The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division, landing to the west of the 3rd British Infantry Division, made good gains on D-Day and looked like it would be able to advance on Caen on the 7th without problem.

After consolidating for the night the Candians moved out smartly in the morning to the south along the road to Carpiquet Airport to the west of the city of Caen.

Not long after starting out, and strung out in a long column, they came under intense and sustained fire from the 12SS Panzer Division.

The fight between these 2 divisions would become legendary during the campaign and filled with vicious combat.