A Flakpanzer 38(t) probably belonging to the 12th SS Panzer Division, knocked out in Normandy.
On 6 June 1944, the Western Allies launched Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. The 12th SS Division, along with the 21.Panzer-Division, was the closest Panzer divisions to the landing beaches, but they were unable to move until they got authorization from Hitler. The 12th SS was not ordered to the front until 1430 hours on 6 June, sixteen hours after the first reports of the landings. Prior to this Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt had ordered over half of the division to deal with a parachute landing on the coast near Lisieux which were found to be dummies from Operation Titanic. Kurt Meyer’s SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 25 and Max Wünsche’s SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 were the lead elements of the Division as it started for Normandy from their base to the west of Paris and South of Rouen.