SS-Panzer Korps. With previously unseen evidence and expert analysis, Daglish sheds new light on this important Normandy battle. The unfolding action is illustrated using aerial photography of the battlefield and period Army maps.