Panzerwrecks 8: Normandy 1

FEATURES: German field guns on lorraine Schlepper. 15cm

Panzerwerfer 42.

pz.lehr wrecks during 'Operation Cobra.'

1

Meticulous planning got the Allies to the Normandy beaches, and brute force carried them inland : Panzerwrecks 8 follows the British, American, Canadian and Polish forces in the summer of '44 as they rolled up German held territory, and the photos here are grim reminders of the high cost of doing so. Had the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe of 1940 vintage backed forward positioned German land forces, the Kriegsberichter would have been taking pictures of Allied wrecks.

50 68

M;my ollllC'II11,J/w',ln I hi" !)noll wen' taken by servicemen using basic equipment; they arf' inclIH14'd IOJ 1111'11 illlpI4".1 "lid historical value, not necessarily their photographic qu ..llily. for II J(' II'.,' (" 111<"11 pi" >I (I'. W<' w()lIld like tu thank: US National Archives (NARA), Polish Imlililli' .11111 '''''<11 '.''1 IVIII',('111l1 (I'I '-, M), Library and Archives of Canada (LAe), Military Inlt'ili/',"liI, · /V11I ·.'·1111I (lVII/VI). /11i' Idllk Museum (TTM), Imperial War Museum (IWM), Fr;J llk M,IIIVIIII, III<" 1.IIIIliy "I MIi.111 Ili"cil('[ and Archive of Modern Conflict (AMe) see: crollllli .w, II I, II' 'II", 11I1'.IIIIIt'I< '11' .. 111/'.. WC' w(11I11I .11',1) III·,' III 111.111" lilt' loll()willg: Hans Weber, Timm Haasler, Barry Crook, Fn\rli"ri( I ), 'I" 1111, IV!." 1111 lIlli, k, 111111 klllz, Stefan De Meyer, Jonathan Baker, Paul Ho<.kill/:, ( 1.111''' ' (11111111(1,1\11/"111 11111'11\(' So livellas, Matthias Radu and Nigel Perren.

As is our custom, we have tried to present as many new views of a vehicle as possible, and here we have, again, intercut motion picture film with still imagery to give full dimension to our subjects. We have also tried to bring as many new voices to our captioning as possible: this first volume presents the unedited observations of Major A G Sangster, a Canadian AFV Intelligence Officer, who examined many of the Panzers knocked out in the Canadian sector. There are also the 'you-are-there' captions of George Greb, an OWl photographer who witnessed the aftermath of Operation Cobra first hand. And finally we welcomed Fred Deprun, a historian of the Normandy saga, to weigh in with our regular contributors and share his extensive knowledge of this epic campaign with us. And in the center of all this is Lee Archer, my comrade in arms and stoic research companion. In 2006, Lee uncorked a brand new camera and read the instructions as we drove to Ottawa, and then acted as a human tripod to shoot the LAC photos with my Coolpix as I shoved files at him for hours on end. (Fully a third of the photos here were obtained in this manner.) And then we scanned our brains out in NARA (another third) and Lee continued scanning at the Sikorski Institute (not a full third, but close). As we put it all together, Lee used digital manipulation to tease out faint details that made possible many of our unit identifications; he was able to recognize a vehicle whether it was upside down or right side up, and he was able to match up grainy moving images with gorgeous eight by tens and blend it all together into a comprehensive whole. Not least of his talents, he is also our resident head hunter/ talent agent/personnel director, and manages an active correspondence with our League of Extraordinary Panzermen. As for me, I pick the restaurants and remember where the car is parked. A special thanks to the staffs at LAC, NARA and Sikorski, who went out of their ways to open up their files and allowed us to breakout with 'Panzerwrecks 8.' W.Auerbach, Monroe. February 2009

©2009 Lee Archer and William Auerbach. Created by Lee Archer and printed by 1010 Printing (UK) Ltd in China. All rights reserved . No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Don't steal, it's naughty.

1/

I'lIhlhh Cd by : Willi;lm AUNbach. Panzerwrecks. P.O. Box 2332 Monroe, New York 10949-2332 USA. bill@panzerwrecks .com I (',' Aicher. P.O. Box 164 Heathfield, Sussex TN218WA UK. [email protected]

'I

1\ Ii II ,,,

1

-1 '111.11

,111111 11

name but a few, although we think it is likely that this example belonged to Pz.Art.Rgt.155 of 21.Panzer-Division . This crisp photograph shows off the hand painted camouflage pattern to good effect.

