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History |
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Wars & Campaigns |
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►Boer
War
►First
World War
►►Western
Front
►►►Trench
Warfare: 1914-1916
►►►Allied
Offensive: 1916
►►►Allied
Offensives: 1917
►►►German
Offensive: 1918
►►►Advance
to Victory: 1918
►►Siberia
►Second
World War
►►War
Against Japan
►►North
Africa
►►Italian
Campaign
►►►Sicily
►►►Southern
Italy
►►►The
Sangro and Moro
►►►Battles
of the FSSF
►►►Cassino
►►►Liri
Valley
►►►Advance
to Florence
►►►Gothic
Line
►►►Winter
Lines
►►North-West
Europe
►►►Normandy
►►►Southern
France
►►►Channel
Ports
►►►Scheldt
►►►Nijmegen
Salient
►►►Rhineland
►►►Final
Phase
►Korean
War
►Cold
War
►Gulf
War |
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Operations |
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Battle Honours |
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Boer War
First World War
Western Front
Trench Warfare: 1914-1916
Allied Offensive: 1916
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►Somme, 1916 |
1
Jul-18 Nov 16 |
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►Albert |
.1-13
Jul 16 |
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►Bazentin |
.14-17
Jul 16 |
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►Pozieres |
.23
Jul-3 Sep 16 |
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►Guillemont |
.3-6
Sep 16 |
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►Ginchy |
.9
Sep 16 |
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►Flers-Courcelette |
15-22
Sep 16 |
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►Thiepval |
26-29
Sep 16 |
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►Le Transloy |
.
1-18 Oct 16 |
Allied
Offensives: 1917
|
►Arras 1917 |
8
Apr-4 May 17 |
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►Vimy, 1917 |
.9-14
Apr 17 |
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►Arleux |
28-29 Apr 17 |
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►Scarpe, 1917 |
.3-4
May17 |
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►Hill 70 |
.15-25
Aug 17 |
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►Messines, 1917 |
.7-14
Jun 17 |
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►Ypres, 1917 |
..31
Jul-10 Nov 17 |
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►Pilckem |
31
Jul-2 Aug 17 |
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►Langemarck, 1917 |
.16-18
Aug 17 |
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►Menin Road |
.20-25
Sep 17 |
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►Polygon Wood |
26
Sep-3 Oct 17 |
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►Broodseinde |
.4
Oct 17 |
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►Poelcapelle |
.9
Oct 17 |
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►Passchendaele |
.12
Oct 17 |
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►Cambrai, 1917 |
20
Nov-3 Dec 17 |
German Offensive: 1918
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►Somme, 1918 |
.21
Mar-5 Apr 18 |
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►St. Quentin |
.21-23
Mar 18 |
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►Bapaume, 1918 |
.24-25
Mar 18 |
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►Rosieres |
.26-27
Mar 18 |
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►Avre |
.4
Apr 18 |
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►Lys |
.9-29
Apr 18 |
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►Estaires |
.9-11
Apr 18 |
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►Messines, 1918 |
.10-11
Apr 18 |
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►Bailleul |
.13-15
Apr 18 |
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►Kemmel |
.17-19
Apr 18 |
Advance to Victory: 1918
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►Arras, 1918 |
.26
Aug-3 Sep 18 |
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►Scarpe, 1918 |
26-30 Aug 18. |
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►Drocourt-Queant |
.2-3
Sep 18 |
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►Hindenburg Line |
.12
Sep-9 Oct 18 |
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►Canal du Nord |
.27
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
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►St. Quentin Canal |
.29
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
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►Epehy |
3-5
Oct 18 |
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►Cambrai, 1918 |
.8-9
Oct 18 |
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►Valenciennes |
.1-2
Nov 18 |
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►Sambre |
.4
Nov 18 |
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►Pursuit to Mons |
.28 Sep-11Nov |
Second World War
War Against Japan
South-East Asia
Italian Campaign
Battle of Sicily
Southern
Italy
The Sangro and Moro
Battles of the FSSF
|
►Anzio |
22
Jan-22 May 44 |
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►Rome |
.22
May-4 Jun 44 |
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►Advance
|
.22
May-22 Jun 44 |
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to the Tiber |
. |
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►Monte Arrestino |
25
May 44 |
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►Rocca Massima |
27
May 44 |
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►Colle Ferro |
2
Jun 44 |
Cassino
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►Cassino II |
11-18
May 44 |
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►Gustav Line |
11-18
May 44 |
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►Sant' Angelo in
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13
May 44 |
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Teodice |
. |
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►Pignataro |
14-15 May 44 |
