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"Montgomery intended to hinge his left flank on the important port, road, and rail centre of Caen. He hoped to seize it in the first day or two and then push southeastwards, threatening to break out towards Falaise and eastwards towards the Seine...That would provoke the phase of German counterattacks ... in comparatively open farmland interspersed with stone villages and inflict heavy casualties on the attacking Germans with his dominant artillery and tactical air force. That did not occur because Caen did not fall until July. Montgomery's failure to take Caen in the first rush changed the tactical nature of the campaign. At the very beginning there was a possibility that the Germans might turn the tables by holding the hinge against the British and switching their reserves to the American front before the Americans had taken Cherbourg, the essential port the Allies needed and which lay behind the American front. Consequently it was the British and Canadians who had to attack all through July to hold the elite German panzer grenadier and panzer divisions on their front..." The Price of Command :126

When the Allies were unable to take Caen in the first rush of D-Day, the tactical shape of the battle changed. It was necessary to hold the German divisions off balance and keep them committed to holding the front. This extended the length of the German defence line, and prevented them from concentrating their attack on the American attempt on Cherbourg. But it also made the Allied advance slow, which in turn led Eisenhower and other senior commanders to question Montgomery's performance.

"The price for retaining the initiative was paid by his infantry divisions. They, not the Germans, had to attack an enemy armed with superior weapons in country that favoured the defence. They suffered heavy losses."

July 4 General Rod Keller was slowly going to pieces, while his troops, the 8th Brigade with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles under its command, though it had already suffered heavy casualties on D-Day, opened an attack on the town of Carpiquet.This offensive was the first stage of Operation Charnwood, the major British effort to take Caen.

Capriquet's capture is assigned to Keller's 8th Brigade: North Shores, Queen's Own, and le Regiment de la Chaudiere, with the 7th Brigade's Winnipeg Rifles under command; supported by the 10th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Fort Garry Horse) and the Assault Vehicles, Royal Engineers of the 79th British Armoured Division. They have 428 field guns, backed by naval fire including the 9 16-inch guns of the battleship Rodney and the15-inch guns of the monitor Roberts. Attack opened on the town of Carpiquet and its airfield. They take the village and part of the airport at a cost of 117 dead and 260 other casualties. A second attempt is made on the southern end of the airfield by two battalions. It too, fails. They hold what they have won for five days until Caen is taken in Operation Charnwood Keller's two superior officers. Miles Dempsey and Sir John Crocker, both regard this as failure and demands his removal. They claim that he did not maintain control of the battle, nor recognize when he should have thrown in more resources. He is unfit for divisional command, but he retains his position July 5

July 7 In late June 1944, it was still not clear who was going to win the battle of Normandy. To buy time, General Montgomery decided to provide a public relations victory at Caen

July 8/9 The northern part of Caen was secured by nightfall but the leveling of Caen did not bring any military advantage to the Canadians. Casualties during the two day battle for Caen were staggering. In the infantry battalions' losses of 25% were the rule not the exception.

July 8, 0730 h. 2 assaulting companies of the Highland Lights cross the start line for Buron, but are unable to get past MMGs. Tanks are called forward several times to help. Casualties are 262, 64 fatal. "D" Company under Maj. Anderson is the first into the village. Tanks are unable to follow because of a minefield on the right flank. D Company suffers heavy casualties flushing out the trenches. 1130

D Company has only one officer remaining and 38 ORs; B Company has one officer and 1/3 strength; C Company has 50% losses and A Company has 1/3 losses. All have reached their objectives. 1st British Corps and 3rd Canadian Division move into the city. The 9th Canadian takes both Buron and Authie The 7th Brigade captures Cussy and Ardenne the 8th completes its capture of Carpiquet as the Germans are pulled back.

July 9 , The urban area of Caen, north of the Orne River secured by nightfall by two British Divisions and the 3rd Canadian. The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders and the Sherbrooke Fusilier tanks are the first into the streets, which are full of rubble. the famous Abbaye-aux-Hommes, 1000 years old, is untouched. Of 1,194 Canadian casualties in taking Caen, 334 are fatal. German casualties are also high. Its infantry strength is cut to that of a battalion and 65 of its 150 tanks are gone. It withdrew to refit. Germans maintain control of the suburbs of Colombelles and Vaucelles