6th July 1944 - Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt is replaced by Field Marshal Kluge as Commander in Chief West of German forces. Von Rundstedt had forwarded a report to Hitler from Geyr von Schweppenburg, the leader of Panzer Group West, advocating withdrawal from the Caen bridgehead, out of range of the Allies’ naval guns. Hitler dismissed Geyr, replacing him with General Hans Eberbach, and Von Runstedt's resignation was accepted. Kluge also took over as Commander of Army Group B, (charged with planning German counter-attacks to drive the Allies back to the beaches) when Rommel was wounded by a Spitfire attack on his car on 17th July.
While Kluge was now the Commander in the field, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - the German Armed Forces High Command in Western Europe (as opposed to Oberkommando des Heeres Armed Forces High Command in Eastern Europe) - coordinated the efforts of the German Army, Navy and Airforce from Berlin. The OKW was led by Wilhelm Keitel (nicknamed ‘the Lackey’), who reported directly to Hitler, from whom most operational orders actually originated.
Also on 6th July a flotilla of tiny one-man submarines attacks shipping off the beach-head sinking three minesweepers.
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