[jmacusa]

‘Many of the German troops and their leaders assigned to Normandy were hardened veterans..’’ Not entirely. The only really capable German unit stationed in Normandy at the time was the 352nd. Infantry Division which was guarding the stretch of beach that would be code-named Omaha and where most of the causalities of the landing occurred. Other German units in the area, like the 716th. were made up largely of Poles and Russians more or less forced to serve. However I agree with your assessment of the fighting capability of the German army. I have spoken with many WW2 vets who told me to a man ''Them Krauts were tough son's of bitches. They didn't give up until you damn near wiped them all out and even then they still fought you''. But they couldn't have been all that good. We beat 'em Thank God.

[TADSLOS]

Well, you can be good all day long, but if you don’t have the numbers to replace the fallen, then the outcome is problematic, as the Spartans of Thermopylae can attest.