29 July 1944, Normandy-France : British launched southern offensive out of CAUMONT with objective of capturing VIRE, a major transportation hub. Germans controlled surrounding hilltops and laid extensive minefields to impede British progress. Offensive was UK Field General Montgomery offensive to break-out of Normandy. Bernard Law Montgomery - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Law_Montgomery

1 August 1944 : British armor thrusts pushed within 3 kilometers of VIRE, but Germans rushed reinforcements from 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsburg of II SS-Panzer Corps and stalled British advance at LA HOUDENGUERIE. Montgomery was not pleased, he suspected some British soldiers lack resolve and leadership, and sacked XXXX Corp Lt.General Bucknall, 7th Armor Division Major General Erskine, 22nd Armor Brigade Brigadier Hinde.

Of special Montgomery disappointment was 7th Armor Division (famed Desert Rats) performance, which won his major 1943 battles in North Africa, thus he personally requested this division transfer to Normandy campaign. VIRE was partially taken by August 4th, but responsibility for its capture shifted to Americans as British concentrated assaults on its eastern flank. British 7th Armoured Division - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_7th_Armoured_Division

Some alluded British 7th Armor Division veterans were All Spent emotionally and physically (British slang is Punch-Drunk in Battle) as a fighting force after enduring years of North African campaigns and incessant weeks of Normandy hedgerow battles. They reasoned it was time for other British divisions to "share the workload" rather to be cannon-fodder once again. After Normandy, replacements were filled into its ranks and 7th Armor regained its fighting prestige by war end.

Inset 1 : US "Dogface" inspects Hetzer knocked-out next to telephone pole by his bazooka round in Germany Feb-1945. In this case, it was American Private Kenneth Walker of 142nd Infantry F-Company leaning against tank destroyer's cracked hull plating. Original caption stated Hetzer was a new German self-propelled gun which was a misnomer since Hetzer had been in production since Jan 1944, hence Walker's infantry company probably did not encounter Hetzers until their advance into Germany. Note that German classified Hetzer as tank destroyer, while self-propelled gun referred to open fighting compartment tracked/wheeled vehicles mounting assorted infantry, assault, anti-tank guns. In addition, US WW2 nickname for infantrymen was Dogface (in reference to his tough endurance nature), while in WW1 US slang was Doughboy (in reference to his appetite for bread and doughnuts). Dogface Soldier - www.dogfacesoldiers.org/info/dogface.htm

Rollover : 7 August 1944 : With British making steady progress northeast of VIRE and Americans breaking out west of MORTAIN, Germans launched Operation Luttich, counter-offensive drive against MORTAIN, to seal breach of US armor forces. II SS-Panzer Corps (SS-Frundsburg and SS-Hohenstaufen divisions) were compelled to on-hold-line around VIRE salient due to incessant Allied pressure, thus did not participate in this attack. I SS-Panzer Corps (SS-Leibstandarte and SS-Das Reich) along with other German formations were committed to MORTAIN offensive, assembled in broad daylight and was racked by allied air power. MORTAIN and its surrounding hilltops were defended by US 30th Infantry division, forcing Germans to by-pass the city. By August 13th, Germans momentum was spent. Operation Luttich - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Luttich

After 3 months of constant combat and lacking armored reserves, German MORTAIN offensive inadvertently created a giant pocket whereby Allied forces linked up at FALAISE to trap German 7th Army, resulting in collapse of Normandy front and flight of German forces all the way to Holland. Germans lost 40,000 POW, 10,000 KIA, 1500 tanks, 3500 artillery pieces, 20,000 assorted vehicles, but 100,000 German soldiers escaped Allied trap.

10th SS-Panzer Division Frundsburg fighting rear-guard in extreme southwestern edge of this Kesselschlacten (cauldron battles) was severely mauled and lost all its tanks when extricated. Nevertheless, surviving Frundsburg units launched counter-attacks on August 19th against TRUN and CHAMBOIS to keep corridor open for other escaping units, Allies finally sealed pocket on August 21st. Unbeknown to Allies and Germans, next big battle for Frundsburg was one month away at ARNHEM during Sept 1944 Allied airborne invasion of Netherlands. Falaise Gap - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_gap

Inset 2 : August 2006, controversy emerged in Germany when Günter Grass : 1999 German Nobel Prize Laureate, acknowledged he served in 10th SS-Panzer Division "Frundsburg" during WW2. He was drafted into Waffen-SS in 1944 when he was 16-years-old, wounded in combat 1945, surrendered to Allied forces at Marienbad-Czechoslovakia, was imprisoned until 1946. Grass kept his Waffen-SS history private throughout the decades for fear of association.

In 1985, Grass joined other German progressives in condemning West Germany Chancellor Helmut Kohl and US President Ronald Reagan's visit to German Bitburg military cemetery en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitburg (since both regular Army and Waffen-SS members were buried there, Reagan made amends by also visiting Berge-Belsen concentration camp near Celle-Germany www.factspider.com/be/belsen.html).

With pending collapse of Germany in 1944-1945, records from that era were scant or destroyed, hence most thought Grass was a typical Flakhelfer generation (anti-aircraft auxiliary recruit) being too young to serve in combat, but still participated in final defense of the Fatherland. In retrospect, given Germany's critical manpower shortage and SS domination across all sectors of German populace, Grass was probably drafted into Waffen-SS rather than being a willing volunteer, but this controversy will continue as overall European history is re-evaluated by succeeding generations. Günter Grass Biography : The Nobel Prize in Literature 1999 - nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1999/grass-bio.html