Watching from a nearby wood was Michael Wittmann, who famously replied to his gunner Bobby Woll's comment, "they are acting as if they've won the war already", with: "We're going to prove them wrong."

Wittmann ordered his remaining operational Tigers and a Panzer IV from the Panzer Lehr Division to stay behind in their hide while he went on a quick reconnaissance mission into the town itself. He moved south of the British column which was strung out along the Caen road and, unobserved, was able to penetrate into the town. Four enemy Cromwell tanks of the 4 CLY headquarters troop were parked in the main street, with their crews dismounted, relaxing and making tea or carrying out minor repairs to their vehicles. Michael Wittmann caught them totally by surprise, and three of the British tanks were immediately destroyed as he rampaged along the street. One of the tanks was saved by a quick-thinking driver, though, who slammed his vehicle into reverse and backed into a garden.

Wittmann knocks out the last Cromwell

g down the main street of the town, Wittmann drove past this tank and soon found himself confronted by the whole of 4 CLY's B Squadron. After exchanging several shots with the British tanks, including a 17-pounder-armed Sherman Firefly, Wittmann backed off, reversing away and then turning around. His intention was to rejoin his other Tigers but, driving back down the main street, Wittmann found himself head-to-head with the surviving Cromwell tank that had come out to fight him. The two tanks traded rounds at almost point-blank range. Two British 75mm rounds bounced off the front of Wittmann's Tiger, until one of Woll's 88mm shells found its mark, destroying the British tank. Running short of ammunition, Wittmann pulled back and rejoined the rest of his company. After they had re-stocked on 88mm rounds, the company set upon the 4 CLY's A Squadron with a vengeance.

An easy victory

Unobserved by the British, Wittmann's Tigers were able to approach their unsuspecting prey from behind. First, they knocked out an M3 halftrack at the rear of the British column. This decisive action effectively trapped the British in a sunken road where, unable to move, their tanks and a range of other vehicles were little more than sitting ducks to their German attackers.

After first dealing with the Sherman Fireflys - which alone could threaten the Tigers - Wittmann's tank, helped by the Panzer IV, just drove along the column, picking off the enemy's vehicles one by one. By 10:30 hours, the 4 CLY battlegroup had virtually ceased to exist. The surviving troops on Point 213 surrendered at 13:00 hours.

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