5 Coldstream Guards final O Group at Brigade H.Q
1200 hours Final ‘O’ Group at Brigade H.Q.
Weather permitting at H HOUR tomorrow 8 CORPS will break out to the East of CAEN and advance with the object of destroying the enemy armour and enlarging the bridgehead.
On the Left 3 DIVISION is to attack Southwards towards EMIEVILLE 1265 and the high ground South East of TROARN 1667, and on the Right the Canadian Division will cross the ORNE and clear CAEN and its suburbs that lie over the river.
The whole of BOMBER COMMAND will support the attack and form a corridor by blasting the villages running South to CAGNY 1167 that lie between the 12 and 13 grid and the 09 and 10 grid.
8 CORPS advances down the Corridor with 11th ARMOURED DIVISION leading, followed by GUARDS ARMOURED DIVISION and 7th ARMOURED DIVISION.
The first phase of the GUARDS ARMOURED DIVISION advance is to take over CAGNY 1164 from 11th ARMOURED DIVISION and the second phase is the capture of VIMONT 1461.
32nd GUARDS BRIGADE is to follow the armour.
5th Battalion COLDSTREAM GUARDS leads and after debussing at the orchards in 1165, relieves the armour around CAGNY.
The Battalion is followed by 1st Battalion WELSH GUARDS who mop up CAGNY then go on to their pivot area around LE HAMEAU DE FRANQUEVILLE 1362.
3rd Battalion IRISH GUARDS then go through to their area around VIMONT and to the North 1561, followed by the 5th Battalion COLDSTREAM GUARDS who take up a position around BELLENGREVILLE 1461 and to the South.
1530 hours
The Commanding Officer gave out the following orders of march:-
Carrier Platoon (less 2 Sections)
Detachment 615 Field Squadron ROYAL ENGINEERS (with bulldozers)
No. 4 Company group (Section 6-pounders, Section Carriers, Section Mortars)
1000 yards gap
M.M.G. Platoon
No. 3 Company Group
Battalion H.Q.
Troop 17-pounders 21st Anti-Tank
Support Company
No. 2 Company
Troop 17-pounders
No. 2 Company
H.Q. Company
Residue vehicles of 165 Field Squadron and 21st Anti-Tank,
Section 128 Field Ambulance
3x3-tonners with Mines and wire
No. 1 Company Group
At the start the wheeled vehicles go first followed by the tracked vehicles which pull out of the column and follow in rear.
From the Brigade S.P. the column goes as one till it reaches RUCQUEVILLE 8777 from whence there is a separate track for wheels and a separate track for tracked vehicles, both of which lead across country to PEGASUS Bridge at 0974 where the Brigade column halt early tomorrow morning.
On orders the Battalion then crosses the ORNE goes South down the bomb alley and debus at LE PRIEURE 1165, it having been cleared by No. 4 Company in advance.
Here all but the essential vehicles are left behind and the Battalion marches to CAGNY and takes up a position around the village with No. 1 Company blocking the road from CAEN at 105645, No. 2 Company blocking road North East at 117644, No. 3 Company blocking road from VIMONT at 114636, No. 4 Company in orchards at 105638.
When 1st Battalion WELSH GUARDS and 3rd Battalion IRISH GUARDS have passed through and mopped up their areas the Battalion moves up to BELLINGREVILLE which is to be occupied as follows:-
No. 1 Company astride the railway on the edge of the WOOD at 145608,
No. 2 Company in ORCHARD AT 138610,
No. 3 Company in the VILLAGE at 142616,
No. 4 Company in ORCHARD at 144604.
Supporting arms as follows:-
17-pounders, 1 Troop with No. 1 Company firing East, 1 Troop between No.s 2 and 3 Companies firing West.
6-pounders, 1 Section with No. 4 Company, 1 Section with No. 1 Company, 1 Section with No. 3 Company.
M.M.G.s to take up a position so as to fire South and South West.
3” Mortars with D.F.s at 147606 and 146602.
Artillery (Battery 55 Field Regiment) - There will be no artillery support till mopping up is completed, then their tasks will be:-
S.O.S. 131 - 148601
D.F. 132 - 154603
D.F. 133 - 123605
Mines - A minefield will be laid from 143603 to 152611.
Wire - A belt all along the WOODS and ORCHARDS in front of No.s 2 and 4 Companies.
On arrival Standing Patrols one Section strong are to be sent to CROSSROADS 123603, CHURCH 131599, ROAD JUNCTION 140597.
Battalion H.Q. will be established at 14615.
The attack being dependant on the suitability of tomorrow for bombing, no exact timings are yet known.