Villers-Bocage is without a doubt one of the most emblematic actions of the Battle of Normandy. Many historians have related the events of 13th June 1944, notably the destruction of a British armoured column by the Tigers of the Obersturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann. But although one might think this subject closed, the battle still continues to reveal its secrets, even in 2014. Yann Jouault and Frederic Deprun present an incisive and extremely detailed study of the events of this fateful day, an 'autopsy' of the battle which was made possible by testimonies and never-before-seen photographs revealed within the last ten years. The authors pursued these leads to establish a precise and unbiased chronology of the day's events, from the opening of hostilities between the 7th Armoured Division and Wittman up until the destruction of the last Tiger of the SS Panzer Abteilung 101 within the village. The study is broken up into two parts: Wittman's final victory and the defeat of the Tigers, inviting a better understanding of the facts and freeing the subject from its persistent myths and legends. Text in French.
