The Odon Valley 10–18 July 1944

The advance into the Odon Valley began on 10 July with Operation Jupiter. It followed on from the advances made during Operation Charnwood, which successfully pushed the Germans south of the Odon river in Caen. Operation Jupiter succeeded in taking villages in the area but failed to take the important Hill 112 near Esquay-Notre-Dame in a costly battle. A second attack against Hill 112 was launched in Operation Greenline on 15 July, which aimed to occupy German panzer divisions west of Caen. Slow progress was made over two days of fighting but Hill 112 was still not captured and again Allied losses were high. By 20 July, after another series of engagements with the German lines on the ridge south of the Odon valley, the Allies managed to hold high ground. The offensives sustained high casualties for minimal territory but served their main purpose of occupying the already exhausted German panzer divisions.