The 102nd SS Battalion's Tigers were in the forefront of the action around Vire, and conducted an ambush against the regimental headquarters of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry. Then, Frundsberg's panzer kampfgruppe - with seven Panzer IVs and eighteen Panthers - entered the fray and was responsible for destroying 20 British tanks. This and other SS attacks brought British tank losses since the start of Operation Bluecoat to a massive 200 vehicles.

Then Bittrich launched a counterattack against the British at Chenedolle. Hohenstaufen's Panthers were to account for 39 British tanks, and they also cut British supply lines. Panzergrenadiers stalked British tanks in the woods during the night, knocking out scores with Panzerfausts. Bittrich's tired troops kept pressing forward until the battle reached a climax on 6 August. Bittrich had brought Operation Bluecoat to a halt, and he established a strong defensive line around Vire. However, the German front in Normandy was beginning to crack.

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