11',.s.F.H .13(Sfl.) auf Lr.S, which, according to the original photo caption, was captured .Jil ting the battle of the Falaise Gap". The caption also stated that this small vehicle was I '1('rdinand' self-propelled gun. These vehicles had been issued to a number of other " I il lery units since 1943 such as lO./Art.Rgt.266, 1O./Art.Rgt .344 and 4./Art.Rgt.1708 to

1

The other side of the Lg.s.F.H.13(Sfl.) auf Lr.S shows the broken and deformed armour at the front of the superstructure. The British soldier gives a good impression of the relatively small size compared to other 15cm self propelled vehicles. A downside was that it had stowage for only 8 rounds of 15cm ammunition based upon weight limitations determined by the designers, but crews ignored weight limitations and loaded whatever number of rounds they thought would be needed for a particular action. The photos on this and the next page are from British and Canadian Intelligence reports. Note the towed gun in the background. lx TTM, lx LAC

2

The rear of the fighting compartment, showing the recoil spade and its associated winching gear. Other than the striking camouflage pattern and a loading stencil, no markings are visible. The inset photo shows the details of the 15cm s.F.H.13 and its method of mounting in the vehicle . In the background, behind the gun breech is a firing table painted in white. The maximum elevation of 14 degrees limited the range to 6200 metres. The chalk writing on the right of the inset photo reads '5760', which is probably the gun Ix LAC, 1x TIM

3

...... ..... "'­

~

"'" L .. -

';~·l

r- ~"'"

if'{:....

i

I

I Left: Here a Canadian Tech

Intell team has dropped the recoil spade; they show "how the spade

is swung down when firing. In this case it has been dropped into a trench & the veh backed against it". The footstep on the left made it easier to mount and dismount through the hatch in the rear wall. The angle iron rack on the right has an unknown purpose and is not present on other vehicles shown in this book. The hook at the top of the photo held the recoil spade in position while travelling. A tactical sign for a self propelled artillery unit is barely visible on the left of the rear wall. LAC

Right: A different Lg.s.F.H.13(SfI.) auf Lr.S with its recoil spade in the travelling position. It was found mechanically intact at M-115056. Unfortunately at the time of writing, we do not know where this map reference is. Like the previous vehicle it has a tactical sign for a self propelled artillery unit painted on the rear plate, this time with the number '6' alongside . LAC

~

~

The front and side of the vehicle shown on the previous page. It carries a very striking hard­ ~ edged camouflage pattern that is continued on - ..:: the opened driver's front plate. Foliage obscures

r~ .

.. . -,

the markings, but certain details emerge; on the upper edge of the fighting compartment is the tactical sign for a self propelled artillery unit and the number '615', which would make this a vehicle from 6./Pz.Art.Rgt.155 of 21.Panzer­ Division. During the fighting in Normandy, the 4./5./7. and 8./Pz.Art.Rgt.155 were equipped with the le.F.H.18/4 (Sf) auf Lr.S, while the 6./ and 9./Pz.Art.Rgt.155 had the Lg.s.F.H.13(Sfl.) auf Lr.S. 2x LAC

x

n

l:>

r-

,

-

:::0

""

ro ::y "-­ a.. ro

:: (J)

C

::::

r;; ::::;

Vi' ;:j:

::y

--: < Vl

~

0

::::;

.=

rD Vl

­ 0

:::l

­

9-

::y

ro

Two Canadian soldiers look over a Lg.s .F.H.13(Sfl.) auf Lr.S at a collection point for towed and SP artillery "somewhere in Normandy" on 15 July 1944. The vehicle has a wavy sprayed camouflage pattern and no discernible unit or tactical markings. The angle iron across the width of the vehicle is an unusual addition. 2x LAC

r-

n

J:o

-

=

Vi" (!)

- " -< ::

~

Q m c.. -< ~

0 ::J (lJ

A Ie. F. H.18/4 (Sfl .) auf Lr.S that, according to the graffiti on the gun barrel , has been "tamed

by the RAF". With the 10mm thick armour around the fighting compartment gone, it is clear to see just how big the weapon was in relation to the chassis . A total of 24 of these

10

vehicles went into action with Pz .Art.Rgt.155 of 21.Panzer-Division in June 1944.

how one set of tracks has been put on backwards.

