Thread #dday80#defendingnormandy
When talking about the German preparations for the Allied Invasion (AKA D-Day), a lot of attention goes to the (in)famous Panzer Reserve. With 9 Panzer Divisions and 1 Pz.Gren.Div., this force sounds formidable. But it is often overlooked what it actually was...
The level to which these divisions were operational varied wildly on D-Day. Many had serious manpower problems (too few officers & NCOs), mobility issues, lack of (formation) training and shortage of weaponry/armor. So let's take a closer look at them...
Before I continue: if you like deep dives into the German side, you might enjoy the book series I'm working on. www.panzerwrecks.com/product/defe...
Any way, let's start looking at the divisions...
Some divisions were good, like the Pz.Lehr. On 1 May it was assessed as Kampfwert I (Combat Rating I), the highest possible. This meant it was deemed ready for all offensive operations. Mobility of its combat vehicles was at 90% and those of the support troops was 50%.
