Operation Greenline, 15–17 July On the left flank of the 15th (Scottish) Division, the crossroads at le Bon Repos and the higher ground overlooking
Esquay-Notre-Dame were attacked by the 2nd
Glasgow Highlanders of the
227th (Highland) Infantry Brigade (227th Brigade), supported by Churchill tanks of the
107th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (107th RAC) of the
34th Tank Brigade and the
141st Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (141st RAC) of the
79th Armoured Division, equipped with Churchill
Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) and
Churchill Crocodile flamethrower tanks. The Scottish advanced from the north-east, south-west over the northern slope of Hill 112 towards the defences of the III Battalion, 21st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment. As the infantry emerged from dead ground, they were met by massed mortar fire, which temporarily disorganised the battalion, as did a smokescreen placed on Hill 112, which had merged with fog and covered the area. The Scottish managed to cross the start line on time at and captured the SS survivors of a flamethrower attack by the Crocodiles on the road running from Croix des Filandriers to le Bon Repos. The advance continued downhill, under Monty's Moonlight, covered by fire from the 107th RAC Churchills on higher ground just south of Baron. Esquay was captured by but not held, as its position below a saucer of higher ground made it a shell-trap. The two leading tank squadrons and two troops of Crocodiles from the 141st RAC were engaged, while the third squadron waited in reserve behind the crest, under frequent mortar fire during the evening and night. Four tanks were lost, but many of the crews returned after dark. The troops dug in on the surrounding rises at positions determined earlier using reconnaissance photographs. The attack was interpreted by the Germans as a move on Hill 112 and
Tiger I tanks of
102nd SS Heavy Panzer Battalion were sent up the southern slope to repulse an attack that never came. Further west, the rest of the division had captured Point 113 but not Évrecy, which left the Glasgow Highlanders overlooked from both flanks, although German counter-attacks by infantry of the 21st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment and tanks of the 10th SS Panzer Regiment at first concentrated on Esquay, which had already been evacuated. The Germans counter-attack then fell on the positions around le Bon Repos, where two
Panzer IVs were knocked out by
6-pounder anti-tank guns. The Scots were pushed back several times, only for bombardment by the medium artillery of XII Corps to drive the Germans back. On 18 July, the 107th RAC had a skirmish with dug‑in Tigers and two self-propelled guns and lost four tanks on the ridge. The Highlanders maintained their positions for two days, before being relieved by a battalion of the 53rd (Welsh) Division. The
44th (Lowland) Brigade was to attack south-west from Tourmauville to take Point 113, Gavrus and Bougy in the Odon valley, while the 227th Brigade was to capture Esquay and then attack Évrecy. The main 44th Brigade attack would then begin, with an attack by the 6th
King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) on Point 113 and then an attack by the 2nd
Gordon Highlanders and the 10th
Highland Light Infantry of the 227th Brigade on the left flank at followed by an attack by the 8th Royal Scots with the
153rd Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (153rd RAC) of the 34th Tank Brigade on the flank of the hill at on 16 July to take Gavrus and Bougy; Monty's Moonlight was to be deployed to assist the night advance. The 6th KOSB formed up on a start line behind the German outpost line and advanced directly into the German defences under the artificial moonlight. By morning the Scottish were dug in on the hill, one company finding itself forward of its objective, which disrupted German preparations for a counter-attack, before retiring to its objective. At on 16 July, the 8th
Royal Scots (8th RS) and the 153rd RAC advanced towards Gavrus, the tanks attacking to the side of the hill on the left flank, protected from the Germans in Évrecy by the ridge, to get behind the village and menace the German line of retreat, while the infantry overran the village. By the 8th RS had taken the village and A similar attack was made on Bougy and another were taken after the garrison was routed. During the day, several counter-attacks were made on the Scottish positions, which were repulsed by artillery barrages, with many German casualties. In the afternoon, the Germans counter‑attacked twice with Tiger and
