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Panzer Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abteilung 100
This battalion was not a standard Panzer Battalion but raised to train (Ausbildung) new panzer crews and support other units with fresh replacements (Ersatz).
In Normandy the battalion had about 30 tanks. Most of which were French tanks that had been captured in 1940 and were obsolete by 1944. It also possessed a few obsolete German tanks and turretless training vehicles. Some of these training vehicles even ran on Holz-Gas. The battalion had little combat value against tanks, but stood a better chance against infantry. At least in theory.
On D-day the battalion was located on the Cotentin peninsula, on the western bank of the Merderet river. On June 6th it was the only tank unit close enough to interfere with the landing Utah Beach and the American Air-landings. Despite her limited strength it quickly went into action against the US paratroopers with mixed results. In many cases the tanks were picked off one by one by paratroopers hiding in the thick hedgerow country.
Despite these problems they posed a serious threat to the American bridgehead at La Fière where one of only two bridges across the Merderet was located. Supported by troops from the 1057 Infantry Regiment the tanks overran the weak American bridgehead a Cauquigny, on the west side of the Merderet. After breaking the lines, the attack continued to La Fière bridge. Several assaults were mounted to dislodge the American defenders from their positions on the eastern bank of the river. Despite two days of heavy fighting the German forces failed to secure the bridge and no counter-attack on Sainte-Mère-Eglise could be mounted from the west. Even though the attacks had failed, the actions had prevented the 82nd Airborne Division from establishing a bridgehead on the west bank of the Merderet and had halted the American advance to the west. At least temporarily.
The battalion did not make much of an impression in the weeks after D-day. One June 13th the battalion suffered severe losses against a fierce attack by the US 508 Parachute Infantry Regiment. Nonetheless individual tanks continued to harrash the American advance for some time, being more of a nuisance than a real threat. However already on D+7 not much of the battalion remained and on June 23th it disappeared from the German records and was finally disbanded on July 1st.
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