The Battle of Villers Bocage
Commanding officer of this Tiger is SS Obersturmführer (Lieutenant) Michael Wittman of the 2. Company of the SS Schwere Panzerabteilung 501 (heavy tank department). Already before the invasion he is a legend of the German Panzerwaffe (tank weapon). He knocks out 117 tanks in Russia, among these 19 tanks and three self-propelled guns in one day. He gets the Knight's Cross on January 14, 1944 and the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on January 30. Wittman realizes that the tanks he sees are representing a fatal threat and he does not hesitate any second. He alerts the other four Tigers of his detachment and moves out from his woods position. Unceasingly Wittmann fires in the British convoy, holding, shooting, driving. Incessantly the 8.8 cm gun fires at tanks and other vehicles. The battle noise alerts the other tanks of the German. Wittmanns men knock out the securing reconnaissance tanks of the 8. Hussars, the other Tigers of the SS Schwere Panzerabteilung 501 penetrate into the village and join Wittman in the elimination of the mortal danger. Wittmann kills all half-tracks as well as a dozen tanks then participates with the other Tigers in the securing of the village. The English under Major French and his anti-tank detachment defend themselves desperately and they succeed in destroying Wittmanns tank-track. Wittmann can bail out with his crew. This assault marks the end of the British attack on the rear positions of the Germans. The Division Commander of the 7.Tank Division, Erskine, retreats during the night. Altogether, the English lose 25 tanks in the "battle of Villers Bocage", in the majority "Cromwells", 14 half tracked vehicles and numerous other vehicles. Michael Wittmann gets the Swords to the Knight's Cross on June 22, is promoted to Hauptsturmführer (colonel) but gets killed in action against five Shermans nearby Cintheaux, ,August 8. He is granted to 138 tanks and 132 anti-tank guns.
In the meantime the Allies work feverishly to improve their reinforcements. The supply quotas per man in the three armies are very different: 30 pounds for the Americans, 20 pounds for the English and 5 pounds for the Germans. To guarantee the enormous amounts of ammunition, fuel and food without the large port of Cherbourg the Allies take precautions. They simply bring their ports over the Channel. With an enormous effort of man and material two floating ports, the so-called Mulberries are dragged over the Channel and established at Arromanches and at Omaha Beach. In the night from June 18 to 19 the weather deteriorates rapidly and storm springs up. The result is depressing for the supporters of the tremendously costly Mulberry. The port near Omaha Beach is so badly destroyed that it can not be taken back into operation any more. It does not affect the British port at Arromanches so heavily and can be put back in business soon. Today 60 years after the landing there are doubts whether the effort was worth it. To drive with LSTs directly onto the beach is more effective and faster.
The loss of the Mulberry port at Omaha Beach affirms the Americans to take Cherbourg and its efficient port as quickly as possible. At first, this turns out difficult, since the 90th U.S. Infantry Division reveales a flop. The 1. Batallion takes to flight at first contact with the enemy and the other battalions do not risk to leave their positions. The relief of General MacKelvie and two colonels also change nothing at the desolate condition of this unit.
Fortunately, there are the paratroops of the 82. Air Borne Division and the experienced 9. Infantry Division which increase pressure on the Germans. Rommel wants to vacate the Cotentin peninsula but Hitler insists on the defence of Cherbourg and determines the task force of von Schlieben with the defence of the town which featured strong sea fortifications, but is open as a barn door inland. On June 17, Hitler greets the Field Marshals and Generals von Rundstedt, Blumentritt, Rommel and Speidel in his headquarters at Marginal near Soisson. Rommel points out once again that the battle in Normandy is the real invasion, what is denied by Hitler vehemently. He refers to the numbers of Fremde Heere West (military secret service) which has confirmed to him that another 80 divisions would wait in England for the real invasion. For this reason he does not release the 15. Army for its use in Normandy either. Certainly proof how effective the Allies can camouflage the evidence.
Meanwhile, the Americans creep up to the city limits of Cherbourg. The German forces were only shades of themselves. Also, the lack of stocks is of no help either. Lieutenant General Stegmann tries to escape by marching past the GIs between sea and marsh meadows. The artillery and the fleet of vehicles are lost, though. Stegmann himself gets killed at this operation. He is the fifth German general who is killed in action since the beginning of the invasion. Three U.S. divisions begin the storm on Cherbourg now. Some German units deliver a ding-dong fight to the Americans others give up fast and prefer captivity to death. The 47. U.S. Infantry Regiment took Fort Roule on June 25. The GIs have now a perfect view place. On June 26 Octeville is taken and of Schliebens HQ which is quartered in a gallery bunker in the suburb of Saint Sauveur is threatened to be smoked out. One thousand Germans are trapped and only have one alternative: either death by suffocating (there was no ventilation) or surrender to the Americans. Von Schlieben gives up after it hears about activities of a great blow-up of the Americans.