Liri Valley
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►Hitler Line |
18-24 May 44 |
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►Melfa Crossing |
24-25 May 44 |
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►Torrice Crossroads |
30
May 44 |
Advance to Florence
Gothic Line
|
►Gothic Line |
25 Aug-22 Sep 44 |
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►Monteciccardo |
27-28 Aug 44 |
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►Point 204 (Pozzo Alto) |
31 Aug 44 |
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►Borgo Santa Maria |
1 Sep 44 |
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►Tomba di Pesaro |
1-2 Sep 44 |
Winter Lines
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►Rimini Line |
14-21 Sep 44 |
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►San Martino- |
14-18 Sep 44 |
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San Lorenzo |
. |
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►San Fortunato |
18-20 Sep 44 |
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►Sant' Angelo |
11-15 Sep 44 |
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in Salute |
. |
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►Bulgaria Village |
13-14 Sep 44 |
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►Pisciatello |
16-19 Sep 44 |
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►Savio Bridgehead |
20-23
Sep 44 |
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►Monte La Pieve |
13-19
Oct 44 |
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►Monte Spaduro |
19-24 Oct 44 |
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►Monte San Bartolo |
11-14
Nov 44 |
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►Lamone Crossing |
2-13
Dec 44 |
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►Capture of Ravenna |
3-4
Dec 44 |
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►Naviglio Canal |
12-15 Dec 44 |
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►Fosso Vecchio |
16-18 Dec 44 |
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►Fosso Munio |
19-21 Dec 44 |
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►Conventello- |
2-6 Jan 45 |
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Comacchio |
. |
Northwest Europe
Battle of Normandy
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►Quesnay Road |
10-11 Aug 44 |
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►St. Lambert-sur- |
19-22 Aug 44 |
Southern France
Channel Ports
The Scheldt
Nijmegen Salient
Rhineland
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►The
Reichswald |
8-13 Feb 45 |
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►Waal
Flats |
8-15 Feb 45 |
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►Moyland
Wood |
14-21 Feb 45 |
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►Goch-Calcar
Road |
19-21 Feb 45 |
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►The
Hochwald |
26
Feb- |
| . |
4
Mar 45 |
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►Veen |
6-10 Mar 45 |
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►Xanten |
8-9
Mar 45 |
Final Phase
|
►The
Rhine |
23
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
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►Emmerich-Hoch
|
28
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
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Elten |
. |
Korean War
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Domestic Missions |
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►FLQ
Crisis |
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International
Missions |
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►ICCS
Vietnam 1973
►MFO
Sinai 1986- |
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Peacekeeping |
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►UNTEA |
W. N. Guinea 1963-1964 |
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►ONUCA |
C. America
1989-1992 |
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►UNTAC |
Cambodia
1992-1993 |
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►UNMOP |
Prevlaka
1996-2001 |
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Exercises |
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Le Mesnil-Patry
|
Le
Mesnil-Patry was a Battle Honour granted to units participating
in the fighting near this town during the Battle
of Normandy, the first phase of the North-West Europe campaign of
the Second World War.
Background
After the frantic
actions of the first days ashore in Normandy, enemy activity on the
Canadian front after 9 June reverted to passive defence. A large
armoured counter-offensive planned to strike the D-Day beaches never
got off the ground, and in particular the 12th SS Panzer Division,
which had launched a series of hasty and ineffective attacks on the
3rd Canadian Division, "had had enough of major enterprises."1
The Canadians, as well as neighbouring British divisions, patrolled
and probed. The British 3rd Division captured Cambes on 9 June and
the 9th Brigade made plans to attack Buron once again - plans which
in the event were cancelled, and as it turned out postponed for
nearly a month.
A gap persisted
between the 7th and 9th Canadian Brigades, with the enemy nestled in
the valley of the River Mue. This wooded valley lay between Cairon
and Rots, and Canadian artillery at Bray was exposed to German
troops in this area. On 10 June, plans were made to advance to the
high ground at Cheux, south of Norrey-en-Bessin, with tanks and to
end the threat. |
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Clearing the Mue valley
was a necessary prerequisite to the advance on Cheux, and No. 46 Royal
Marine Commando was given the main assignment, falling under command of
the 8th Brigade. With support from the 10th Canadian Armoured Regiment
(Fort Garry Horse), they were to be followed by Le Régiment de la
Chaudière and the North Shore Regiment, clearing villages as they went.
