Battlefront Normandy-France, 25 July 1944 : US launches Operation COBRA along St. Lo sector in western Normandy to break-out of hedgerow terrain which gave significant advantage to German defenders. US carpet bombed frontlines within area of 2500 x 6000 yards, using 2000 bombers to drop 4200 tons of ordnances. Result was deafening as German frontline units, including famed Panzer Lehr, were shattered as cohesive force, about 1000 Germans were killed in this deluge. However, bombing in close confines also produced "Bombing Shorts", about 490 US soldiers were injured by American bombs, 111 were killed outright including US Army ground force commander : Lt.General Lesley McNair. Operation Cobra - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cobra

With 3 infantry divisions, 2 armored divisions, 1 mechanized infantry division, US broken into open countryside at COUTANCES and drove south towards AVRANCHES. British forces exploited US success by launching offensive out of CAUMONT and drove for TESSY SUR VIRE and VIRE. By July 31st, General George Patton took over US 3rd Army and struck a 3-pronge offensive out of AVRANCHES into Brittany region (note, Germans expected Patton to lead Allied invasion into French port of CALAIS, hence withheld armor reserves from Normandy front). Majority of German armor were tied down in Normandy, hence Germans only had fortress and garrison troops in Brittany, not sufficient to halt Allied armored advances. Brittany - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brittany

With US break-out at St. Lo sector, Germans rushed reinforcements, including II SS-Panzer Corps with SS-Frundsburg panzer division into this salient with intention of severing Allied breach from AVRANCHES to the coast, thus isolating US units in Brittany.

Inset 1: Hetzer in WW2 re-enactment via black-white photography to project nuance of war footage. Note Hetzer Kommandeur is wearing German autumn/winter reversible camouflage uniform (winter white hood showing), although terrain shows early autumn foliage.

German problem was compounded by disruption of senior military command. Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt : overall German commander in France, foresaw attrition of German forces in Normandy would bring military catastrophe. On 2 July 1944 when asked how he would throw the Allies off Normandy, he emotionally replied "Make Peace You Fools !". Von Rundstedt was immediately replaced by Field Marshal Gunther Hans von Kluge. Gerd von Rundstedt - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rundstedt

Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge : succeeding Normandy commander, elected to form mobile reserves for ALARMHEIT (fire brigade-type) units to sealed off Allied incursions rather than build defensive depth along frontlines (ex. multiple trench lines, barbwire, minefields, anti-tank traps). Therefore, once Allied broke through initial German defense line, there were no further fallback prepared German positions. Günther von Kluge - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Kluge

Inset 2 : Germans gave great leeway to frontline armor crews in camouflaging their vehicles based on local environmental conditions. Hence, most vehicles were dispatched in only African Yellow base color, while its crew used either airbrush or regular bristle brush to paint appropriate concealment patterns. In this example, Hetzer crew oversprayed tank portions with soft-edge forest green. Nevertheless, complexity of ambush camouflage scheme was usually completed at the factory since it was time-consuming for individual frontline crews to complete.

Hitler served with Imperial Germany 16th Bavarian Reserve Regiment during WW1 in Belgium/France and was injured from Allied gas attacks. Due to massive German casualties from WW1 trench warfare, Hitler placed little faith in German Army General leadership. Atmosphere of class distinction existed since senior army officers came from aristocratic classes, while common soldiers were from working class. For political convenience from 1932 to 1944, German Army and Nazi Party collaborated in regaining lost German honor from WW1, rearm Germany military, unify all Germanic tribes within a greater German Reich, and expand territorial control. After massive losses with collapse of German Army Group Center on Eastern Front by Soviet BAGRATION offensive, conspiring German Army generals decided to eliminate Hitler, potentially negotiate a conditional surrender with western Allies, and form a new alliance to counter Soviet domination of Europe. Operation Bagration - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bagration