Hi Stolpi - excellent photo. Sorry to be pedantic but it's 'dairy' rather than 'diary' (dagboek). Probably 'milk processing plant' would be the more accurate English description of the building's function. Was the photo I posted known to you? Looking again at it, I can see a second AP strike mark at 1 o'clock and close to the obvious one on the lower glacis plate. Best John
Sorry, a typo: I meant Dairy ... but will adapt it into 'milk processing plant' which sounds much better The different photographs of the knocked out tank (there are several more - all post-war) are well-known and appeared in many publications.
Yeah the tank has clearly been pushed to it's left closer to the building to clear the road. Those aerial photos are really excellent. You can see that when the German commander said "Flatten Arnhem" they certainly did a good job with the help of 30 Corps Artillery as well. Will.
I think most of it was down to the airforces trying to hit the bridge. Cheers, Stolpi, for the clarification. I'd be happier if I could tie-in that building behind the tank in JDKR's photo but shouldn't complain at the riches provided here.
Idler: Another view of the wrecked Pz IV which reveals some more of the surrounding buildings. If you look close the factory building with the tower is also visible on the aerial I posted previously. Photo courtesy: De verwoeste Camiz zuivelfabriek aan de Westervoortsedijk in 1945 - Serc Photo courtesy: Cookiewall: Cookies op Indebuurt Re the destruction: most of it was caused by the post-airborne-battle aerial bombardments in Oct 44, when the Arnhem bridge was targeted and knocked out by Allied bombers, see: NIJMEGEN BRIDGEHEAD: II.SS Pz Corps' counterattack in October 1944
Re the location: herewith some fragments of the After the Battle OMG publication. The tank was standing next to building 22. The 'pipe bridge' ran between buildings 22 and 23 across the Westervoortsedijk. The road running to the river between buildings 18 and 22 - called Ooststraat - formed the entrance to the Bailey bridge, which is on the aerials posted by Morrisc8 The Pz IV was not the only tank that was KO'd in this area. The action occurred on Monday afternoon 18 September and was a first probing attack by the Kampfgruppe Knaust. The tanks belonged to the Panzer Coy Mielke a tank training unit that consisted of (by that time) obsolete Pz III and a couple of Pz IV.
Thanks. I think the problem is that the building with the skylights behind the tower isn't on the pre-war aerial. The tower is just visible on the edges of the two complementary aerials in B Company Arrived but they haven't caught the 'new' building.
OK, happy now! Thanks again for the extra information. B Company Arrived also has a 1939 aerial which provides a useful comparison. The only thing missing is the big pylon to the left somewhere.
Hope this adds a little to this cracking thread, and for those who may not have seen the clip before (note, bridge at the start is likely Nijmegen, definitely not Arnhem!) It's brief, but has views of the post liberation Bailey bridge and of the bombed (by the allies in October/November '44) bridge at Arnhem and the decimated kirk(s), plus a tantalising glimpse of the area to the east of the bridges behind the cycling squaddies (unfortunately just beyond the immediate area being discussed I think) And again, stolpi, idler, brilliant work! Kind regards, always, Jim.
Definitely Nijmegen bridge as seen from the "Belvedere" - a vestige of the old Castle at the Valkhof; Arnhem bridge at the time lay in ruins. For the Belvedere see: VERITABLE 1945: 3rd Canadian Division in Op Veritable
There was 2 Panthers used in the shooting of the movie, one of which as Stolpi says was brought from Germany on a low loader. Only one of the two Panthers was in running order so the other static one was presumably that which Frank Dixon of the 21st Independent Company knocks out with his PIAT on Weverstraat. Interestingly, when he takes aim at the Panther he's leaning on the hull of a knocked out King Tiger which means you can today place exactly where the scene was shot, providing you know where the King Tiger was of course. Splendid acting.
Following up the earlier query on the Airborne 6-pr, here are the two articles from the old Army & Navy Modelworld magazine c1986. Note that the conversion misses the reduced track but it may still be of interest to someone...
