Battles for the Channel Ports

Le Havre and Boulogne

Daniel Taylor

• Publisher: Pen and Sword
• Year: 2024
• eBook ISBN: 9781399031158
• Edition: 0
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: European History
• Index: History

Details the Allied operations to capture the strategically vital Channel ports of Le Havre and Boulogne in 1944, highlighting the challenges and battles faced during these key engagements. When the Allied armies broke out from the Normandy bridgehead in late July 1944, it becameof paramount importance that they quickly capture new harbors to sustain the rapid northwardadvance. All the Allies' supplies and reinforcements were still coming in through just two places – theMulberry artificial harbor at Arromanches and the port of Cherbourg captured by the Americans – andwith supply lines lengthening by the day, it was essential to speedily open up ports nearer the armies.For Field-Marshal Montgomery's 21st Army Group this meant first of all the channel ports of Le Havreand Boulogne. Both cities had been declared a 'Festung' (Fortress) by Hitler and were to be defendedto the last man. The attack on Le Havre (Operation 'Astonia') was launched on September 10 and was aclassic example of a successful set-piece battle. After the German defenses had been 'softened up' bycolossal aerial and naval bombardment and artillery shelling, a 'siege-train' of specialized armorbroke through the outer crust of the German defensive perimeter and allowed two British infantrydivisions – the 49th (West Riding) Division and the 51st (Highland) Division – to push through the gapand methodically reduce the enemy strongholds before driving into the heart of the city.The attack on Boulogne (Operation 'Wellhit') began a week later and was the task of the 3rdCanadian Infantry Division. Another set-piece assault, it was again preceded by a devastatingbombardment by RAF heavy bombers, which reduced large parts of the city to ruins, and a massiveartillery barrage. Supported by specialized armor, two Canadian brigades then moved forward but theGermans resisted stubbornly and it took six days of heavy fighting before the Canadians had subduedall strongpoints and finally forced the garrison to surrender. Although both ports were now in Allied hands, it brought no immediate alleviation to the Allies'logistical problems. Harbor installations had been extensively damaged by German demolitions andAllied bombardments and it would take many weeks of rehabilitation before the ports could be broughtinto use. Le Havre (which had meanwhile been assigned to the Americans) did not see the few firstships arriving until October 2 and Boulogne not until on October 12. As is our hallmark, all phases of the battles for the two Channel ports are illustrated with Thenand Now comparison photographs. The book contains the following two stories from ATB magazine: Issue 139: The Capture of Le Havre Author: Karel Margry, 76 black & white photos. Issue 86: Operation 'Wellhit' – The Capture of Boulogne Author: Ian Galbraith, 80 black & white photos

Table of contents

• COVER
• BOOK TITLE
• COPYRIGHT
• CONTENTS
• FOREWORD
• INTRODUCTION
• OPERATION ‘ASTONIA’ Le Havre
• OPERATION ‘WELLHIT’ Boulogne
• AFTERMATH
• THE CONTROVERSY
• CONCLUSION
• ORGANISATION TABLES
• HOBART'S FUNNIES
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• BACK COVER