Crazy D,
well, I wonder if the bombing of the Caen area was the name for a successful bombing mission. Sure, they did actually what was asked. 1,000 British and some 400+ US planes dropped bombs in Caen area. And yes, the Luftwaffe troops that were the first in line were hammered death, tanks flew in the air.As well, donīt forget, 3,000 Caen civilians were killed. But the German main reserves were practically "untouched".In that sense all the bombs droppped did not do their job I think. Just "raised the British soldierīs morale" as they saw everything being bombed to kingdom come.Unfortunately for them the morale sank fast as tank started breewing up 200/day.
The bombing went as planned but it didnīt make the expected results. Or how is it possbile that the attack was stopped and the British lost some 450 tanks and 6,000 dead soldiers ( Iīm not sure on the latter figure if it was casualties or KIA+MIA ).
I think the plan was too much based on the bombingīs as there were loads of other points that made the attack totally sad-looking:
1. the start up point was small, all the troops didnīt fit there, a traffic jam. As well four bridges available only caused that tanks went ahead but artillery followed very late behind.I guess by the first evening there was a huge traffic jam at the starting point still.
2. As well the first phase for the tanks was to pass the British mine fields one by one and the clearing of the route had to be done seconds before the beginning of the attack.
3. There was an airman in the tanks who was supposed to contact the allied aircraft where to attack, except that the Germans ( who knew to destroy the commander tanks first naturally ) killed his tank first, and later on nobody else suitable was found to the job. So the group of planes had to do on their own.
4. The reconnaissance did not notice LAH tanks come in ( and more tanks destruction happened ) as the Panthers and Stugīs and others could shoot the allied tankd in the hull-down position.
By the way, von Luck mentions that the British did not do reconnaissance further than 7 kilometers behind the lines??? Can it be?
5. there was also a storm at one point during the 19th that stopped the air force working for the rest of the day.
Just some points I read on this ...
PS. I wonder after two years of battle Monty et co preferred tanks without foot soldiers to protect the tanks...
PS. Congrats on the 1,000th post CradyD!!!