Panther tanks accompanied by infantry. Mortar fire on forward positions was continuous throughout the afternoon and evening, but no ground was lost and many casualties were inflicted on the Germans in a mutually costly action. The tank crews fought or were at instant readiness for thirty hours without relief, from zero hour until the German counter-attacks ended. The 6th
Royal Scots Fusiliers (6th RSF) were moved forward to Gavrus and the 8th RS formed up at Bougy. On the left flank, the situation deteriorated after the 227th Brigade attack on Évrecy failed; contact with the 6th KOSB became tenuous. By dawn on 16 July, the 15th (Scottish) Division had captured Bougy, Gavrus, and dug in around Esquay and the western end of Point 113. On 17 July, the front line became quieter, but the 44th Brigade was exposed by the success of the German defenders on the flanks and subjected to artillery bombardment. The 6th KOSB repulsed two attacks, and the Germans defeated British attacks towards Évrecy. Two officers of the 8th RSF had led patrols towards Évrecy and found that German positions were still occupied. By the morning of 18 July, the German positions were found to have been partly evacuated and the 6th KOSB pushed forward to the Bougy–Évrecy road. An attack by the 59th (Staffordshire) Division of XXX Corps, from the right (western) flank towards the positions of the 8th RS, made very slow progress. Four more German counter-attacks against the 44th Brigade were defeated. During the night, the brigade was relieved by the
71st Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division and returned to Le Haut du Bosq, suffering several casualties on the way. The
9th SS Panzer Division was brought up from reserve and by the end of the day had restored the front line, except at Hill 113. The
158th Brigade of the 53rd (Welsh) Division, under command of the 15th Division and the 147th RAC were due to attack early on 16 July. The attack was postponed because minefields around Baron had not been cleared; several flail tanks and two Churchill tanks had been disabled by mine explosions. On the next night, the attack was cancelled due to fog and the operation began late on 17 July. To attack Évrecy required a long advance down a forward slope to the village. The attack was poorly prepared and the infantry battalion had already been depleted by casualties, a composite company being formed from one officer and fifty men and a second company consisting of only a composite platoon. The infantry were too tired to keep up with the tanks, which had to move quickly when brought under 88mm fire from the village. About were taken, but mortar fire forced the infantry back to their start line. The 53rd (Welsh) Division captured Cahier and defeated several big counter-attacks. More attacks by XII Corps gained no ground and during the evening of 17 July, the British force on Point 113 withdrew, ending the operation.
Operation Pomegranate, 16–17 July On 16 July, XXX Corps launched Operation Pomegranate. On the right of the corps, the
50th (Northumbrian) Division had held ground north of Hottot since the last week of June and kept the front line disturbed by frequent patrols and raids, which provoked several German counter-attacks supported by tanks. The
56th Independent Brigade had attacked Hottot on 8 July had captured its objective on the main road west of Hottot and then been driven back by a counter-attack, by three infantry companies and which pushed the brigade back across the road. On 11 July, the
231st Brigade attacked Hottot to capture the village. Supported by tanks and an elaborate artillery fire plan, two battalions were able to reach the northern fringe of the village. During the attack on 18 July the 50th Division captured Hottot for the last time, assisted by a German retirement caused by Operation Goodwood and
Operation Cobra. The occupation of Hottot left the 50th Division poised to capture Villers Bocage and advance towards the River Noireau. On the right flank of the 50th Division, the 56th Independent Infantry Brigade faced the 2nd Panzer Division, which maintained constant attacks by mortars, self-propelled guns and snipers. The brigade patrolled extensively and by 20 July, it was realised that the enemy had withdrawn from the La Chapelle area. A patrol went forward and dug in and then a company advanced through Bois de Saint Germain and dug in on the southern fringe. In the centre of XXX Corps, the 49th (West Riding) Division attacked with the
146th Brigade at la Barbée Farm with the 1/4th Battalion,
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI), which advanced at and reached the farm quickly from the east. At the Germans counter-attacked the farm and surrounded it on three sides. The
