Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans Von Luck by Hans Von Luck

Author:Hans Von Luck
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: War, Biography, History
ISBN: 9780804151979
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2013-10-09T06:00:00+00:00

16

“Operation Goodwood,” 18/19 July 1944

Hitler now seemed to grasp that this was the invasion and not a diversionary maneuver; but he would still not rule out a further operation in the Pas de Calais.

As Rommel told me on one of his visits to the front, he had begged Hitler orally and in writing to come to the front and form for himself an idea of the situation and the mood of the men. That seemed to us the least one might expect from an “army Fuehrer.” Instead, he issued his orders from Obersalzberg. There we had to give credit to Churchill, who came to the invasion front, showed himself to his men, and gave them heart. According to one of Hitler’s orders, no division might be sent into action without his personal order.

Not only Rommel but all of us were depressed that Hitler viewed the situation far too optimistically and “juggled” with divisions and army corps of which only decimated elements remained.

The morale of the men was still surprisingly good, although all realized that Allied success in the west meant the end. The employment of V1 and later V2 rockets, and the announcement of new “miracle-weapons,” gave the men some hope of a turn for the better.

For 12 June, division issued another order to attack: the village of St. Honorine, lying on a commanding hill, was to be won back, to give us a view over the enemy battlefield and deny the British a view of our own positions. My combat group was to be further reinforced. A brigade of multiple rocket-launchers, “moaning minnies,” with over 300 tubes 21cm and 30cm in caliber, was to support us. These launchers had a particular psychological effect: the projectiles flew over the battlefield with a loud, nerve-shattering whine and forced the surprised enemy to take cover immediately.

With the two motorcycle companies of the reconnaissance battalion and some grenadiers of I Battalion on foot, supported by the few operational tanks of No. 4 Company and Becker’s assault-guns, we moved against St. Honorine shortly before dawn after heavy and concentrated fire by the rocket-launchers.

We took our opponents, elements of a Canadian division, by surprise and they gave up the village at once.

I went in close behind the motorcycles and saw the enemy lines for the first time. Hundreds of gliders were lying on the ground. We dug ourselves in at once on the northern edge of the village, to secure the hill for ourselves.

Then began the heaviest naval bombardment we had known so far. We could see the firing of the battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. The shells, of calibers up to 38cm, came whistling over like heavy trunks, to burst and rip vast craters in our lines. British fighter-bombers swooped down on us unhindered; a veritable inferno broke over our heads.

Then, taking advantage of the haze and dust of the explosions, the Canadians came back and after hand-to-hand fighting, with heavy losses on both sides, forced us to give up the village again.

What more could

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