and the 3rd Parachute Brigade started their attack at 03:00. By 18 August the brigade had crossed the River Dives and reached the outskirts of Goustranville. Here they halted, and the 5th Parachute Brigade took over the attack, their first objective being the village of Putot en Auge. The 7th Parachute Battalion were to secure the ground to the east of the village. Delayed on the way, they ambushed a column of Germans advancing on them, before securing their objective. The 13th Parachute Battalion, which had been under fire for three hours, dashed across of open land into cover at the base of Hill 13. Then 'A' and 'B' Companies fixed bayonets and charged up the hill. Simultaneously, a German battalion, which had just arrived to reinforce the defenders, counterattacked causing several casualties. The two companies were forced to withdraw, closely followed by the enemy. The German counter-attack was halted by an artillery barrage, and Putot en Auge was captured by the combined forces of the 7th and 12th Parachute Battalions. They also took 120 German prisoners. The 3rd Parachute Brigade then resumed the advance towards Pont-l'Évêque on the River Touques. They were held up capturing Annebault, and the 5th Parachute Brigade moved to the front again, reaching Pont-l'Évêque at 12:00 on 22 August. The River Touques has two branches running through the town, and the 13th Parachute Battalion were given the objective of establishing a bridgehead across the river. The battalion reached and safely crossed the westernmost branch, but heavy German resistance prevented them from securing the main part of the town. Overnight a patrol managed to cross the eastern branch, using a girder that had been left spanning the river when the bridge had been blown up. The patrol was then reinforced by 'A' and 'B' Companies, and fought a three-hour battle trying to form a bridgehead. They were then withdrawn back across the river, where the 7th Parachute Battalion had dug in to form a defensive position. At the same time, the 12th Parachute Battalion had tried to cross the river using fords to secure Saint Julien and the nearby railway embankment. They, too, were stopped by heavy German fire, which pinned them down on the embankment, inflicting significant casualties; 16 dead and 50 wounded. As they were unable to proceed, brigade headquarters called off their attack, but the battalion had to wait until dark to pull