Operation Epsom

for the DCS: Spitfire IX

Normandy, June 1944. We have seen it set to film in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘Band of Brothers’; we
have read about it in the works of Ernie Pyle, Cornelius Ryan, Steven Ambrose, and thousands of others.
It is a place and time so embedded in our collective culture that a set of missions flown during this
period almost needs no introduction.

This campaign tells a small part of the story, following the air war from the point of view of No. 144
Wing Royal Canadian Air Force, part of the RAF’s 2nd Tactical Air Force, during the last week of June
1944. It is framed around Operation Epsom, an attempt by the British 2nd Army to establish a strong
force on the high ground south of Caen near Bretteville-sur-Laize. The forces holding this terrain would
have a commanding view of the area and be positioned to strike southeast into less easily defended
country. It was hoped that success could bring about an early end to fighting in Normandy. You will see
this battle play out below you as you carry out the very missions flown by the Wing, sometimes against
the enemy on the ground and sometimes fending off Luftwaffe attempts to affect the battle from the
air.

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 Campaign Introduction
The campaign begins on the 24th of June 1944; two weeks after the D-Day landings and two days
before the start of Operation Epsom itself. This provides you, the player, two days of
uncharacteristically good weather to find your way around and get a feel for the area before both foul
weather and an uptick in the pace of operations sets in. It also represents the peak of Luftwaffe activity
during this phase of the war. This gives a player looking for a WWII dogfighting experience at least some
chance of encountering the Luftwaffe in the air although that type of encounter is not what defined the
air war over Normandy. The German Air Force remined vastly outnumbered and were still reeling from
the strikes on their air bases leading up to the landings.

Most missions will be of the armed reconnaissance, or ‘armed recce’ type. You will be tasked with
flying a specified route scouring the countryside for enemy movement on the ground. Better to destroy
them on the roads and rails before they reach the front lines. You will also fly strikes in support of the
Army against pre-planned targets, fly patrols lying in wait for the Luftwaffe should they decide to
appear, and participate in scramble missions, taking off in pursuit of the enemy when they make it
through all other layers of defense.

You will hear calls to and

from the 483 Group Control
Centre, the command and
control agency for 2nd
Tactical Air Force’s 83 Group
of which 144 Wing is a part,
working under the callsign
Kenway. Their task is to keep
all aircraft on their frequency
up to date on the latest
developments such as enemy
radar contacts, enemy activity
gained through radio
intercept, or sightings called
in from other squadrons.
They also serve as a liaison
between your aircraft and
Army forces on the ground as
you will see as the campaign
483 Group Control Center, callsign ‘Kenway’, June 1944 IWM (CL 563) progresses.

The goal of the campaign design was to leave behind any assumptions about the conduct of the WWII
air war and construct these missions based only on contemporary sources, mostly day to day records
kept by the squadrons themselves. These ‘operations record books’ were pored over revealing mission
types, number of aircraft airborne, takeoff and landing times, loadout, weather, general location flown,
location and type of enemy aircraft encountered, flak locations and intensity, and in some cases exact
coordinates of targets hit. Each squadron of the RAF’s 2nd Tactical Air Force was included in the search
for information and if their aircraft were airborne during the time of day these missions take place and
the aircraft type is available in the simulation they are represented in the air.

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 Campaign Introduction

The ground war was reconstructed hour by hour using the unit war diary in some cases and the official
history of the battle in others. The operations being conducted on the ground as you fly overhead are
the operations that would by underway at that exact time and place. The entire campaign was framed
around the Operation Epsom battle so as much detail was included in that area as was feasible.

The mission briefings are formatted in accordance with RAF norms at the time with visual aids based on
examples from photographs where available. The intel briefings and flak maps were developed from
real combat reports and overhead imagery, using the same methodology outlined in period air intel
officer guides. The briefing text itself is simply a transcript of the author, a retired Airman with years of
experience organizing and delivering briefings, recording the briefing for an imaginary audience with
very few alterations.

