michael kenny

period map marked with the route of the Poles. It was mentioned earlier but the date is the 8th not the 7th

period map marked with the route of the Poles. It was mentioned earlier but the date is the 8th not the 7th

period map marked with the route of the Poles. It was mentioned earlier but the date is the 8th not the 7th

Shipped to the UK. it was subject to firing trials before it was then used to test the trailer being developed to move the Tortoise (athough there is no record of any steel wheel models being in the UK) Then it disappeared from the record and has never been seen since!

This is an extract from the Book 'By Tank Into Normandy' by Stuart Hills, (page 107) Stuart seved in the Nottinhgham Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (8th Armoured Brigade) Meanwhile A Squadron had begun moving up from Fontenay, the plan being that they would come through us and thrust towards Rauray. John Semken was Squadron Leader and he had already heard from C Squadron that there were tanks about, so his gun loader put an AP shell up the spout, just in case. As they cleared Fontenay, they were suddenly confronted by an enormous tank coming round the bend in front. It was hard to khow who was more surprised, but John shrieked, 'Fire, it's a Hun', and they loosed off about ten rounds into the smoke. As this cleared away, it was observed that the crew were baling out as small flames came from inside the tank. It was a Tiger of 12th SS Panzer, the first Tiger to be captured in Normandy, and made an impressive sight at close quarters as both its size and the thickness of its armour became apparent. Although the range had been only sixty yards, not one Sher- man shell had penetrated that armour. The fire in the Tiger, we discov- ered, had instead been caused by a shot hitting the side of the driver's observation visor and showering white-hot splinters into the tank. The driver had screamed that he had been hit and the commander had oblig- ingly ordered his crew out. Then we have this: Appendix 'E' to 21stArmy Group RAC Liaison Letter No.2 Extract from a Report to HQ Second Army from Col.A.G.Cole, DD of A (No. 20 WTSFF) The extract is of tank actions near RUARAY between 27 Jun. and 1 Jul. SHERMAN - 75 MM GUNS. 4. Lt. Fearn angaged a PANTHER side on with his 75mm and APC It was moving about 12mph at 80 yds range and he brewed it up with one hit through the vertical plate above the back bogie He saw his Squadron Commander engage a Tiger ( previously examined by us) on the road. At 120 yds the Tiger was head on. The 75mm put 3 shots on it and the crew bailed out without firing. He put in 3 more. The tank brewed up. Four shots had scooped on front plates.One had taken a piece out of the lower edge of the mantlet and gone into the tank through the roof,and one had ricocheted off the track and up into the sponson. At another Panther he fired 5 shots with HE. The enemy made off without retaliation. 5. Sgt Dring started out south from FONTENOY LE PESNIL with his 75mm and fell in with a MK IV which he shot through the drivors visor. It brewed up and the crew baled out. Next he fell in with a Tiger at 1000 yds. The Tiger fired whilst Dring was traversing but missed. Dring then pumped 5 shots in without further retaliation. The last one hit the drivers periscope and the crew baled out. (this tank is believed to have been recovered for shipment to the UK.) Next he came on a Panther at the cross roads, This he got with one shot with APC in front of sprocket and the crew baled out. Hit at normal and at about 500yds range. It brewed up Next he took on a Tiger at 1400 yds just outside Rauray. He fired 6 shots of which 4 hit and the last one brewed it up. Tp. Cmdr. thought he had missed it and only hit the wall behind. Sjt. Dring's next shot brought the sparks and the remark "You don't see a brick wall spark like that". This tank has been seen and is much shot up. It now has one scoop in front vertical plate, five penetrations in rear, four strikes with no penetrations in rear, plus a scoop and one plate of engine hatch smashed Finaly to the east of RAURAY he took on a MK IV at 1200 yds, fired two HE ranging round and then one AP through the tracks, which went in and finished it. Both refer to the Tiger shown in the previous post. It is Tiger '114' from 1st kp.SS 101 This Tiger was first photographed on June 7th on its way to the front. the next time we see it is in a film section at the location where it was left when the crew fled. It was then test driven by the CO of Sherwood Rangers before being sent to a collection point for enemy armour Note how 8th Armoured brigade have applied their markings to the rear Continued in the next post..........

Here you go. The 10 line is the last vertical line on the left and the 55 horizontal line is the second from the top, 56 is the top one. 10(8)- 55(6)

Here you go. The 10 line is the last vertical line on the left and the 55 horizontal line is the second from the top, 56 is the top one. 10(8)- 55(6)

Here you go. The 10 line is the last vertical line on the left and the 55 horizontal line is the second from the top, 56 is the top one. 10(8)- 55(6)

sPz.Jg.Abt 560 on 3/12/44 had 13 Jagdpanther and 31 Panzer IV/70(V) 27 Jagdpanthers in total(9 in the 519th, 5 in the 559th and 13 in the 560th), were available at the start of the offensive and only 5 were total losses up to 30/12/44. 4 of these were from '560' and the other from '559'. 16 were writtren off in January.

Perrigault's book on 21st PD says Becker's Unit had 5 batteries and that a 6th was being formed when the invasion started. 27 June 1943 (I./2530/43) was issued to rebuild 21.PzD (except PzR 5 and PzJgAbt 39) using SB West as a core. StuGAbt 200 (neu) with Stab, Reihenwerfer-zug (Sfl) (multiple mortars platoon) and four Stug-Btr - 4 x leFH 16 (Sfl) and 6 x sPak 40 (Sfl) each Below: 10.5cm leFH16 (Sf) with 24 in Stug.Abt. 200 The above had a 7.5cm Pak model that was identical to the 10.5cm model (except for the gun of course!) The detailed OOB of 21st PD in Perrigault gives a total of 24 10.5 cm and 17 Pak. 40 vehicles in Stug.Abt. 200

It actualy is a rocket.

Absurd overstretch. Tiger could and did work with a number of other Units. By their nature they were always in the most critical areas. That is not disputed. The idea that they could be sent to replace a missing Panther or PzIV Regiment is the contention. You will find just as many instances of sSSPzAbt 102 fighting alongside 9th SS as you will 10th SS. A Tiger Abteilung could be split up into company sized units (and smaller) and parceled out for particular tasks but it would not be sent to replace an organic Divisional asett. Most German Divisions and Tiger Abteilung in Normandy were understrength anyway. Maybe it was a case of 10th SS being attached to sSS PzAbt 102 to augment its shortages?

I am sure you realised what I was doing but just to clear it up I deliberately used a retort that was aimed at me in an earlier reply. No one seemed to think it was confrontational when aimed at me so I am sure it will not be seen as confrontational this time around.

Twist it any way you feel best suits your prejudice. In simple terms I am saying a Tiger Abteilung was too useful to be parceled out to augment a weakened Panzer Division. Heaven forbid I should be confrontational. It seems that that right belongs to another poster in this thread. Get a life