Editing 2nd Canadian Division (section)

====Battle of Normandy====
[[File:2nd Canadian Infantry Division formation sign.png|thumb|right|Formation sign used to identify vehicles of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division]]

The Canadian attack of the [[Juno Beach|Juno beach]] was the most successful of the five beaches attacked on D-day. Having successfully [[Normandy Landings|landed in Normandy]], Allied forces soon became embroiled in battles against German armour and were unable to significantly expand their [[beachhead]]; by the time the 2nd Division came ashore at the end of the first week of July, the entire front had congealed.<ref>Zuehlke, p. 166</ref> As the division assembled its brigades for combat, Anglo-Canadian forces launched [[Operation Charnwood]]. It was a tactical success, but could not clear all [[Caen]] of its German defenders.<ref>D'Este, p. 325</ref> Although originally a D-Day objective, Caen proved a difficult prize, holding out until 19 July when it finally fell to British forces during [[Operation Goodwood]].<ref name="Trew 77">Trew, p. 77</ref> In the aftermath, Field Marshal [[Bernard Montgomery]] ordered elements of [[II Canadian Corps]] to push forward towards Verrières Ridge, the dominant geographical feature between Caen and [[Falaise, Calvados|Falaise]]. By keeping up the pressure, Montgomery hoped to divert German attention away from the American sector to the west.<ref>D'Este, p. 398</ref>

=====Operation Atlantic=====
[[Operation Atlantic]], launched on 18 July alongside Goodwood, had the objectives of securing the western bank of the Orne River and Verrières Ridge.<ref name="Zuehlke168">Zuehlke, p. 168</ref> 2nd Division's 5th and 6th brigades were selected as the assaulting forces, with the 5th Brigade focusing on the Orne and the 6th on Verrières. The 4th Brigade were tasked with securing the flank of the operation, and The Royal Regiment of Canada attacked Louvigny on 18 July.<ref>Stacey, p.172</ref> Early on 19 July, [[The Calgary Highlanders]] seized Point 67, directly north of Verrières Ridge, and the following morning the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada crossed the Orne River and secured the flanks of the advance. In the afternoon, the 6th Brigade's [[The South Saskatchewan Regiment|South Saskatchewan Regiment]] attacked the well-entrenched German positions on the ridge, with support from [[Hawker Typhoon|Typhoon]] fighter-bombers and tanks.<ref name="Bercuson223">Bercuson, p.223</ref> However, the attack ran into torrential rain, and the Germans counterattacked in force.<ref name="Bercuson223"/> This and further German attacks inflicted heavy casualties on the South Saskatchewan Regiment and its supporting battalions, [[The Essex Scottish Regiment]] and [[The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders]]. On 21 July, the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade reinforced Canadian positions on Point 67. In two days of fighting, the division suffered 1,349 casualties.<ref name="Zuehlke168"/>

=====Operation Spring=====
On 22 July 1944, Montgomery elected to use the Anglo-Canadian forces south of Caen in an all-out offensive aimed at breaking the German defensive cordon keeping his forces bottled up in Normandy.<ref name="Bercuson224">Bercuson, p. 224</ref> To meet Montgomery's objectives, Canadian General [[Guy Simonds]], commander of II Canadian Corps, was ordered to design a large breakout assault, codenamed [[Operation Spring]].<ref>Copp, p. 63</ref> The attack was planned in three tightly timed phases of advance, pitting two Canadian and two British divisions against three German SS-Panzer divisions. It would be launched in conjunction with an American offensive, [[Operation Cobra]], scheduled to take place on 25 July 1944.{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}}

The 4th Brigade attacked in the east with some success, taking Verrières village itself, but were repulsed at [[Tilly-la-Campagne]] by German counterattacks.<ref name="Bercuson224"/> The 5th Brigade, in the centre, made a bid for [[Fontenay-le-Marmion]]; of the 325 members of the Black Watch who left the start-lines, only 15 answered evening roll-call.<ref name="Bercuson224"/> German counterattacks on 26 and 27 July pushed Canadian forces back to Point 67.<ref>Copp, p.87</ref> However, the situation eventually eased as the planned American offensive got underway. Throughout the first week of August, significant German resources were transferred from the Anglo-Canadian front to that of the [[Third United States Army]], while reinforcements moved from [[Pas de Calais]] to the [[Falaise, Calvados]] area.<ref name="Bercuson228">Bercuson, p.228</ref> By 7 August 1944, only one major formation—the [[12th SS Panzer Division]]—faced Canadian forces on Verrières Ridge.{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}}