I, I II 18/4 (Sfl.) auf Lr.S, complete with an eye catching 'splinter' camouflage scheme. III lid,

l lie

photo on page 10, this vehicle has the muzzle brake as seen on the 'Wespe'.

Although it is a partial view, we can see that the track has broken and the exhaust shroud has been shredded . The photo comes from a Canadian wireless intelligence unit. MIM

11

-

-

-

"

,

, '"

,'"

1,11" 11 ca me across this unusual armoured vehicle abandoned between Trun

, .dl ed a 'Gross Funk und Beobachtungspanzer auf Lorraine Schlepper' by the II I" 'I onged to PZ.Art.Rgt.155 of 21.Panzer-Division. The regiment had 4 Beob. . 111 0 it is believed they were assigned to the Abteilungsstabe of 11./ and 111./ IWI) per Abteilung. The vehicle was fitted with four wireless antenna bases and

carried additional bow armour, which has been cracked. The large engine access hatch (behind the driver's position) is missing . A tactical symbol for a self propelled artillery unit and a crisp 'Balkenkreuz' appear on the well sloped side armour, which has the addition of graffiti (courtesy of Force Fran~aise d' interior) reading "FFI Resistance Fram;aise." 2x LAC

13

This view shows the empty radio racks a the left wa II, with the front of the vehicle on right. Rubber buffers acted as vibration dam to keep the vacuum tubes inside the rad from breaking. Cables snake upwards, possib to the antenna bases outside the vehicle. would appear the occupants had plenty of to remove the radio gear and anything else value before abandoning the vehicle.

14

i 111"

III s.H.Pz.Abt.503 lays with its turret II I In orchard at La Fauvetiere, just 1111 1 01 \l ll lIoutiers on the road to Trun . This I lill ,·" ILld been used by the Werkstatt of i I I', Iii ',()3. The tank is in a bomb crater and !a d I" II di\d bled by the men of the Werkstatt UI IINI II II , ,Ind 18 August. The turret was one of j i ll III I l ill y designed to be put on the Porsche ,llown by the protective armour guard 1'1111" 1 11,,, lurret ring. II

illlNll 011

";;i!:,,,,,,,,'ur

I t ti l e

II,"

111 1

" 01 l AC

15

11 11 11 ", 111(er, probably s.H.Pz.Abt.S03 at the same location, the camouflage netting ZlCrosS the road is a tell-tale sign of a Werkstatt . The demolition charge ha s iii I", I ., ·, 1I he turret, blowing its roof off in the process and buckled the hull roof around III Ii",·, '\ position. The turret ring is now visible and we get to see how it was fixed to 1111 I" til I very vehicle carried a pre-set demolition charge . When abandoning the vehicle, III' ", w would pull a ring to set off the charge that would disable it, thus preventing the 11 ,1 "" " I a usable item . The upper left photo is of a different vehicle and was taken by I 1' 1' " ,. 'l lgst er to show the cleats on the track link. 4x LAC II I " ,,, I,'(I

17

t

f

.

,I

.f, -./

l'

· ./

./

, HIIiI .1, I, 'I y beheaded Tiger 1111 I 101, Iy .mother from the I' ~ I 'I .11 ; Werkstatt at La 1'111 '. of the hull roof 111I'" ing, notably the "I' l l the driver's and ' 'i '' , d'lI \ positions and ilil I, II 11111 l ear of the turret

II 11

'" k. lge gives a unique

,iI II " 1:, ',lI box, 2x LAC

19

for trials in UK. An 8.8cm shell can be seen behind the gun mantlet on the turret roof.

Tiger '334', of s.SS-Pz.Abt.101 was knocked out on the road between Rauray and Tilly-sur­ Seulles on 27 June 1944. These two photographs probably show the machine the next day, after it had been dragged in from the battlefield by the British. It was subsequently used

2x

20

Major Sangster: "Tiger J has been with steel bogey wheels. These have steel tyres & we believe resilient rubber mountings in incorporated in the wheel. Efforts being made to recover this tk & despat( it to OTO. The cupola had been dam previously & repaired by welding shown. Apparently a shot had Crrll'll'''' . the top plate & gouged the removing the periscope guard & AA The repair welding was very porous appeared to be poorly done". In this ca the weld was adequate for a field re Note the extra 25mm plate in front the commander's cupola .

.....,.

