Author(s): Steven J. Zaloga

Military

German Tanks In Normandy 1944, The Panzer, Sturmgeschütz and Panzerjäger forces that faced the D-Day invasion. The German tank forces in Normandy in June-August 1944 had the advantage of fighting on the defensive side, as well as fielding some of the most powerful tanks used by any army in the war. Yet success in tank warfare depended on many factors beyond technological superiority. The famous Panthers and Tigers were outnumbered by older German tank types, tank destroyers, and assault guns. Many units were understrength and, critically, Allied air power made tank movement very difficult. Much-mythologized battles such as Michael Wittmann's action at Villers-Bocage could not turn back the tide of the Allied forces. This book describes the types of tanks, tank destroyers, and assault guns used by the Panzer units in Normandy, and how they were organized and deployed in preparation for an invasion. Packed with meticulous new artwork and archive photos, it explains how they operated and fought on the Normandy battlefields, and why they were overwhelmed by the advancing Allies. Book jacket.