Atlantik Wall : The German Defence of France, June-–September, 1944

126 Pages·2013·62.012 MB·English

by  John-Paul Brisigotti, Wayne Turner, Peter Simunovich

In mosrFlames OfWargames you
will command a company wirh
severalplacoons.Whenyouchoose
yourforce rhefirsr rhingyou need
is your CompanyHeadquaners.
COMBAT PLATOONS
Wharever your barr/e plan
requires, your Combar Placoons
are rhe ones you rely upon co
ger rhe job done! You are usually
required co rake ar leasr rwo
combar placoons bur you could
have rhree or more.
WEAPONS PLATOONS
Weapons Plaroons are your
barralion's own suppon weapons.
They are nor required, bur rheir
heavy machine-guns, monars,
recce, and ami-rank weapons
provideexcellemsuppon.
SUPPORT PLATOONS
Suppon placoons are loaned co
your company by your regimem,
brigade, division, or corps. These
placoonsgiveyouextrasupponin
many forms ranging from ranks
co anillery.
Flames O/Waruses a pointsystem to ensure that games are I'll also need some reconnaissance, so I've selected
reasonablyfairandbalanced.Gamesaretypicallyplayedwith Panzerspah Platoon from page 123. I could have chosen a
chforce beginswiththeCompanyDiagram,whichdemonstratesthecompanyorganisationgraphicallyinan easy-to-read around 1500points, butyouarecertainlynotlimitedtoany PumaPanzerspah Platooninsteadas ithas the rightsymbol,
rmat. ThissimplediagramwillhelpyoucreateyourFlames O/Warcompanyand getyou playingin no timeatall! particularvalue. You can playanypointvalueyou andyour butnottheLuchsPanzerspahPlatoonasithasthe9. Panze
opponentdecidefrom small600 pointgames inanhour, to divisionsymbol, butnot the2. Panzerdivisionsymbol.
mammothgames usingarmies thatare3000 or 5000 points
or more! Once you and your opponent have agreed on a
.sfirststepischoosingyourcompany.Whichcompanyyoutakeisentirelyuptoyou.Itcanbeaninfantry, reconnaissance, Only 2. Panzerdivision is
points limit, you can choose any platoons allowed by.your
echanised, or tankforce. Havea read through thehistorytextandfind aforce thatinterestsyou and you're off] affowed to take a Puma
companydiagram up to that totalvalue. '
PanzerspdhPlatoon.
TRUCTIONS I have chosen to field a Panzergrenadierkompanie from
~ceyou have decided which company to build, page 112 using the 2. Panzerdivision ( ) variant. I chose 2. Panzerdivision
vealookattheinstructionsboxtoseewhatyou aPanzergrenadierkompaniecompanyfrom2. Panzerdivision affowed to take a Luchs
need to do to buildyourforce. as it fought against breakthroughs by both the British and Panzerspdh Platoon as only
Americanarmies.
9. Panzerdivision is affowed
Somecompaniesarebasedonasingledivision,like
the21,Panzerkompanie.Othercompanies,likethe sYhauadmeudsgtrleterldoneplalODntromeaChboxshadedblackandmayheldOIUlplatoonlrorneachbOlr Readingtheinstructionsbox, IseethatIneedto fieldatleast thatoption.
YourlorcernustbeolltlerlromPanlerlolltDlvlslon(markeilp..I,2Paolcrtllvlsfontmarkedl!),
GepanzertePanzergrenadierkompanieonpage 106 doriv9isiPononazserydolvuJSflJaI)vnes(melaerckleedd~lAllplatoonswlthonyatthes symbolsmustbelromlh !lIme aCompanyHQand two PanzergrenadierPlatoonsfrom the
for example, have three variants: the Panzer Lehr blackboxes. Finally, I'd like someTiger heavy tanks. I'll take a Schwe
SS-Panzer Platoon from page 173. This does not have m
Division,and2.and9.Panzerdivision.Theinstruct Then I'll add some ofthe optional platoons in grey boxes,
divisionalsymbol, bur it doesn't haveany ofthe otherarm
ionsboxwillalsotalkaboutanyadditionalinstruct OneoftheoptionalplatoonsIwouldlike to takeisaHeavy
panzer divisions' symbols either, so I can take it in m
ionsfor thevariants,
Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon from page 129. Here, I need to company.As it is an SS platoon (marked~), it is Allied
use the points listed in the column marked ( ) to match·
mycompany, meaning that mycommanders cannotvol
VARIANT FORCES my divisional variant. This means that I can only have one
tarilyjoinit.
When building a force that has several division ortwo 8.8cm FlaK36 gunsas onlythe PanzerLehrDivision
variants, you must chose one ofthe variants and isallowedathird gun.