22

'''I 1" 1'.. observations could ", , II " I, as this pithy caption ., I lie

'"

tk received several

"" 11 ·./lOt none of which had

',haws three hits on the the mantlet sheared "//,,, Ilf llq bolts & must have ,I fI ' II II , into the loader's face". " "

1//1

1111 '.

'III , III

II1 I1 I. ' nl' of s.SS-Pz.Abt.lOl, I Ii ,,, ,I .iI I'otigny and is unusual in Ii 111 ' " 'l lIrbished turret fitted to di II I " " III<' 1.1
23

"" 'II ,> .SS-Pz.Abt.l0l, was knocked out by a Cromwell tank from the Polish 1st ",v l" ion in the area of Ernes, Sassy and Jort on IS August 1944. The Cromwell's III , '" " '" 'l1f'trated the turret rear escape hatch . The two poor quality photos on the

opposite page show the terrain well . In the background of the photo on this page is a Crusader AA tank . 3x PISM

25

A US motion picture cameraman films a knocked out le.Pz.SpWg. (2cm) (Sd .Kfz.222) Ausf.B Southwest of Carentan on 12 July 1944. The vehicle belonged to 1./SS-Pz.AufkI.Abt .17 of 17.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division, as this was the only unit equipped with the Sd .Kfz.222 in the area. The entire armoured rear end has been blown away exposing the engine.

26

The foreground is littered with the detritus of war and a GI picks his way through it. armoured car is devoid of any markings and just has a loading stencil applied to the side the hull. On page 27, a GI compares a 2cm shell with an empty case. Note the p 'cage' around the 'Notek' blackout driving lamp on the front fender. 4x

II III ' "'w of the wreck, as photographed by a US Army stills cameraman, Here we can II I Ii , 11 1 explosion has occurred in the fighting compartment, as part of the 2cm Kw,K 11 11 1111: into the air and one of the mesh screens over the turret is somewhat bent Both sides of the engine compartment are lying to the right of the photo,

With the back end gone we can see that the fenders were fixed to the armoured hull with brackets , Another vehicle from this unit, a le ,Pz,Sp'wg, (Fu) (Sd ,Kfz ,223}, is shown in Panzerwrecks 1, US Army

29

.....

~ ·lO{·

.,..,.

.- ~~:-'. '"

I' ltv,'

careful look at the photo on page 30 reveals daylight through the side engine hatch and scorching to the paintwork. An unreadable name is written on the nose of the vehicle and it carries the old style tactical marking for a PZ.AufkI.Abt. on the 'Zusatzpanzerung' at the front of the vehicle.

(I ll) (Sd.Kfz.232) photographed on the roadside between Trun and Chambois .IIIJ :'.l cr, whose caption says that it was "apparently burnt out by aircraft Itll\ /111''' . [3oth photos show that the weld seams have opened and the armour III Ii (II I ." Jove the second wheel. The frame antenna has gone, complete with the I I 111" . 111 ;) t supported it on the hull, those on top of the turret remain intact. A

1 1111 1

2x LAC

31

This SturmgeschUtz III Ausf.G was knocked out 300 metres north of the Hotel de Ville in Sainte-Mere-Eglise by M4 tanks of Co . C, 746th Tank Battalion supporting the 82nd Airborne Division on 7 June 1944. The StuG most likely belonged to Pz .Jg.Abt.709 of the 709.lnfanterie-Division, although this is not entirely clear. It has received a significant number of hits blowing the roof off of the superstructure and the front off the mantlet among other things, but did they specifically target the muzzle brake? 3x NARA

32

Serious looking GI's pose with the wreck of a Sturmgeschutz III Ausf.G near Caen in July 1944. The front of the vehicle has been holed with a number of closely grouped hits penetrating the lower nose and the box mantlet has been hit too, making the armoured collar slide down the gun barrel. The vehicle was based on a converted Pz .Kpfw.III, which was made with a 30mm plate welded over the width of the front, but it's missing here, which explains why we can see the hole for the brake cooling vent. L.Archer

34

II Ii I'" ,II ive GI makes a closer inspection of a Sturmgeschutz III Au sf.G with 'Topfblende' 11 11" 1 .I rmoured deflector in front of the commander's cupola, and a mix of steel and 11111 " "'1 urn rollers . The strong sun makes it difficult to see the waffle pattern 'Zimmerit' ' 111 1'1 : [li e vehicle . The forward section of trackguard and part of the engine deck are

missing, and the roof armour appears cracked ; although unmarked on th e ri ght hand side, a photo of the left side may show massive damage . The vehicle wa s knoc ked out by ae ri i'l l bombing on 11 July on the Ie Homm et-d 'Arthenay to Le Dezert ro ad. It had bee n one 0 1 three StuGs attached to Kampfgruppe Scholze supporting 6./Pz. Gren .Rgt .902. l.Archcr

