Fontenay-le-Pesnel War Cemetery

Operation Martlet (also known as Operation Dauntless) was part of a series of British attacks to capture the French town of Caen and its environs from German forces during the Battle of Normandy of World War II begun by the Allies. It was a preliminary operation undertaken on 25 June 1944 by XXX Corps of the British Second Army, to capture Rauray and the area around Noyers. The attack was to protect the right flank of VIII Corps as it began Operation Epsom, an offensive into the Odon Valley west of Caen, on 26 June. The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division were to capture Juvigny-sur-Seulles, Vendes and Rauray, to prevent German counter-attacks against VIII Corps from the area of the Rauray Spur and then extend the attack towards Noyers and Aunay-sur-Odon. It was the first time in Normandy that the 49th (West Riding) Division operated as a division. The attack front was held by the right flank of the Panzer Lehr Division and the left flank of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, with the support of 60–80 88 mm guns of the III Flak Corps. The attack failed to achieve its objectives by the end of 25 June and the 49th (West Riding) Division continued the operation until 1 July, when the division defeated a counter-attack by Kampfgruppe Weidinger of 2nd SS-Panzer Division Das Reich and the 9th SS-Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, which lost c. 35 tanks and other armoured vehicles. The II SS Panzerkorps, had been intended for a counter-offensive west of Caen towards Bayeux but was so depleted by the losses of operations Martlet and Epsom and the danger of another British offensive near Caen, that it was reduced to the static defence of the Odon valley.

Tessel (French pronunciation: [tɛsɛl] ) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

Fontenay-le-Pesnel (French pronunciation: [fɔ̃tnɛ lə pɛnɛl] ) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

Cheux (French pronunciation: [ʃø] ) is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Thue et Mue.

Vendes (French pronunciation: [vɑ̃d] ) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

Le Mesnil-Patry (French pronunciation: [lə menil patʁi] ) is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Thue et Mue.

The Battle of Le Mesnil-Patry during the Second World War, was the last attack by an armoured battle group conducted by Canadian troops in Normandy in June 1944. The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Division, supported by the 6th Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade attacked the village of Le Mesnil-Patry in Normandy, to advance southwards towards the higher ground of Hill 107 to the west of Cheux. The attack was intended to support a larger operation by the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and the 7th Armoured Division to capture the city of Caen and to advance in the centre of the bridgehead next to the First US Army. The battle was a German defensive success but the greater German objective of defeating the invasion by a counter-offensive also failed. Both sides changed tactics after the first week of the invasion, the Germans constructed a defence-in-depth, with tank forces reserved for limited counter-attacks, intended to slow the Allied advance inland and avoid casualties and losses of equipment until reinforcements arrived. The Allies began to accumulate supplies to conduct attrition attacks, rather than persist with mobile operations by large numbers of tanks supported by infantry. More atrocities by troops of the 12th SS-Panzer Division Hitlerjugend against Canadian prisoners occurred and orders given by a junior Canadian commander to refrain from taking German prisoners as a reprisal, were countermanded by higher authority as soon as they were discovered. Canadian offensive operations in the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division area ceased, apart from raiding and reconnaissance patrols, until VIII Corps commenced Operation Epsom on 26 June.

Grainville-sur-Odon (French pronunciation: [ɡʁɛ̃vil syʁ ɔdɔ̃] , literally Grainville on Odon) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

Noyers-Bocage (French pronunciation: [nwaje bɔkaʒ] ) is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Noyers-Missy, which became part of the new commune Val d'Arry on 1 January 2017.

Cristot is a commune in the Calvados department and Normandy region of north-western France.

Val d'Arry (French pronunciation: [val daʁi]) is a commune in the department of Calvados, northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2017 by merger of the former communes of Noyers-Missy (the seat), Le Locheur and Tournay-sur-Odon.

Noyers-Missy (French pronunciation: [nwaje misi]) was a short-lived commune in the department of Calvados, northwestern France. The commune was established on 1 January 2016 by merger of the former communes of Noyers-Bocage and Missy. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Val d'Arry.