Daily Chronicle of the Battle for Normandy Monday, July 4th 1944
On the British front in the West and the North of Caen, the strategy set by general Montgomery finally starts to pay: since the English run up against the North of the city to the German defenders , the Canadians are sent to sail round Caen by the West and to capture the airport located near the locality of Carpiquet. This offensive lies within the scope of the Windsor Operation, planned by general Dempsey, which begins on July 4.
Carpiquet, located at 1 kilometer in the West of Caen, is attacked by the 8th Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, Royal Winnipeg Rifles Regiment, North Shore Regiment, Queen’s Own Rifles Regiment and the Canadien French Regiment la Chaudiere, which run up against the German defenders of the 12nd SS Panzer Division, largely bombarded by the allied artillery and the British Typhoon fighters.
At the end of the day, the Canadians control Carpiquet as well as Northern part of the airport and push back a great number of German counter-attacks.
In the South of Carentan in the Cotentin peninsula, the Americans continue the siege of the La Haye-du-Puits. Many units are gathered in the North of this village which have to be thrown in the battle the next day.
In the North of Saint-Lo, the 7th Corps of general Collins continues its offensive which begun the day before, and the 83rd and 90th American Infantry divisions must deal with German soldiers belonging to the 7th Army. The combat are extremely violent. The soldiers of the 90th Infantry Division reach the village of Sainteny, defended by SS Pomegranates of division Götz von Berlichingen and by elements belonging to the 6th German Parachutist Regiment. The American losses are terrifying and reach thousand of men out of fight, for a very limited Allied progression in this sector: only 200 meters.
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