A SchwereSS-PanzerPlatoon
stick to it. Your Company HQ and all of your
is anAffiedunitas itisfrom
moatandWeaponsplatoons (and usuallysome . '. ~ •• the Waffen-SS (marked ~)
ofyourSupportplatoons)mustmatchthedivision
andsupportingaHeer(/:Irmy)
you have chosen. To help, we have included
company.
divisional symbols to distinguish the variants.
imply use the options showing your divisional
OPTION
mbol when calculating points or choosing • Moot!all8.8aoAak36anti-aircraftgunswith8or ~ The Dug-in Panzer Platoon
mOlecrtWandU\CffilSethcirROFro3I"or+10points
optional upgrades. ""gun. U~cmRJKJli9;o1l I~kmfQ06ll"'" (marked j'i'l ) is only avail
2, P"tlurtli,,;si.n and 9. PllllurJiI'i;iol1 fKldl...d lheir HI
r~S~"~'''~'"~I'~'''~1~''~'''~,"~·'~·lf.~'~' able to a company that has
8U.8hatlolnFIt.htKe3o6rhchetah,'YandI.nrhia-dlirfcfri(lllfflr:8g.8ucrmu"innrip-a:liirrsa.:tfPllplninusr
BUILDING YOUR COMPANY rh"nanyI)therpanr.o:tdivision.h~Ihrec-~unb;U1C"rk5un FieldFortifications.
domin..Heentire;lre;lsofllH:b;ltddidd.However.thesegum
lirevulnerabk:toartillerynreandwshouldbcduginarnrst
Youwillnoticethatthecompanydiagramconsists dial1cetopl'C5Ctvtrhemunlilrhc)':\n:n~.xI.
8,8cmflaK36gun SdKl11halftrack
ofavarietyofblackandgreyboxes,eachcontaining
~silhouette ofsoldiers, guns, or vehicles, Each of Once I have selectedall ofmy platoons and totalled up m
these boxes represents a platoon that is available points, I just have to gather my miniatures, set up a ba
toyourforce. The blackboxesare the coreofyour field, andstart playing!
.._""'""-'__rce, so when buildingyour company, you must
fieldoneplatoonfrom eachboxshadedblack.The
grey boxes are optional platoons. You may field for example, but only the 2. and 9. Panzerdivision variants
one platoonfrom each boxshadedgrey. (marked and )canfield aPanzergrenadierPlatoon.
PAGE REFERENCE ALLIED PLATOONS
Someplatoons availabletoyour companyarefrom different
Eachplatoon boxwill haveapagenumber. Use this to find
services. The Heer (Army), Luftwaffe (Air Force), and
theplatoonand its pointsvalue.
Waffen-SS (Nazi party troops)
wererivalsandoftenbegrudged
SPECIAL PLATOON OPTIONS
cooperation with each other. Warriorsareavailablefrom theFlamesO/Warwebsite
Sometimesaplatoon boxin the companydiagramwillhave These can be easily identified www.FlamesOfWar.com and independent retailers as
special platoon options available to aspecific·variant. These by special symbols, such as specialorderitems(GSO###),blisterpacks(GE###),
arealwaysmarkedwith thevariant'ssymbolto theleftofthe the Luftwaffe eagle ) or boxes (GBX##). Each warrior entry displays the
platoon name. Onlyforces basedon thesamevariantas the to the right of the Luftwaffe relevantpackcode.
specialoptionmaytake thatplatoon. Jager Platoonoption.
In the example to the rightyou can find thewarrior
Theexampleto therightshows thatanyGepanzertePanzer Alliedplatoonsfollowparticular Major Hans von Luck as a product item using the
grenadierkompanie variant may field a Grenadier Platoon rules found on page 70 ofthe codeGE887,
Flames O/Warrulebook.
•
BattlefrontMiniatures packages Flames OfWarproducts to giveyou everythingyou need to assemble your force as quickly
:fndaccuratelyas possible. Ourblistersand boxsetsare packaged to giveyou allofthe optionsavailable to buildyourarmy. 3 PanzergrenadierSquads •
2 PanzergrenadierSquads I ••
HowTO BASE DIFFERENT TYPES OF UNITS CommandMGteam U304(f)leSPWhalf-track
HQSECTION
Everyarmyorganises itsplatoonsdifferently,and theorganisationdiagrams reflectthis. Forexample,aPanzergrenadiersquad
inamotorisedPanzergrenadierPlatoonhaseightmensplitinto two teamsoffoursoldiers. Ofcourse, units incombatrarely • Replace the Command MG team with Comtnapd
'ntain their theoreticalstrength. We reflect this byallowingyou to takefewer squads. PanzerfaustSMGteamfor+10points. -
• Addanadditional U304(f) leSPWhalf-trackto each
MGteam MGteam MGteam MGteam
squadfor +10pointsperhalf-track.
Thefundamental building blocksofan infantryplatoon are thevarious types ofinfantry teams. The mostcommononesare
own belowwithabriefdescription oftheirfunction and organisation. • Equip the U304(f) leSPW half-track in the HQ
Sectionwitha3.7cmPaK36gunatnocost.
ACommand team ismadeup ofan officer, anNCO, andariflemanon Remove all U304(f) leSPW half-tracks from the
asmall base. There are often options to upgrade your Command team platoonfor-10pointsperPanzergrenadierSquad. .-
with adifferentweapon. To doso, simplyreplace the rifleman with the '.
chosen upgrade. You cansee an exampleofthis on the following page.
21. Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoons may use the
Rifle teams are the basic form ofinfantry. All the miniatures in a rifle MountedAssaultspecialrule. ~,\~ ~,\~
teamwill normallybearmedwith rifles. Somesquadsmayhaveasingle
MGteam U304(f)leSPW MGteam
machine-gun, but its effect is diluted by the number of rifles in the BUILDING THE PLATOON half-track
squad. Baseyour rifle teams on amedium base. A21. GepanzertePanzergrenadierPlatoonisassembledfrom '. •• , • ••
•
the contents ofa GE723PanzergrenadierPlatoon blisterand •• ••
•
Rifle/MG teams are organised like rifle teams, except thatevery squad four GE245 U304(j) halftrackblisters as shown below.
oftwo teams has a machine-gun. Base Rifle/MG teams on a medium
Ey teplacing the rifleman on the Command MG teamwith
basewith thesecond base normally modelledwitha machine-gun.
a Panzerfaust-armed miniature, the team is upgraded to a
MG teamsare betterarmed than Rifle/MG teams. EveryMG team has CommandPanzerfaustSMG team.
a machine-gun. Base MG teams with a machine-gun and three orfour
riflemenon a medium base.
Some nations equipped entire platoons with submachine-guns. SMG /
teams are made up ofminiatures armed exclusivelywith submachine
guns. Base SMG teams on amedium base. "11 t~·
OR
APioneerteam retains thenormalcharacteristicsandbasingofits type,
e.g.aRifle teamonamedium base,andgainscombatengineeringchar Command Command U3D4(f) leSPW
acteristics and abilities such as an increased anti-tank rating in assault MGteam PanzerfaustSMGteam (3.7cm) half-track
• •
and the abilityto clearmines and demolish fortifications.
.- 'It
Light Mortar teams are made up ofa miniature armed with UNTEROFFIZIER UNTEROFFIZIER UNTEROFFIZIER
t·"'I...\'
mortarand aloaderonasmall base. \~. ,,." .~*-=""'. ,i~i.~ . ,."'#'ft~;::s:"
LightAnti-tankteamsareinfantryteams made upofaminiaturearmed ..£l '"$, _J ~ ..£l";' :.£~";~I ! '1:'-
withaweapon likeaPanzerschreckand aloaderon asmall base MGteam MGteam MGteam
,"""1 .. "'1
-~, .~ .~
"''t.... ,.
:.£.~ ,"" ~~. ~1 ...3 ~ ,.& 'k •
tillery batteriesand machine-gun, anti-tankgun, and infantrygun platoons combine command infantry teams with gun
s. Informationon basinggun teamscan befoundonpages 10to 13oftherulebook. Essentially,Man-packedgun teams MGteam MGteam MGteam
e mounted like infantry teams on a medium base facing the wide edge, anti-tank and infantry guns are mounted on a
edium basefacing the narrowend, andartilleryis mountedonalarge basefacing the narrowend.
..... .....
ach platoon diagram indicates the requiredsquads and teams you must have to make that unit combat-worthy.Troops in
U3D4(f) leSPWhalf-track U3D4(f)leSPWhalf-track U3D4(f)leSPWhalf-track
lackare the coreofthe unit. Troops in greyare optionalsupporting troops, weapons, andvehicles thatyou canadd to give . .
emmore punchor mobility. Manyplatoons also include options that allowyou to improve the equipmentorcapabilities '. '. t. •• ' •• I'
some ofthe teams. The platoon entrywillalso list thespecial rules that the platoon uses. The following exampleshows a 21. GEPANZERTE PANZERGRENADIER PLATOON
1. GepanzertePanzergrenadierPlatoon from page 56and howto assembleit usingan various blisters.
lh
uedtheirbattleagainstthe4 'Ivy'and90'h'ToughOmbres'
Divisions in the Utah beachhead. Once the location ofthe
awn of 7 June 1944, the day after D-Day, found the
landingswasclear,243. Infanteriedivisionmovedacrossfrom
lies ashore, but their toe-hold on the Normandy coast
the other side ofthe Cotentin Peninsula to join them. The
asprecarious. TheGermandefenders continuedRommel's
veteran 6. Fallschirmjiigerregiment (61h Parachute Regiment)
tegy of forward defence, confining the Allies to their
under Oberst Von der Heydte sealed off the base of the
ding areas as much as possible while massing forces for
peninsula, continuing its battlewith theAmerican 82nd 'All
counterattackthatwould throw them backinto thesea.
American' and lOP''ScreamingEagles'Airborne Divisions.
e Normandy Bocage-narrow lanes, high impenetrable
hedges and small fields-proved excellent defensive terrain.
CARENTAN
eBocagedominated the invasion area to adepth ofup to
50 miles, exceptonboth flanks. Carentan, between the Utah and Omaha beachheads, was
for the moment the pivotal point in the US sector. While
The Allies pressed on, capturing the town of Bayeux and
the Germans held it, the beachheads remained separated
linking all of the beachheads, save that of VII Corps at
and could be dealt with one at a time. Rommel ordered
Utah. Ofthe 156,000men landed byseaand air on D-Day
11Fallschirmkorps(2nd ParachuteCorps)toCarentanwiththe
itself, approximately 10,000 had become casualties. Heavy
mobileelementsofits3.Fallschirmjiigerdivision(3rdParachute OPERATION PERCH-VILLERS BOCAGE THE GREAT STORM
casualties to be sure, but far lower than was expected. New
Division). There it was joined by 17. SS-Panzergrenadier
divisionswould landeverydayfor the nextfewweeks as the the British 7'"Armoured Division, the famed 'DesertRats', By 17 June, the Allies had landed 557,000 troops, 81,00
division 'Giitz von Berlichingen'(lThSS Motorised Infantry
AlliesattemptedtobuildtheirforcesfasterthantheGermans landed their first elements on D-Day. After days of hard vehicles, and 183,000 tons ofsupplies. They were winnin
Division) and the remnants of 352. Infanteriedivision re
couldcontainthem. fighting, theydiscoveredawideninggapdevelopingbetween the race to build up their forces faster than the Germ
creatingfrom OmahaBeach.
