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In early 1944, Panzer Lehr division was to be prepared for training to take place in Southern France.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Steinhardt|first=Frederick|title=Panzer Lehr Division 1944-45|publisher=Helion|year=2008}}</ref> Orders received on 6 March 1944 made it clear that the unit was to first be transported to the Vienna area.<ref name=":1" /> On 19 March 1944, Panzer Lehr division took part in the German occupation of [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)|Hungary]] codenamed [[Operation Margarethe]], as well to continue its training.{{sfn|Zaloga|2015|p=34}}{{sfn|Harrison|2002|p=234}}<ref name=":1" /> The division absorbed the 901st ''Panzergrenadier-Lehr-Regiment'' while there. The division left Hungary on 1 May, and returned to France on 15 May 1944 to await the Allied invasion as a part of the [[OKW]]'s armored reserve, along with the [[I SS Panzer Corps]] and the [[17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Gotz von Berlichingen]].{{sfn|Harrison|2002|p=248}} These units could be released only with [[Hitler|Adolf Hitler]]'s personal authorization.{{sfn|Badsey|1990|p=40}}
Panzer Lehr's [[panzer]] regiment had a battalion each of [[Panther tank|Panther]] and [[Panzer IV]] available.{{sfn|Zaloga|2015|p=34}} Moreover, all the battalions in both ''[[panzergrenadier]]'' regiments were transported by tracked, armored vehicles, such as the [[Sd.Kfz. 251]] halftrack.{{sfn|Zaloga|2015|p=35}}{{sfn|Zetterling|2000|p=384}} This is in contrast to ordinary Wehrmacht panzer divisions, where only the first battalion in the first panzergrenadier regiment was equipped with halftracks, with the remaining battalions equipped with trucks. The division's engineer and reconnaissance formations were also equipped with armored vehicles,{{sfn|Zaloga|2015|p=35}} the armored reconnaissance battalion having a company of the new [[Schwerer Panzerspahwagen#Sd.Kfz. 234.2F2 .22Puma.22|Sd.Kfz 234/2 ''Puma'']] armored cars.{{sfn|Edwards|2014|p=102}} The division's panzer regiment also had the ''316. Funklenk-Panzerkompanie'' (abbreviated ''1./s.Pz. Kp. 'Funklenk' 316'') ("316th Remote Control Panzer company")<ref group="note">The 316th Radio Control Panzer Company was originally equipped with a mix of [[Tiger I]] and [[Tiger II]] heavy tanks, and remote-controlled demolition vehicles, which could be operated from the Tigers. There is some dispute as to how many, if any, were actually in service during the Normandy Campaign.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}</ref> attached while in Normandy; this company was originally equipped with ten [[Tiger I]] tanks, and was allocated the first five of the new [[Tiger II]] tanks that
===Normandy===
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