HAA guns began to be used for a variety of ground tasks, such as bombardment, counter-battery fire, and anti-tank shoots. 60th HAA Regiment was engaged in this way during the Battle of Caen, and then in AA defence of the city (under 100th AA Bde) after its capture. North West Europe After the Allied breakout from the Normandy beachhead, 60th HAA Rgt joined 74th AA Bde in guarding the crossings of the Seine and then moved to Boulogne on 12 September. Here it was assigned to II Canadian Corps to act as medium artillery for the attack on the German garrison of the port, which held out for eight days. The 3.7-inch gins of 60th and 2nd Canadian HAA Rgts took part in prolonged shoots, including a high proportion of airburst shots. Both regiments reported that oil squirted out of the guns' buffer and recuperator casings, while the barrels got so hot that they showed a visible droop. All 24 of 60th's guns were affected. (Later it became common practice to have fire missions for HAA guns timed so that there were intervals for cooling.) In early November the brigade relieved 100th AA Bde defending the Waal bridges at Nijmegen that had been captured during Operation Market Garden. Although AA defence had priority, each HAA regiment had a battery on call for defensive fire and counter-battery fire missions in support of the Allied bridgehead. 60th HAA Regiment reported that by now it had fired 25,000 rounds in ground fire tasks since its arrival in Normandy. Its variety of targets was now enlarged to include V-1 flying bombs passing overhead towards Antwerp. Bad weather set in during December, with widespread flooding, and 168 Bty had to be rescued by river barge. There was little activity by the Luftwaffe, but on 17 December it carried out strikes all along the Allied front, with Focke-Wulf Fw 190s and Messerschmitt Bf 109s attacking the Waal bridges and artillery positions at low level. On 1 January 1945, the Luftwaffe launched Operation Bodenplatte: daylight attacks by single-engined fighters against Allied airfields and lines of communication in support of the Ardennes offensive. 74th AA Brigade reported groups of 25 to 30 enemy fighters crossing its area in flights of four flying low, while small formations of Messerschmitt Me 262s crossed at high level. There were 15 separate HAA engagements by the brigade's guns. For operations in the