Operation Perch order of battle facts for kids

This article talks about the different army groups and their leaders during Operation Perch. This was a big military plan during World War II in Normandy, France. It happened between June 6 and June 19, 1944.

Operation Perch: Who Fought?

What Was Operation Perch?

World War II was a huge global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. In 1944, the Allies (like the British and Americans) launched a massive invasion of Normandy, France. This was called D-Day. After D-Day, the Allies needed to push further into France.

Operation Perch was a plan by the British army to capture the city of Caen. Caen was an important city because of its roads and location. Capturing it would help the Allies move forward and stop the German forces. An "order of battle" is like a team roster for an army. It shows which units (like divisions or brigades) were involved and who their commanders were. It helps us understand how the armies were organized for the fight.

British Forces: The Allies

The British forces were part of the Allied armies. They played a key role in trying to capture Caen. Their goal was to break through the German defenses and secure the area.

British Commanders

The overall leader for the British and Allied ground forces in Normandy was General Sir Bernard Montgomery. He was in charge of the entire 21st Army Group. His main helper, or Chief of the General Staff, was Freddie de Guingand.

The main British fighting force was the Second Army. Its commander was Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey.

British Army Groups

The Second Army was made up of different parts, called Corps. Each Corps had several divisions.

• I Corps

* Commander: Lieutenant-General John Crocker * Units: * 51st (Highland) Infantry Division: This was an infantry (foot soldier) unit led by Major-General Bullen-Smith. * 4th Armoured Brigade: This unit had tanks and armored vehicles.

• XXX Corps

* Commander: Lieutenant-General Gerard Bucknall * Units: * 7th Armoured Division: Known as the "Desert Rats," this famous tank unit was led by Major-General George Erskine. * 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division: An infantry division led by Major-General Evelyn Barker. * 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division: Another infantry division, commanded by Major-General Douglas Graham. * 8th Armoured Brigade: Another unit with tanks and armored vehicles.

German Forces: The Axis

The German army was trying to stop the Allied advance. They had strong defenses around Caen and were determined to hold their ground.

German Commanders

The German forces in this area were led by SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich. He commanded the I SS Panzer Corps. A "Panzer" unit means it had a lot of tanks.

German Army Corps

The German forces were also organized into different Corps.

• I SS Panzer Corps

* Commander: SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich * Units: * Panzer-Lehr-Division: A very strong and well-trained tank division. * 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend: A tank division made up of younger soldiers. * 21st Panzer Division: Another tank division. * Heavy SS Panzer Battalion 101: A special unit with very powerful, heavy tanks.

• XLVII Panzer Corps

* Units: * 2nd Panzer Division: Another German tank division.

• LXXXIV Korps

* Units: * 352nd Infantry Division: An infantry division. * 716th Static Infantry Division: An infantry division that was mostly used for defense and didn't move around much.

See also

• List of orders of battle