FIREFLY COLLECTION A SOUND LIKE THUNDER MORTAIN AND FALAISE, AUGUST 1944 Written and illustrated by Dennis Oliver, ISBN 978°0-9876019-1-5 ‘Acknowledgments. The author and publisher would keto thank the stff of the National Library of Australi, Canberra, the State Library of New South Woles, Sydney the Natonol Archive ond Records Administration, Maryland USA and Darren Neely of Fox Company Research for ther valuable assistance nd adie We would also like to thank al those who contribute tothe Aus History Forum - particulary Martin Block and the late Ron Klages, the Feldgrau Forum, Panzer- Archade, Die Deutsche Wehrmacht website, the Archive 1944-45 website and Mr Brett Green at Missing Lynx. We also wish to thank Mr ernard Cher of M1 Workshop, Singapore and Mar Lim Kian Guan or ther kind permission to reproduce the photograph the sole mode Panzer IV whichappeors on the Bock cover. Further workcan be seenat wovu.themworkshop.com, Inaddition tthe websites mentioned above, the following printed works were also consulted: The Struggle For Europe. Wilt, C Breakout. Drive To the Seine. ‘Mason, D. Six Armies In Normandy. Keegan J, De 12.55-Panzer Division Hl. Wolther H. Panzers In The Bocoge. Berne, K. Operation Cobra. ZologaS. Flalse, 41944. Death Of An Army. Ford, K-Invasion They're Coming. Corel, Pa Battalle Du Bocage.6ufferaut, . Panzersin Normandy Then And Now. Lefevre, E.The Panzers And The Battle For Normandy. Sernace,G. Defenders Of Fortress Europe. Mitcham, S. D-Day The Battle For Normandy. Seevor, A. Armor Battles Of The Woffen'SS Fey, W. Vietory At Mortain. Reardon, M. Stee Inferno. Reynolds, M. ie Truppenkennzeicen der Verbéinde und Einheten der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS und ihre Einsdtze Im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945, Schmitz, P and Theis K. Schwerer Panzerspachwogen. Jentz. Tigers In ‘Combat & Schneider W. The Western Front. fitgen,H. Les Panzer en Normandie. Guffetout, Grenadiers, Meyer k Panzersin The Gunsights. 2al090, SD ay Tank Battles. Blin, G. Folalse Pocket. Lotowsti,P. Steel Rain. Waffen SS Panzer Baties In The West. fipey T. US Tonk Battles In France. Zclog0, ‘SPonterwrecks 8. Archer ond Auerbach, W. Panzerurecks IJ. Archer, Land Auerbach, W Pontertruppen 2 ent. (Editor) Panzer Vand its Variants Spielberger WJ Pz. Kopf. IV Ausf /H/J.Vol2. Trojca, W. PanzerJager und SturmgeschUtze.Schiebert, H. Achtung Panzer No. 5. Sturmgeschit I, tug. V & SIG.33. itch M,(Eltor.Sturmartilerie.Speiberger W.Jand Fest U SturmgeschUta Ill andIV 1942-45, Doyle, Hand Jentz, Z.Sturmgeschuts 40, Schieber H .Safe251.Ledwoch, 1 Sturmgeschite Il. Culver, 8 The iltustationsin this book were al reated using contemporary photographs asa reference and we have attempted to present os faitifl reproduction as possible Including the shape and postion of any camouflage pattern, markings and te styl of etering used. nthe few cases where we have been forced tospecuiote we hove ‘ted to make this clear Where posible, we have reproduced the photograph or photographs soused, however copyright and budgetary restritons ond donot always ‘lon th Published by ADH Publishing, DoolittleMill Doolittlecane Totternhoe Bedfordshire LU6.10X United Kingdom Producedin co-operation with The Oliver Publishing Group Copyright © 40H Publishing. lights reserved. Apr fram fir dealing forthe purpose of private tu reseorch citi orevew as permitted under the Copyright Deion and Potente, 1088 mo porto ths publeation roy be reproduce, stored in etevalsystem or tronaritedinanyJormer by any means, econ eect chemo) Mechanica ‘optical photocopying recording oretherwise without prior writen permission af ADH Publshing. Alenqultes shouldbe adresedto the publisher Plctre Credits. Al photegrophs Navonl Archies and Records Admintrotion, excep: Burdesorch 18,2832; Howard Parke: IF.28; Author's Collection: IC; Ulstln va Berme: 1124 k Bere’ 48.17.2426 WM 13,2026 32,080 ‘Above left: Sturmbannfuher Herbert Kuhlman photographed shortly after the award of his Knight's Cross in February 1944 ‘During the Morton counterattack Kuhlman would command one ofthe two Kampfgruppen formed jrom elements of 15S Panzer Division. Above right: Two Prkw IV tonks of 7Kompanie, S-Panzer-Regiment 1 said to have been destroyed near ‘Morton. eile records suggest however that onl tanks from te regiment's fist battalion equipped with Ponthers-were present and these vehicles may have been photographed sometime later and further east. At Left: The metolmonogrom worn ‘nthe shoulder craps of NCD's of 1.86-Panver Dison ‘mibstandare Alf Hitler. The afcer's pattem were made of 0 git ‘metoland those of enistedmen embroideredin the pprooriate Wojfenfarbe, or bronchof service caleur{After landing in Normandy on 6 June 1948 ond establishing o bridgeheod in ‘ccupied Europe with such spectacular success, the achievements ofthe Aled frmies in the folowing weeks and months had fallen for short of initial expectations (n their right flank, US Army units were tasked with overrunning the Cotentin Peninsula with its important deep water port of Cherbourg. However, the "Norman countryside with ts ancient potchwork of hedgerows and forms known locally 2s the Bocage - offered the Germans a crucial defensive advantage ond it wos not until 26 June thot the Cherbourg. garrison Surrendered after destroying the port focilties and rendering them useless. ‘Thefrst shipment of supplies would not be unloaded in Cherbourg before late ‘August by which time the