Posted by Michael A. Dorosh from Canada on April 08, 2021 at 14:55:37:
In Reply to: Re: So how did he kill too many of "our guys"? posted by A Corporal on April 08, 2021 at 03:59:37:
I think you underestimate the importance of that "litle bit of intelligence", but your point is valid. Had the planners taken into account the presence of 9th and 10th Panzer Divisions, the operation would have been cancelled or modified - as it should have been. Of course, there is the old saying about hindsight...
As for the Falaise Gap - chalk that one up to Canadian inexperience, not Patton or Montgomery. The inexperienced Canadians and British fighting against German armour and anti-tank guns, despite overwhelming aerial superiority, were still trying to learn how to fight in the big leagues with raw troops and over difficult terrain. Simonds came up with some innovations (ie the APC) and carpet bombing also helped, but what could Montgomery have done differently at Falaise? With so many units crammed into such a small bridgehead, there was no room for maneuver.