A comprehensive list of reference material concerning the air war over Normandy is available on the
Eagle Dynamics forums at this link: Resources for Mission Designers. We claim monopoly on neither the
building of WWII campaigns nor the wisdom to interpret the data. Nothing would make us happier than
to see others take on the task from a different perspective.

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 Campaign Introduction

How to approach the campaign as a player

Every campaign in a flight simulation is going to have a different approach to presenting information
and a different experience in mind for the player. Let me cover some common questions about how
these missions work and describe exactly what we had in mind when setting it all up.

The Player’s Role

The story here is not that of an individual pilot but of the air campaign over Normandy itself. The
persona of the player character can be thought of as ‘you’, transported back in time and placed in
command of a unit over Normandy. We chose not to write a player backstory because the experience of
flying combat missions in WWII has already been described hundreds of times by the men who flew the
real missions.

A good place to start would be the book ‘Wing

Leader’ by AVM Johnnie Johnson, who in fact
led two of the missions this campaign is based
on. Nothing we could come up with on our
own would possibly do the subject justice.

Generally speaking, you will be filling the role

of the ‘winco’ or Wing Commander, Flying,
responsible for the operational command,
training, and flying discipline of the Wing’s
three squadrons. This would always be a highly
experienced and respected pilot chosen for the
ability to lead both in the air and on the
ground.

The winco flew on no set schedule but chose

which missions he flew from day to day. These
would usually be spread evenly throughout the
squadrons under his charge to get a better feel
for the strengths and weaknesses of each. The
more dangerous missions were led by the
winco more often than not. When not flying,
the commander would usually sit in on mission
briefings, adding a word or two on tactics or
Wing Commander Johnnie Johnson, July 1944 IWM (TR 2145) some other subject, but letting the pilot leading
the mission run things.

The job also came with its own callsign chosen from a list of random words, in the case of this campaign
‘Enfield’.

Your responsibility while leading a squadron in the air is to navigate along the route and make tactical
decisions. How high do you fly? What RPM and throttle setting? What flak evasion actions do you

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 Campaign Introduction
take? Do you fly above or below the clouds when looking for enemy aircraft? The decisions you make
in the air dictate how the missions play out.

There are several items to keep in mind that may differ from what you are expecting based on your
experience in other DCS: World campaigns:

Nothing is time sensitive.

A takeoff and set course time is included in the mission briefing based on standards from the era but
they do not have to be followed. The air war is set up to play out around you for a 60-90 minute period.
Your targets are still going to be there and the air plan will continue to unfold without you if you are still
learning the Spitfire and would rather take your time getting airborne. You can also get airborne
immediately. It does not matter one bit when it comes to how the missions play out.

You do not have to follow the planned route.

The intent here is to put you in command of a squadron over Normandy and allow you to use your own
judgment. There are no trigger zones that you must fly through along the route to set events into
motion so feel free to fly an entirely different mission profile. Fly the missions in whatever way you feel
gives you the best chance of disrupting enemy operations while keeping your squadron alive.

There are no ‘mission goals’ or other tasks that must be carried out in order to move on in the
campaign.

Can’t find the planned target? That is ok, neither could they in many cases. Those bandits got away? It
happened all the time and should be considered the norm in these weather conditions. The only criteria
for advancing to the next mission is that you keep your aircraft airborne for 10 minutes. You can always
go back and re-fly the mission as a ‘single mission’ separate from the campaign if there were certain
things you wanted to try again.

Realizing some players are looking for a more performance based measurement of how they did during
a mission we offer this as an alternative. These are the results from the actual missions this campaign is
based on, keeping in mind this is for the entire squadron and not just the lead aircraft:

Mission 1: Two vehicles destroyed.

Mission 2: Both targets destroyed.
Mission 3: Two vehicles in flames, three smoking, and six damaged.
Mission 4: One enemy aircraft damaged.
Mission 5: Four enemy aircraft destroyed.
Mission 6: One vehicle damaged.
Mission 7: Four enemy aircraft destroyed, one probably destroyed, and one damaged.
Mission 8: One enemy aircraft destroyed, two damaged.
Mission 9: Enemy aircraft sighted but the squadron could not close.
Mission 10: Five vehicles in flames, five smoking, and three damaged.

