Vimoutiers June 1944

[stevew]

The small town of Vimoutiers in Calvados was bombed and virtually by 36 bombers on 14th June 1944.

Does anybody know why, or were I could find out the reasons for the bombing

Thanks

Steve

[Kyt]

It was bombed accidently by the Americans (so it is claimed after the war).

List of victims:

VIMOUTIERS Heart of the Pays d'Auge in NORMANDY

The oficial communique for that date claims that it was a hit on traffic centres:

Communique Number 18 14 June 1944

The armoured [armored] battle continued in the TILLY-CAEN area.

The enemy has counter-attacked constantly in a furious attempt to stem our advance. We are holding firm and vigorously searching out weak points in his attack.

In the CHERBOURG PENINSULA the enemy is fighting fiercely.

His heavy counter-attacks in the north have forced us to give some ground in the vicinity of MONTEBOURG.

Further south we have made some gains. An enemy counter- thrust [counterthrust] on CARENTAN has been repulsed.

In one of their most active mornings, Allied air forces today operated almost unopposed from the BREST PENINSULA to< BELGIUM and HOLLAND and penetrated deep into eastern France. The effort of heavy day bombers exceeded even yesterday's figures.

Targets included airfields at LEBOURGET [LE BOURGET], CREIL, ORLEANS-BRICY and ETAMPES-MONDESIR, in FRANCE at BRUSSELS- MELSBROEK, in BELGIUM, and EINDHOVEN in HOLLAND.

After escorting the bombers, our fighters hit numerous road, rail and military targets in FRANCE. Two enemy aircraft were destroyed. Fifteen bombers and eight fighters are missing from these widespread operations.

Before dawn medium and light bombers hit communications targets near CAEN, in close support of our ground forces.

Attacks were made on a marshalling yard at MEZIDON and against bridges and traffic centers at AUNAY-SUR-ODON, FALAISE, VIRE, VIMOUTIRES [VIMOUTIERS], and FLERS.

Other formations struck far into the interior, bombing<BR>traffic points and moving targets in the CHARTRES region, south- west [southwest] of PARIS, rail tracks west of LAVAL and railway guns south<BR>of the battle area. No enemy fighters were encountered in these operations, but anti-aircraft fire was heavy. One medium bomber is missing.

Fighters, fighter bombers, and rocket-firing fighters, some of them operating from bases in NORMANDY, gave close support to troops in the CHERBOURG PENINSULA, cutting railroads and attack ing [attacking] large enemy convoys. Other fighters scored rocket hits on barges and batteries. Coastal aircraft harassed E-boats near LE TOUQUET.

From: June 06, 1944, No. 01

[spidge]

Hi Steve,

This shows some of the percentages killed however the last contributor seems to have preferred the germans.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_French_women_and_children_were_killed_as_ 'collateral_damage'_in_the_invasion_of_Normandy

The bombing seems to have been co-ordinated on these towns at the same time.

By this site: A bombardment ordered by mistake.

Vimoutiers

[Kyt]

I'm not sure stating that:

"For every German who lost his life resisting the American invasion of Europe, the lives of four Frenchmen were taken. Whereas German troops had wandered at will during their occupation of France, the British and the Americans were repeatedly confined to barracks or had their movements restricted because of the French resistance to their presence on French soil."

can be equated with preferring the Germans. It is certainly the case that Allied soldiers were vilified and often abused in Caen and other areas because of the bombardment and the high death rate amongst French civilians. But in most cases this was directly after liberation, when the civilians were in shock. The idealised view of flag-waving French people welcoming the Allies didn't always happen.

[spidge]

Originally Posted by Kyt

I'm not sure stating that:



can be equated with preferring the Germans. It is certainly the case that Allied soldiers were vilified and often abused in Caen and other areas because of the bombardment and the high death rate amongst French civilians. But in most cases this was directly after liberation, when the civilians were in shock. The idealised view of flag-waving French people welcoming the Allies didn't always happen.

The German occupation!

The price of being liberated was too high!

[Kyt]

Originally Posted by spidge

The German occupation!

The price of being liberated was too high!

Yes, to some French people who had lost family killed, farms destroyed or ransacked by Allied soldiers, their cows lying dead in the fields, during D-Day and the immediate aftermarth, it was sometimes seen as too high. Don't forget that this part of France had not been directly touched by the war in any serious way - not even in 1940.

The further north the Allies went, attitudes did change. Or in bigger cities where the limitations put on the French were more restrictive. In the Normandy area, the farmers were left, for most of the time, to their own devices - they traded with the Germans as readily as they had with others before. And in return the Germans had been very careful in their own behaviour.

It was realpolitik

[stevew]

Thanks chaps,

I had seen the list of casualties on the Vimoutiers link, TBH that is where I first saw about the bombings, I also saw some pictures in one of the bars when I was last over at Easter. Some good comments on how the locals treated the Liberators, something I had never thought of or considered.

Steve

[Owen]

I know it is not June 44 but still about your village steve,
From here http://members.fortunecity.com/lniven/aug_44.htm

WAR DIARY

1st. Bn. Black Watch (RHR) of Canada Month of August, 1944.


VIMOUTIERS 21st., Mon.

Weather - rain and very muddy. After an early start the Bn. ran into some opposition near VIMOUTIERS. At approx 1700 hrs Lt. Gaull, Sgt. CARTWRIGHT and Sgt. SHERWOOD were killed in action.

VIMOUTIERS 22nd., Tues.

Weather - fair and warm. The Bn. moved into VIMOUTIERS and consolidated. Our casualties from yesterday's action were three killed and five wounded. The Bn moved forward in the direction of ORBEC after the 6th Bde had passed through us.

VIMOUTIERS 23rd., Wed.
Weather - fair and warm. Although not engaged in any direct action the Bn. suffered 34 casualties today, as a result of enemy shelling. Of this number A Ech had two men killed and 12 wounded when shells landed in their location in an orchard. As a result of this shelling, just as the call had gone for supper, and a further shelling about an hour later the A Ech moved back to VIMOUTIERS and spent the night in the positions previously occupied there. One 15cwt was lost and two carriers damaged.

and this confuses me, as I can only find one Vimoutiers, the Normandy one. But plane meant to be in southern France??
PlaneLosses
Mustang
Mk. III
HB827/ GA S
42-103676 to RAF May 1944 as Mustang III HB827. Damaged by flak and crashed into house, Vimoutiers Aug 18, 1944, detached for four days (16 August 1944) to cover the Landing on Southern France

[stevew]

Thanks Owen.............that's great, I too thought there was only one Vimoutiers, so it confuses me as well!

Steve

[spidge]

The distance wouldn't be a problem though would it?

500 miles or 800km from the landing area to Vimoutiers.