The attack was made at short notice to exploit the success of Operation Cobra by the First US Army after it broke out on the western flank of the Normandy beachhead and to exploit the withdrawal of the 2nd Panzer Division from the Caumont area, to take part in Unternehmen Lüttich (Operation Liège) a German counter-offensive against the Americans.

[1] After Goodwood, Ultra revealed that the Germans planned to withdraw the 21st Panzer Division into reserve, before moving to the west (American) sector of the front.

The 326th Division, south and east of Caumont, was up to strength and took over a large number of field defences and camouflaged firing positions behind extensive minefields in the ideal defensive terrain of the Suisse Normande bocage.

[4] XXX Corps was to lead the attack with the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division advancing to the top of Bois du Homme (Point 361).

On the right, western flank, XXX Corps was to be protected by the VIII Corps, with the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division attacking south from Caumont and the 11th Armoured Division attacking cross-country further west, ready to exploit a German collapse by advancing towards Petit Aunay, 3.7 mi (6.0 km) west of Saint-Martin-des-Besaces.

[7] Many British units were held up by minefields, sunken roads, thick hedges and steep gullies but in the centre the attackers gained 5 mi (8.0 km).

[10] British forces advanced to about 5 mi (8.0 km) short of Vire by 2 August, which was on the American side of the army boundary.

[15] By the time of the American break-out at Avranches, there was little to no reserve strength left for Operation Luttich, the German counter-offensive, which was defeated by 12 August.

The 7th Army had no choice but to retire rapidly east of the Orne river, covered by a rearguard of all the remaining armoured and motorised units, to allow time for the surviving infantry to reach the Seine.

In the centre, three Panther tanks were spotted in a farmyard at Le Haut Perrier and ambushed, two being knocked out and the survivor being set on fire on the southern outskirts of the village by a PIAT gunner.

The British advance continued towards Point 242 north of Chênedollé, where a German counter-attack knocked out six Sherman tanks for a loss of two Panthers and a Sturmgeschütz III assault gun.