Operation Wellhit

Operation Wellhit (Battle of Boulogne)
Part of Western Front, in the Second World War
German prisoners marching through Boulogne shortly after its capture, September 22, 1944
Date September 17–22, 1944 Location Boulogne-sur-Mer, France 50°43′35″N 1°36′53″E / 50.72639°N 1.61472°E / 50.72639; 1.61472 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Canada  United Kingdom	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Daniel Spry	Ferdinand Heim
Strength
2 infantry brigades supporting armour, artillery and aircraft	10,000
Casualties and losses
600 killed or wounded[1]	c. 500 killed or wounded 9,500 captured
Boulogne class=notpageimage| Boulogne-sur-Mer in Northern France, a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais

Operation Wellhit (the Battle of Boulogne) from 17 to 22 September 1944, was an operation of the Second World War by the 3rd Canadian Division of the First Canadian Army to take the fortified port of Boulogne in northern France. The 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade had hoped to take Boulogne off the march as it advanced up the coast but it was stopped by the German fortifications 5 mi (8.0 km) from the city.^[2]

The Boulogne defences were incomplete but were sufficiently formidable to justify massive bombardments before and during the assault and extensive use of specialized armour from the 79th Armoured Division. Despite the lower than expected level of material damage by the bombardments, the high degree of co-ordination between artillery, air force, tanks and infantry greatly aided the success of the operation.^[3]