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 Campaign Introduction
Mission 11: Three enemy aircraft destroyed, one damaged.
Mission 12: Target damaged but not destroyed.

Not every event during the mission is meant for you.

Many radio calls will come through describing air engagements or ground target locations during these
missions. The intent is not to drag the player around from place to place by the nose but to keep you up
to date about what is going on in the air. Again, you are in command of the squadron so you should use
your own judgement. Act if you think it best but keep in mind that may not always the best course of
action. Even the calls from Kenway directing you to perform a certain task should be considered
optional if you are low on fuel or ammo, or are not in a position to carry them out.

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 Campaign Introduction

Getting the most out of the missions

This is a different experience from modern combat we are used to in DCS so these are a few things that
helped us get more enjoyment out of these missions while testing them out. These mostly deal with
how to control your squadron mates, keep them alive, and make sure they are still there when you need
them.

- Fuel management is critical and the entire route does not have to be flown at low level and at high
speed. In fact, these will be very short missions if you do because you will quickly burn through your
fuel. Engine RPM settings of 1800-2400 and boost settings of no more than +2 were the norm and will
allow you to stay in the air much longer.

- The rest of the squadron is going to run out of fuel first and this is perfectly normal. Any speed,
altitude, or course change you make along the way is amplified for the aircraft trying to stay in
formation. Higher throttle and RPM settings are required in order to stay in position so it is important to
keep this in mind while making course changes. Fly smoothly like any good flight lead and your
squadron will be able to stay airborne much longer.

- Your job is to navigate and make decisions. Your squadron’s job is to look out for targets and keep you
informed. Be sure to set your radio up to receive their transmissions. Details are included in each
briefing but be sure either button A, C, or D is selected on your radio panel.

- Wingmen will sometimes reply with calls like ‘two, negative’ or ‘three, unable’ in response to your
radio command to attack. Do not let that frustrate you. This is always one of two things: they either do
not see a valid target or they do not have the proper weapons for that target type you are telling them
to attack. The weather is terrible on some missions and this has the appropriate effect on the AI’s ability
to spot targets. Always wait until they give the radio call ‘contact target’ or ‘tally bandits’ before giving
the command.

- Be specific when giving radio commands to your squadron and avoid the generic ‘Engage Ground
Targets’ command if possible. Your flight will prioritize air defense targets and will not last long. You
will want to use radio command ‘Engage Utility Vehicles’ in most cases.

- Avoid more than one attack on the same target. It was common for German flak positions not to fire
and give away their position until nearby units were attacked. Many targets you will encounter can be
expected to behave in this way.

- Spitfires and Mustangs will not engage armor with guns so avoid the ‘Engage Armor’ call. You can bet
that other vehicle targets are around so send your squadron after those instead.

- Use the ‘Engage Air Defenses’ command sparingly. Flak positions are everywhere and your squadron’s
best chance of survival comes from avoiding defended locations.

- Be careful when using the ‘cover me’ command. Your wingman will engage anything he sees as a
threat to you including air defenses on the ground.

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 Campaign Introduction
- Listen closely to what your flight is reporting. For example, ‘Contact target, 2 o’clock for three.’ means
‘I see a vehicle or other suitable soft target, in front of me and to the right, three miles away’. This is
your cue to start looking for the target yourself. Assuming your flight is flying in formation when the call
is made, it should be a simple matter to scan the proper area and locate the target they have in sight.

- Follow your wingman if you cannot spot the target yourself. Give the radio command to engage the
target and fly in a position to provide support, watching for flak, and calling off the attack if needed.
Once your squadron begins to attack, you can easily roll in on the right location.

