Objective Falaise - 8 August 1944 to 16 August 1944 - Georges Bernage

This review has been submitted to War History Online 

Title: Objective Falaise - 8 August 1944 to 16 August 1944
Author: Georges Bernage
ISBN: 978-1-473-85762-9
Publisher: Pen and Sword Books
Year: 2018
Hardcover
Pages: 128

Following the stabilization and breakout from the Normandy Bridgehead,  Canadian, Polish and British forces embarked upon Operations Totalize and Tractable in an effort to cut off and destroy the German forces remaining in France. Bernage’s short treatise on the battles provide an excellent synopsis of the events from both the German and Allied perspectives; additionally the book may be used as a battlefield guide to those interested in walking the battlefields. 

Replete with photographs (many in the form of ‘then and now’) and maps, the book enables the reader to better appreciate the challenges facing the green Allied forces (for many it was their first taste of combat) as they crashed into a depleted but very experienced 12 SS Panzer Div (HJ).Drawing  upon eyewitness accounts as well as official histories, the author paints a dramatic picture of the transition from peace to full scale war for many of these soldiers.

While maintaining an operational level analysis for much of the narrative, Bernage does delve down to the tactical to discuss some of the more noteworthy elements of the fighting, such as the engagement between the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry and eight Tiger tanks led by legendary tank ace Michael Wittman (138 confirmed tank kills) at the Samson farm. Bernage writes that conventional wisdom was that it took 4-6 Sherman tanks working in tandem to destroy one Tiger, underscoring the delta between the capabilities of the two tanks. His examination of this engagement is accompanied by numerous maps, photographs and eyewitness accounts.

Another interesting element of the book is his discussion of the challenges associated with undertaking joint operations with the airforce. On numerous occasions, Allied forces were the unfortunate targets of their own aircraft due to poor intelligence, mis-identification or just poor luck. After one such raid, there were rumours amongst the soldiers that the Germans had been using captured B-17’s to bomb them. Land navigation was also an issue for the armoured forces as the Sherman tank drivers often used the position of the sun to assist in their movements. On numerous occasions, smoke screens deployed to hide their location from German observers served inadvertently to preclude their use of the sun, resulting in numerous incidents of tankers getting lost.

Overall, the production value of this book is very high. Bernage’s study of Totalize and Tractable is an excellent introduction for those wishing to learn about the environments and challenges associated with attacking and defending in the immediate aftermath of the Normandy Invasion. The book may be used both as a guide and reference for any who wish to visit the battlefields identified in this work. The narrative is clear and concise and easily followed. However, one drawback is the lack of a bibliography or any suggested reference material. Well worth a read for those wishing to get a feel for the Canadian and British operations leading up to the Falaise Gap.