Aircraft

[plloyd1010]

I seem to recall a few authors citing interviews with German generals regarding the Normandy campaign: air power was fairly low on their list of what was "most feared." Of course, what I'd like to have done is interviewed logistical staff officers to find out whether they concur with the guys with the gold braid on their shoulders! I might try to document those works when I get home.

I am not sure what the generals may have feared at that moment. On Jun 19th, 1944 Guderian sent a report Hitler about tactical problems being faced by the German army in Normandy and the feasibility of reducing the allied beachhead. He sites at least 5 times the problems caused by allied air superiority. He describes the 12th SS and 21st Pz divisions as being "severely hindered". He goes on to say that assembling an attack force of more than 1&1/2 divisions as being impractical.

Kesselring insisted the risk of the 15Pzgr division's march to the Anzio breachhead was necessary, despite the possibility of it arriving unable to fight due to losses from the air. If Gen. Lucas had not been in charge of the operation, Kesselring's urgency would have been more than justified.