346.Infanterie-Division in action near Bréville-les-Monts

This article includes photographs of fatal casualties

At the time of the Normandy invasion, 346.ID was positioned in the area around le Havre. Once the Allied landings commenced, the division moved westwards towards the Allies' left flank, remaining in this area until withdrawing with the rest of the German forces in August.

There's some interesting footage of elements of 346.ID included in the German newsreel (Die Deutsche Wochenschau) of 21st June 1944 (#720)*. The footage is mixed in with a load of other bits of film featuring Panzer Lehr and 12.SS-Panzer-Division personnel (taken around the same time but about 25km further west), some stock training footage and other bits taken goodness knows where. This is typical for the Wochenschau and most newsreels of the time. Along with the film are some good photos (now held by the Bundesarchiv) taken by a Propaganda Kompanie photographer by the name of Scheck. Together they provide some good representation of the German forces fighting British 6th Airborne Division and 51st Highland Division shortly after D-Day. What follows is an attempt to tie the images with units and places to give them extra context. I first put this together some years ago after a conversation with my friend Niels Henkemans and posted it on Twitter but since the descent of that site I no longer have an account there so here it is. I should stress I'm not 100% certain of all of the locations and welcome further information that might confirm or contradict my thoughts. Please feel free to add any comments, corrections, criticism (constructive) and anything else which would improve our understanding of the events of 1944. 

The images by Scheck and the film by the unknown PK film cameraman were probably taken around 10th to 12th June 1944, just east of Bréville (now Bréville-les-Monts) in the area circled in red. This little cluster of houses is known as le Bas de Bréville. The map is from 1943 and the original was 1:100 000, with every square being 1000 x 1000 metres. Bréville itself sits atop the northern end of the ridge which overlooks the river Orne and Caen Canal to the west and the low-lying plain of the River Dives to the east.

The Bréville footage starts with a heavily camouflaged Ford or Opel Maultier half-tracked lorry mounting a 2cm Flak38 maneouvring into position behind a low hedge.

This vehicle belonged to 3.Kompanie, Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 346, the division’s anti-tank battalion. As was "standard"**, 1.Kompanie had Marder III self-propelled guns, 2.Kompanie StuG III assault guns and 3.Kompanie anti-aircraft guns, in this case including several of which were self-propelled.

The organisational chart*** for the unit for 1st June 1944 confirms the presence of fourteen Maultiers ‘in place of missing prime movers’. The chart also notes twelve Flak38 (as mounted on the Maultier) and three Flak30. Incidentally the same chart indicates the ten StuG III that 2.Komp. should have had were still not on strength at this point although at least some of these had arrived by the time of the action in question.

Back to the film... the cameraman pans left to focus on a group of infantrymen, either non-mounted personnel from 3./PzJägAbt.346 or from Grenadier-Regiment 858**** which also fought in this area. This group includes a radio team (the large packs on the back of the soldiers third and fifth from left contain the radio and the battery/accessory sets).

This same group were photographed by Scheck, with the Maultier in the background. It would seem that Scheck is in fact the NCO (with the white strip around his collar) furthest to the left of the group above.

Scheck’s image (below) helps confirm the location.

The large house beyond the Maultier can be seen in the centre of this aerial photo from 1944, along with a small barn (since demolished) just to the right. The low hedge behind which the soldiers and vehicle are hiding is that which surrounds the orchard to the right of the image.

This IGN***** image below shows the same location today and in 1947. The barn (with a missing roof in 1947) has gone and a new garage built closer to the house. As the area is well within the commuter belt for Caen, housing naturally has increased:

Another of Scheck’s photos shows the barn and the tree beside it. The chimney of the main house is just visible between the two soldiers standing on the platform of the lorry:

Scheck also took a couple of close-ups of the Maultier Flak crew:

The film footage also includes movement of a 2cm Flak30. Again, this could be one of those on the strength of 3./PzJägAbt.346 (as per chart above) or from GrenRgt.858:

The location seems to be a bit further east-south-east along the road to Bavent and Petitville. The wall surrounds the wooded park of the Château de Bénéauville:

As the Flak30 crew moved towards le Bas de Bréville, they were photographed by Scheck as they passed a fallen Captain from 6th Airborne Division. The Captain's identity can be narrowed down to a handful of individuals but as yet I've been unable to determine with any certainty.

This Google Earth Street View image shows what I believe this is the same section of road (although I'm not 100% sure). The field to the left is much more heavily wooded now than in 1944 when it was pretty open. 

A close up of the fallen Captain shows higher earth banks to the right of the road than today. Of course things change over eighty years but it does cause doubt as to the precise location. The Flak30 can be seen parked up in the background. 

In the background of Scheck's photos above, soldiers are resting in the shelter of a low bank. Some mattresses have been acquired from somewhere or other. The footage and images of personnel resting giving a good idea of the appearance of the Germans in this area. First, a grubby looking Gefreiter, certainly from PzJägAbt.346 (as indicated by the armoured vehicle crew tunic) enjoying a tin of something or other (some sort of meat conserve?). He sports an adhesive dressing on his forehead.

Nearside of him, a Zeltbahn-clad soldier. Possibly one of the men shown lugging the Flak30 above. A 2cmFlak ammunition tin sits nearby. He wears jackboots as opposed to the more common ankle boots, as do at least three of the Flak30 crew:

PK Scheck was also on hand here to capture the scene:

He took the next two shots just seconds apart, capturing the gesture of the smoking chap (also wearing the armoured vehicle crew uniform):

Other photos by Scheck show casualty evacuation and treatment, the examination of British casualties and the escorting of British PoWs alonside a stables (this area has many horse farms):

Finally for this part, this other still from the movie footage seems to show the same group. They have similar attire and appear similarly (relatively) relaxed. 

Assuming the above photos were taken at the time of the 346.ID's initial engagements, PK Scheck either remained with or returned to the division as he later photographed the well-known knocked out M10 17-pdr (commonly known as an Achilles) lost on 18th June just over 4km from Bréville-les-Monts, near Escoville.

*A very good resolution copy of this and other Wochenschau films are viewable on the Bundesarchiv site. Here's a link to this one.

** In theory rather than practice

***BAMA RH10/242

****As a bodenständige (or static) division, 346.ID had two regiments of infantry, numbered 857 and 858

*****www.remonterletemps.ign.fr