Operation Epsom

Operation EPSOM, the first of Montgomery's major set-piece Normandy battles, marked a turning point in the Normandy campaign. Before EPSOM, there remained the chance that a German counter-stroke in Normandy might seriously threaten the bridgeheazd. After EPSOM, the Allies retained the strategic initiative through to the liberation of France and Belgium.

This was a battle in which highly trained but largely inexperienced British 'follow-up' divisions, newly arrived in Normandy, confronted some of the best equipped, best led and most experienced combat formations of the Third Reich.

Beginning with a set-piece British assault on the German lines in dense terrain, the battle developed into swirling armoured action on the open slopes of Hills 112 and 113, before the British grimly returned to defending their gains in the face of attacks by two SS-Panzer Korps.

This entirely new study brings together previously unseen evidence to present an important Normandy battle in great detail. The unfolding action is illustrated using aerial photography of the battlefield and period Army maps. Supporting appendices offer vital background information including detailed orders of battle, analyses of tactics and lessons learned by both sides.