Battle of Putot-en-Bessin (7th - 11th June 1944)

http://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1129&context=cmh

 

Good read. Additionally you find some interesting details about Putot in the Devils Blast 2014 (official RWR page) starting at page 70:

http://www.royalwinnipegrifles.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/DevilsBlast2014.pdf

 

An additional factor to be taken into account is Line of sight (LOS) from the position of 62 AT Rgt guns (woodlot west of La Bergerie farm). Looking at the topological structure and the 1947 air pics, they would have good LOS at the N13 Caen-Bayeux / D219 crossroad but NOT at the D219 train crossing between Putot and Brouay where 6th SS-Coy (Schmolke) attacked and most of A Coy RWR (Maj. Hodge) was killed/captured.

Remonter le temps

The Devils Blast 2014 has an interesting map on page 71, suggesting that 24th Lancers weren´t attacking along the N13 from Loucelles to the crossroad N13/D219 but instead were attacking from Brouay (northern part) in a straight eastward direction. See attachment fom DB-2014 page 71:

 

Can't be sure of details but the 24th Lancers started that day at Martragny - their first casualty being Capt Alick Poole who was shot by a sniper outside the main gate of the Chateau de Martragny - and generally advanced along the line of the Bayeux Caen road. I know they experienced problems so it's perfectly feasible that they did advance from the direction of Brouay because that would explain (see my NHL image a few posts up from here) why they were shot at by the Canadians on the basis that the Canadians didn't expect to see the 24L so far forward. Sadly there are only a very few 24L still alive so it's difficult to ask the direct question: the chaps who I know were definitely involved at Putot (because they told me) are now long departed.