On 3–4 May 1944, during the German occupation of France, the panzer training camp located a mile north of the town was subjected to a very heavy bombing.

346 British Avro Lancasters and 14 de Havilland Mosquitoes of RAF Bomber Command were sent to attack the German panzer training center near the village of Mailly-le-Camp.

The plan was for targeting aircraft to fly over at low level while the main force of Lancaster bombers orbited some distance away.

However 1500 tons of bombs were dropped on the camp, causing considerable damage to the weapons and equipment held there and heavy casualties.

No French civilians were killed in the bombing, although there were a small number of casualties when one of the Lancasters shot down crashed on a house.