The regiment's Helmers-Bauck squad leader (the equivalent of a Wehrmacht sergeant) also considered it an exceptionally dangerous march: "The meadows and fields were as if they had been ploughed over, and within a few kilometres there were scenes of bombing. Grenades, artillery shells, and all sorts of ordnance were blown up everywhere, and dead and wounded brothers could be seen on both sides of the road. ”

On the morning of June 7, most of the 12th SS Panzer Division finally arrived in the area north of Caen.

More than a day of continuous marching exhausted the soldiers. At this time, it was reported that the British and Canadian forces that had landed had broken through the coastal defences in some sections and had begun to attack inland. Meyer had a hunch that the Allied tanks were coming straight for Caen at this time. Caen was attacked by Allied heavy bombers.

Many streets are blocked by the wreckage of buildings, making it impossible for vehicles to pass at all. The 12th SS Panzer Division has already decided not to conduct urban warfare. Their goal was to hold the perimeter of the city at all costs and buy more time for the retreating Germans.

That morning, the fanatical German Panzergrenadiers went into battle. Meyer described the situation before the Panzergrenadier Battalion took part in the battle:

"The commander of the 25th battalion of the 1st regiment came to report to me. He only gave a quick and brief briefing on the situation, and with a brief and forceful handshake he said that we all knew that it was a difficult task ahead, and the grenadiers of this battalion quickly dismounted, and then the trucks disappeared into the darkness, and there were no vehicles to make their way through the city, and they had to make a detour to the south. , the grenadiers stayed and listened to my command. They are calm and composed, with firm faith, and they will be baptized by war!"

At about 9 o'clock in the morning, Meyer gave the order to attack at the temporary command post of the Monastery of Adennath. An hour later, the first tank was launched. The commander of the 25th Regiment's Plitzer 1st Commando Squadron (equivalent to a Wehrmacht captain) recalled that the assault force of about 50 tanks was ready to go, and the tanks began to move towards the assembly area under the warm morning sun. In front of the tank are panzergrenadiers in green, yellow, and brown spotted camouflage combat uniforms.

As the Type IV tanks, camouflaged with straw and tree branches, began to approach the enemy in front, the round olive green "Sherman" tanks of the Allied forces were discernible from the tank control towers moving slowly towards the Caen-Bayeux road.

Suddenly the 75-mm guns of the Type IV tank opened fire. A "Sherman" tank was hit, a puff of smoke came out, and then it caught fire. Other Allied tanks were also hit by volleys of Type IV and Panthers. Lost combat effectiveness.

Then the young German panzergrenadiers, hidden in the trenches, quickly and frantically entered the battle, launching a fierce attack on the British and Canadian troops. Before you know it, the battle has been going on for a quarter of an hour, and the boys, under the cover of machine guns and grenades, are constantly storming the Allied lines.

The ensuing bombardment prevented the attack of the Germans with a possible victory and inflicted considerable losses on the infantry of the 12th SS Panzer Division. In the vicinity of Malone village. Grenadiers in their teens stubbornly held their ground. They quietly tracked the Allied tanks that broke through the defensive line. And wiped out the vast majority of them with deadly bazookas.

In total, 28 Allied tanks were destroyed by the grenadiers during the battle. Himself lost only 6 vehicles. Many Allied soldiers were shocked when they saw their teenage children in SS uniforms, and for the first time they encountered soldiers of the SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth". War correspondent Chester Wilmot later wrote:

"The 12th SS Panzer Division, which held the defensive positions, fought very tenaciously, but the tactical qualities they showed throughout the campaign were far less than their bravery." A British tank officer said after the war:

"They tracked down and wrecked our tanks like a pack of wolves. We were reluctant to do so, but we had to kill the children against our will. ”

Rudolf Skiev of the 17th and 16th artillery batteries said:

"The soldiers of every youth division believe that they can achieve their goals, and although they are all brave in battle, they are sometimes like girls. The young soldiers rode to the front line in the morning to go on the offensive, and when they withdrew in the evening, they wept and wept because they could not achieve their goal. ”

By evening, after losing a large number of men and equipment, the Allies had to retreat to their bridgehead positions north of Caen. At this time, the 12th SS Panzer Division did not continue to attack north, and Li Mo did not want them to rush to the coast.

They halted the offensive and dug trenches on the existing front to prepare for defense, and the soldiers of the 5th Panzer Company were lucky enough to find Allied rations in the abandoned Canadian tanks, and then they feasted on a lavish dinner of peanuts, chocolate, and corned beef.

From the night of the 7th to the early morning of the 8th, the Allies still tried to occupy Caen, but they were unable to return after the stubborn resistance of the Germans. On the night of the 8th, "Panzer Meyer" personally commanded the tanks of the 12th SS Panzer Division to launch a counter-attack, and a battle of blood and fire ensued.

The trail of tracer bullets and burning vehicles lit up the entire night sky. In the first stage, the firepower and armor of the German Leopard tanks once again overwhelmed the Allied tanks, and 22 tanks broke through the defense line of the Canadian 7th Panzer Brigade. However, in the ensuing battle, the Canadian army destroyed six German tanks with anti-tank guns and anti-tank rocket launchers, and Meyer reluctantly gave the order to stop the offensive.

The German tanks then returned to the darkness. On the other side, the 25th Regiment, reinforced by the 3rd Artillery Detachment and the 2nd Panzer Detachment, was attacked by British and Canadian troops north of Caen, and the Allied attack, supported by tanks, was met with accurate and ferocious fire from German anti-tank guns, and after a short exchange of fire, 4 Allied tanks were destroyed.

Hans-Higuel Commando Group Leader II (equivalent to a Wehrmacht Major) reports:

"The enemy quickly retreated, and we received no shots and no losses. As our tanks retreated to the starting point, they suddenly came under Allied fire. My comrade-in-arms Daubert was killed outside the tank. "In the days that followed, the soldiers of the 25th Regiment came under more intense attack, but this did not prevent the grenadiers from withdrawing from the defensive positions destroyed by the bombs, and the bombardment and shelling became more and more intense.

The Germans had to strengthen the tank concealment into tank bunkers. The acting regimental commander, the commander of the 1st Commando Group of Waldmeiler (equivalent to a Wehrmacht lieutenant colonel), ran from his command bunker to every German position and ordered the soldiers to hurry up and build new fortifications. His diligence and extensive experience as a field commander saved the lives of most soldiers. On 10 June, Vollimer presented 30 Iron Crosses of the Second Class to the brave young soldiers.

The 12th SS Panzer Division unwaveringly continued its hard defense. The village near Ross was recaptured by the 1st Company of the 26th Panzergrenadier Regiment, and the village was shelled by the Allies for more than 12 hours. During a break in the fighting, tank driver Hanks Kespel, Squad Deputy 3rd Class (equivalent to Wehrmacht Corporal 2nd Class), stopped his car near the Ross Chapel and scribbled in his diary: (To be continued......)

PS: First of all, Falling Leaves wishes the brothers a happy New Year, happy every day, and a lot of money.

For the support of the brothers, the falling leaves can only be grateful, the next book is history - the end of the Ming Dynasty to save the flow, the falling leaves please support the brothers, because we are the brothers of life and death who will never abandon us.