21st Army Group - Normandy

Normandy

Commanded by General (later Field Marshal) Sir Bernard Montgomery, 21st Army Group initially controlled all ground forces in Operation Overlord (United States First Army and British Second Army). When sufficient American forces had landed, their own 12th Army Group was activated, under General Omar Bradley, and the 21st Army Group was left with the British 2nd Army and the newly activated First Canadian Army.

Normandy was a battle of attrition for the British and Canadian troops, drawing in most of the available German reinforcements, espcially armoured divisions, around Caen at the eastern end of the lodgement. The Germans lacked the ability to prevent the American breakout at the western end of the Normandy beachhead in early August 1944. Following the German attack towards Mortain, the American breakout and an advance by the 21st Army Group the German armed forces in Normandy were nearly enveloped in the Falaise pocket, and subsequently routed retreating towards the Low Countries.