Quote:without the last I doubt america would have been so keen to join the fight.
WE had no choice. Hitler declared war on us.
As far as the German Panzer divisions, Gawd....one has to look behind the facade. As it was the only Pz Div to engage early on at D-Day I chose the 21st Pz. Div as an example.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_Panzer...29#Rebirth
Quote:Major General Von Hulsen surrendered the remnants of the division on 13 May 1943.
[edit] Rebirth
[edit] 1943
In France, the division was reconstituted on 15 July 1943, where it remained for rehabilitation and garrison duty until the Allied landings at Normandy. The new division's commander was Oberst Edgar Feuchtinger[2] who was promoted to Generalmajor on 1 August 1943 and Generalleutenant (equivalent to Major-General) exactly a year later.[3] It was heavily engaged in the fighting at the Normandy beachheads, being the only Panzer division to engage the Allies on the first day.
Formed largely from occupation troops, it was designed as a fast moving unit to counter the invasion army, therefore it became known as a Schnelle Division West (Fast Division West). It was equipped with tanks, halftracks, self-propelled artillery and trucks, in most cases captured vehicles of French origin.
The only unit specially formed for the division was the 305th Army Flak Battalion. The 1st Battalion of this unit was now fully equipped with four companies of 88 mm guns mounted on half tracks and two companies of 20 mm guns, also mounted on halftracks. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were equipped with 150 mm Hummels. The Division did operate mainly captured French tanks, which were supposed to have been replaced by three companies of 22 PzKpfw III per Battalion and one company of 22 PzKpfw IV. This transfer was not carried out until the first weeks of May 1944 and even then the Battalions only received 17 Mark III's and 14 Mark IV's.
Even the vaunted SS units were wrecked in Russia and sent to the West to rest and refit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_SS_Divi...tern_Front
but let's not pretend that the ranks were re-filled with highly-trained veterans such as those whom they had lost.[/quote]
