Hi John,
Thanks for very interesting and informative post.
Quote:
Originally written by Hubert Meyer
Four of them had taken up positions along a country lane leading in a northerly direction from Cintheaux, approximately 300 meters away from the Route Nationale. They were sitting between a high, thick hedge and a row of low bushes running parallel on its left.
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This short text shows several interesting things and various aspects of the WWII, also social-psychological ones.
At first other thing however -- Hubert Meyer and/or Dr. Wolfgang Rabe mistakes two villages: Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil and Gaumesnil. No such a village as "Saint-Aignan-de-Gaumesnil". If we look at the maps of Normandy and the maps of the Totalize Phase II then it can be clearly seen that:
▪
Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil is situated at
east side of Caen-Falaise road and the south end of this village was a holding area for the Polish 1st Armoured Division on August 8th;
▪
Gaumesnil is situated at
west side of Caen-Falaise road, the same as Cintheaux mentioned, and the south end of Cintheaux was a holding area for the Canadian 4th Armoured Division on August 8th;
▪ No "Saint-Aignan-de-Gaumesnil" which is mistaken hybrid of two various village names.
It was to establish order only.
"Ad rem":
1. Hubert Meyer and Wolfgang Rabe's text, as well as entire Wittmann's case study shows that the German tanks operated at the Canadian rear, at the area that theoretically ought to be free of the Germans. What may be interesting Maj.-Gen. George Kitching does not mention that on August 8th his division had the problems at the rear.
2. Sad to tell for me but it shows also a mix of incompetence and propaganda of at least one Polish author who wrote that the Polish tank killed Wittmann's Tiger. No chance -- how and where? At west side of Caen-Falaise road in the Canadian sector of the operations? By a long-distance lucky hit from the Long Tom gun far from the east side of Caen-Falaise road?
Unfortunately we do have one such a funny guy who published this information without single footnote at it or description of his wide international consultation and research at this phenomenon.
Best regards
C.
