Destroyed tanks

Yes most famously at the battle of the bulge, though I think some at arnhem too.

Well, that gives a bit more luster to the stand by the Battered Bastards of Bastogne; cornered paras against 70ton fire-spitting behemoths...

 

I've read that captured King Tigers were also employed by the Russians with these pieces going to unit commanders. I recall coming across a website somewhere which had photos of multiple KTs which were apparently abandoned by their crews in working condition and ultimately captured by the Soviets. I wonder if I can find it again?

 

Stig,

I believe that the Panzers were nearly always abandoned due to lack of fuel. They were very thirsty beasts.

Regards
Tom

 

Stig,

I believe that the Panzers were nearly always abandoned due to lack of fuel. They were very thirsty beasts.

Regards
Tom


Has anyone got any evidence of a KT being knocked out by anything other than mechanical failure or lack of fuel?

I think in one of George Forty's books he mentions a Jagdtiger getting knocked out by air.

Kev

 

Well, that gives a bit more luster to the stand by the Battered Bastards of Bastogne; cornered paras against 70ton fire-spitting behemoths...

If you go to U tube there is a lot of stuff on the KT's at the BOTB. Never really looked into what happened to them. THough the pictures in this thread of GI's riding on one and the few in Western collections, probably means more than one was captured after running out of gas.

Kev

 

I thought their crews were suppose to blow them up if they had to be abandoned?

 

Is it just me or does that tactical number look a bit Cyrillic?

The numbers are from contractors paid to take the wrecks away for scrap etc.

Regards
Andy

 

Has anyone got any evidence of a KT being knocked out by anything other than mechanical failure or lack of fuel?

I think in one of George Forty's books he mentions a Jagdtiger getting knocked out by air.

Kev

Here's one instance. These ones were knocked out by hot steel, not air

"Lack of fuel caused by multiple hull punctures"...

 

The numbers are from contractors paid to take the wrecks away for scrap etc.

Regards
Andy

Fair enough, thanks A.

 

Here's one instance. These ones were knocked out by hot steel, not air

"Lack of fuel caused by multiple hull punctures"...


Good read.

IS-2 side ambush, I guess that would do it.

 

Well, that gives a bit more luster to the stand by the Battered Bastards of Bastogne; cornered paras against 70ton fire-spitting behemoths...
Not quite. The Ardennes cover 11,200 km2 (2,768,000 acres) and the Königstiger never saw action anywere near Bastogne until some weeks after the siege was lifted. By that time the few remaining Königstiger from Kampfgruppe Peiper arrived in the area east of Bastogne were they encountered the 4th Armored Division and other massed American forces. They did not make a difference and a few more Königstiger were lossed near Lutremagne before the Leibstandarte pulled back to the east to regroup.

 

Has anyone got any evidence of a KT being knocked out by anything other than mechanical failure or lack of fuel?

I think in one of George Forty's books he mentions a Jagdtiger getting knocked out by air.

Kev

Well, here go a few King Tigers destroyed in combat or after going dry:

German destroyed AFVs - THE RUSSIAN BATTLEFIELD

Plus a preview of what´s in there:

 

Has anyone got any evidence of a KT being knocked out by anything other than mechanical failure or lack of fuel?
At least two from schw. SS-Panzer-Abteilung 501 (LSSAH)...

1) Königstiger "222" (Oberscharführer Kurt Sowa) was knocked out by an American M10 (Sgt. Ray Dudley) east of Stavelot - December 19, 1944.

2) Königstiger "133" (Oberscharführer Werner Wendt) was knocked out by an American M10 west of Stavelot - December 22, 1944.

 

The King Tiger shown earlier in the thread numbered '02' is from fkl(316) A remote control unit attached to Panzer Lehr in June 1944. There were 5 in total and all were lost. The King Tiger made Its debut in Normandy. One Company of sPzAbt 503 was equiped with 12 of them. During Goodwood at least 2 were knocked out. One by Gorman (the famous Tiger ramming incident) and another was hit by a Firefly as it tried to get in behind the Gaurds AD. Others were also destroyed that day but the ever present German excuse machine says they were hit in error by German A/T guns. (I believe them!)
Later another 14 were delivered to 503 and they fought around the Seine Bridgeheads mostly against US Troops. Of the 26 TII's all but 2 were destroyed.
14 were also sent to sSS PzAbt 101 and again fought around the Seine bridgehead-they too were destroyed.
All in that is 5+12+14+14= 45 that fought July-August 1944 in France.

 

This M4 has some strange tracks...

 

I watched some chaps from the Black Watch do a 'Track Bash' on a Warrior AFC in the heat of Iraq. It made me glad I had a Land Rover and I steered clear of the Sqn's 432's after that.

 

This M4 has some strange tracks...

They look like 'grousers', Za, bolt-on track plate extensions to provide extra traction and surface area on soft going.

H

 

Thanks, that's what I thought, but the landscape looks so dry...