Ground Attack.

This is coolbert:

Ground attack aircraft of the allied air forces of course played a prominent role during the Battle of Normandy [1944].

Flying out of airfields in England and also presumably from those expedient air strips constructed in Normandy itself, American Thunderbolt [P-47] and British Typhoon aircraft flying in the ground attack role were effective in providing direct fire support to allied ground troops in contact with the German.

Thunderbolt and Typhoon aircraft in the strafing ground attack mode also KILLED a number of high ranking German officers in the days immediately after D-Day. The death of such senior officers undoubtedly extremely bothersome to the Nazi command, crippling losses - - commanders of experience and expertise not easily replaced - - and at a most crucial time during a major battle.

German general offices killed to include:

1. Erich Marcks. [June 12, 1944]

"While on a daily round of troop unit inspections, Marcks was mortally wounded on June 12, 1944 by an Allied fighter-bomber attack near Hébécrevon (near Marigny), several kilometers northwest of Saint-Lô"

2. Heinz Hellmich. [17 June 1944]

"commander 243rd Infantry Division, was killed by a strafing fighter near Cherbourg."

3. Rudolf Stegmann. [18 June 1944]

"commander of the 77th Infantry Division, was struck in the head by 20 mm cannon fire from a strafing Allied fighter plane while driving in his command car near Briebeque France"

4. Fritz Witt. [14 June 1944]

[Witt killed by naval gunfire!!]

"Fritz Witt . . . was a German Waffen-SS officer . . . Witt was killed by an allied naval barrage in 1944"

5. Erwin Rommel. [17 July 1944]

Rommel of course wounded by a ground strafing allied aircraft. Wounded to the extent that hospitalization was required, the removal from the battlefield at a critical moment of such an outstanding strategist, tactician, practitioner of the operational art and inspiration to his troops being significant.

"Rommel was driving along a French road near the front in his staff car. A British Spitfire strafed the car near Sainte-Foy-de-Montgommery and Rommel was thrown to the ground. He was hospitalised with major head injuries"

Of one hundred thirty-six [136] German general offices killed during the Second World War [WW2], about thirty-two percent [32 %] met their deaths at the hands of a ground attack strafing aircraft!!

Ground attack strafing deaths of German general officers at Normandy of course was only a fraction of the whole, but a most decisive number, coming as it did at such an important point in the war!

Those allied ground attack aircraft were MORE than important!

coolbert.