the Panzer Lehr Division facing them and 352. Infanterie could reinforce theirs. In this theywere helped by FUSAG
Germanforces, despitebeinghamperedbycontinuousAllied
The German High Command had committed all of its division in the US sector. The next day, 13June, an almost the fictitious First US Army Group under General Patton>
airattacksandpartisanactivity,rushedtosealofftheinvasion
mobilereserves,butfarfrompushingtheAlliesbackintothe unopposedadvancethrough thegapputtheleadelementsof Allied deception measures kept the Germans expecti
beaches. 12. SS-Panzerdivision 'Hitlerjugend' (12'" 'Hitler
sea, theywerebarelycontainingthem. Carentanfell atdawn the 7'"Armoured DivisionintoVillers Bocage. FUSAG to launch the 'real' invasion in the Pas de Cal •
Youth' Armoured Division) joined 21. Panzerdivision in
on 12June, after a night longassault bythe 101"Airborne northofNormandy,forcingthem toholdtheirreservesback
a attempt to restart its D-Day counterattack, but heavy Bold action by a handful ofTiger tanks from 101. Schwere
Division supported by naval gunfireand artillery. Theyheld toopposeit.Meanwhile, theGermandivisionsactuallycom
pressure from the British yd Division and the Canadian yd SS-Panzerabteilung (lOP' SS HeavyTank Battalion), led by
it against counterattacks by 17. SS-Panzergrenadierdivision, mitted in Normandy were paying dearly in the attritio
Divisionforced them onto the defensive. Nonetheless, their ObersturmfUhrerWittmann,acelebratedTigerAce,destroyed
enabling the Americans to link up the Omaha and Utah battles, exposedas theywere to airattackandnavalgunfire.
combined strength frustrated all efforts to take Caen. The the leadingcompanies. With the arrival of2. Panzerdivision
beachheads. Hitler, meanwhile, issued an order forbidding
rivalofPanzerLehrDivision(theArmouredDemonstration and counterattacks byPanzerLehr, German pressureforced However,allwasnotwell.TheOverlordplancalledforCaen
anywithdrawal. Theinitiativewasfirmly inAllied hands.
ivision made up of troops used to develop and demon theisolated7'hArmouredDivisiontowithdraw.Afterdaysof andCherbourgto betakenbyJune23 andSt. Lasoonafter.
.strate new tactics) at the front completed ISS-Panzerkorps Even while the fight to link the beachheads was being continuous heavyGermanattacks, the DesertRats returned Sofarnoneofthesehadyetbeentaken.UnlesstheAlliescould
(l" SS Armoured Corps), but still failed to create enough fought, thepushforSt. Lawas underway. The USV Corps to Britishlineson 17June, the breakthroughpinchedout. make faster progress, there was a danger that the Germ
sttength to break through to the beachhead as the British with the 1"'BigRed One', 2nd 'Indian Head', and29'h 'Blue couldbringinmoredivisions,sealingthebeachheadoff,and
50th, Division fought them to a standstill and forced them and Grey' Divisions headed inland from Omaha making CUTTING THE COTENTIN causing a prolonged stalemate. To make matters worse, th
onto the defensive aswell. good progress as the Germans withdrew to better defensive Allied buildup was hindered by a great storm that lashed'
The US 4th Division's thrust northwards to Cherbourg was
lines. By 13June the defenders, although stretched almost the invasion beachesfrom 18 to 21 June. Thestormseverel
'On the American right flank, 709. Infanteriedivision proceeding slowly, so on 9 June Bradley changed strategy.
to breaking, hadhalted theAmericansshortofSt. Laonthe damaged the two floating 'Mulberry Harbours' the Alii
(709'"InfantryDivision) and91. Luftlandedivision(anarmy Instead of going north, US VII Corps under 'Lightning
Elle River. Their tenacious defence and the difficult bocage had built on the landing beaches, disrupting the landing0
divisionlightly-equippedforrapidmovementbyair) contin- Joe' Collinswoulddrivehardacross the Cotentin Peninsula
terrain hadfrustrated alleffortsatabreakthrough. additional divisions and the stockpiling ofsupplies, as w
cutting Cherbourg offfrom reinforcement. The American
.. as groundingairsupport.
9th 'Old Reliable' Division reached Barneville on the west
, "J...,' coast on 17June, cutting offthe remnants of77, 243, and
CHERBOURG
709. Infanteriedivisionenin the CotentinPeninsula.
The last week ofJune saw renewed efforts by both Allied
armies to capture Cherbourg, St. La, and Caen. On the
western flank the US VII Corps turned to fight its way up
On14JunetheFirstUSArmyreorganised.AnewVIII Corps
the Cotentin Peninsula toward Cherbourg, finally taking
faced south at the base ofthe Cotentin Peninsula, the new
the port on 27 June after a week-long battle amongst th
XIXCorpstookoverthecentre,whileVCorpsremainedon
ruins ofthe city. Unfortunately the combinationofGerm
theeasternflankadjacenttotheBritishsector.Allthreecorps
demolitions and the battle thorougWy destroyed the po
renewed the thrust southwards on 16June, but by 20June
Itwas not until the endofSeptemberthat itreached its
their attacks had again been contained after an advance of
capacitysupplyingtheAlliedadvance.
severalmiles.
