Jul 11, 1944

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Montgomery began a frontal assault on the city of Caen on July 7. At the same time, he renewed attacks west of the city to capture the high ground between the rivers Odon and Orne. Part of this high ground was Hill 112, which had been captured and then abandoned during Operation Epsom. From the elevation of the hill, both valleys of the Odon and Orne could be seen and the Germans argued that whoever controlled Hill 112 controlled Normandy.

Between June 25 when they occupied Hill 112, and July 23 when they were finally driven from the town of Maltot, the 2nd SS Panzer Corps fought to hold the hill. The area around Hill 112 changed hands many times, and thousands of Allied and German troops were killed or wounded on its slopes.

The first action of Operation Jupiter on July 11 was a British assault to regain the hill. The British 43rd (Wessex) Division, with Churchill tanks in support, lost more than 2,000 men in the first 36 hours. The Allied advance faced dug-in tanks of the 102nd SS Heavy Panzer Battalion in front of Maltot and SS infantry units concealed in cornfields. Casualties from both sides were so high it was reported that the Odon River was dammed with corpses. The 43rd Division's commander, Major-General G.l. Thomas was known as "the Butcher" for his seeming indifference to casualties as he pushed his men forward. Operation Jupiter was hailed a strategic success, although it wasn't until the American forces launched Operation Cobra that the German forces withdrew from the area.

The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.