Wittman wasn't with LSSAH anymore in Normandy.
Well spotted indeed.
Well technically Wittmann in the summer of 1944 was part of the I. SS-Panzerkorps "Leibstandarte", since the s.SS-Pz.Abt. 101. (later renamed 501.) was an integral part of that Panzerkorps.
Among other units the I. SS-Panzerkorps "Leibstandarte" included:
- s.SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101./501. (Corps unit)
- s.SS-Artillerie-Abteilung 101./501. (Corps unit with a quite interesting TO&E)
- 1. SS-Panzer-Division "LSSAH"
- 12. SS-Panzer-Division "HJ"
Needless to say Wittmann still wore the cuff title of the "LSSAH" up till his death, since this was allowed to members of the Corps units of the I. SS-Panzerkorps "Leibstandarte". A case can be argued of course that Wittmann was technically not part of the 1. SS-Panzer-Division "LSSAH", but since the "LSSAH" forces encompassed more than just that division Wittmann was technically still part of the "LSSAH" forces.
But all that hair splitting aside MadMat, will the 1. SS-Panzer-Division "LSSAH" be included in "Steel Division: Normandy 1944"?
I hope that the 1. SS-Pz.Div. "LSSAH" is included in "Steel Division: Normandy 1944" because not fielding that key division in Normandy would be like excluding Napoleon I's "Old Garde" ("Le 1er régiment de grenadiers à pied de la Garde impériale") from an 1815 Waterloo game...
Another key issue is that generally all western allied infantry divisions on the western front were for all intents and purposes fully motorized in 1944 (except for some special units like the 10th US Mountain Division in Italy) but the German infantry divisions were not (save for divisional services etc.). So fielding a German 1944 Infanterie-Division versus a British or USA Infantry-Divison would be quite unbalanced in "Steel Division: Normandy 1944", because the German infantry would have to move on foot and as a result be outmatched by the faster more flexible truck mounted British and USA infantry. Not to mention that western allied infantry divisions more often than not had a tank battalion attached, something that generally no German infantry division had in 1944.
Technically the Panzer-Grenadier-Divisionen (with the exception of the one-of-a-kind Army (Heer) Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Großdeutschland") were more or less the equivalents of western allied infantry divisions in that these were motorized (using trucks for transport), and technically the Panzer-Divisionen were more or less the equivalents of western allied armoured divisions in that these were mechanized (using tanks, armoured half tracks, self propelled armoured artillery etc.). USA Armoured divisions for example generally had all of their armoured infantry battalions etc. in half tracks etc. and all their artillery battalions were armoured (and self propelled) but the Germans Panzer-Dvisionen were never fully mechanized but for the main only motorized.
Moreover all German Panzer-Divisionen had at best two mechanized infantry battalions, normally the armoured reconnaissance battalion and one armoured infantry battalion. And only one battalion of mechanized artillery, the remainder of the artillery battalions being motorized. The only exception for the entire war was the 130. Panzer-Lehr-Division of the German Army (Heer) which for the main was fully mechanized, making it the best equipped German Panzer-Division in that respect for the entire war. The 130. Panzer-Lehr-Division had all of its four infantry battalions, its armoured engineer battalion and its armoured reconnaissance battalion in half tracks etc. (for the main). Interestingly the only combat unit of the 130. Panzer-Lehr-Division which was not mechanized at all was the Artillerie-Regiment, which was only motorized.
Generally all the mechanized units of a Panzer-Division were concentrated in a mechanized battle group in practice, so that should work out when fielding an US Armoured Division Combat Command (A or B) versus a Panzer-Division mechanized battle group (Panzerkampfgruppe).
The main TO&E difference between the Army (Heer) and Waffen SS Panzer-Divisionen by 1944 was to be found in that the regular Army (Heer) Panzer-Divisionen had four infantry battalions (3x motorized, 1x mechanized) and the regular Waffen SS Panzer-Divisionen had six infantry battalions (5x motorized, 1x mechanized). The Army (Heer) 130. Panzer-Lehr-Division and the Army (Heer) Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Großdeutschland" were exceptions and each had a different/special TO&E which made them the best equipped Panzer-Divisionen in the German Armed Forces (Wehrmacht). The Army (Heer) and Waffen SS Panzer-Grenadier-Divisionen for the main used the same TO&E by late 1944.
But I am sure the good people at Eugen know all this, or at least I hope they do.