The hedgerows ofthe Bocagewere provingincrediblystrong OPERATION EpSOM-HILL 112
defensiveterrain.Tomakemattersworse,thebadlyweakened us
While Bradley's First Army besieged Cherbo
352. Infanteriedivision was reinforced by battlegroups from
Dempsey's British Second Army made another deter .
two more infantrydivisions allowingit to continueholding
attempt on Caen in what would be the third biggest
theline, evenifonlyjust.
BRITISH BRITISH
30 1
CORPS CORPS
B T1SH
6TH
AIRBORNE
• • I
battleofthewar, OperationEpsom. On26June, theBritish TheGermans reacted to theUSadvancebyreplacingPanz.er
8 Corps attacked 12. SS-Panzerdivision 'Hitlerjugend' in Lehr, weakened byamonth ofcombat on the British front
the cornfields west ofCaen. The planwas to cross the river with 275. Infanteriedivision. Thus freed up, Panzer Le,
OdonandcaptureHill 112beforeswingingeastwardsacross shiftedwestwards tojointhe newlyarrived2. 'DasReich'SS..
the Orne and isolating Caen. Subsidiary attacks by 1 and Panzerdivision. On 11 July, both divisions attacked west
30 Corpsadayearliersecuredtheflanks ofthe operation. theVire River towards Carentan.After their initialsurprise,
the Americans reacted quickly and halted the German
Pounded by a preparatory bombardment from over 700
counterattack, beforerenewing theirownattacks.
guns, the young grenadiers of Hitlerjugend fought grimly
for every village. Despite counterattacks by PanzerLehr, 2.
OPERATIONS CHARNWOOD & JUPITER
and 21. Panzerdivisionen, and the newly-arrived 1. LSSAH
SS-Panzerdivision, the 11,h Armoured Division reached the With all attempts to outflank Caen stymied, the British'
northern slopes ofHill 112 late on 28 June. The next day Second Army launched another effort to take Caen,
heavy counterattacks by I1 SS-Panzerkorps (two more SS Operation Charnwood, on 8 July following a massive raid
armoured divisions transferred from Hungary) threatened byRAF BomberCommand. Thestrikecausedhugedamage
the flanks of the operation. Faced with elements ofseven tothecityanditsinhabitants,buttheresistanceencountered
---- ---GERMA-N-~D~ EFENDE-RS ---~- ------=- armoured divisions, 8 Corps pulled the 11,h Armoured from 12. 'Hitlerjugend'SS-Panzerdivisionshowedthedefend..
Division offHill 112on 1July, endingOperationEpsom. erswere unbroken. The3tdCanadianDivisionofthe Britis
1 Corpswipedout the defending regimentof16. LuftwaffiiJ
Cerman defences located in the Allies' planned landingareas consisted offour infantrydivisions (7,500 to 12,500soldiers each), with While failing to take Caen, Epsom did keep the German
anotherinfantrybrigade(3,500soldiers) andtwoarmoureddivisions (112 to 180 tanksand 17,000soldierseach) inreservebehindthese command focused on their vulnerable right flank. Good Felddivision (l6'h Air Force Field Division) and took all 0
areas. ThetwO infantrydivisions (7,200 to 11,500soldierseach) adjacentto thelandingareascounterattackedaswell. CaennorthoftheriverOrne,butcouldgonofurtheragains
tank country beyond Caen meant that any breakthrough
the ubiquitous 12. 'Hitlerjugend'SS-Panzerdivision.
DIVISIONAL AREAS MOBILE RESERVES here would be catastrophic, so all availablearmoured forces
were committed to the battles around Caen. Withlittle left On 10July, the British8 CorpslaunchedOperationJupiter.
709. Infanteriedivision (709,h Infantry Division): 729 CR, 21. Panzerdivision (21"ArmouredDivision): 22 PR, 125 PCR,
739CR, 919 CR, 1709 AR. Eastern and northern coast of the 192PCR, 155 PAR. NearCaenasamobilestrikingforce. to reinforce the American sector, they could only hold on which retook the northern slopes ofHill 112 at great cos
CotentinPeninsulaandCherb6urg, in~ludingUtahBeach. and hope that the Bocagewould contain the US FirstArmy butthesouthernslopesremainedinGermanhands.
12.SS-panzerdivision'Hiderjugend'(12thSSArmouredDivision):
716. Infanteriedivision (716'h Infantry Division): 736 CR, 12 SS-PR, 25 SS-PCR, 26 SS-PCR, 12 SS-PAR. Southeast of ontheirleftflank.
726CR (With 352 Inf), 441 Ost Bn, 1716 AR. Main landing Caen. Its officers and NCO's were long-serving veterans, but the ST. LO
zones,includingalloftheBritishandCanadianbeaches. juniorsoldiershadallbeenrecruiteddirectlyfrom theHitlerYouth
GENERAL OFFENSIVE
nd movementat theageofseventeen. Withsuchslowprogress byboththe US and Britisharmies
352. Infanteriedivision (352 Infantry Division): 914 CR,
With Cherbourg taken and Epsom occupying the German andacasualtyratethatwasquicklyexhaustingtheirreserve
915 CR,916CR,352Bn,439OstBn, 1352AR. BetweenBayeux 30. Schnellebrigade (30th Mobile Brigade): Three bicycle bat
and Carentan, including partofOmata Beach. Well-trained with talions. SeventhArmyres~rve. Coutances. reserves, the US First Army turned south to secure St. Lo oftrainedmanpower, the threatofastalematewas loomin
manycombatveterans, unliketheotherdivisions. and prepare for the breakout. The XIX Corps renewed its Politiciansandthepressweredemandingabreakthrough.TI
91. Luftlandedivision (91" Airlanding Division): 1057 CR, ADJACENT AREAS offensive on 29 June with an attack on Villiers-Fossard by breakthestalemate,majoroperationswereplannedform'
1058CR, 191 AR. Intetior ofthe Cotentin Peninsula. A regular Otherdivisionsoccupiedtheareasaround thelandingzones. yd Armored Division, followed by 29th and 30th Infantry Julyfor theUS andBritisharmies. Beforetheycouldlaunc;fi;
infanttydivision, trainedandequippedtobetransportedbyait.
Divisions pushing towards St. Lo. On 3 July, VIII Corps theirpartoftheoperation, theAmericanshadto capture
243. Infanteriedivision (243'd Infantry Division): 920 CR,
6. Fallschirmjagerregiment (6'h Parachute ,Regiment): Three 921 CR,922CR,243AR.WesterncoastoftheCotentinPeninsula. renewed its drive southwards down thewestern coastofthe Lo, an objectivewhichhadeludedthemfor overamonth.
parachutebattalions.Attachedto 91.Luftlandedivision. Carentan.
CotentinPeninsulatowardsCoutances,followedthenextday
GR= GrenadierRegiment, OstBn =Eastern ConscriptBattalion,AR 774141.CRIn.fNanotretrhieedasitvoisfiSownor(d71B1etahchI.nfantry Division): 731 CR, byVIICorpsnowinsertedbetweentheVIIIandXIXCorps. On 11July, theUSV Corpslaunched2ndInfantryDivisi
=ArtilleryRegiment, PGR=PanzergrenadierRegiment, PR=Panzer supported by200 guns, at Hill 192overlookingSt. LO.
Regiment, PAR =PanzerArtilleryRegiment Progress through the Bocagewas still frustratinglyslow, and weather stopped the planned air support, but new
casualtiesheavythroughout the firstweekofJuly.
ting in the Bocage aJ Although the ndge remained in German hands, Caen had
•Fallschirmjiigerdivision off. the hm by nightfall. With finallybeeIl taken. Thecosthad beenlight both in menand
ill 192cleared, 29th InfantryDivisionattackedon 15July, tanks for the extent ofthe gains. Only 160 British tanks
finallycapturingSt. Laon 18July. had been destroyed, while the Germans had lost a similar
number. The British tanks were quickly replaced, but the
Germanscouldnot makegood theirlosses.
oth the British and US breakout operations had been The attacks continued with Operation Spring (conducted
lanned for 18July, but delays in taking St. La meant that by the newly-activated First Canadian Army) forcing the
e British operation would have to begin first in order to Germans to throw their armoured divisions into the meat
In down the German armoured forces while the US First grinderonce again, with no chance to rest and rebuild. The
~my completed the capture ofSt. La and prepared their German armoured divisions preparing to move to the US
wn operation. A British breakout was unlikely in these sector,whereabreakoutthroughthepaper-thinGermanline
'tcumstances, with at leastsix German armoured divisions was imminent, wereforced to remain in the Britishsector.
d threeTiger heavy tank battalionscommittedto holding
the critical British front. There was little choice though, as OPERAnON COBRA
holdingthe Germanarmoured divisions in placewasvital if
The stage was now set for Operation Cobra, the American
theAmericanswere to breakout.
breakout. Like Goodwood, the plan involved saturation
In the British sector, the complex Operation Goodwood bombingonanarrowfrontoppositetheUSVIICorps.This
swung into action. A subsidiary attack by 30 Corps and was to be followed with an infantry assault backed by the
12Corps, Operation Greenline, began on the night of two strongest armoured divisions in existence, the 2nd 'Hell
J.5July, pinning down the three armoured divisions ofthe onWheels' and 3rd 'Spearhead' Armored Divisions. After a
now reinforced 11SS-Panzerkorps around the old Epsom false start on 24 July when the bombing hit the American
salient and drawing in 1. SS-Panzerdivision as well. This assault waves, Operation Cobra began on 25 July. While
assault was the prelude to Goodwood proper, which com bombingagainhit their own infantry, the effectoftwo days This left the First Canadian Army to close the neck ofth
menced on 18July, after over a thousand Allied heavy and ofbombingonPanzerLehrwas catastrophic: pocketthathadformed.
The British had not been idle either. By 30 July, the three
mediuIIJ.,.bomberspoundedtheflanksoftheattack.Themain
The assaulting infantry pressed through the German - armoured divisions of the British Second Army had been The First Canadian Army launched Operation Totali
punch by the British 8Corps involved over 750 tanks in
defences, their success exploited by 2nd Armored Division transferredwestadjacent to theAmericansector. There they aimedat Falaiseon 8August. Unusually, theyattackedwi
three armoured divisions attacking on a narrow front, with
on 26 July, which broke through into open country on a attacked alongside US V Corps towards Vire and Mont densecolumnsoftanks in thedarkofnight,easilysmashing
2~morewith1Corpsand2 CanadianCorpsontheflanks.
one-roadfrontage. Withno armouredreserves, theGermans Rin<;:on in Operation Bluecoat. If SS-Panzerkorps swung throughtheGermanfrontline. Heavycounterattacksby12.
11is attackwas supported by750 field and naval guns, and
could do nothing to stop the trickle becoming a flood. westto blockthismove, but30 CorpstookMontPin<;:onon SS-Panzerdivision halted the advancehalfwayto their objee
tighter-bombers in what would be the second biggest tank
The US VIII Corps joined the attack capturing Courances 6August, thesamedayVirewastakenbytheUSXIXCorps. tiveon 11August. On 12August, theUSXVCorpsreached
battleofthewar.
on 28July. On 30 July, Avranches fell and the Allies were The German left flank had completely crumbled. The US Argentan south ofFalaise. The Canadian offensive resumed
e attack began well with the 11rh Armoured Division finallyoutofNormandy.Inlessthanaweek,VIIICorpshad ThirdArmy had reached Le Mans and Nantes de~p behind on 14 August with Operation Tractable, breaking through
nce again reaching the operation's objective ofBourgebus advancedfurther than ithad in theprevious two monthsof theirflankon 8August. Onlydesperatemeasurescouldstop to Falaise on 17 August. The concentrated German forces
Ridge. At this point Montgomery made several ill-judged hardfighting. theAlliessouthoftheSeine. were now squeezed into a pocket, with the Falaise Gap the
statements to the press overstating the success ofthe opera onlywayout.
With FUSAG no longer neededand the USArmyabout to
tion. Thisgaveconsiderableammunition to hiscriticswhen MORTAIN COUNTERATTACK
fightintwodifferentdirectionsatonce,3AugustsawGeneral
traffic jams in the crowded Orne bridgehead delayed the THE FALAISE POCKET
Patton appointed to command a new US ThirdArmywith Hitler, alarmed at the breakthrough, ordered all of the
Guards and 7rhArmoured Divisions' attacks, allowing the
VIII Corps and the new XV and XX Corps containing the German armoured divisions our ofthe line to mass for a Allied air power took a terrible toll on the Germans. On
'Germans to counterattack in strength. By the end of the
bulk ofthe US armoured divisions. VIII Corps swept into counterattack that would cur the Third Army from its 16August, Hitlerauthorised retreatfrom the pocket, butit
aaythreeGermanarmoureddivisions backedbyTigertanks
Brittany isolating the ports ofSt. Malo, Brest, Lorient, and supplies in Normandy. Insufficient infantry divisions to was too late. The Canadians moved to close the gap, suc
and massed88mmguns had broughtthe offensive to ahalt,
St. Nazaire by7August. relieve the armoured units, and constant Allied attacks ceedingby20August,withthe 1 PolishArmouredDivision
ushingthe BritishoffBourgebus Ridge. Sf
all along the line, made it impossible to pull most of the taking a crucial role in the bitter fighting. By 22August,
armoureddivisions outoftheline. The troops thatcould be resistance within thepockethadceased.
musteredamountedto littlemore thanstrongbattalionbat
tlegroups from six different divisions, numbering no more THE SEINE AND PARIS
than 185 tanks in total, less than onefull-strength division.
While the Falaise Gap was being closed, the US XV Corps
The attack, Operation Luttich, started on the night of 6 had handed Argentan over to the US V Corps and headed
August, hitting the US 30rh Infantry Division hard around east. Its 79th 'Cross ofLorraine' Divisionwas the first across
thetownofMortain.Withdaybreak,Alliedairpowerstruck the Seine on 19 August. On 25 August, 0+80, the Frenc
the German assault, asAmericaninfantrystaunchlyheldon 2ndArmouredDivisionhadthehonourofliberatingParis.By:
to key positions. Only limited penetration was made with then allfourAlliedarmieshadclosedup ontheSeineRive.
very heavy losses for the attackers. Despite advice from tendaysaheadoftheschedulesetbyGeneralMontgome
his generals urging a withdrawal to the Seine River, Hitler original planfor Operation Overlord.
orderedthe armyto hold theirground.
Of the approximately one million men who fought
Germany (by no means all of them German) during
OPERATIONS TOTALlZE & TRACTABLE
Normandy campaign, nearly 240,000 were casualties
This played Straight into the Allies' hands. While the US a further 200,000 prisoners or missing. The Germans
ThirdArmyencircledtheGermansfromthesouth,theirFirst fought hard and the cost had been high. However,
Army and the British SecondArmy pushed them eastward. NormandyCampaignwasan undoubtedAlliedvicto
21. GEPANZERTE
PANZERGRENADIERKOMPANIE (page 56)
21. PanzerdivisionArmouredGrenadierCompany
FESTUNGSKOMPANIE (NORMANDY) (page26)
The armoured infantry of 21. Panzerdivision ride in
Fortress Company(Normandy)
armouredFrenchhalf-tracks.Theselittlevehiclesarearmed
A Festungskompanie mans the fortifications protecting
withmachine-guns toprovideadditionalfiresupport.An
the beaches ofNormandy. With bunkers and obstacles
attackbythisforcewillprovedifficult tostop.
they hold the beachesand pourfire on to anybodywho
dares to attackRommel'sAtlanticWall. 21. PANZERGRENADIERKOMPANIE (page62)
21. PanzerdivisionMotorisedGrenadierCompany
FOSILlERKOMPANIE (page32)
Most of the panzergrenadiers ride in trucks, allowing
LightInfantry Company
them to redeploy with speed. However, they fight on
A Fusilierkompanie, grouped with troops such as assault foot, often protectedbyextensiveminefields. 503. SCHWERE PANZERABTEILUNG -t!IJi;; PANZERPIONIERKOMPANIE (page 118)
gunsandtank-hunters,providesthereserveforthetroops MotorisedEngineerCompany
defending thebeaches. 21. PANZERPIONIERKOMPANIE (page66) SCHWERE PANZERKOMPANIE (page92)
The rest of the pioneers of2. and 9. Panzerdivisionen
21. PanzerdivisionArmouredEngineerCompany Heavy Tank Company
STUG ABTEILUNG (page38) are mounted in trucks. These specialists do their best
AssaultGunDetachment These combat engineers can take outany enemy fortifi 503. Schwere Panzerabteilung operates in support of work on foot, clearing and laying mines, and improv
352.InfanteriedivisionhasitsowndetachmentofStuG G cations, minefieldsandwire. Theyalso fight as infantry. 21. Panzerdivision. This unit has a mixture of super ing defensive positions. They are also excellent combat
assaultguns.Thesetoughvehiclesmakeshortworkofthe 21. AUFKLARUNGSSCHWADRON (page68) heavy Konigstiger and heavyTiger IE tanks, makingit troops, more than capable of fighting alongside the
enemies' Sherman tanks. Theyaredeployed in reserve to 21. PanzerdivisionReconnaissanceSquadron the mostpowerful tank battalionin Normandy panzergrenadiers.
deliveratimelycounterblowagainst theinvaders. The armoured scouts from the reconnaissance battalion AUFKLARUNGSSCHWADRON (page 120)
of 21. Panzerdivision provide the punch to push the ReconnaissanceSquadron
armoured cars through the enemylines. Whether fighting to get the division's armoured cars
through the enemy lines, or taking their place in the
21. PANZERSpAHKOMPANIE (page72) PANZERKOMPANIE (page 102)
21. PANZERKOMPANIE (page52) line alongside the panzergrenadiers, the infantry of
21. PanzerdivisionArmouredCar Company Tank Company
21. Panzerdivision Tank Company Aufkliirungsschwadronare ahard-hittingforce.
The armoured cars of21. Panzerdivision probe for gaps PanzerLehrDivision is the very model ofwhata Panzer
21. Panzerdivision was first to launch a counterattack
and opportunities to get around the enemy. They have divisionshouldbe,withafullcomplementofPanzerIVH PANZERSpAHKOMPANIE (page 122)
against the invasion beaches. The Panzer IV H tanks of
their own armoured infantryto support them when the and PantherA tanks. 2. and 9. Panzerdivisionen also ArmouredCarCompany
thepanzercompaniescanrelyonthesupportofanarray
goinggets rough. follow this model, although notas lavishlyequipped. Both Panzer Lehr Division and 2. Panzerdivision are
ofwell-equipped, ifunusual, platoons.
equipped with the latest Sd Kfz 234/2 Puma eight
GEPANZERTE PANZERGRENADIERKOMPANIE
BEUTE STUG BATTERIE (page 54) wheeled armoured cars and Sd Kfz 250/9 (2cm) half
16. LUFTWAFFE FELDDIVISION ~
LootedAssaultGunBattery (page 106) trackedarmouredcars.9. PanzerdivisionhasLuchsscout
ArmouredGrenadierCompany
tanks in place ofthe eight-wheelers. All three divisions
Among the unusual vehicles improvised for LUFTWAFFE JAGERKOMPANIE (page 84)
As the template by which all other Panzer divisions are areamongstthebestin theGermanarmywhenitcomes·
21. Panzerdivision were the self-propelled guns of AirForceRifle Company
200. StuGAbteilung.Theselittleassaultgunsonobsolete measured,PanzerLehrhasthepanzergrenadiersofallofits to reconnaissancework.
Formed from excess Luftwaffe personnel, these troops battalions mounted in armoured half-tracks and bristling
Frenchchassis packplentyoffirepower.
are more usually used for garrison duties. 16. Luftwaffe
with Panzerschreck anti-tank rockets. 2. Panzerdivision
Felddivisionhasfound itselfin the thickofthe fighting,
onlyhas two armoured panzergrenadier battalions, while
supported by rhe tough troops of21. Panzerdivision.
9. Panzerdivisionhasajustone.
SCHWERE PANZERJAGERKOMPANIE (page 136)
PANZERGRENADIERKOMPANIE (page 112)
Heavy Tank-hunter Company
MotorisedGrenadierCompany
TheJagdpanther rank-hunterisadeadlyandimpressive
Two Panzergrenadierbattalions of2. Panzerdivisionand
weapon, mountingalong8.8cm gunonaPanthertank
three of9. Panzerdivisionare mounted in trucks, giving
chassis. A company ofJagdpanthers fighting alongside
them excellent operational mobility. Once they reach
the grenadiers ofan Infanteriedivision will make light
thefront though, theyfight on foot.
workofanyenemytankforce.
GEPANZERTE PANZERPIONIERKOMPANIE
(page 116)
ArmouredEngineerCompany
Like the panzergrenadiers, the pioneers of the Panzer
Lehrare mounted in half-tracks, as is the third pioneer
company of2. Panzerdivision. Extreme pressure from
theAlliesoftenforces thesehighly-skilled troopstofight
as infantryin thefront line.