Panther tank
In the meantime, U.S. forces, facing one and a half German "panzer" divisions, mainly the "Panzer Lehr" Division, struggled in the heavy, low-lying bocage terrain west of Caen. Like the Sherman, the Panther struggled in the bocage country of Normandy, and was vulnerable to side and close-in attacks in the built-up areas of cities and small towns. The commander of the "Panzer Lehr" Division, Gen. Fritz Bayerlein, reported on the difficulties experienced by the Panther tank in the fighting in Normandy: