Falaise: The Flawed Victory - The Destruction of Panzergruppe West, August 1944

Appendix I Panzer Division and General Headquarters Panzer Formations Strength in Northern France, June-September 1944

Panzer Division Strength as of June-August 1944

Panzer Division Strength as of 1 September 1944

General Headquarters Panzer Formations Strength as of June-August 1944

General Headquarters Panzer Formations Strength as of 1 September 1944

* This includes tanks, assault guns and tank destroyers, but not light tanks, self-propelled guns or armoured cars.

Appendix II German Panzer Divisions in Normandy

2nd Panzer Division

Panzer Regiment 3

9th Panzer Division

Panzer Regiment 33

21st Panzer Division

Panzer Regiment 22

116th Panzer Division

Windhund Panzer Regiment 16

Panzer Lehr Division

Panzer Lehr Regiment

1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler

SS-Panzer Regiment 1

2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich

SS-Panzer Regiment 2

9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen

SS-Panzer Regiment 9

10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg

SS-Panzer Regiment 10

12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend

SS-Panzer Regiment 12

17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen

SS-Panzer Abteilung 17

Appendix III Independent and Infantry Panzer Units in Normandy

Heavy Tank Battalions

Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101

Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 102

Schwere Panzer Abteilung 503

Tank Battalions

Panzer Abteilung 206

Sturmpanzer Abteilung 217

Panzer Abteilung 301 (Funklenk)

(IV Kompanie – assigned to 2nd Panzer Division)

Panzer Abteilung 302 (Funklenk)

(Kompanie 316 (Funklenk) only – assigned to Panzer Lehr Division)

Training Units

Panzer Ersatz un Ausbildungs Abteilung 100

(Assigned to 91st Airlanding Division)

Panzerjäger Battalions

Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung 654

Panzerjäger Abteilung 657

Panzerjäger Abteilung 668 (towed anti-tanks guns only)

Assault Gun Units

Fallschirm Sturmgeschätz Brigade 12

Strumgeschütz Brigade 341

Sturmgeschütz Brigade 394

Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 902

Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 1348

Infantry Panzerjäger Battalions in Normandy

German Infantry Divisions’ anti-tank battalions largely consisted of towed weapons, but at least six Heer Panzerjäger Battalions were also each equipped with fourteen Marder self-propelled and ten Sturmgeschätz assault guns:

243rd Infantry Division

Panzerjäger Abteilung 243

326th Infantry Division

Panzerjäger Abteilung 326

331st Infantry Division

Panzerjäger Abteilung 331

346th Infantry Division

Panzerjäger Abteilung 346

352nd Infantry Division

Panzerjäger Abteilung 352

353rd Infantry Division

Panzerjäger Abteilung 353

Appendix IV German Order of Battle

It should be noted that the divisional allocations to the various Corps varied considerably through out the Battle for Normandy. The date in brackets is when the unit deployed to the Normandy theatre of operations or went into action.

Panzergruppe West

I SS Panzer Corps

Panzer Lehr Panzer Division (went into action 7 June)

1st SS Panzer Division Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler (by 30 June)

12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend (went into action on 7 June)

17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen (8 June)

XLVII (47th) Panzer Corps plus LXVI (66th) Reserve Corps

2nd Panzer Division (mid-June)

11th Panzer Division

19th Panzer Division (returned to the Eastern front in July)

21st Panzer Division (went into action 6 June)

116th Panzer Division Windhund (24 July)

LVIII (58th) Reserve Panzer Corps

2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich (mid-June)

9th Panzer Division (6 August)

189th Reserve Infantry Division

Reserve Panzer Divisions

155th Reserve Panzer Division

178th Reserve Panzer Division

179th Reserve Panzer Division

273rd Reserve Panzer Division

7th Army

XXV (25th) Corps (in Brittany)

265th Infantry Division (kampfgruppe, 12 June)

275th Infantry Division (kampfgruppe, 11 June)

343rd Infantry Division (kampfgruppe, 26 June)

353rd Infantry Division (16 June)

LXXIV (74th) Corps

77th Infantry Division (8 June)

266th Infantry Division (kampfgruppe, mid-June)

LXXXIV (84th) Corps

319th Infantry Division

352nd Infantry Division

709th Infantry Division

716th Infantry Division

Army Reserve

91st Airlanding Division (from Brittany in May)

243rd Infantry Division

II Parachute Corps

3rd Parachute Division (10 June)

5th Parachute Division (25 June)

15th Army

LXVII (67th) Corps

344th Infantry Division

348th Infantry Division

LXXXI (81st) Corps

17th Luftwaffe Field Division (by mid-August)

245th Infantry Division

711th Infantry Division

LXXXII (82nd) Corps

18th Luftwaffe Field Division

47th Infantry Division

49th Infantry Division

LXXXVIII (88th) Corps (in the Netherlands)

16th Luftwaffe Field Division (mid-June)

347th Infantry Division

719th Infantry Division

LXXXIX (89th) Corps

48th Infantry Division (mid-August)

70th Infantry Division

712th Infantry Division

Army Reserve

19th Luftwaffe Field Division

84th Infantry Division (by 30 July)

85th Infantry Division (5 August)

182nd Reserve Infantry Division

326th Infantry Division (by 30 July)

331st Infantry Division (by 30 July)

346th Infantry Division (7 June)

1st Army

LXXX (80th) Corps

158th Reserve Infantry Division

708th Infantry Division (by 30 July)

LXXXVI (86th) Corps

159th Reserve Infantry Division

276th Infantry Division (mid-June)

19th Army

IV Luftwaffe Field Corps

271st Infantry Division (mid-July)

272nd Infantry Division (mid-July)

277th Infantry Division (29 June)

LXXXV (85th) Corps

338th Infantry Division (mid-August)

244th Infantry Division

LXII (62nd) Reserve Corps

157th Reserve Infantry Division

242nd Infantry Division

9th SS Panzer Division (Russia – 29 June)

10th SS Panzer Division (Russia – 29 June)

2nd Parachute Division (Germany – to Brittany12 June)

89th Infantry Division (Norway – early August)

363rd Infantry Division (Denmark – by 30 July)

I SS Panzer Corps

1st SS Panzer Division Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler

12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend

716th Infantry Division

II SS Panzer Corps

9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen

10th SS Panzer Division Frundsber

277th Infantry Division

XLVII (47th) Panzer Corps

2nd Panzer Division

116th Panzer Division Windhun

276th Infantry Division

326th Infantry Division

1st SS Panzer Division Liebstandarte AdolfHitler (Mortain counterattack)

2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich (Mortain counterattack)

17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen (Mortain counterattack)

275th Infantry Division (Mortain counterattack)

LVIII (58th) Panzer Corps

Panzer Lehr Division (Mortain counterattack)

17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen (Mortain counterattack)

2nd Panzer Division (by 9 August)

2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich (10 August)

10th SS Panzer Division (by 9 August, Corps reserve)

III Flak Corps

Flak-Sturm-Regimenter 1 to 4

Flakkampfgruppen 11700, 13300 and 12400

7th Army

II Parachute Corps

3rd Parachute Division

352nd Infantry Division (initially subordinate to LXXXIV Corps)

Fallschirm-Sturmgeschütz Brigade 12

XXV (25th) Corps (stationed in Brittany)

77th Infantry Division

265th Infantry Division

266th Infantry Division

319th Infantry Division (stationed in the Channel Islands)

343rd Infantry Division

2nd Parachute Division

LXXIV (74th) Corps

21st Panzer (transferred from LXXXVI Corps late July)

LXXXI (81st) Corps

9th Panzer Division

Panzer Lehr Panzer Division

331st Infantry Division (kampfgruppe)

708th Infantry Division

LXXXIV (84th) Corps

Panzer Lehr Division

2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich (Kampfgruppe Weidinger)

17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen

21st Panzer Division (transferred mid-June to LXXXVI Corps)

116th Panzer Division Windhund (Kampfgruppe Lueder)

243rd Infantry Division

275th Infantry Division

353rd Infantry Division

5th Luftwaffe Division

91st Airlanding Division

LXXXVI (86th) Corps

21st Panzer Division

Panzergruppe Eberbach (subordinate to 7th Army)

II SS Panzer Corps

XLVII Panzer Corps LVIII Panzer Corps

Included remnants of 1st SS, 2nd SS, 9th SS, 17th SS, 2nd and 116th Panzer Divisions and 708th Infantry Division

Appendix V Panzergruppe West and 7th ArmyPanzer Division Commanders

2nd Panzer

Generalleutnant Vollrath Lübbe: 5 Sep 1942-1 Feb 1944

General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz: 1 Feb 1944-5 May 1944

Generalleutnant Franz Westhoven: 5 May 1944-27 May 1944

General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz: 27 May 1944-31 Aug 1944

Generalmajor Henning Schünfeld: 31 Aug 1944-15 Dec 1944

Generalmajor Meinrad von LauchertL 15 Dec 1944-20 Mar 1945

Generalmajor Oskar Munze: 20 Mar 1945-1 Apr 1945

Oberst Carl Stollbrock: 1 Apr 1945-8 May 1945

9th Panzer

Generalleutnant Erwin Jolasse: 27 Nov 1943-10 Aug 1944

Oberst Max Sperling: 10 Aug 1944-3 Sep 1944

Generalmajor Gerhard Müller: 3 Sep 1944-16 Sep 1944

Generalleutnant Harald Freiherr von Elverfeldt: 16 Sep 1944-6 Mar 1945

Oberst Helmut Zollenkopf: 6 Mar 1945-26 Apr 1945

21st Panzer

Generalleutnant Edgar Feuchtinger: 15 May 1943-15 Jan 1944

Generalmajor Oswin Grolig: 15 Jan 1944-8 Mar 1944

Generalleutnant Franz Westhoven: 8 Mar 1944-8 May 1944

Generalleutnant Edgar Feuchtinger: 8 May 1944-25 Jan 1945

Oberst Helmut Zollenkopf: 25 Jan 1945-12 Feb 1945

Generalleutnant Werner Marcks: 12 Feb 1945-Apr 1945

116th Panzer

Generalmajor Gerhard Müller: 28 Mar 1944-1 May 1944

General der Panzertruppen Gerhard Graf von Schwerin: 1 May 1944-1 Sep 1944

Generalmajor Heinrich Voigtsberger: 1 Sep 1944-14 Sep 1944

Generalmajor Siegfried von Waldenburg: 14 Sep 1944-Apr 1945

Panzer Lehr

Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein: 10 Jan 1944-20 Jan 1945

Generalmajor Horst Niemack: 20 Jan 1945-Apr 1945

1st SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler

SS-Brigadeführer Theodor Wisch: 7 Apr 1943-20 Aug 1944

SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke: 20 Aug 1944-6 Feb 1945

SS-Brigadeführer Otto Kumm: 6 Feb 1945-8 May 1945

2nd SS Das Reich

SS-Gruppenführer Heinz Lammerding: 23 Oct 1943-24 July 1944

SS-Standartenführer Christian Tychsen: 24 July 1944-28 July 1944

SS-Brigadeführer Otto Baum: 28 July 1944-23 Oct 1944

SS-Gruppenführer Heinz Lammerding: 23 Oct 1944-20 Jan 1945

SS-Standartenführer Karl Kreutz: 20 Jan 1945-29 Jan 1945

SS-Gruppenführer Werner Ostnedorff: 29 Jan 1945-9 Mar 1945

SS-Standartenführer Rudolf Lehmann: 9 Mar 1945-13 Apr 1945

SS-Standartenführer Karl Kreutz: 13 Apr 1945-8 May 1945

9th SS Hohenstaufen

SS-Obergruppenführer Willi Bittrich: 15 Feb 1943-29 June 1944

SS-Oberführer Thomas Müller: 29 June 1944-10 July 1944

SS-Brigadeführer Sylvester Stadler: 10 July 1944-31 July 1944

SS-Oberführer Friedrich-Wilhelm Bock: 31 July 1944-29 Aug 1944

SS-Standartenführer Walter Harzer: 29 Aug 1944-10 Oct 1944

SS-Brigadeführer Sylvester Stadler: 10 Oct 1944-8 May 1945

10th SS Frundsberg

SS-Gruppenführer Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld: 15 Nov 1943-27 Apr 1944

