A NOTE ON MILITARY UNITS AND RANKS Wherever possible in this account, German military units and forma- tions have been given in their original form, rather than being translated (except when they occur in direct quotations of wartime documents). For clarity, and in keeping with UK military historical practice, Axis formations are rendered in italics thus: Heeresgruppe B, 6. Armee, XLVII. Panzer-Korps, 3. SS-Panzer-Division, Grenadier-Regiment 920. Where unit types are not readily understandable, translations are provided (e.g. Fallschirmjäger – ‘paratrooper’). GERMAN ARMED FORCES RANKS AND THEIR APPROXIMATE EQUIVALENTS IN ENGLISH Generalfeldmarschall Field marshal (commanding an army group) Generaloberst General (commanding an army) General der Infanterie/ Lieutenant general (commanding a corps) Kavallerie/Artillerie Generalleutnant Major general (commanding a division) Generalmajor Brigadier general (commanding a brigade) Oberst Colonel (commanding a regiment) xxvii A NOTE ON MILITARY UNITS AND RANKS Oberstleutnant Lieutenant colonel (commanding a battalion) Major Major (battalion second in command) Vizeadmiral Vice admiral (naval equivalent to Generalleutnant) Kapitänleutnant Lieutenant (navy) (commander of smaller naval vessels) xxviii German Army Dispositions Dawn, 6 June 1944 North Sea GHQ OB WEST Infantry Division, Field 352 Army Group B Panzer Division 21 Army 15 Parachute Division 3 Emden Infantry Corps LXXXIV Static Division 709 Panzer Corps 1SS GAF Division, Infantry 18LW Parachute Corps II Refitting 11 347 E Reserve Corps LXIII Forming 5 m C in C s Boundaries Armoured Reserves Amsterdam NETH. 16LW Army Group xx In OKW Reserve 12SS Hilversum LXXXIII 719 Army x In Army Group Reserve 116 Essen x Sc heldt 165 London 712 Antwerp 1SS 48 LXXXIX 19LW Cologne Calais LXIV Portsmouth 18LW 15 47 Brussels R Tourcoing h Plymouth 331 182 in S e om 49 to Italy m 326 LXXXII e 344 English Channel 85 Dieppe 348 Amiens 245 Cherbourg 346 2 243 17LW 84 LXXXI XLVIII 709 Le Havre 319 91 716 Rouen B x 352 711 116 OB WEST St-Lô XLVII Reims M Caen e LXXXIV Panzer Group West u 21 s 12SS 1SS Paris e 266 St-Malo x 243 Strasbourg Brest LXXIV 77 353 II rear boundary 3 eine 7 Lehr S of OB West XXV 5 265 Le Mans Orléans 275 St-Nazaire xx Loire Nantes 17SS Pz Gren xx 158 Poitiers LXXX Vichy 189 708 Lyon 1SSLXVI 157 1 11 e n Bay of Bordeaux ô h Biscay R 159 G 19 aro 2SS nne 9 Kneisz x G 1SSLXIII LXXXVI 1SSLVIII Avignon 338 148 271 276 Toulouse IV LW 244 242 277 Marseilles x 272 Mediterranean 0 100 miles Sea 0 100 km xxix Normandy, Cherbourg Showing German Defensive Positions 6 June 1944 729 G.R. English Channel 739 G.R. Divisional HQ location 352 xx Approximate Regimental G.R. 920 G.R. Defensive Area 736 709 Valognes xx Grenadier Regiment G.R. Panzer-Grenadier Regiment M P.G.R. e 1057 G.R. rd Parachute Regiment Para. R. 243 er xx et 919 G.R. Panzer Regiment Pz.R. 91 L-L 922 xx Le Havre G.R. D o uv 1058 G.R. e 916 xxx 914 G.R. 726 G.R. G.R. Au Arromanches 921 G.R. Carentan re 6 Para. R. Jersey Bayeux 736 G.R. Lessay 352 xx e n e 915 G.R. r ut O Ta e ôm 716 Dr xx 192 s P.G.R. le Caen St-Lô l D u e i Atlantic S v e 125 P.G.R. s V n Coutances i do Ocean re O 21Pz xx 0 10 miles nne 0 10 km Sie 22 Pz.R. Falaise.