This tactic, however, had not resulted in the expected success here against a courageous and determined enemy, who was ready for defense and well equipped. “The tactic of surprise, using mobile, fast infantry and Panzers even in small, numerically inferior Kampfgruppen, had often been practiced and proven in Russia. No reconnaissance of the Canadian positions was done and the infantry met intense defensive fire from firmly established positions Their orders were to overrun the Canadians and force a deep wedge between them and the British to the west. The 1st Battalion launched an attack towards Norrey-en-Bessin, defended by the Regina Rifles, 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division. The 26th Panzergrenadier Regiment crossed behind Meyer's regiment and took post to the west. Meyer had pushed back one part of the Canadian advance but to the west, the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade had occupied a group of small villages three kilometres into the German line.
Late on 7 June, the 26th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment under command of then SS- Obersturmbannfuhrer Wilhelm Mohnke arrived on the battlefield. Casualties of the 25th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment amounted to about 300 men, while 15 tanks from the 12th SS Panzer Regiment were also destroyed. The motorized corps served as the tactical command element in the command structure, with the individual divisions serving as tactical combat elements.The attack by the division was supposed to have been supported by the 21st Panzer Division but they could not disengage from fighting the British 3rd Infantry Division and were still at Couvre. They were the operational movement element of Army Group North, Army Group Centre and Army Group South. In the last case, a panzer group normally consisted of two or three motorized corps. not designated with numbers) during the campaigns in Poland, France, and Greece, they were not used at all in Norway and Denmark in 1940, and numbered 1-4 during the first half year of the war against the Soviet Union.
Later in the war it was possible to find panzer corps that consisted solely of infantry divisions.ĭuring the initial period of the war the panzer corps predecessor, the motorised corps, were grouped into various panzer groups ( Panzergruppen). Initially they were the main strike force of the Wehrmacht, and consisted of motorised infantry divisions ( ID (mot)) and panzer divisions. Panzer corps underwent transformation as the war went on.
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