- There are many, many targets behind the front lines and it is very easy for your squadron to go after
one you did not intend them to. When in doubt, give the command to ‘rejoin formation’. Better to
reform and try again than to lose everybody on an attack you did not intend to happen.

- Do not rush into air engagements. Use the sun or clouds to mask your approach and try to maneuver
behind the enemy. The real WWII tactics described in the mission briefings work. It takes practice to
get the timing right but you and your squadron can easily down several aircraft before they know you
are there.

- Don’t forget about the other squadrons. You can always turn and run for one of the standing patrols if
you find yourself outnumbered.

- Mission 2 and 12 task your squadron with destroying a specific target on the ground. The keyboard
command LWin-R may be used to ensure the lead section attacks the planned target. The lead section
will fly directly to the target and attack immediately when the command is given so only give the
command when in position at the desired approach heading. The aircraft will not rejoin automatically
so give the command to rejoin formation when the attack is complete through either the normal
communications menu or keyboard LWin-Y.

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 Campaign Introduction
- Orders to the second section of four aircraft are given by selecting F10 (Other) from the
communications menu then selecting the appropriate command. The command 'attack primary target'
will ensure the second section attacks the planned target on mission 2 and 12.

- A radio communications menu option is available that can increase game performance by removing
some historical aspects of the mission and reducing the unit count. It is intended to be used as a last
resort by players who are unable to fly the mission even after reducing all graphics settings. Access it by
selecting F10 (Other) from the comms menu and selecting the text that is presented. This option is
removed after the player aircraft taxis.

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 Campaign Introduction
Historical Background
As mentioned earlier, a comprehensive list of reference material concerning the air war over Normandy
is available on the Eagle Dynamics forums at this link: Resources for Mission Designers.

For a brief overview of Normandy air operations, I would recommend ‘D-Day 1944: Air Power over the
Normandy Beaches and Beyond’ by Dr. Richard Hallion. It is available free of charge at this link:

For the Operation Epsom ground battle itself, a description of the events is included with each mission
in the form of a briefing from the Army Liaison Officer. These are delivered as if the events are
happening in real time. If you would rather read the entire description of the operation in one place, I
present it below in its entirety.

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 Campaign Introduction

Operation Epsom
The Operation Epsom concept was developed starting on June 18th when General Montgomery,
commander of all ground forces during the invasion, issued a directive ordering British 2nd Army to
launch an attack to establish a strong force on the high ground south of Caen near Bretteville-sur-Laize.

The forces holding this terrain

would have a commanding
view of the area and be
positioned to strike either
northeast enveloping Caen or
southeast into less easily
defended country and a
possible breakout to the Seine.
There was also to be a large
attack launched on the British
left north of Caen but it was
later decided that the small
bridgehead to the east of the
Orne river did not provide
enough room to mount an
effective attack. The British
would only undertake a minor
operation in that area to extend the bridgehead southwards; the main attack being made by units of the
newly arrived VIII Corps on the right, west of Caen, beginning on June 22nd.

Unfortunately for these plans, a three-day storm welled up in the English Channel, disrupting shipping,
heavily damaging the Mulberry harbors, and postponing the Epsom battle plans. Provisions had been
made so that reserves of supplies were available to tide the forces over until normal cross-channel
shipping could resume but the overall scale of the offensive was reduced and execution was delayed for
several days. The storm also interfered with execution of the air plan by the RAF and USAAF giving the
enemy several days of grace to move further reinforcements and supplies in along the roads relatively
unimpeded.

24 June 1944

Our DCS: World campaign picks up on the 24th of June, the day prior to commencement of major
operations that would involve units of both XXX and VIII Corps. The XXX Corps forces that were to
participate included the 49th Division who had seen continuous combat since the D-Day landings. The
forces belonging to VIII Corps, the 11th Armoured, 15th Infantry, and 43rd Infantry Divisions, had only
just arrived from England and were not yet up to strength. It was decided to reinforce the Corps with
the addition of the 31st Tank and 4th Armoured Brigades, bringing its total tank strength up to over six
hundred. The total strength of VIII Corps when the battle opened was some sixty thousand personnel
with the artillery of XXX Corps on its right, of I Corps on its left, and the naval guns of four ships were to
bring the total number of guns available for support the battle up to over seven hundred.

