PANZER LEHR AT NORMANDY
The First Engagement
Panzer Lehr Division was to move into position with its right flank up against 12. SS-Panzer Division. The orders for the Panzer Lehr Regiment on June 8 were that 5. and 6. Kompanies from II. Abteilung were to reinforce one of the division’s two panzergrenadier regiments (901) in an attack in the Norrey-en-Bessin area, mid-way between Caen and Bayeux just south of the N13.
Other units from II. Abteilung were to support the other (902) in an attack further west in the Brouay sector where elements of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division had infiltrated.
The attacks went in that night. Losses were heavy as it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe. In the close fighting some of the Canadian tanks were destroyed by panzergrenadiers at Brouay was finally cleared.
at 7.05 p.m. the division had been given a new objective for the following day: Bayeux. Regrouping took place during the night. Since packs of British tanks were already on the D6 from Bayeux to Tillt-sur-Seulles, teh attack would have to be made to the west of this road. On the right flank an attack had been launched by 12. SS-Panzer-Division ‘Hitlerjugend’ in the direction of Bretteville-l’Orgueilleuse with an armored reconnaissance group and a company of tanks had come up against fierce opposition and had been recalled.
Objective Bayeux
Bayerlein led the attack on June 9 at the head of his Aufklärungen (reconnaissance unit) group and by mid-morning he was at Ellon and an hour later at Arganchy - both just due south of Bayeux. The tanks followed on with the panzergrenadiers, but their movement had been spotted and British warships began sending over shells along their line of approach. Through the dense plumes of smoke and dust thrown up by the massive explosions the tanks pressed on regardless and, towards mid-day, II. Abteilung, commanded by Oberstleutnant Prinz Wilhelm von Schönburg-Waldenburg, were in sight the church tower at Ellon.
At the outskirts of the village the panzergrenadiers from 901 regiment moved up quickly behind the tanks; then troops belonging to the British 49th Infantry Division opened fire from within Ellon itself. The PzKpfw IV’s advanced on a broad front. The leading British tank loomed in front of tank 602. The first anti-tank round aimed at the British tank tore off its tracks; the second brewed it up. a group of soldiers made a dash for tank 604 but were cut down by its machine guns: three grenades exploded harmlessly against the frontal armor.
British fire now turned on Ellon itself. Shells from all calibers of guns and heavy mortars fell on houses and tanks alike. Steel splinters tore off the schurzen, hammers on the turrets and scarred the armor plates. Never the less it did not stop .7 and 8. Kompanies from pushing on to the northern edge of Ellon with 5. and 6. Kompanies remaining in support in the village itself. Now by the first fatalities had occurred - some of them kameraden of Oberstleutnant von Schöburg-Waldenburg from Panzer-Regiment 31 who had been with him in I. Kompanie when he had been awarded his Knight’s Cross in May 1941.
Bayuex - almost unscathed - was now only five kilometers away and an excellent start line had already been chosen when the order arrived from I. SS-Panzer-Korps to break off the attack and fall back to the division at Tilly. This order did not suit the tank crews at all, for the cathedral of Notre Dame were clearly visible, but heavy Canadian reinforcements had managed to insurt themselves between Panzer Lehr and 12.SS-Pz.Div. and had penetrated the area around Tilly, Audrieu and Cristot. Grenadiers of I. Battalion, Panzergrenadier Lehr Regiment 901 stayed to cover Ellon, supported by 5. and 6. Kompanies of Panzer Lehr Regiment, whilst 7. and 8. Kompanies undertook the attack against the Canadians.
It was about 2.00 p.m. on June 11 when Hauptmann Reche, commanding 8. Kompanie, received the order from his battalion commander to get ready to attack from Fontenay-le-Pesnel, to the east of Tilly, to throw back the troops that had infiltrated and - once more- try to break through to the coast.
The tanks did not set out until dusk and soon reached Audrieu and Chouain. Haptmann Reche, however, had been the victim of a very bad attack of dysentery for several days and, at this critical stage, had to be sent back to the hospital by the Battalion medical officer. In his place, Oberleutnant Walter, who had been a school master in civilian life, took over the Kompanie, which was very much composed of veterans.
One and a half kilometers ahead there were thick woods on either side of the road which meant they would have to pass through a dangerous bottleneck just 300 meters wide. On the left flank Leutnant Stöhr’s tank 801 was pointing towards 10 o’clock. There was open ground as far as the bottleneck and the Canadian forward positions were soon reached although they were found to have been vacated as the tanks approached. When the leaders entered the narrow passage between the woods, the fanned-out formation was compressed into one great traffic jam. At this point having withheld its fire, the Allied artillery opened up in force. The tanks in the rear were bunched up too closely together, consequently those in the front could not fall back and were forced to keep going.
Von Schönburg-Waldenburg was in the lead and with his command tank he made for Point 103 at full speed to get a better view of the situation. It was 4.00 p.m. Hidden 200 meters away on the other side of the crest, however was an anti-tank gun. Its shell cut through the turret killing von Schönburg-Waldenburg outright and badly wounding the crew. At once, Hauptmann Ritgen assumed command and, in what amounted to a suicidal advance into a curtain of defensive fire, decided to recall the tanks. Tank 801 covered the withdrawal and gave some cover to those that had been immobilized and which were trying to be recovered under fire.
In these preliminary battles, Panzer Lehr Regiment had been fighting at half-strength. By now the I. Abteilung (Panthers) of Major Markowski was ready to support the grenadiers.
Plate01: US Soldiers inspect a Panther Ausf.A of Panzer Lehr Divisions I. Abteilung/6. Kompanie destroyed in the fighting for the Saint-Fromond bridge on July 11, 1944. This tank was subsequently recovered and stored at Isigny-sur-Mer.
Plate02: A Pz.Kpfw.IV, or what is left of it, from Panzer Lehr Regiment near Audrieu. During the British attack on June 10, which was supported by large caliber naval guns, a shell must have scored a direct hit. Even the tommies seem amazed yet this this type can still be identified as an Ausf. H by the small engine on the rear of the body. Photographed by Sergeant Midgeley on june 13.