RAF raid on La Caine (1944)

RAF raid on La Caine (1944)
Part of the Battle of Normandy
Modern photograph of the château (Panzergruppe West HQ, 1944)
Date 10 June 1944 Location La Caine, France 49°02′07″N 0°31′08″W / 49.03528°N 0.51889°W / 49.03528; -0.51889 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Arthur Coningham	Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (WIA) Sigismund-Helmut von Dawans †
Units involved
RAF Second Tactical Air Force No. 121 Wing RAF/No. 124 Wing RAF (Hawker Typhoon) 245 Squadron 181 Squadron 182 Squadron 247 Squadron No. 137 Wing RAF/No. 139 Wing RAF (B-25 Mitchell) 226 Squadron 98 Squadron 180 Squadron 320 (Netherlands) Squadron	Panzergruppe West
Strength
42 Hawker Typhoon fighter-bombers 72 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers[a]
Casualties and losses
	Killed: Chief of Staff and 17 staff officers Wounded: Geyr von Schweppenburg

The RAF raid on La Caine (1944) was an attack on 10 June 1944 by aircraft of the Royal Air Force against the headquarters of Panzergruppe West during Operation Overlord the Allied invasion of France, which led the German Panzer divisions in France and Belgium. The headquarters had recently taken over the château at La Caine, about 12 mi (19 km) to the south-west of the city of Caen, north of Thury-Harcourt.

Squadrons of North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers and Hawker Typhoon fighter bombers of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force attacked the château and its grounds with bombs and air-to-ground rockets. Eighteen staff officers were killed in the attack and the commander, General der Panzertruppen Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg was wounded.

A German armoured counter-offensive by Panzergruppe West against the Allied beachhead was postponed and then cancelled after the destruction of the headquarters. Command of Panzer divisions in the area was transferred to the I SS Panzer Corps headquarters; the remnants of the Panzergruppe West HQ was withdrawn to Paris and did not return to action until 28 June.

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