352nd.

This is coolbert:

Thanks to the Jewish Virtual Library and the copyrighted document by Steward Bryant - - an appraisal of the German 352nd Infantry Division [ID].

Defending Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion, 6 June, 1944. [Copyright (C) 2002, by Stewart Bryant]

An appraisal from a most interesting source.

The Chief of Staff [CoS] for the division, writing an "after action" report for the U.S. Army, Fritz Ziegalmann a Prisoner of War [POW] captured during the Battle of France 1944.

"The 352nd Infantry Division at Omaha Beach (June 1944)"

"Lt Col. Fritz Ziegalmann (Chief of Staff of the 352ID) wrote a history of the 352nd Infantry Division in Normandy"

The 352 ID giving a good account of itself on 6 June, the situation for the American invader on Omaha Beach for a time in doubt, Bradley giving careful consideration for a time to order a retrograde operation, that Omaha Beach landing force to be withdrawn, the mission in that sector cancelled because of such determined German resistance.

Key points and comments:

* The 352 ID was a German Type 44 [1944?] infantry division. Consisted of a force one-third smaller than previous German ID incarnations, BUT possessing slightly MORE organic firepower.

* The 352 ID PRIOR to D-Day was basically a "green" unit, for the most part untested in battle. This is contrast to the prevailing perception that the German defenders at Omaha Beach were battle-tested, poised and ready for action?

* The 352 ID was formed from cadres of a previous unit - - decimated and destroyed at the Battle of Kursk one year prior.

* Among the 12,000 or so troops that comprised the strength of the division were considerable numbers of non-Germans. Russian volunteers [Hiwis] willing to fight for the German [1,500 ‘Hiwis’]. Auxiliary troops and not a combat formation. Also [auxiliary drivers (French civilian truck drivers)] collaborators, Vichy or fascist-leaning it is not clear.

* The 352 ID replacing a "static division" [the 716th Infantry Division (716ID)]. That German "static division" consisting of second-rate personnel armed with second-rate equipment. A "static division" not capable of anything other than defense, NO offensive capability and perhaps not even able to execute a retrograde movement while in contact with the enemy.

[keep in mind that the allied units landing two years earlier at Dieppe encountered a "statio unit". Those allied units receiving a pummeling and having disastrous casualties as a consequence. Even a "static unit" fighting strictly defensively can give a good account of itself, especially when commanded by an able tactician!! Defense is the stronger form of combat!!]

* This is most significant? "To deal with the threat of a cross channel operation, Germany lacked a maritime-operations doctrine" German military thinkers and planners had NOT thought through with any certainty or adopted a "doctrine" for countering an amphibious assault by an adversary!!

In particular, these two items are of particular interest to Bert:

* "The replacements, mostly teenagers, were physically unfit for all but limited military duty, because of food shortages in Germany." Those 10,000 or so German teenagers, used to "flesh out" the 352ID, were malnourished, hungry, not physically fit as was desired. Food shortages in Germany at least from 1944 and for some time before that were acute, with dire military consequences.

Lieutenant Rommel, at Caporetto in 1917 found out that the men of his unit were unable to maintain a blitzkrieg forward movement due to malnourishment, food shortages in that prior war [WW1] also hampering the German war effort.

* "'Then, there started a very lively enemy carrier pigeon traffic in all sectors of the 352ID from 20th of March to the 20th of May 1944. 27 carrier pigeons were shot!'”

"A French resistance cell in Cricqueville behind Point du Hoc, operated the carrier pigeon operation. -SB"

A sure tip-off, an indicator, an "omen" of invasion was the increased flight from occupied France to England of carrier pigeons as observed by the troops of the 352 ID! Carrier pigeons as provided to the French resistance by the British SOE [Special Operations Executive]!

German counter-intelligence also is reputed to have employed falcons to intercept and bring "down" the carrier pigeons en route to England, secret messages of importance captured with all that might have meant.

The 352nd ID within one month of the Normandy landings obliterated, annihilated on the battlefield, no longer a credible military force.

coolbert.