=====Operation "Totalize"=====
By 1 August 1944, the British had made significant gains on the Vire and Orne Rivers during [[Operation Bluecoat]], while the Americans had achieved a complete breakthrough in the west. On 4 August, Simonds and General [[Harry Crerar]]—the newly appointed commander of the [[First Canadian Army]]—were given the order to prepare an advance on Falaise.<ref name="Bercuson228"/> Three days later, with heavy bomber support, [[Operation Totalize]] began, marking the first use of [[Kangaroo (armoured personnel carrier)|Kangaroo Armoured Personnel Carriers]].<ref name="Zuehlke168"/> While the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division attacked east of the Caen-Falaise Road, 2nd Division attacked to the west. By noon Verrières Ridge had finally fallen, and Canadian and Polish armour was preparing to exploit south towards Falaise.<ref name="Bercuson229">Bercuson, p. 229</ref> However, strong resistance by the [[12th SS Panzer Division]] and the [[272nd Grenadier Infantry Division|272nd ''Volksgrenadier'' Division]] halted the advance.<ref name="Bercuson229"/> Although 12&nbsp;km (7.5&nbsp;mi) of ground had been gained,<ref name="Bercuson230">Bercuson, p. 230</ref> Canadian forces had failed to reach Falaise itself.{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}}

Simultaneously, the Germans had launched a desperate and ill-prepared [[Operation Luttich|armoured thrust]] towards [[Mortain]], beginning on 6 August 1944. This was halted within a day and, despite the increasingly dangerous threat presented by the Anglo-Canadian advance on Falaise, German commander Field Marshal [[Günther von Kluge]] was prohibited by [[Adolf Hitler]] from redeploying his forces.<ref>D'Este, p. 420</ref> Thus, as American armoured formations advanced towards [[Argentan]] from the south, the Allies were presented with an opportunity to encircle large sections of the [[7th Army (Wehrmacht)|German Seventh Army]].<ref>D'Este, p. 427</ref> The First Canadian Army was ordered south, while the Americans prepared to move on [[Chambois, Orne|Chambois]] on 14 August. Simonds and Crerar quickly planned a further offensive that would push through to Falaise, trapping the German Seventh Army in Normandy.<ref name="Zuehlke, p. 169">Zuehlke, p. 169</ref>

=====Operation Tractable=====
On 14 August, the First Canadian Army launched [[Operation Tractable]] with the aim of capturing Falaise and achieving a linkup with American forces in Chambois.<ref>D'Este, p. 429</ref> A daylight attack was executed after artillery provided [[smoke-screen]] cover and medium bombers softened up the German defenses.<ref name="TractableMMO">{{cite web |url=http://montormel.evl.pl/?id=67|title=Operation Tractable |publisher= Memorial Mont-Ormel|access-date=28 May 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080617070258/http://montormel.evl.pl/?id=67| archive-date= 17 June 2008 <!--DASHBot-->| url-status= live}}</ref> The offensive was largely successful and, although the 2nd Division was not an active participant, divisional troops entered Falaise on 16 August as the remainder of First Canadian Army moved south-east towards Trun and Chambois.<ref name="junobeach.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.junobeach.org/e/2/can-eve-rod-nor-cam-e.htm |title=Juno Beach Centre, Normandy, France |publisher= The Juno Beach Association |access-date=28 May 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080516015151/http://www.junobeach.org/e/2/can-eve-rod-nor-cam-e.htm| archive-date= 16 May 2008 <!--DASHBot-->| url-status= live}}</ref> By 21 August the remnants of the battered German Seventh Army had surrendered in the [[Falaise Pocket]], bringing the Battle of Normandy to a close. The German forces committed to Normandy since D-Day had been virtually annihilated—by the end of Operation Tractable, the 12th SS Panzer Division, the main adversary of the Canadians, had lost 80% of its tanks,<ref name="DEste432">D'Este, p. 432</ref> 70% of its personnel carriers,<ref name="DEste432"/> and 60% of its artillery.<ref name="DEste432"/>

Shortly afterwards, the 2nd Division moved to Foret de la Londe, along the valley of the River Seine. From 27 to 29 August, the 4th and 6th Brigades were engaged in heavy fighting against the rearguard of German forces seeking to withdraw across the Seine.<ref name="Zuehlke, p. 169"/>