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 Campaign Introduction
Opposite the British stood
the 12th SS Panzer, 21st
Panzer, and Panzer Lehr
Divisions. These units had
been in place for nearly three
weeks, were intimately
familiar with the terrain and
had prepared it thoroughly for
any incursion when the British
attack opened. Infantry and
machine-gun positions were
strengthened by wire,
minefields were laid, and
armor and '88's were sited in
hidden positions but able to
move to others if detected.

A full program of air missions was flown by 2nd Tactical Air Force this day as 49th Division prepared for
the next day’s attack and VIII Corps continued to move forward into their staging areas northeast of
Tilly-sur-Suelles. Weather was excellent over England and very good over the various target areas.

25 June 1944

Early in the morning of the 25th, a preliminary attack called Operation Martlet kicked off with the goal
of securing the Rauray spur. This high ground to the west of the Epsom main advance provided the
enemy with a perfect vantage point and flanking position against VIII Corps who were to advance the
next day.

The XXX Corp’s 49th Division advanced on

a two-brigade front through a heavy
ground mist. Their 146th Brigade attacked
and captured Bas de Fontenay against
heavy opposition, going on to reach the
beginnings of high ground north of Vendes
by early that afternoon. The 147th
Brigade, attacking into the Rauray spur,
were unable to advance beyond the
northern outskirts of the main village of
Fontenay. Fighting continued there well
into the night but even after committing a
second battalion to the attack, the village
was not cleared of the enemy. Heavy
opposition and more wet weather slowed
the advance and the Rauray spur on the
flank of VIII Corps was still in enemy
possession when that Corps attacked the
next morning.

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 Campaign Introduction
From the air, gun positions and strongpoints in the Epsom intended line of advance were selected and
attacked by fighter-bombers, all operating under the direction of the 483 Group Control Centre. The
Group Control Centre was in turn communicating directly with VIII Corps headquarters, the agency
responsible for all air support requests in the area, and coordinating actions in the air with those forces
on the ground. Air strikes continued to harass the enemy until clouds and rain set in once again later in
the evening.

26 June 1944

Dawn on the 26th broke with weather so bad in England that the original air plan had to be cancelled
and operations improvised from the continent by whatever units could make it into the air. The
Luftwaffe however, flying from bases further inland and recognizing that allied air activity would be
light, put up more sorties than usual. Second TAF still managed to generate 524 sorties despite the low
clouds and soggy airstrips but most of these were defensive due to the sudden increase in Luftwaffe
activity. These efforts by the enemy were easily fended off but the combination of poor weather and
distractions in the air handicapped the RAF’s effort to support the VIII Corps advance on the ground.

The 15th Division set out on a push to the south at

7:30 in the morning behind a rolling artillery
barrage. Their goal for the day was to capture
bridges over the Odon five miles away near the
villages of Tourmauville and Gavrus. Heavy rain
during the night made the ground soggy slowing the
pace of operations. The village of La Gaule was
taken quickly but St. Mauvieu, Cheux and le Haut du
Bosq were defended by a well dug in enemy and
only fell after several hours of heavy fighting that
included two counterattacks by 12th SS Panzer
Division and a tank company of the 21st Panzer
Division. By noon, the division had only advanced as
far as this line of villages and still faced dug in tanks
and infantry covered by machine guns, mortars and
minefields between them and their objective.

The 11th Armoured Division, who had been

following closely behind in preparation for passing
over the bridges seized by 15th Division, was
ordered to push through and seize the Odon bridges
15th division was unable to reach. Their attempts
early in the afternoon met the same heavy
resistance as before but were further hampered by
the ruinous state the villages, particularly Cheux,
that were made impassable after constant shelling
by both friendly and enemy mortars and artillery.
After several hours, it was determined that the
bridges could not be reached by tanks that night and
the 11th Armoured Division’s advance was halted.