The Commandos moved from Thaon through Cairon, Lasson and Rosel, finding
stiffening opposition, until finally they entered Le Hamel and Rots
where SS infantry with PzKpfw V "Panther" tanks in support gave tough
resistance. A squadron of the Fort Garry Horse with a company of Chauds
reinforced the Commandos and managed to clear the area early in the
morning of 12 July. The Chauds reportedly buried 122 SS men in Rots,
while the Royal Marine Commandos reported 17 killed, 9 wounded and 35
missing.2
Even before the battle
for the valley began, planning had begun for the armoured drive on Cheux.
British 1st Corps advanced the date of the operation by a full day,
leaving no time for reconnaissance or planning detailed artillery
support.3 The Germans, too, were making plans, and the 12th
SS that very morning had moved its Panzer Regiment's 2nd Battalion into
the area south of Le Mesnil-Patry.4 The British 69th Brigade
was launching at attack on Bronay; a message log at corps headquarters
indicated that the intent was that the Canadian attack would be of
assistance to the British assault on 11 June.
The 6th Canadian Armoured
Regiment (1st Hussars) and infantry of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
were ordered to attack through Norrey-en-Bessin and seize the high
ground at Cheux, making a right flanking movement through Le
Mesnil-Patry and bypassing Cheux itself. The other two armoured
regiments of the 2nd Armoured Brigade was to join the Hussars on the
objective.
The Battle
The attack began in
daylight, at 1430 on the 11th. With "B" Squadron of the Hussars leading,
and men of "D" Company riding on the tanks, the force advanced only part
way across the level ground between Norrey and Le Mesnil-Patry before
encountering heavy mortar and machine gun fire. The infantry dismounted
from their exposed positions on the back of the tanks and tried to move
forward, and small parties of both tanks and infantry managed to make it
into the town. However, enemy tanks and anti-tank guns came into action,
and the Hussars ordered a withdrawal to their own start line. "B"
Squadron, not receiving the order to withdraw, lost all but two tanks,
all its officers, and all but three NCOs. "D" Company of the Queen's Own
Rifles suffered 96 casualties (the battalion as a whole suffered 99, 55
being killed).5
The 2nd Battalion of the
12th SS Panzer Regiment was under the command of SS-Sturmbannführer
Prinz, and his tanks had managed to intervene decisively. The 8th
Company, under Hans Siegel, apparently moved into action on the
initiative of their commander, being closest to the fighting, and scored
many hits on the exposed Canadian tanks. The divisional Pionier
(engineer) battalion also counter-attacked and took prisoners. In all,
the 12th SS tanks managed to inflict the loss of 37 tanks, while the
Hussars lost 80 troops, an unusually high proportion of them being
killed. German losses were just four tanks (three from No. 8 Company and
one from No. 9 Company) though personnel casualties were higher,
totalling 150, including 48 dead and 11 missing.6
Aftermath
The battle at Le
Mesnil-Patry was a costly defeat, and as it turned out, the last major
offensive action for the Canadians in Normandy for the month of June.
The town itself eventually fell to the British, without a fight, on the
night of 16-17 June. The battle did bring to a close the Canadian Army's
part in the lodgement battles, the toll for which included 196 officers
(72 killed) and 2635 other ranks (945 killed). The battle was the worst
day of the war for the 1st Hussars, and was in fact their bloodiest
single day of combat in the history of the regiment. All told, 7
officers, 6 NCOs and 32 men (45 in total) had been killed from the
Hussars.7
Battle Honours
The following Canadian units were awarded the Battle Honour "le
Mesnil Patry"
for participation in these actions:
2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade
8th Canadian Infantry Brigade
Notes
-
Stacey, C.P. Official History of
the Canadian Army in the Second World War: Volume III: The Victory
Campaign: The Operations in North-west Europe 1944-45
(Queen's Printer, Ottawa, ON, 1960)
-
Ibid
-
McKay, A. Donald Gaudeamus Igitur
"Therefore Rejoice" (Bunker to Bunker Books, Calgary, AB,
2005) ISBN 1894255534 p.143 McKay states that there was no reason
for the change in timing of the attack but Stacey surmised in the
official history that it "seems fairly clear that they must have
been connected with an attack which the neighbouring formations of
the 30th Corps were delivering" (Victory Campaign, p.139)
-
Luther, Craig W.H. Blood and Honor: The History
of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" 1943-1945 (R.
James Bender Publishing, San Jose, CA, 1987) ISBN 0-912138-38-6
p.200
-
Stacey, Ibid
-
Luther, Ibid, pp.200-202
-
McNorgan, Michael The Gallant Hussars: A
History of the 1st Hussars Regiment 1856-2004 (1st Hussars
Cavalry Fund, Aylmer, ON, 2004) ISBN 0-9694659-1-2 p.135
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