Hallamshire Battalion,
York and Lancs attacked Vendes frontally, despite representations that an attack by night or from the east would be less costly. The attack began at and was stopped quickly by machine-gun crossfire. An attempt at a flank attack was stopped at la Bijude Farm and an attack from the west through la Barbée Farm after it had been captured also failed. A box-barrage around the Hallamshires and KOYLI was fired for twenty minutes after which the battalions withdrew at Next day it was discovered from deserters that the Germans had withdrawn from Vendes and the farms. In the 59th (Staffordshire) Division area, phase I of the attack began at with the
197th Brigade on the right attacking with the 5th
East Lancashires and
177th Brigade on the left with 5th and 1/6th
South Staffords. The 5th East Lancashires fought their way to the first objective east of Vendes and captured part of the village by but at were counter-attacked by infantry and tanks, which overran one company and forced the rest of the battalion back to the start line. The 1/6th South Staffords captured Brettevillette in a costly attack by in which many troops lost direction in the thick dawn mist and the British found that the area had been sown thickly with mines. The battalion pressed on and reached Queudeville by despite most of the tanks in support of the battalion having already been knocked out in a British minefield. The 5th South Staffords took orchards west of Grainville sur Odon and captured Les Nouillons by noon, which left the 177th Brigade on the first phase objectives. At flail tanks began to work through a German minefield at Queudeville. Phase II was delayed by the casualties incurred in Phase I but at the 2/6th South Staffords attacked Noyers and at the 6th
North Staffords attacked Haut des Forges. The 2/6th South Staffords captured part of Noyers but were forced back to Point 126, north of the railway station. The 6th North Staffords took Haut des Forges against less determined opposition. The 59th Division had captured On the 197th Infantry Brigade front, the 2/5th
Lancashire Fusiliers attacked the phase I objective at but massed German mortar fire, prevented the battalion from leaving the start line. At dawn on 17 July, the 2/6th South Staffords and part of the 5th South Staffords attacked Noyers and advanced close to the railway station, before being forced under cover and at were withdrawn to reorganise. During the afternoon the 5th South Staffordshires attacked Noyers from the north-east but were held up on the fringe. The 1/6th South Staffords advanced from Brettevillette towards Bordel at the same time against determined resistance. When night fell the British fell back slightly from Noyers during another bombardment. In the 197th Brigade area, the 1/7th
Royal Warwicks, tanks of the 1st
Northamptonshire Yeomanry and Churchill Crocodiles attacked the phase I objective again at and captured the objective; the
176th Brigade attacked Bordel but made little progress. Next day, the 177th Brigade attacked Noyers at with the 1/6th and 5th South Staffords supported by conventional tanks, Churchill AVRE and Crocodile flame thrower tanks, which were not able to advance far against determined German resistance. Five more tanks were lost and another attack in the afternoon failed. The British retired after dark to enable another bombardment of the village. On the right flank, the 1/7th Royal Warwicks reached Ferme de Guiberon by nightfall and the 49th Division reported that there had been withdrawals on their front. In the centre the 7th South Staffords of the 176th Brigade advanced on Bordel and took the village and the area to la Senevière against few German troops but much artillery and mortar fire. The 197th Brigade was relieved overnight by the 176th Brigade and the 7th
Royal Norfolks took over from the 1/7th Royal Warwicks at the Ferme de Guiberon, Point 124 and Landet, which had been taken after dark. The British infantry had captured the high ground south of Brettevillette and took 300 prisoners on the first day. Next day the advance continued with much fighting on the outskirts of Noyers-Bocage. The reconnaissance battalion of the
9th SS Panzer Division was committed to the defence of Noyers-Bocage, which the Germans claimed to have recaptured, although XXX Corps had been held up on the outskirts having captured the high ground outside the village and the railway station. The 49th Division captured Vendes. The 59th Division took Haut des Forges and entered Noyers but was repulsed from the village by the 277th Division. The 50th Division captured
Hottot-les-Bagues, which had been fought over for more than a month and took ==Aftermath==