fighting had moved further west andthe port hod fost much ofits strategie significance. While the Americans were focused on Cherbourg the rsh and Canadians bttered away ot the German positions around Coen = which the Allis hod expected to capture on the fist day of the invasion - until ate July when ie was Jinoly secure. In seven weeks of hard fighting the Aled armies hod obtained Iitle more thon they had expected to secure inthe fst daysof the campaign to Iiberote Europe. nde, the German defence had been so tenocious ond conducted with such stil, that the American commander Lieutenant General ‘Omar Brody, in a less thon optimistic appraise of any future offensive operation, stressed the importance of maintaining momentum lest the ‘Germans be allowed to ..get set again, we sholl be right back to this hedge Fohting. ‘The sector ofthe front allocated tothe British and Canadians wos for more {favourable tothe deployment of armoured units than the Bacage andreaiing this from the outset the Germans had placed the bulk of thei armoured units there. The Brtsh commander General Montgomery somewhat belatedly Claimed that his intention had aways been to draw the German tanks onto his tinisions thus freeing the Americans to exploit the advantage of facing mostly infantry formations. Whatever the veracty of Montgomery's explanation his argument tht the bulk ofthe Panzers confronted the British and Canadians was now used by Bradley toextolthe benefits ofhis own plonnedofensive After false stort on 24 July -which merely succeeded in olerting the Germans to the probability of « mojor offensive - the American attack, codenamed Operation Cobro, went ahead the following day preceded by 0 massive aerial bombardment. Although some bombs fll on the US positions nitaly causing confusion the main weight of the onslaught caught the tonks of Panzer Lehr Division which had been conceoled in the numerous woods and sunken lanes throughout the area. The division's commander, Generalleutnant Fite Bayern, later claimed that his formation and its subordinate units together lost over 2,000 men in the fist two days of operation Cobra with Fifty percent of those casuaties being inflicting as a result of the bomting. {AUS Army M4A1 Medium Tank passes on abondoned 8 em Fok 36 ont-aircrft un du he frontof the American tank was designed to cut through the hedgerows and earthen banks that were common inthe rea and had lange prong like device at The Americans quickly broke through the German defences near Saint18 and ‘almost the entire western half of the front in Normandy began to crumble. By 28 uly, US commande the field were reporting thot resistance wos largely nonexistent and where the Germans were able to mount loca counterattacks these were poorly organised and often half hearted. On the same doy CCoutances, aout 40 kilometres west of Soint-L6, wos taken but attempting to push further south the Americans ran into elements of 2.55-Ponzer-Dvision ‘and 1755-Ponzergrenadier-Division and could maker further progress. During the evening of 29 July the two Waffen divisions mounted an attack of the flank of US 2nd Armoured Division neor SointDenis-e-Gast ond ‘lthough intialy successful, both formations were already badly depleted ‘ofter fighting in Normandy for weeks and were forced 9 retreat eavng most of their tanks and heavy equipment behind. By now the Germans were ‘conducting offensive operations that were nrealityescape attempts ‘871 August the town of Avranches at the base ofthe Cotentin peninsula had ‘been taken, together with on intact bridge across the Seine at nearby Pontoubout. Tasuppartthe Americon breakout the British lunches theirown ‘offensive code named Operation Bluecoat two days earlier on 30 July and ‘mach of the armored reserves thatthe Germans had hoped to employ against the Americans - including the powerful ISS-Panzerkorps- were diverted to focetheBriish, Around Auranches the Americans continued to expand thelr front ond ‘although the Germans managed to hold Vie, the Americans reached Mortain ‘ond captured the townon 3August Desperately attempting to scrape together enough armour for ‘counterattack the German commander in the west, Feldmarschall von Kluge, begged Hitler tobe allowed to withdraw tothe Seine only tobe told that he ‘mustattack and destroy the Alied armies, {Although undoubtedly unrealistic in hindsight, Hitler’ response should have ‘come as no surprise as an event which tok place far from the Normandy battlefields inthe weeks leading up tothe breakout, would have for reaching Implications on future operations in France and would indeed influence the Course ofthe war Although often viewed as something of a historical aside, the 20 July attempt on Hite’ ife confirmed in the German leaders mind the treachery he had long suspected was rampant throughout the senior ranks of the Army. n future, generals coud prove their loyalty only be carrying out ‘iter’s orders tothe letter - lack of success also being put down to treachery, ‘Any strategie considerations, and even tactical decisions, would be the preserve ofthe Fuhrer. The lost major operations in the west, the Mortain ‘counterattack and the Ardennes offensive, were both creations of Hitler in their entirety. 19 the early stages ofthe Operation Cobra break out iy1944, The done somuch to hinder the Ale in the post. The German gun seems tobe in relatively good condition apart from the flat yres-and traces ofa three-colour comouflage are visibleon thegun shied. .