Pz V Bn of 11 Pz Div to Normandy

[JeffF]

According to the US Army in WWII series book, Riviera to the Rhine, the Panther battalion of the 11 Panzer Division was sent to Normandy when the rest of the 11th was sent to 19th Army.

Does anyone know where this battalion went? Was it attached to a panzer division, perhaps one that was missing its own Panthers?

The 11th Panzer Division was in the 1st Army, closer to Normandy than the 9th Panzer Division which was down in the 19th Army area yet the 9th was chosen to be transferred to Normandy and the 11th took its place in the 19th's area. The 9th also was missing one panzergrenadier regimental kampfgruppe until June. Why was it selected instead of the 11th to reinforce the Normandy front?

thanks,

Jeff

[Martin Block]

Jeff,

AFAIK the I.(Panther)/Pz.Rgt. 15 was not sent to Normandy. At the beginning of June 1944 a combat element of the Abteilung was still in Russia with XXXIV. Armee-Korps (Armeegruppe Dumitrescu, Heeresgruppe Suedukraine). Just tankless crews and other surplus personnel had already returned to France in May 1944. Only 4 Panther for training purposes were available to them in early June 1944.
It was not until late June 1944 before the remaining personnel returned from Russia to France. The I./Pz.Rgt. 15 was then brought to full strength by picking up the Panthers of the I./Pz.Rgt. 27 currently refitting in Mailly le Camp (which in turn received new tanks before being sent to the Eastern Front) and after that was ordered to move to the area of Toulouse in southern France where it stayed until the Allied landings in August 1944.

For more information see also here: http://www.panther1944.de/de/sdkfz-171- ... bt-52.html (Sorry, German language text only)

Martin Block

[JeffF]

Thanks Martin,

I forgot to edit my original post. Riviera to the Rhine actually says it was the Pzkw IV battalion that was sent to Normandy. Any information on that unit? I've reviewed Zetterling's Normandy and can't find any reference to a battalion from 11th Panzer division.

do you have an opinion on why the 9th Pz Div was sent to Normandy instead of the 11th?

thanks,

Jeff

[MadDog]

Although I dont have it in front of me, Alain Chazettes book on the 19th army during the period has some info on the 9th Pz division - a kreigsgleiderung for June 1, 1944. As of June or July, it appears to have been missing the Pz V Btl.

Mad Dog

[Martin Block]

Hello Jeff,

actually it wasn't the II./Pz.Rgt. 15 as such that went to Normandy, but just most of its Pz. IV tanks. The regiment had received orders to hand them over as replacements to divisions engaged in Normandy and trains loaded with some 60 Pz. IV crewed by just their commanders and drivers headed towards the Vierzon - Tours - Orleans area on Aug 8th where they unloaded on Aug 12th, 1944. From there they continued on roads marching at night only. The regimental history tells that one group of those tanks was handed over to an unnamed unit in the Dreux area during the night of 15./16.8.1944. I still do not have a clear picture what units received those Pz. IV, I only have 10 reported in the 116. Pz.Div. area on 16.8.1944.

Martin Block

[Kelvin]

If missing Pz IV abteilung, 11. Panzer Division only had one Panther battalion for combat when allied invasion of southern France.

[lebedo]

And one of the PZIV co, the 6th I believe.There's a picture of one pz4 destroyed near Montélimar and other pictures of a pair of pz4 parked along a road near Lyon.