The Germans were defending their fortifications above the beaches. Caen, Cherbourg, Carentan, Falaise and other Norman towns endured many casualties in the Battle of Normandy. The German defenders fought aggressively but constantly pushed back by overwhelming force. The battle for Normandy continued until the closing of the Falaise pocket. The liberation of Le Havre followed. What followed was the breakout of Allied forces into France and finally Germany. This was a significant in the war. It led to the restoration of the French government in France. The remainder of Normandy was liberated only on 9 May 1945 at the end of the war, when the German occupation of the Channel Islands effectively ended.