The Battle of the Odon was a short, but fierce, action which was part of Operation Epsom - the attempt to breakout west of Caen, and capture the high ground south of the city at Bretteville. The battle pitched the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division and the 31st Tank Brigade against the II SS-Panzer Korps, and turned the small villages and fields of the area into a bitter battlefield.George Bernage is a prolific author of titles on the Normandy Campaign, and his knowledge of the battles of 1944 is clear in this title. Bernage takes a detailed approach, covering the action day-by-day, supporting the story with numerous personal recollections from both German and British participants, as well as civilians. A particularly welcome aspect of the book, from my perspective, is the large number of both wartime photos, and also images of the locations as they appear today. These are also supported by illustrations of examples of equipment and uniforms used by the participating armies, which adds additional context.
The book was originally published in French by Heimdal, and this is a welcome English language version, which faithfully follows the high standards of Heimdal publications.
Contents:
Part One: The Scottish Corridor
In the Face of the Storm
25 June - Operation Martlet
The First Day - Monday 26 June
Part Two: The Offensive Stops at Hill
The Second Day - Tuesday 27 June
The Third Day - Wednesday 28 June
The Fourth Day - Thursday 29 June
The Fifth Day - Friday 30 June
Available from:
Pen & Sword
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