Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery

Le Castelet (French pronunciation: [lə kastəlɛ]) is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2019 by merger of the former communes of Garcelles-Secqueville and Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil.

Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃t‿ɛɲɑ̃ də kʁamenil] ) is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France, approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Caen. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Le Castelet.

Garcelles-Secqueville (French pronunciation: [ɡaʁsɛl sɛkvil] ) is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Le Castelet.

Castine-en-Plaine (French pronunciation: [kastin ɑ̃ plɛn], literally Limestone in Plain) is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2019 by merger of the former communes of Hubert-Folie, Rocquancourt and Tilly-la-Campagne.

Rocquancourt (French pronunciation: [ʁɔkɑ̃kuʁ] ) is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Castine-en-Plaine.

The Battle of Val-ès-Dunes was fought in 1047 by the combined forces of the Norman duke William I and the French king Henry I against the forces of several rebel Norman barons, led by William's cousin Guy of Brionne. As a result of winning the battle, William was able to retain his title and maintain control over the western half of his duchy.

Tilly-la-Campagne (French pronunciation: [tiji la kɑ̃paɲ] ) is a former commune in the Calvados department and Normandy region of north-western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Castine-en-Plaine.

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

Operation Spring (July 25–27, 1944) was an offensive operation of the Second World War conducted by II Canadian Corps during the Normandy campaign in 1944. The plan was intended to create pressure on the German forces operating on the British and Canadian front simultaneous with Operation Cobra, an American offensive. Operation Spring was intended to capture Verrières Ridge and the villages on the south slope of the ridge. The German defence of the ridge contained the offensive on the first day and inflicted many casualties on the Canadians.

The Battle of Verrières Ridge was a series of engagements fought as part of the Battle of Normandy, in Calvados, during the Second World War. The main combatants were two Canadian infantry divisions—with additional support from the Canadian 2nd Armoured Brigade—against elements of three German SS Panzer divisions. The battle was part of the British and Canadian tacks south of Caen, and took place from 19 to 25 July 1944, being part of Operation Atlantic (18–21 July) and Operation Spring (25–27 July). The immediate Allied objective was Verrières Ridge, a belt of high ground which dominates the route from Caen to Falaise. The ridge was occupied by battle-hardened German veterans, who had fallen back from Caen and entrenched to form a strong defensive position. Over the course of six days, substantial Canadian and British forces made repeated attempts to capture the ridge. Strict German adherence to defensive doctrine, as well as strong and effective counterattacks by Panzer formations, resulted in many Allied casualties for little tactical gain.From the perspective of the First Canadian Army, the battle is remembered for its tactical and strategic miscalculations—the most notable being a highly controversial attack by The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada on 25 July, in which 315 of its 325 soldiers were killed, wounded or captured. This attack—the costliest single day for a Canadian battalion since the 1942 Dieppe Raid—has become one of the most contentious and critically analysed events in Canadian military history. While failing to achieve its original objective, an important strategic result of the Battle of Verrières Ridge was to aid the overwhelmingly successful Operation Cobra, by tying down powerful German Panzer formations that might otherwise have been moved to counter-attack Cobra.

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

Hubert-Folie (French pronunciation: [ybɛʁ fɔli] ) is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Castine-en-Plaine.