35

Just another overturned Panther? Not so . This was a Panzerbefehlswagen Panther Ausf.A (Sd.Kfz.267) as shown by the armoured pot for the antenna base for the FuG 8 on the engine deck and the antenna base for the FuG 5 on the turret roof. In fact the antenna on the turret is still in position. The turret has been covered in 'chickenwire', but underneath

36

this the tank carries a tactical number of '97'. The style of tactical number leads us conclude that this vehicle belonged to SS-Pz.Rgt.2. But was the gun cut off, or is it in the ground?

brewed up but the tyres were intact. It was a long way from the nearest area where rocket "A Panther had an AP hit in the engine and another on the strikes were observed." Point 11 is roughly 300m to the east of the hamlet ofLa Provostiere. It is thought that the wreck was from 2./SS-pz.Rgt.2 or 3 of 2.SS.Panzer-Division. 1''' Icket; the left track was off. The gun had its barrel completely destroyed in L.Archer/W.Auerbach 1111 11 suggested deliberate destruction on the part of the crew. This Panther had

I 1111 111 I I\ IiSf.A was lost between Hambye and Villedieu-Ies-Poeles. It is best summed I

I II I II elil 'w ing ORS report: 1111 1/

IIfl III ,

I

37

A Panther Ausf.A from I./SS-Pz.Rgt.1 at Saint-Barthelemy, lies frozen in time with its gun at 10 o'clock. The hooks on the turret for spare track were very typical of this unit, but, by the time this photo was taken, all tracks, tools, and even the leaves on the trees had been

stripped. This appears to be a Panther from Daimler-Benz, with its roughened 'Zimm 24 bolt roadwheels and monocular gun sight. Damage to its rear hull/suspension may have led to its demise. L.Archer/W.Aue

38

II Ii 11 11"111 'd

Panther. Another Panther Ausf.A of I./SS-Pz.Rgt.l, photographed by a GI

Unusually, the entire side wall ofthe turret has come away at the weld seams. The spon son welds have failed, making us think that the stowed ammunition has 'cooked off'. Note the large hole in the turret roof.

I 11 1 ',.11111 13a rthelemy. The tank was one of a number knocked out by Typhoons of the I

I II I I, Ii /\ ir Force on 7 August 1944 in an attempt to halt 'Operation Luttich'. Between 1111 ' late afternoon, Typhoons made a total of 294 sorties over the battlefield.

L.Archer!W.Auerbach

II Ilii d

39

Intelligence teams came , II , " Ma rder II" (Panzejager II fur II I I' I 11 0/2 (Sd ,Kfz .131)) covering a III I , II (l t but gave it only a cursory II .11 1.111 size, potent gun, and open llilll ' ' II II )
1\ : I II I , ,,1 1, 111

'li nusual' four digit tactical oIctually a recommendation I i i ' '' , I, d der Panzertruppe Heinz 0;11 11 11 1,"1 not all units adopted it. As 1 111 111 1I.II1S WeberandTimm Haasler, , i,l, I III,l y be from 9 .Panzer-Division, 111 1101 1 ,,·.,'d the first digit in the tactical till II 1 IC 'present the Abteilung or 11111 111 I Vi' hicle belonged to. Per Mr. III I " 1/ see them on their Luchse J ," 1,1 tl ll e on their Hummel ('6313'). 1/" 11/ I 11/ 'I lind this was that the first 'I, I / 1, '/ the Abteilung or Regiment. I/lfi/l l II,, ' same as you would list the 1111' II, () r how a Gliederungsbild II II re ad from left to right and /11 I ,l/ lI m: Panzer-Regiment (1), I I ,. /I' I/ lier-Regiment (2), Panzer­ ,I" " I{ iment (3), Aufkliirungs'1 1/111/ I). Panzer-Jiiger-Abteilung (5), II. I 'I II lIent (6), Flak-Abteilung (7), I I '." i/,' I 13t1 (8), etc. In 9. Panzer­ "II I " Illth Abteilung is Pz.Jg.Abt.50, 1/1, I , II, I, ' is 2.Kp. 2.zug, 5. Panzer. The 1/ Inix of StuG and Marder. The " IIIV. which replenished, and was }11 ;ri lot 'I.Pz. Oiv, had a Res.Pz.Jg .Abt.5 1111 , ,1, 1,' / vehicle such as this 'Marder I' /1 , /I, , n me from." LAC

II"

I',

41

I' _ '

f

;­

"..,:­ .

