Original WWII German Militär-Führerschein – Panzerschütze Leo Neef – Aufklärungs Abteilung 3 – 21st Panzer Division – KIA Normandy Beuvrigny 1944 Marigny
$169.00
Description
Neef served with the Aufklärungs Abteilung 3 – 21st Panzer Division
In 1944, he was a Feldwebel and was killed in August 1944 in Beuvrigny.
The 21st Panzer Division of the German Army was heavily engaged in defensive battles around the British and Canadian sectors (specifically Sword and Juno beaches) during the Battle of Normandy in June and July 1944. The small village of Beuvrigny is located significantly west of this main engagement area, near the American sector, suggesting the division was likely not present there until the later stages of the campaign (late July/August) or was part of smaller, specific movements.
21st Panzer Division’s Role in Normandy
- Initial Engagement Area: On D-Day (June 6, 1944), the 21st Panzer Division was the only German armored division positioned close enough to the coast to launch an immediate counterattack. This attack occurred north of the city of Caen, between the British Sword and Canadian Juno beaches, in an attempt to drive a wedge to the sea and push the Allies back. The counterattack failed with heavy losses due to Allied naval gunfire, air superiority, and determined resistance.
- Defense of Caen: For the rest of June and into July, the division was a core component of the tenacious German defense around Caen, preventing a British and Canadian breakout for over a month.
- Movement to the West: As the battle progressed and American forces achieved a breakthrough in the west during Operation Cobra in late July, German forces, including remnants of the 21st Panzer Division, were shifted to defend against the Allied advances and were eventually encircled in the Falaise Pocket in August 1944. Beuvrigny is located in the general area the battle moved into as the front line shifted west and south.
