On the 10th of August the regiment moved to a position near Cintheaux, south of Caen on the Falaise Road. The medium regiments were pushed forward as far as possible to get the range in the upcoming battle, which meant they were quite exposed. Enemy artillery sniped at the gun positions, continually spraying the area with shells, mostly 88mm and some 17cm. Several men from the regiment were wounded by shrapnel.
But this position will be remembered by many for another tragic event. On August 14th, a great armoured assault began on enemy defences north of Falaise - Operation Tractable. Bomber Command were to support by bombing German positions around Potigny and Quesnay Woods. However, 77 of the 811 bombers misidentified their targets and dropped bombs on the rear areas.
It was a bright sunny afternoon and gunners strained their eyes to look at the mass of black planes; they could clearly see the bomb doors open. To their utter surprise, bombs started to fall on and around their position.
Peter Green with C Troop recalls:
C Troop gun position was to the east of a railway embankment - a single track line going south - and we had a command post in a slit trench in the side of the embankment...in the command post we had a grandstand view and I vividly remember seeing all these heavy bombers coming over very low with their bomb doors open wide and the bombs cascading down on our troops. It was very frightening dnd the only time in the whole campaign I though I might be killed. Ambulances were driving up for a long time afterwards.
But this position will be remembered by many for another tragic event. On August 14th, a great armoured assault began on enemy defences north of Falaise - Operation Tractable. Bomber Command were to support by bombing German positions around Potigny and Quesnay Woods. However, 77 of the 811 bombers misidentified their targets and dropped bombs on the rear areas.
It was a bright sunny afternoon and gunners strained their eyes to look at the mass of black planes; they could clearly see the bomb doors open. To their utter surprise, bombs started to fall on and around their position.
Peter Green with C Troop recalls:
C Troop gun position was to the east of a railway embankment - a single track line going south - and we had a command post in a slit trench in the side of the embankment...in the command post we had a grandstand view and I vividly remember seeing all these heavy bombers coming over very low with their bomb doors open wide and the bombs cascading down on our troops. It was very frightening dnd the only time in the whole campaign I though I might be killed. Ambulances were driving up for a long time afterwards.
The railway embankment as it looks today. C Troop command post was dug into this embankment. The guns were in the field. The village of Cintheaux can be just seen through the tunnel.
