During World War II, in the Battle of Falaise Gap, which took place from August 12 to August 21, 1944, the Allied forces launched a fierce air attack on retreating German soldiers, and many German soldiers were killed or taken prisoner as they retreated eastward.

 　　During World War II, from August 12 to August 21, 1944, the Battle of the Falaise Pocket erupted, during which Allied forces launched intense air attacks against retreating German soldiers. As the German forces withdrew eastward, numerous soldiers were killed or taken prisoner. With the defeat of the German forces, the Allied forces secured the liberation of France. After recapturing Cherbourg, the Allied forces trapped the German armored units at the eastern end of the front line, facing British and Canadian forces. The U.S. Third Army launched an assault from the bridgehead at the western end of the front line. Moving in a large arc, the Allied forces finally trapped the German Seventh Army in a small area around Falaise.

　　The Battle of the Falaise Pocket followed the Allied Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, and the subsequent withdrawal from the fortifications. German forces in the region were quickly surrounded in a pocket south of Falaise. Over the next few days, the Germans launched desperate counterattacks to break out to the east. Some managed to escape, but approximately 40,000 to 50,000 German soldiers were captured by the Allied forces. With the collapse of German defenses in Normandy, the Allied forces advanced eastward and liberated Paris.

　　The number of casualties in the Battle of the Falaise Pocket is unclear. The number of Allied casualties is unknown. Most estimates put German losses at 10,000 to 15,000 killed, 40,000 to 50,000 captured, and 20,000 to 50,000 who escaped to the east. By the evening of August 21, the pocket was sealed off, trapping an estimated 50,000 German troops inside. The Allied forces rapidly advanced across France and liberated Paris on August 25.