Four days later, on July 28th, the Americans launched Operation Cobra and the Windhund-Division was moved further West. Panzer only moved toward Normandy on July 18th, crossing the Seine on July 20th with its forward elements reaching their assembly area South-East of Caen around July 24th. Mostly obsolete Panzer III tanks which actually found a second life in the Normandy bocage, where they proved more at home than the heaviest cats, being more maneuverable thanks to their size and less handicapped by their small caliber gun due to the short ranges of engagement. On the other hand, the division brought to war all the tank school’s vehicles it was supposed to leave behind and pass to other training units. Panzerdivision which was in training nearby, yet also incomplete. Even worst, the division had no heavy AA guns at all and its Panther battalion was still training in Germany: when ordered to the front, the Windhund-Division had to borrow the one from 24. Not only did Hitler still believe that the main landing would take place there, but the division was still incomplete: it was missing one-third of its theoretical transportation trucks and even some armored personnel carriers for its Panzergrenadiers. Panzer wasn’t ordered to march to Normandy until late July. Quickly moved to Pas-de-Calais, in Northern France, where the Allied landing was expected, to complete its organization and training, 116.
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