By June 12th, Canadian soldiers had suffered over 2500 casualties, but had pushed far enough for Allied forces to secure the Orne river in Caen. The advancing 3rd Canadian Division, which was meant to force their way into the city shortly after the air attack, came head to head with an elite Panzer-Grenadier regiment, and were little match for the battle-hardened German troops. Unfortunately, these bombardments hurt the French more than they hurt the Germans, and over 3000 civilians died, while the barrage did little damage to German troops. Over 450 Allied aircraft were deployed to bomb Caen, and reduced it to rubble in less than an hour. Operation Charnwood was one of the first, commencing during the evening of July 7th, 1944. Multiple attempts to move into Caen would take place through several different operations. Caen also had strategic use to the Allies as well, for the large open space around it made for an excellent location for an airfield. Caen was a valuable target because if in the German hands, it would strengthen their defensive position and allow them to rapidly shift forces by using it as a road hub. From there, they were to to move inland and take the French city of Caen.
Below is a look at the historical Battle for Caen that this campaign was based on.Īfter the success at D-Day, the Allies had control of the beachhead along the Normandy coast.
Featured in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, the British single player campaign "Liberation of Caen" follows British and Canadian forces as they move from Gold, Sword, and Juno beaches to the French city of Caen.
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