Destroyed Column of the 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"

June 8, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Wrecked German half-track from the 1st SS Panzer Division, destroyed by a 57mm AT gun near Le Neufbourg, August 1944.

This image captures the aftermath of a devastating ambush on a mechanized column of the 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" in August 1944, near the railway station of Le Neufbourg, Normandy.

In the foreground lies the wreck of a Sd.Kfz.251/1 Ausf. D, a German half-track armored personnel carrier, widely used by Waffen-SS units for infantry transport. The division, originally formed as Hitler’s personal bodyguard, had evolved into one of the most elite—and notorious—units of the Waffen-SS, deeply involved in both front-line operations and war crimes.

But here, elite status offered no protection.

The American 30th Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Old Hickory", was moving fast through Normandy in pursuit of retreating German forces. Sergeant Miller Rhyne, manning a 57mm M1 anti-tank gun from the 120th Regiment, opened fire on the column with direct aim. Despite the relatively small caliber of the gun, accurate hits from close range were enough to ignite vehicles and stall the convoy.

This kind of up-close destruction of SS units symbolized a major shift in the Normandy campaign — from cautious advances to aggressive thrusts against overstretched and retreating Axis divisions. The scene is not only tactical but psychological: even the feared SS divisions were not invulnerable.

The wreckage strewn across the road tells its own story — of shattered momentum, broken steel, and the cost of fanatic loyalty.

🖼️ Technical photo data:

• 📸 Photographer: Unknown U.S. Army war photographer

• 📅 Date: August 1944

• 📍 Location: Le Neufbourg, Manche, France