SS-Gruppenführer Heinz Harmel: 27 Apr 1944-Apr 1945

SS-Obersturmbannführer Franz Roestel: Apr 1945-8 May 1945

12th SS Hitlerjugend

SS-Brigadeführer Fritz Witt: 24 June 1943-14 June 1944

SS-Brigadeführer Kurt Meyer: 14 June 1944-6 Sep 1944

SS-Obersturmbannführer Hubert Meyer: 6 Sep 1944-24 Oct 1944

SS-Brigadeführer Fritz Kraemer: 24 Oct 1944-13 Nov 1944

SS-Brigadeführer Hugo Kraas: 13 Nov 1944-8 May 1945

17th SS Götz von Berlichingen

SS-Gruppenführer Werner Ostendorff: 30 Oct 1943-15 June 1944

SS-Standartenführer Otto Binge: 17 June 1944-20 June 1944

SS-Brigadeführer Otto Baum: 20 June 1944-1 Aug 1944

SS-Standartenführer Otto Binge: 1 Aug 1944-29 Aug 1944

SS-Oberführer Dr. Eduard Deisenhofer: 30 Aug 1944-Sep 1944

SS-Oberführer Thomas Müller: Sep 1944-Sep 1944

SS-Standartenführer Gustav Mertsch: Sep 1944-Oct 1944

SS-Gruppenführer Werner Ostendorff: 21 Oct 1944-Nov 1944

SS-Standartenführer Hans Linger: Nov 1944–Jan 1945

Oberst Gerhard Lindner: 15 Jan 1945-21 Jan 1945

SS-Oberführer Fritz Klingenberg: 21 Jan 1945-22 Mar 1945

SS-Oberführer Georg Bochmann: Mar 1945-8 May 1945

Schwere Panzer Abteilung 503

Hauptmann Graf Kageneck: May 1943-Feb 1944

Hauptmann Fromme: Feb 1944-Dec 1944

Hauptmann von Diest-Koerber: Dec 1944–Jan 1945

Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101

SS-Obersturmbannführer Leiner: 9 Nov 1943-13 Feb 1944

SS-Obersturmbannführer von Westerhagen: 13 Feb 1944-20 Mar 1945

SS-Sturmbannführer Kling: 20 Mar 1945-8 May 1945

Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 102

SS-Sturmbannführer Laackmann: Jan 1944-Mar 1944

SS-Sturmbannführer Weiss: Mar 1944-18 Aug 1944

SS-Sturmbannführer Hartrampf: Aug 1944-May 1945

Appendix VI Principal Allied Codenames

BODYGUARD

Overall Allied strategic deception plan for the invasion of France, designed to shield Overlord from German intelligence. This encompassed Operations Fortitude, Qmck-silver and Zeppelin.

FORTITUDE (NORTH AND SOUTH)

Allied deception plans designed to convince the Germans that the main invasion in France would occur in the Pas de Calais area and/or Norway.

QUICKSILVER

Part of Fortitude which covered the fictitious US 1st Army Group under General George S Patton in southeast England, poised to strike across the Pas de Calais.

CASCADE

Deception plan designed to mislead the Axis as to the true strength of Allied forces in the Mediterranean; was followed by Operation Zeppelin.

ZEPPELIN

Deception plan designed to convince the Germans that the Allies would attack Crete or Western Greece from the Mediterranean, or Romania via the Black Sea.

OVERLORD

6 June 1944: American, British and Canadian seaborne invasion of northern France, conducted on the Normandy coastline between Quineville in the west and Ouistreham to the east.

NEPTUNE

6 June 1944: The naval and assault landing element of Overlord.

PERCH

13-14 June 1944: British attack west of Caen designed to turn the German flank by seizing Villers-Bocage.

EPSOM

25/26 June – 1 July 1944: British offensive west of Caen toward Evrecy, south of the city; intended as a pre-emptive strike to tie up German armour reinforcements.

DAUNTLESS

25 June 1944: Subsidiary attack supporting Epsom, designed to secure the western lank prior to the main operation.

MARTLET

25 June 1944: British operation to capture Fontenay-le-Pesnil as part of Epsom and Dauntless.

CHARNWOOD

7-10 July 1944: Frontal assault launched by the British and Canadians to capture Caen, only succeeded in taking the northern half of the city.

JUPITER

10 July 1944: British attack west of Caen following Charnwood.

GREENLINE

15 July 1944: British attack intended to pin down German armour west of Caen prior to Goodwood.

GOODWOOD

18-21 July 1944: British offensive east of Caen, intended to assist the capture of the city and pin down German forces prior to the American break-out from the Cotentin Peninsula.

ATLANTIC

18-20 July 1944: Launched by the Canadians in conjunction with Operation Goodwood to capture Caen and get over the Orne.

SPRING

24-27 July: Conducted by the Canadians, designed to capture the Bourguébus and Verrières ridges south of Caen to open up the Falaise road. Also tied German forces down during Operation Cobra.

COBRA

25-31 July 1944: Launched by the Americans just west of St Lô to break out from the Normandy bridgehead, enabling them to strike southwest into Brittany and southeast toward Falaise and the River Seine.

BLUECOAT

30 July-7 August 1944: Intended to support Operation Cobra by drawing German forces to the Caen area and capturing Mont Pinçon.

TOTALISE

7-13 August 1944: British, Canadian and Polish attack along the Caen-Falaise Road intended to capture Falaise.

TRACTABLE

14-16 August 1944: Development of Totalise designed to close the neck of the Falaise salient, thereby trapping 5th Panzer Army, Panzergruppe Eberbach and 7th Army.

DRAGOON

15 August 1944: Allied invasion of the south of France between Toulon and Cannes forcing the German evacuation of France.

Appendix VII Table of Equivalent Ranks