~y

1/1 111' "tier IV 'short-tracked' on one side by the crew or a maintenance unit sits on 11 11' 'tl iI, "I a road in Brionne while Allied traffic rushes by. Many units passed through 1111 1" " ,ti l er escaping the deathtrap of the 'Falaise pocket', making identification almost

This is an early production example with 60mm frontal armour and blanked

off MG port above the driver's position. Note the lack of 'Zimmerit' between the fixed and movable parts of the gun mantlet. Canadian Intelligence referred to the "anti-magnetic

plastic on the hull and gun mantlet. The surface has been scored with parallel scratches instead of the diamond pattern found on Panther and Tiger tanks." 2x LAC

43

I./SS-Pz.Art. Rgt.12 of 12.SS. Panzer-Division de l'Arche, on the road from Tostes . This and surrounding roads were termed the 'road of wrecks' by locals. The engine and driver's compartment armour is missing and the photograph on page 45 graphically shows the damage to the gun; the recuperator has gone and the gun mount has parted company with the chassis . The vehicle sports a wavy sprayed camouflage pattern and had, at one point, been camouflaged with foliage. It

has a 'Balkenkreuz' on both the front and sides of the superstructure armour. Can Intell misidentified this vehicle as a '75 cm gun on PZKpfw /I chassis," noting that

suspension has only three top rollers ... gun at full recoil with the breech open. Rear folded out to a horizontal position." Compare with the 'Marder II' on pages 40-41.

44

This Sturmgeschutz III Ausf.G/Sd .Anh .116 combo is not going anywhere without its wheels. The StuG has a broken gun barrel and is missing its engine deck. It is likely that it was knocked out on the Trun to Vimoutiers road . The photo on page 47 shows the trailer driver's position in detail, albeit rearranged by the Allies. The trailer driver's job was to

steer the rear four wheels. The large wheel is the steering wheel, just below this is lever to lock the steering on long straight road. To the left of the lever is a large dial; steering indicator dial and to the left of this another wheel; the parking brake ..

46

OWl iI . " I ScI.Anh .116 on the Trun to Vimoutiers road; this time with a Pz.Kpfw. lit l I " " I)( );Hd. The original caption states that it had apparently been knocked out ;1 ill ,. I ( .iven the location, it is probable that the tank belonged to JI./Pz.Rgt.16 of I III . ' , Illvl" ion, who used the road as a means of escaping the encirclement of the

49

'Falaise pocket', although with no tactical or unit markings it is difficult to tell for sure. It is interesting to note that the retreating Germans felt the need to transport a beaten up Kubelwagen too. 2x LAC

I

I"

I

I

Three Werfer Brigades served in Normandy: Werfer-Brigade.7, 8 and 9. Each had three or more batteries outfitted with the 15cm Panzerwerfer 42 (Sd .Kfz.4/1) . Here we see an example from Werfer-Brigade .7 as identified by the 'X' on its right fender, hung up in the vicinity of Tostes on 30 August 1944. Other markings on the front include a number '10' in a circle on the nose (repeated again on the side engine armour) the tactical symbol

50

for a self propelled rocket launcher unit, the licence number, and the letters 'NE' on co-driver's visor. A thin ' Balkenkreuz,' and the letter 'C' appear on the side plate. We Brigade. 7 was composed of Werfer-Rgt .83 and Werfer- Rgt.84. Each Regiment had cm Panzerwerfer Batteries, each with eight Pz.werf 42.

il loI l ' '1 111 ,11 discovered this 15cm I

I w, ·, I, 'I 42 "in an orchard west /11 '1/1 "

"

in Les Campeaux 4261."

1'111' 1 IfI,l r vehicle had a name, 1111'1 1 III'IC , on the side engine I II, 1111 a thin 'Balkenkreuz' 1111 ' ',1,1, ,,. J nd rear. Also on the 1,,11 ' Iy visible, was a small 1;0 , IIIi the letter 'L' inside, 11111 II I II id e ntify this vehicle as 1111 11'I ' III Werfer-Lehr-Rgt.l of

"i

111 '!'.,ld e. 8, which had 15cm

.!I W' ,1 "1 42's in its I. and

III.

