Closing the Falaise Pocket,19 August 1944

The pocket began to shrink drastically as pressure was exerted around Falaise and further east between Trun and Chambois. The final thrust of Operation Tractable saw the Polish and Canadians converge on Trun. The American army was moving towards Chambois to the south, in readiness to seal the gap. Trun was taken on 18 August after the Polish had occupied positions around the town, enabling the Canadians to clear it of Germans. The German army in the pocket was now fleeing to escape the narrow stretch of land between Trun and Chambois, suffering heavy casualties as Allied aircraft and artillery battered their congested routes of escape. Once Trun had been secured, the Polish were ordered to cross the gap and make contact with the Americans. After repelling a series of fierce German escape efforts the Polish finally reached the chaotic scenes near Chambois in the evening of 19 August.