 Simonds made air power an essential component in his plan for breaking through the German tactical zones . The preliminary aerial bombardment called for RAF bombers to saturate the German defences on both flanks of a 4 mi ( 6 @.@ 4 km ) wide corridor along the axis of the Caen – Falaise road during the night of 7 August . During the early hours of 8 August , two attacking forces of tanks and armoured personnel carriers would advance along this corridor . West of the road under the Canadian 2nd Division were the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade and 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade . East of the road , under the British 51st Division were the 154th ( Highland ) Brigade and the 33rd Armoured Brigade . These two columns would bypass the front @-@ line defenders and capture the main German anti @-@ tank defences around Cramesnil and Saint @-@ Aignan de Cramesnil at dawn . 
