well, we´ve seen some threads putting the main panzer force in the US zone and as well this helps in putting that option away. As well it was not all true what Monty said that he managed to keep the panzers in his area by his actions. We know there were some other reasons as well. Right? and again just my opinion....

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Many books seem to mention that the British/Canadians faced heavier German armoured opposition in Normandy following the lodgement phase than did the US Forces - but the extent of the difference is rarely mentioned.

I was interested to note while reading Buckley's 'British Armour In The Normandy Campaign' that by 25th July the British/Canadian front faced five SS and three Wehrmacht Panzer Divisions, plus the three heavy Tiger Battalions ; the US Forces faced two Panzer Divisions.

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Regarding the Panzers in the British/Commonwealth area. Rommel himself complained that the pressure applied by the allied forces denied him to replace his panzer in the frontline with regular infantry. Rommels plan called for bringing the Panzers out of the line and deploy them en masse for a counterattack.

How practical this would have been or successful remains a 'what if', but it is clear from Rommels point of view that the tactic used by the allies denied Rommel to fight the battle as he wanted. (for better or for worse)

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'We march. The enemy is retreating in transport. We follow on foot.' Lt.Neil McCallum 5/7 Gordons 19th November 1942

Got any figures what the Germans had in operational use? I mean they did not get much to cover their losses while the Allied could lose several and replace them instantly. Thanx!

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Good point, Kai - I'll have to read some more to try to find an answer to that....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

No problem, Martin!

Sometimes there are some interesting extra points in the books by the veterans.

Like this from a Panzer Lehr officer:

The Panzer Lehr Panthers, all 90 of them were on their way to the eastern Front ( in Poland ), but as the invasion started they were sent back by the Fuhrer.They returned on 10th of June.

So the tanks were not available until earliest on the 10th.

Amazon.com: The Western Front 1944, Memoirs of a Panzer Lehr Officer: Books: Ritgen Helmut

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The figures I have for the German forces at around the time of Goodwood/Cobra operations are as follows.

In the British/Canadian sector.

8 Panzer divisions with 654* tanks, and 92 infantry battalions
In the US sector.

2 Panzer divisions with 190 tanks and 85 infantry battalions.


* At this time all the Tiger I and Tiger II equipped units were in the British/Canadian sector

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if in doubt....Panic!!!!

From my notes the tank numbers look ok, but you must mean 'infantry battalions' not "divsions". Had those ten Pz divsion been full strength they would have had what, 2200 or 2300 tanks?

Sorry about that, I've corrected my original post

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if in doubt....Panic!!!!

Around 1200 tanks was the real tally.

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'We march. The enemy is retreating in transport. We follow on foot.' Lt.Neil McCallum 5/7 Gordons 19th November 1942

Which particular day? What about assualt guns, tank destroyers, & the light armored support weapons. Any handy numbers for those?

Carl

The numbers from Redcoat can be found in Monty's memoirs and Normandy to the Baltic.
Zetterling and Talmander in their book D-Day use German figures and state that 1600 plus change was sendt (including tanks already there) to Normandy. The battle against the Commonwealth and British had cost them 481 tanks up until 30th of July 1944.

As for Assault guns and Tk Destroyers etc. I don't have the book in front of me just now.

The book irks me since they portray the allies in a highly unfavourable way. It is almost cause to let the churchbells ring if an allied commander is able to tie his own shoes.

They are also poor at giving proper stats for the allies (the US in particular) but there you are.

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'We march. The enemy is retreating in transport. We follow on foot.' Lt.Neil McCallum 5/7 Gordons 19th November 1942