PANZERS NORMANDIE 44 - SS-Panzer-Abteilung 17 "Götz von Berlichingen"

This detailed work tells us the history of the SS-Panzer-Abteilung 17 during the Battle of Normandy in 1944. The operations of this tank battalion of the 17.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen" are much less known than those of the other Waffen-SS armoured battalions engaged during the summer of 1944. This is probably due to its late formation at the very end of 1943/beginning of 1944 until its almost complete annihilation in the Roncey Pocket at the end of July 1944, after only 6 to 7 weeks of operations. The SS-Panzer-Abteilung 17 is also one of the most atypical battalions in this 1944 environment and this in more than one way: a tank battalion with a complete supply of assault guns and this, while the assault artillery units are equipped with Sturmgeschütze III, it will receive among the brand new Sturmgeschütze IV, making it the only unit of the Waffen-SS to be equipped with this type of machine in Normandy! Its young tankers with one of the shortest training times on these new machines will excel in anti-tank combat perfectly camouflaged in the hedges of the Normandy bocage. The GIs often said in Normandy: "A Tiger or a Panther, even if they are very dangerous, can be seen from afar, but this f***ing Sturmgeschütz, it is often too late when you spot it. » But the young German crews will also pay a high price for their commitment against the American units and will not resist the groundswell of Operation Cobra. Of the ten or so vehicles that managed to escape from the Roncey cauldron, only one will certainly reach Germany... Among the losses, and not the least, the battalion will record the loss of its Kommandeur in August 1944... Unpublished testimonies, exceptional iconography with unpublished documents and illustrations by Felipe Rodna, will bring as many new elements to the history of this little-known panzer unit, allowing us to stick as closely as possible to the historical reality of the fighting in the Sturmgeschütze IV of the Götz! For all specialists in German armoured units engaged in Normandy 1944 and military history enthusiasts! Not to be missed to complete your collection of books in this series!