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 Campaign Introduction
Further west in the XXX Corps area, 49th Division had been fighting all day to gain possession of the
Rauray spur, but the main artillery support was being given to the Epsom attack on their left. They only
succeeded in capturing the northern part of it and only after heavy losses.

The 15th Division resumed their attack at 6:00 PM in torrential rain but the enemy, holding the high
ground in the line of advance, showed no signs of weakening. By the end of the day, the Odon was not
reached and crossed as planned but this was not seen as a complete failure. Leading troops were within
striking distance and the 43rd Division had begun taking over the ground already won so that the 15th
Division could be ready to attack early the next morning.

27 June 1944

Weather on the morning of the 27th was still bad enough to ground aircraft operating from England
until around dusk. The Luftwaffe continued to take advantage of this and although the total number of
sorties put up was actually lower than before, in the 150-200 range, more aircraft were dedicated to
covering German movements in the battle area. RAF pilots of 2nd TAF operating from France reported
that enemy fighters were more active than of late and claimed 11 aircraft destroyed with a loss of five of
their own.

The 15th Division started early in the morning with attacks to the south along two roads: one to the
west running through Grainville in the direction of the Odon bridge at Gavrus and one to the east, in the

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 Campaign Introduction
direction of the bridge at Tourmauville. No progress was made on the west road with fighting all day in
the le Haut du Bosque area but the villages of Colleville, Tourville, and Mondrainville were taken on the
eastern road in quick succession. The division paused to briefly to regroup in preparation for an attack
on the bridge then overcame light resistance to establish a small bridgehead over the Odon.

Soon afterwards, tanks of the 11th Armoured Division crossed the Odon and moved out in the direction
of Hill 112, prominent high ground with a commanding view of the surrounding area. This hill would be
the scene of much fighting in the days and weeks to come.

Meanwhile, the 43rd Division who had taken over ground already secured by 15th Division the previous
day fought off a series of probing attacks by the German I SS Panzer Corps. The most serious of these
reached Cheux before being defeated and the ground retaken late in the morning.

Late that afternoon XXX Corps had finally captured Rauray but the high ground south of it was still
strongly held. The entire Rauray spur, the objective of the XXX Corps effort, would not be taken until
the following day. The 15th Division, now holding the eastern road to the river, set out from Colleville to
cut the enemy's possession of the western road by attacking Grainville from the east. The outskirts of
the town were reached but too late to attack that night.

28 June 1944

One source of constant worry for VIII Corps was the increasing pressure building up on both sides of the
narrow salient they occupied. Reports from the air indicated movement of new German units into the

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 Campaign Introduction
area and massing for a counterattack. A large buildup of armor belonging to 21st Panzer Division at
both the Verson village and Carpiquet airfield was attacked repeatedly from the air and broken up over
the following days. Additional forces were risking movement by daylight from the direction of Villers-
Bocage under a heavy umbrella of flak. This was enough to give British commanders pause and direct
that no attempt to reach the Orne river until the 15th and 43rd Divisions had cleared and solidified their
hold on the area between Cheux and the Odon.

By daybreak, the bridgehead south of the Odon was being strengthened and enlarged as more of the
11th Armoured Division passed over the river and continued their attack on Hill 112, seizing its northern
slopes. This was met with stiff opposition from the Germans who were well dug in on the slopes and
who had forces in the hills to the southwest near Evercy and woods to the northeast near Baron.
Fighting was inconclusive until midday when the division was ordered to slow their advance while
maintain the bridgehead. The 29th Armoured Brigade has had to fight hard to retain their hold on the
northern part of Hill 112 and the Baron area. Enemy tanks covered by a heavy mortar barrage had
counter-attacked in the afternoon in an effort to drive them off the hill, but were promptly driven off.

