Operation Charnwood
Operation Charnwood was an Anglo-Canadian offensive that took place from 8 to 9 July 1944, during the Battle for Caen, part of the larger Battle of Normandy, in the Second World War. The operation was intended to at least partially capture the German-occupied French city of Caen (French pronunciation: [kɑ̃]), which was an important objective for the Allies during the opening stages of Operation Overlord, the codename for the Battle of Normandy. It was also hoped that the attack would forestall the transfer of German armoured units from the Anglo-Canadian sector to the lightly screened American sector, where a major American offensive was being planned. The British and Canadians advanced on a broad front and by the evening of the second day had taken Caen up to the Orne and Odonrivers.
By EyeSerene - Own work by uploader; adapted from map at onwar.com and incorporating information from a Google map of Caen and descriptive text in the following sources:Copp, Terry (2004) [2003] Fields of Fire: The Canadians in Normandy, Toronto: University of Toronto Press ISBN: 0-80203-780-1. OCLC: 56329119. ISBN 0-80203-780-1D'Este, Carlo (2004) [1983] Decision in Normandy: The Real Story of Montgomery and the Allied Campaign, London: Penguin Books Ltd ISBN: 0-14101-761-9. OCLC: 44772546. ISBN 0-14101-761-9Ellis, Major L.F. (2004) [1st. pub. HMSO, 1962] Victory in the West, Volume I: The Battle of Normandy, History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series, Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval & Military Press Ltd ISBN: 1-84574-058-0. OCLC: 276814706. ISBN 1-84574-058-0, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7412743