German prisoners on the road between Ecouche and Argentan, with advancing armour in the background,...

Prisoners on the road between Ecouche and Argentan, with advancing British armour in the background, Normandy, August 1944. Photograph, World War Two, North West Europe, 1944. The capture of Argentan on 21 August 1944 was one of the final engagements during the closing of the Falaise pocket when the German 7th and 5th Panzer Armies were encircled by the advancing Allies. Although elements of both broke out of the pocket, the Allies killed 10,000 Germans, took nearly 50,000 prisoners and captured a vast amount of equipment. The Allied victory at Falaise opened the way to Paris and the borders of the Reich. From a collection of 650 photographs compiled by the Commando Association.