Chambois | |
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Part ofGouffern en Auge | |
 12th century donjon | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
Location of Chambois  | |
  Chambois  Chambois | |
| Coordinates:48°48′21″N0°06′22″E / 48.8058°N 0.1061°E /48.8058; 0.1061 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Orne |
| Arrondissement | Argentan |
| Canton | Argentan-2 |
| Commune | Gouffern en Auge |
Area 1 | 8.3 km2 (3.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | 380 |
| • Density | 46/km2 (120/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 61160 |
| Elevation | 89–156 m (292–512 ft) (avg. 110 m or 360 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Chambois (French pronunciation:[ʃɑ̃bwa]ⓘ) is a formercommune in theOrne département in north-westernFrance.[2] On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new communeGouffern en Auge.[3] Its population was 380 in 2022.[1] The town is remarkable for its 12th-centuryNormankeep and was involved in the closure of theFalaise pocket in 1944 during theBattle of Normandy.
The Norman keep orDonjon was built in the 12th century. It is one of the rare surviving examples of a square keeps in Normandy.
TheBattle of Chambois was the scene of some of the bitterest fighting during theNormandy campaign. In August 1944, theFalaise pocket (or Falaise gap) was closed when Canadian, Polish (1st Armoured Division (Polish1 Dywizja Pancerna)) and US (90th Infantry Division formations sealed off the gap on 19/20 August 1944.
For two days, Poles and Americans defended the town against continuous assaults launched by overwhelming enemy forces (mostly remnants of the German 7th Army), taking thousands of prisoners. The battle ultimately was ended as Allied air support finally destroyed what was left of the German forces.
TheCoudehard-Montormel Memorial on the neighbouringHill 262, details the history of the battle and closure of the Falaise pocket.
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