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Ian Daglish

After seven weeks of bitter fighting there was a desperate need to break out of the Normandy bridgehead. In late July 1944 Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempseys Second Army moved two entire corps from the Caen sector to the relatively quiet countryside around Caumont. Here, the British XXX Corps prepared to give battle, with VII Corps advancing in support on the right flank between XXX Corps and the American first Army. The offensive did not go to plan. While the XXX Corps attack stalled, VIII Corps surged ahead. With the experienced 11th Armoured and 15th Scottish Divisions in the lead and Guards Armoured close behind, a deep penetration was made, threatening to take the pivotal city of Vire and unhinge General Haussers German Seventh Army.The main narrative of this book will span the initial break-in from Caumont on 30 July, through the armored battles of the following days, to the desperate German counter-attacks of 4 6 August, the no less desperate German defense of Estry up to the middle of the month, and the final withdrawal from Normandy. The book also examines Montys refusal to seize Vire, the disputed Anglo-American border and the Operations impact on the German Mortain offensive.

Pen & Sword Military

Over the Battlefield

Operation Bluecoat: Breakout from Normandy

This ground-level WWII history describes the British armored offensive into occupied France with rare wartime photos. 

 Military historian Ian Daglish presents an authoritatively detailed chronicle of the greatest armored battle undertaken by the British during the Second World War. After the Normandy Landings, Operation Goodwood sent British tanks south out of the Orne bridgehead. Though the operation failed to break through German defenses, it exposed critical vulnerabilities that would ultimately assist the Allies in the liberation of France.

 Along with the engaging and informative text, this volume includes newly discovered aerial photos taken during the fighting by the RAF. This amazing imagery makes it possible to trace the course of the battle and to track the movement of the armored regiments and troops of both sides.

Operation Goodwood

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.