This volume in the Casemate Illustrated series examines the Waffen-SS panzer divisions during July 1944 in Normandy, including Operations Goodwood and Cobra.
One of the greatest paradoxes of the Battle of Normandy is that the German divisions found it much harder to reach the front line than the Allies, who had to cross the sea and then deploy in a cramped bridgehead until the American breakthrough of late July 1944. The Waffen-SS were no better off than the Heer units and German high command never quite got on top of operations, as the divisions were thrown into the melee one by one.
During the month of June 1944, the Panzer divisions present succeeded in containing the Allies in a small bridgehead. In July, the arrival of more SS divisions should have finally allowed the Germans to counterattack decisively. This was not the reality. The Allies had also strengthened in number and kept the blows coming, one after another. Each SS-Panzer division had a different experience of the fighting in July.
This Casemate Illustrated looks at the divisions one by one throughout Operations Goodwood and Cobra which saw large tank battles and the collapse of the German front in Normandy. It includes over 100 photographs, alongside biographies of the commanders and color profiles of trucks and tanks which played a key role in operations as the Americans succeeded in breaking through the German line of defense.
Yves Buffetaut is an internationally respected French military historian and editor of Histoire & Collections major magazine, Militaria. He lives in France.
"Although the SS are a contentious subject for some, they were integral to the defence of France, so their activities bear scrutiny if you wish to have the whole picture of the battles. […] it's interesting to see how they were defeated both by the Allies and the lack of understanding of the situation by the Führer back in Berlin."
~Britmodeller
"This is a superb series, primarily for the photos…"
~Miniature Wargames
"The photos are very clear and unique — I don’t recall having seen them anywhere else...an excellent resource for modeling purposes and creating toy soldier dioramas. I recommend it and the series."
~Toy Soldier & Model Figure
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