Operation Totalize (August 7 - 10, 1944) was an Allied offensive under the command of the 1st Canadian Army, occurring in the later stages of Operation Overload. The objective of Operation Totalize was to break through the German defenses south of Caen and to capture the high ground north of the City of Falaise. One of the operation’s objectives was for the 4th Canadian Armoured Division (a division in the 1st Canadian Army) to secure Hill 195.

The Worthington Force, comprised of the 28th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Regiment) and three infantry companies from The Algonquin Regiment, were sent in the pre-dawn hours of August 9 to secure Hill 195. The Worthington Force arrived at another hill over 6 km away by mistake, believing this to be Hill 195. There, the Worthington Force was attacked by the Germans for the next 14 hours (The British Columbia Regiment lost 47 of their 52 Sherman tanks). The 21st Armoured Regiment (The Governor General’s Foot Guard) were sent to reinforce The Worthington Force on Hill 195. En route to Hill 195, the 21st Armoured Regiment was stopped by strong German opposition, losing 26 of their Sherman tanks in a matter of minutes.

When it became clear the Worthington Force was at the wrong location, The Lincoln and Welland Regiment (infantry) and The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada Regiment (infantry), supported by squadrons from the 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment), were sent to capture Hills 180 and 195. The Lincolns captured Hill 180 and the Argylls captured Hill 195. The 22nd Armoured Regiment (The Grenadier Guards of Canada) were sent to reinforce the Argylls on Hill 195.

When dawn broke the next morning (August 10), the Germans attacked Hill 195 in force. Several of the Grenadier Guards’ Sherman tanks were destroyed. Despite this, the Canadian held their ground, achieving their objective of capturing and holding the high ground north of Falaise.