Escape Corridor — Chambois Gap

Chambois, FR

The Escape Corridor — the narrowing gap between Allied forces closing in from north and south through which German troops desperately attempted to flee in August 1944 — reached its narrowest point between Chambois and the Montormel ridge. At its tightest, the corridor was only a few kilometres wide, yet tens of thousands of German soldiers, vehicles, horses, and guns attempted to push through it under continuous Allied artillery fire and air attack. The scene along the corridor roads was one of the most catastrophic in the Western European campaign: horse-drawn artillery units intermingled with panzer remnants, supply columns, and infantry on foot, all converging on the Dives River crossings in a desperate attempt to escape. Allied aircraft — Typhoons, P-47s, and medium bombers — attacked the corridor continuously, while artillery from both jaws of the encirclement poured fire into the mass of men and machines. Even units that successfully crossed the Dives faced continued pursuit beyond the pocket. The corridor is best understood by standing on the Montormel ridge and looking down at the valley below.