Cristot, Normandy

Discussion in 'British & Commonwealth' started by Ramiles, May 1, 2015.

  1. Ramiles

    Ramiles Active Member
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    Hi all,

    I thought Cristot in Normandy might benefit from a thread all of its own.

    Nb. Cristot sometimes appears as Oristot for some (probably typographical) reason on some allied maps.

    So far I've picked out details for the battle there on the 11th June 1944.
    The capture of Cristot by allied forces on the 16th June 1944.
    And the building of the allied Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) subsequently nr. to Cristot.

    All the best,

    Rm.
    [hr]
    So to quote from this : http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/tactics-and-the-cost-of-victory-in-normandy

    In one action (i.e. on the 11th June 1944) the 6th Green Howards lost 250 men trying to capture the village of Cristot. Their supporting tanks led the attack, but raced too far ahead, so that well-hidden German troops cut down the isolated infantry and then turned on the tanks from the rear.

    & http://www.creullyclub.freeuk.com/feb01.htm
    CRISTOT - Memorial to ‘B’ and ‘C’ Squadrons 4/7th RDG and the 6th Battalion Green Howards

    On 11th June 1944 at Point 103 ‘B’ and ‘C’ Squadrons 4/7th RDG, with the 6th Battalion Green Howards was engaged in action against the 12th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion, commanded by SS Major Gerhard Bremmer and Panther tanks of the 2nd Panzer Company commanded by SS Lt Helmut Gaede. The ground was ideal for enemy defence. ‘B’ Squadron was separated from the infantry and during bitter fighting the Regiment suffered grievous losses both in tanks and the crews
     
  2. allan125

    allan125 Active Member
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    Here is the link to the ALG layout of B.18 Cristot, as amended by Pat for me

    http://www.normandy.whitebeamimages.ie/airstrips/cristot_b18/b18_cristot_alg_drawing.png

    regards

    Allan
     
  3. Ramiles

    Ramiles Active Member
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    Fascinating, thanks Allan, for some reason I think I would have assumed that it would have been north (not south) of Cristot. There was a lot of tough fighting there also by the 24th L for Boislonde and by the Canadians for Le Mesnil-Patry.

    I wonder if Cristot ALG is commemorated (as is Bazenville) by some monument today?

    BTW it makes no odds to me but the refs I've seen up to now have (I think) Cristot ALG as merely packed earth (not SMT) ?
    Did something change there / or get noted wrong here or elsewhere?

    Rm.
     
  4. allan125

    allan125 Active Member
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    No idea, sorry - not all were.

    Allan
     
  5. Ramiles

    Ramiles Active Member
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    I'd assume that there probably isn't much point looking for the Cristot ALG in the French 1946 recon sorties (or others around then?) as once the fighting moved on I guess the ALGs moved too and just as now there are fields so too it would probably have been just fields again pretty soon after they had left?

    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Cristot,+France/@49.1857039,-0.5664122,4273m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x480a4e2f22ecc1f7:0x40c14484fbcf240

    I can just about pick out some faint shadows in the modern fields but they could just about e anything (inc. google water marking!)

    Rm.
     
  6. allan125

    allan125 Active Member
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    Hello Rob

    You have to remember that these ALG's would have been planned from recce. photos, and it wasn't until the construction teams actually turned up that they found exactly what they were up against.

    According to Angels Eight B.18 -- Cristot -- 1200 metres long, 40 metres wide, compacted earth completed 25 July. Runway 110. and I have just forwarded to Pat some pdf's on airfield construction so that he can add to the Green room - compacted earth needed a lot of watering to keep the dust down, and it wasn't much better with SMT.

    Things have changed considerably in Normandy since 1944 with regard to farming, but in those days they simply bulldozed a path through whatever was in the way to provide the runway length required if the field wasn't big enough in the first place.

    I hope that the airfield construction information helps.

    regards

    Allan
     
  7. Ramiles

    Ramiles Active Member
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    Thanks Allan,

    I did a trawl for some info on Cristot a few months back and found a set of scenarios for NWE here: http://www.fireandfury.com/scenarios.shtml#NWEurope1

    Which included many around the battles of and around Cristot:

    The Battle for Cristot : 11th June 1944
    http://www.fireandfury.com/scenarios/bloodhonourcristot.pdf

    “Conceived in Sin and Born in Iniquity1 ” - The Battle of Le Mesnil Patry - Sunday June 11th 1944
    http://www.fireandfury.com/scenarios/bloodhonourmesnilpatry.pdf

    Blood & Honour - Hitlerjugend in Normandy - A Walk in the Park - June 17th – 18th 1944
    http://www.fireandfury.com/scenarios/bloodhonourparcdeboislande.pdf

    These include a lot of research, detail and bibliographies - but bearing in mind that there is creative license there to make these into interesting games for wargamers to play.

    There was one available for the battle on the 16th that took Cristot too which I originally found, here:
    http://www.gmtgames.com/opdauntless/Cristotsample011511.pdf

    …this occurred on the 16th June: The attack from Le Haut d'Audrieu took place on a 500 yard wide front, with two companies up and the other two in reserve. 'A' and 'B' Companies led the attack, which kicked off at noon, with support from the 24L tanks. One tank troop supported each forward infantry company, with the third tank troop behind. The infantry followed the creeping barrage and first encountered resistance about 500 yards from Cristot. The KOYLI fought their way into the village and found it a shambles. Opposing them were about 400 infantrymen of the 26th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, 12th SS Panzer Division. The German infantry had plenty of support from MGs and mortars, plus some self-propelled guns, a handful of panzers, and the “armored cars” (actually reconnaissance halftracks with 20mm guns) of 2nd Company, 12th SS Panzer Recon Group. By nightfall, Cristot had been captured; it was the KOYLI Battalion's first major victory in the campaign. The cost had been high — 66 dead in five days of fighting. The battalion managed to exploit as far as Le Hamel (south of Cristot). They were relieved the following morning by the 7th Duke of Wellington’s.

    But this seems to significantly over-estimate the strength of the Germans there (i.e. at about 400) since Meyer says in his book that he'd ordered most of his troops withdrawn. The British that took Cristot on the 16th were mortared, had to negotiate mines and faced some German infantry but only about 20 Germans were found dead at Cristot. When they were in control of Cristot the British saw 6 panzers withdrawing south into the woods (i.e. towards the Boislonde)

    I think that the scenarios above are all well worth a read, but there's rather a lot to get through - so you might want to tackle them slowly, one at a time (and not rush in like the British and Canadians seemed to have been ordered to do!)

    All the best,

    Rm.
     

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