11i '1i1' (We rfer-Brigade.8's other 111 ,,, 1 N .I·, schweres Werfer-Rgt .

Iii, I, 1,.ld one Panzerwerfer 42 I v III II '. III. Abteilung.) Note the

1111, " ,11

11 11

the cab roof and the

I '. , I '" ( k' warhead by the rear I

I ili ' ,, ·ll iclehadtheribbedidler 111, ,"

I \I 'els with four lightening 2x LAC

Canadian Intel! continued: "This eqptcoll'o

of a half tracked chassis with a suspefl similar to the Lloyd Carrier. A lightly (1 / hull mounts a multiple rocket launcher 360 traverse. This consists of ten r I'll and traverse and elevation is contru/l from inside the veh. Stowage racks il/,l accommodate only ten rockets. The roeA are fired electrically and basically the I' is essentially the same as the five and barreled variety found on ground moul The chassis is widely used on this /1 either in this application or as an armd /( carrier and many variations are found." H 0

we have a close up of the mount and b which had sliding shutters for the RA35 sl on the front and vision slits on the al l three sides.

Ii'W " I the cramped quarters of the 1111111 ' l ompartment and the adjustable ' ',( 'at that hung from the mount. The I'. ' II.l ndwheel is on the left, elevation (l dwl l ., 'I on the right. Between these is 111 111 ' " ox, with its firing handle hanging. hil i '" '.1 Jre the hand written notations on 11,'v II()n mechanism and the turret ring . Ii" ,I' held the 15cm rockets into their II:' I.lcks. The rockets cou Id be loaded Ih' I.l uncher from either the double 1111.1 1, Ii in the roofofthecompartmentor I I II" I II I I~ in the double door hatch at the I I cI II,, · vehicle. A 'Tetra' fire extinguisher 111 1·01 1" Ihe rear wall. LAC

11 111 'I

~.

.- ~

55

;f.

A lone 15cm Panzerwerfer 42 in a field, with a full load of rockets in its tubes . The normal PzWerf 42 carried ten rockets in the launcher and ten stowed inside. Both rear doors are

56

missing from this vehicle. The poor condition of this vehicle and lack of a location ma unit identification impossible.

"The photograph shows another application o/the halftracked chassis. In

also used as an armoured load carrier". If it actually is a command vehicle, the tilt at the

it is used an armoured command vehicle. This vehicle was captured by 21 CAR IrI /lI , I,' with auxiliary wireless generator & the inevitable Calvados liquor. This chassis is

back of the vehicle presumably covers an opening of some sort. An alternative th eory is that it could be a munitions vehicle with rockets on the roof. LAC

III '; ' , ll lgster: /1 I rI .,

57

Panther '321' was lost by I./SS-pz.Rgt .2, 2.SS.Panzer-Division in Villedieu-Ies-Poeles. The towing clevis by ' Balkenkreuz' has the number '333' painted onto it, perhaps it belonged to another vehicle? One of the lengths tracks has come off and, in the main photo, the turret has been traversed to allow the engine access hatch to 1x L.Archer/W.Auerbach, lx US

58

I

of 1.SS.Panzer-Division. The tank has suffered a fire at some point as the roadwheel s are scorched and the tyres have been burnt off. L.Archer/W.Auerbach

illl. llll dn soldier looks over a track-less Panther Ausf.G that was probably abandoned .1 Lambert to Chambois road by II./Pz.Rgt.33 of 9.Panzer-Division or I./SS-pz.Rgt.l

11 111'

59

The charred wreckage of a Flakpanzer 38, tactical number '23', pays testament to the fierce fighting that took place near Ecorches and northen Mont-Ormel between the Polish 1st Armoured Division and elements of 21.Panzer-Division, 116.Panzer-Division and 5 Panthers from l./pz.Rgt.24. In the background is a Pi.Pz.wg. auf Somua MeG which, like the

Flakpanzer, probably belonged to 21 .Panzer-Division. Further down the road is a Ma 38T, apparently one of four from Pz.Jg.Abt.228 of 116.Panzer-Division lost in the area.