Von Schlieben however, excludes a complete surrender of all his defence forces and makes it possible for his sappers to damage the port effectively. The arsenal surrenders on June 27. The commanding officer of the port, Captain Witt, escapes with a sailing boat to the westernmost Fort at the utmost end of the big mole where he holds on for 48 hours. The last German resistance nest on the peninsula of La Hague gives up only on July 1. The aim of the Americans to open the port of Cherbourg within a few days, remaines refused. The devastations are so immense that it lasts for weeks until a freighter can be unloaded.
On July 1 von Rundstedt and Rommel recommend to Hitler, on suggestion of General Hausser, the first SS general who is granted an army, the 7., to withdraw the frontline to St. Lo and Villers Bocage. Hitler refuses. Consequently, von Rundstedt asks for his dismissal since any initiative would be denied from him. Keitel asks him what they should do in his opinion, then. Von Rundstedt: "Make peace you, fools, what else, otherwise?"
For days Montgomery ties up the best German divisions with his forces. His tactics to let the Germans use up their valuable resources in a war of attrition at Caen slowly begins to carry fruits. On June 27, the 11. English Armoured Division succeeds a bridgehead across the Odon Infernal artillery fire prepared the attack which intends to conquer the dominant Hill 112 and to take Caen in a classic out-flanking movement. That is the battle-plan for the “Operation Epsom” which provides the entire VIII. Corps with three of the best British divisions for the attack: the 15. Scottish Infantry Division, the 11.Armoured Division and the 43. Wessex Infantry Division.. “Operation Epsom” is Montgomerys third attempt to take Caen.
The attack sector between the airfield Carpiquet and the village Rauray is 6.5 km wide. 60 000 British with 600 tanks and more than 700 guns hammer on the German units since June 26 as of 07.30. The German front is reinforced by three SS Panzer Divisions on June 28. The 9. and 10. SS Panzer Division which are transferred from Poland as well as the 1. SS Panzer Division which just arrives from the refresh camp in Belgium after a tough time in Russia. All three units are not fully fit for action. And these forces nevertheless are sent in a counter-attack, in vain. The intensely disputed Hill 112 has already been reached by tanks of the 2. British Armoured Division at this time. "Who masters Hill 112 dominates Normandy " the quotation of a French officer and its wisdom spiritualizes itself both with the English and with the German commanders.
At first Gruppenführer (lieutenant general) Bittrich, Commander of the II. SS Panzer Korps, lets the multiple rocket launchers go in action on June 30. The multiple rocket launcher nick- named "Moaning Minnie" by the Allies, has nothing to do with fog as a camouflage means. It is only the cover name for the first rocket launcher of the world, also called Do Werfer (thrower). Do stands for General) Dornberger who conducts Peenemünde later as responsible officer and Werner of Braun with his people lets develop the V 2. The effect of this weapon is impressive but the range is (9 -10 km) way under normal artillery which causes enormous losses under the Werfer crews. Those Do Werfer are now holding back the English. Then the Tigers of SS Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant-colonel) Max Wünsche rolls up the hill and throws the British. Epsom has failed. The German front holds.
At the beginning of July the chessmen on the German chess board are castled. Instead of Field Marshal of Rundstedt von Kluge shall now conduct the destiny of the West Front. General Geyr von Schweppenburg is likewise recalled off the leadership of the Panzergruppe West . A late satisfaction for Rommel who never approved the strategy of the two dismissed for the use of tanks. For some days tranquillity is prevalent at the Caen front. This was used to move 2/3 of the Panzer Lehr Division to St. Lo. This weakens the Caen front and shall take revenge bitterly because the British launch a further offensive. They take the airfield of Carpiquet against the bitter resistance of 100 members of the Hitler Youth of the 12. SS Panzer Division. The British penetrate into Caen on July 9. The town can not be kept any longer. SS Standartenführer (colonel) Kurt "Panzermeyer" Meyer does something what his army colleagues do not dare so frequently. He refuses to sacrifice his soldiers senselessly and takes them back across the river Orne to the right shore. His infantery force is that one of a battalion. But Rommel holds the gate to the Orne and refuses Montgomery access to the free terrain.
On July 17, Rommel inspects the I. SS Panzer Korps whose commander is Sepp Dietrich, the former commander of the "Leibstandarte" and one of the oldest and most fanatical Hitler supporters. In full bitterness Dietrich now explains to Rommel that the situation is intolerable, that everything starts to get senseless and that it is not possible to wage the war without reinforcements, without any replacements and primarily without air support. In the one or other way one must put an end. The division commanders Bittrich and Meyer speak similarly. It is obvious that alone the most faithful of the faithful lose the faith in the Führer.
