The story
1st Polish Armoured Division arrival day 4
One week later, the 8th, it was deployed in the south of Caen to take part in the second phase of the operation “Totalize”.
Even before the beginning of the attack, the rear echelon of the division was bombed by mistake by an American air raid, which inflicted tens of casualties. Then, armoured regiments were caught under heavy fire from enemy anti-tank guns, skilfully dissimulated. The initial dash was brutally broken, and, by the end of the day, polish division deplored the loss of 26 tanks for a disapointing progress…
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You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.