Relieved of the eastern bridge by the

armored forces, the Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders, part of 15th
Division’s 227th Brigade, moved west
along the south bank of the Orne and
captured the village of Gavrus and its
bridge intact. The 15th Division’s 46th
Brigade attacking from the northeast
managed to clear the ground between
Colleville and Grainville that afternoon,
cross the Caen road, and capture le
Valtru. Unfortunately, the ground south
of le Valtru and the road to the bridge at Gavrus were still firmly held by the enemy. This left the Argyll
and Sutherland Highlanders who had taken the bridge from the east isolated until that ground could be
taken.

On the east side of the salient, 43rd Division took Mouen but lost it following a strong counter attack by
21st Panzer Division. On the west side, 15th Division with tank support attacked southwards in another
attempt to clear the western road to the Odon bridges. They met stiff opposition as they approached
the rail line west of Grainville and made it no further in that direction.

Although no further advance of note was made, the ground taken by VIII Corps was in a much better
position to fend off the largest counterattack yet which seemed to be imminent. The salient was five
miles deep but only two miles wide. No further advance was considered until the salient could be
widened and the risk of having the entire Corps cut off and surrounded lessened. A planned attack by I
Corps on VIII Corps’ left to take Carpiquet airfield and open the route to Caen was also postponed
pending the outcome of the Epsom battle.

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 Campaign Introduction

29 June 1944

The morning saw no immediate signs of the German counterattack that must surely come therefore VIII
Corps set about strengthening their position and taking whatever additional ground they could. In the
east, 43rd Division re-took Mouen, cleared the ground southwards to the Odon, and crossed with one
battalion. In the west, 15th Division resumed their attack to the south along the road to the isolated
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders holding the bridge at Gavrus. Strong opposition was again met as
they reached the rail line near Grainville and they were driven back into more or less the positions
where they started the day. South of the Odon, 11th Armoured Division had extended the bridgehead
slightly north into the Baron area, pushed south as far as the Esquay road, and taken the southern
slopes of Hill 112.

Then just before 6:00 in the evening, two main German

counterattacks began. The first was with tanks and infantry
attacking from the southwest on either side of the Noyers-Cheux
road. Tanks managed to break through and got as far as Cheux
before they were knocked out. At that same time another
counterattack was in progress against le Valtru further to the
south. Again, it made early progress but was driven back and the
line restored. Artillery played a large part in driving these enemy
forces back as the defending forces reorganized. Later, a
regiment of the 4th Armoured Brigade swept the country
between Grainville and the Noyers road eliminating pockets of
the enemy who continued to hold out.

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 Campaign Introduction
A third counterattack came south of the Odon
from the direction of Bougy that forced 11th
Armoured Division to withdraw from positions
facing Esquay and Gavrus. The Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders still held their position
covering the nearby bridge, often under heavy
shell and mortar fire.

30 June 1944

Convinced that a larger counterattack was still to come and that the goal of seizing the Orne bridges
south of Caen was no longer in reach, VIII Corps pulled back and consolidated their position. The
bridgehead south of the Odon was further reinforced but 11th Armoured Division was forced to
withdraw its armor from advanced positions in the Baron area and on Hill 112 to be stationed in the
salient ready to meet the expected attack.

Heavy bombers dropped over 1,000 tons of bombs where enemy armor was concentrating in the
Villers-Bocage area overnight and largely for this reason the Germans made no move.

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 Campaign Introduction
This is where our Operation Epsom campaign ends with actions of the first of July and onwards being
covered in future campaigns.

We would like to thank the voice actors who provided their valuable assistance in making these
missions come alive:

Kirk “[DOW]dOoOm” Lang

355th Slysi
Tyco
Carl "5eEVC Pluie" Gravel
Cen "DarkFire" Blackwell
Dominic "Buckram" Burjak
John "Brixmis" Dixon
Norm 'SiThSpAwN' Loewen

There are twelve missions in total providing what we believe will be both a fun and authentic
experience. We hope you have as much fun flying these missions as we did putting them together.

Wags and Bunyap

Operation Epsom for the Spitfire IX 19