12th SS v Sherbrooke Fusiliers at Buron-Authie June 7 1944

[SiVisPacem]

Was wondering if anyone has any photos of the antitank ditch north of Buron that created so many problems for the Canadians.

This one . . .

I have searched Canadian/Allied records and found nothing

Any assistance kindly appreciated.

[Michael Kenny]

The attachment is unreadable. It is so small and low resolution that none of the text can be read but the ditches stand out on the air views

Screenshot_153.Djpg.jpg

[Michael Kenny]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfcirrw5dkA

[SiVisPacem]

Thanks Michael.

I have seen a couple of different air photos and that was an excellent episode of WW2TV . . . Marc Milner’s book is terrific.

What I am looking for are ground level photos . . . there might be none in existence.

I have looked through numerous allied sources but I thought maybe someone on this forum might know of a German source.


Just curious. The description I referenced describes them as World War 1 like and I have always wondered what they looked like . . . Trying to understand the type of fighting it would take to clear/capture them.

[SiVisPacem]

Won’t let me upload a higher res image . . . . Exceeds file size limit.

[SiVisPacem]

Source here

https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/histor ... heorne.htm

[AETIUS 1980]

Hello,
this famous anti-tank on the northern exits of Authie is part of a vast plan initiated on December 17, 1943 by the LXXXIV.AK about the development of defenses in depth in the sector of the 716.Inf.Div. Directive taken into account on the 29th (Ausbau der 2.Stellung Abt.Ia Nr 1751/43 of 23, Abt.Ia Nr 509/43 of 29), it results in a development of the land with the participation of 2000 required French and four battalions depending on the 716.Inf.Div, or tactically attached.
For the Authie sector, the first works will be carried out by I./Gr.Rgt.736 (Major d.R Heinrich WALLRABE) from December 1, 1943. The time allocated will only be 15 days since other imperatives will prevent this end of the year the closing of the sites initially planned. If the outskirts of Lébisey have benefited from careful attention to the design of entrenchments, it seems that Authie and St Contest initially had to wait for renewed interest. In January 1944, the LXXXIV.AK allocated to the 716.Inf.Div three engineer battalions (two fortress and one specialized in laying mines), as well as 2,850 French requisites, still as part of the establishment of this famous second line of defense.
With this information, we obtain the following obstacles on the approach axis (and its periphery) used by the Canadians on June 7;
St Contest, capital of a grouping of several hamlets (Mâlon, Buron, Bitôt, etc.). Its importance lies in the fact that the only road crossing the Cours de la Mue, passes through the village before joining the RN 13. Raising the surroundings, the center of the village dominates at 76 meters, which allows to have good views on Galmanche and Les Buissons. The northern outlets are prohibited by a semi-circular ditch, while in Buron (another hamlet of St Contest) the same type of work is dug downstream. Located in an open plain of 1500 meters, between Le Buisson and Buron. The obstacle is four to five meters deep and 300 meters long. So as not to leave the latitude to a potential assailant to bridge the anti-tank ditch, the extracted earth will be spread much further. This ditch is cleverly placed, because located on the road leading to Carpiquet, it hinders any possibility for an attacker to easily access it (it is here that the front line will stagnate on the evening of June 7 between the 12.SS.Pz .Div "HJ" and the 3rd Cnd.Inf.Div).

Regards
Romain

[Michael Kenny]

The ditch north of Malon, June 24th.

Buron ,,.jpg

Screenshot_152b.jpg

[AETIUS 1980]

Some kind of roads block with mines were supposed to be put in working order on case of emergency by 2./Pi.Btl.716. Except one quite close from Buron, the rest stayed useless on June the 6th 1944.

[SiVisPacem]

Excellent information . . . Thnx +++

That last air photo really gives a good idea of the extent of the ditch and the details of the construction certainly fleshes out my understanding of how the Germans perceived any Allied landings would progress inland and hie they planned to stop it

Much appreciated

[AETIUS 1980]

You're welcome
Romain

[SiVisPacem]

What is new to me is how far back in time these defence works were planned and started and that they were part of a cohesive “line”

The antitank ditch would no doubt have been picked up by Allied aerial reconnaissance flights but I have never come across any references in any battalion or brigade records about it being acknowledged or if there was a plan to deal with it.

[Michael Kenny]

The anti-tank ditch around Lebisey

June 12th Lebisey b.jpg

June 12th Lebisey k.jpg

[AETIUS 1980]

Nice pictures. Hold mostly by parts of 21.Pz.Div on June 6th. Before the arrival of the differents kampfgruppen of this one, you had the following troops around midday : Beauregard with 8./Pz.Gr.Rgt.125, Teil H. Flak.Abt.305, remnants Stabs. Kp. Gr. Rgt. 736, 1./Pz.Jg.Kp.716.
Lebisey hold by elmts II. /Pz.Gr.Rgt.192, remnants of I./Pz.Art.Rgt.155, stragglers of I. /Gr. Rgt.736, DKS. 716.

[AETIUS 1980]

Still me,
A strange point concerning the design of the Allied attack plans in the Caen sector is therefore to have obscured the implementation of passive defenses (anti-tank ditches, mined regions, etc.), but also to have underestimated the nuisance capacity of the support points bordering the Carpiquet aerodrome (admittedly evacuated on June 6 at 2:00 p.m.). Positioned in the axis of Canadian efforts, they had been clearly identified by aerial reconnaissance before D-Day. Then come the internal defenses in the city of Caen. Grouped around 8 other structures, it is likely that the elements of the 21.Pz.Div in retreat from the coast would have tried to cling to it. There is certainly the frontal impact aspect of June 7 between the aforementioned units, but I sincerely think that a new look at these different entrenchments would provide some answers throughout the month of June on the following points;
_ Maintenance of a coherent front of the 21.Pz.Div between Beauregard and La Bijude.
_ Strengthening of the SS.Pz.Gr.Rgt.25 system on Authie and Buron.
_ Reinstatement of the SS.Pz.Gr.Rgt.26 on the defensive structures present in Carpiquet at the end of the month.
_ etc ...
If the fighting evoked on June 7 looks more like an engagement little or not initially planned by the two parties, the fact remains that the German units intervened on a compartment of ground favorable to certain defensive actions, this thanks to the work carried out in upstream from December 1943.

Regards
Romain