维莱博卡日之战(Battle of Villers-Bocage)是发生在第二次世界大战的诺曼底战役中的一场战斗,日期是1944年6月13日, 交战双方是英军第7装甲师的先头部队和德军第101党卫军重坦克营及装甲教导师一部。此战发生时,英军刚在维莱博卡日镇战斗了一天,没有经历严重的损失正在休整。卡昂是双方眼中诺曼底战役成败的关键,自D日起德军就在该城外设立了防线,6月9日英军两次进攻试图夺取该城都失败了,而同时南方的美军成功地打开了防线缺口,于是一支由第7装甲师22装甲旅组成的坦克步兵和炮兵混合纵队从此通过向维莱博卡日镇迂回前进。英国指挥官希望以此迫使德军从卡昂城西的道路上后撤,当时那里的德军主要是装甲教导师。
I. Zug (1st platoon) made up of Tigers 211 (SS-Obersturmführer Jürgen Wessel), 212 (SS-UnterscharführerBalthasar Woll), 213 (SS-Hauptscharführer Hans Höflinger) and 214 (SS-Unterscharführer Karl-Heinz Warmbrunn); II. Zug (2nd platoon) made up of Tigers 221 (SS-Untersturmführer Georg Hantusch), 222 (SS-Unterscharführer Kurt Sowa), 223 (SS-OberscharführerJürgen Brandt) and 224 (SS-Unterscharführer Ewald Mölly); and III. Zug (3rd platoon) made up of Tigers 231 (SS-Standartenoberjunker Heinz Belbe), 232 (SS-Unterscharführer Kurt Kleber) 233 (SS-Oberscharführer Georg Lötsch) and 234 (SS-Unterscharführer Herbert Stief).[57]
三辆都被魏特曼击毁的说法被推翻了。 Daniel Taylor在《战役之后》杂志上发表文章说:“第三辆坦克被击毁的地方也许并不完全如我原先所想的”[85] Walter Allen也支持他,说第三辆M5是被击毁在别处:“当兴德旅长乘上他的侦察车时他发话说要不惜一切代价守住镇子。艾尔德少校于是忙着去准备防御,一些女王团的步兵带着反坦克炮到达了,这些乘着坦克的步兵在通往广场的道路边散开来。在南方西蒙斯中尉负责着一群甜心(M5坦克)的成员,他的坦克被迫击炮敲掉了于是他将巡逻队撤了回来。”这些证词说明魏在镇外的战斗是得到了友军支援的。[86]
一些历史学家错误认为米歇尔魏特曼参加了之后213高地的战斗及下午的反攻,Carlo D’Este描述了在与B中队的一辆萤火虫交手后他撤出镇子"进入镇东南的树林" 并且"重新补弹加油"并进一步说魏特曼重新发起了对213高地的进攻和对镇子的第二次进攻。[115] Anthony Beevor 认为魏攻击了B中队,在对方未能反应之时回到了213高地“了结与A中队的战斗”[16]但这些说法都被魏特曼的个人回忆(在镇中被击毁然后徒步来到装甲教导师那儿)所反驳了。[78] 迪特里希支持这种说法,认为魏特曼徒步离开镇子后又坐车返回了213高地,[116] Beevor, Max Hastings, 和迪特里希都认为魏参加了下午夺回镇子的反攻。Beevor说他和重坦营二连一起行动,而迪特里希说他和一连在一起。[16][116][117] George Forty反对迪特里希的说法,说“一个象莫比乌斯这样的有能力有经验的SS上尉(当时他是一连的指挥官)为什么要让位于一个尽管是专家却比他低阶的军官,让他带领自己的部队?”[113] Beevor的关于二连坦克一道参与了一连的行动的说法被史学家Michael Reynolds反驳了,后者写道魏特曼“那时离镇子极其远”[118] Daniel Taylor认为是一连的二级突击队中队长汉内斯-菲力普森带领了这次进攻。[119]并说在向莫比乌斯汇报过后,魏就“飞跑去向……迪特里希报告……以及一群热心的记者,是他们完成了大部分的故事。”[41]
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