60

II ~

I ldq Janzer 38 was photographed by a member of the 34th Photo Reconnaissance in the Avranches area during late August of 1944. The vehicle is missing the 1i 1l 1",,1 .Irmour plates around the fighting compartment, the interrupters (metal frames

limited the depression of the gun) and the gun shield . Other than a 'Balkenkreuz' no markings are visible, making a unit identification difficult. AMC E016614

1" 111 111111

61

Ii I I( ~ first Mbbelwagens produced were III W ><,t, where Major Sangster reported on II I'W. Ill plefromSt./Pz.Rgt.16of116.Panzer­ II I .It II I: "Moving east from Trun along the I ' Ill d to Vimoutiers an interesting AA tk III lIlI d about 50 yds from the highway. It /11' ,II " r! to be in very good condition but as II I I/ I~ , 1<; stripped and the gun had been taken ,/I I , li d was on the ground. The chassis I. 1/ I'//(pfw IV and it mounted a 37mm 1/1/ /1 with 360 degree traverse. Instead of //1 11" 1 I he superstructure consisted of four I( ". d ( omposite plates, spaced at about I III d Iw lded to reinforcing spacers. In the 11'/111 1(1 posn these plates fold up to form if""'I box and in the operating posn they ,,, "1/ 1 10 form a horizontal platform. They "/1/ IIl q loaded with torsion bars making III II, I Y light to handle."

1/1/

/0

II \I '"1 :" severely damaged (note separated IIv I" lie ), one can see the spaced plate " 111" lion of the front drop wall. The III , II I t he first 20 vehicles were made I . I 12 mm plate, and the next 25 were il l' , d 10 + 10mm plate. The remainder II I II I Ide of single 25mm plate. Here the I w,ill is propped against an open engine 11I 1',lI llIle nt access door. The wrecked gun 1, Id 1. 11 the 3·7cm Flak43 has partially '1 l1l1' d into the hull of the vehicle. The ',,11 ,11 .Irut in the centre of the platform Illh, ', li ield upright. LAC

I~ I II

/\ VI( 'Wtowards the front of the vehicle II,. , rive panel construction and spaced III "11 " II lhe front wall (note the end of the , Ii 1\ I I, II ) as well as the sliding hatch for the 11 11 "I " ·I dlor. Inside one can see the hole in II ,!II I ',l lperstructure armourfor the radio ! "1,,, " !)mm Maschinenpistole. See pages II II I' ,'~ I lr 'Pa nzerwrecksl 'for more details Il lli l Ivl. 11 1< 'lwagen. LAC IW',

63

and had been camouflaged with foliage; a few branches of which still remain. The long box shown on the flatbed on page 64 held spare barrels for the weapon.

'ws of a Luftwaffe operated 2cm Flakvierling 38 auf Bussing-NAG 4500A knocked 'Falaise pocket'. Apart from missing its wheels and gun barrels, it is also missing ,tl ill our in front of the radiator. The Flakwagen has chickenwire over the engine cover

IW I ' VII

IIII l it I he I ll tt

2x LAC

65

A member of a Canadian bomb dhl' unit crouches on top of a Sturmpail/i , at Bretteville-s ur-Laize in August 1 9~1i Sturm panzer belonged to 2./ Sturml'llI Abteilung 217 and wa s one of fou r Iii an engagement against the Canad l.lll 8 August alongs ide elements of 11./', Rgt.12 and s. SS-Pz.Abt .101. The ',I track bracket on the front of the VI bears the chassis number '90251 '. "I track lin ks were also carried on th(' II and sides of th e fighting comparll Subsequently, the vehicle was the SIr! of an Allied technical intelligence n'l from where the photos below origilldl Although of poor quality, we can see that all of the roadwh eeb. 'Gummigeferderten Laufrollen' (nil cushioned roadwheels) .

lx LAC, 2x '

66

1lll lll lnel' from I./SS-pz.Art.Rgt.12 sits almost blocking the road from Chambois to Saint­ I IlI d" ·I l-sur-Dives. The vehicle was destroyed by an M10 tank destroyer on 19 August Illtl ll. I wo of the shots are visible; one on the hull front, the other just below the driver's 1'1 I I,e rear superstructure ha s been blown away, as has the idler resulting in the t rack

67

coming off. The vehicle carries only the emblem of 12.SS-Panzer-Division on the front of the superstructure, if it had a camouflage pattern it is not visible here. Thi s wreck was subsequently pu shed off the road into an orchard. AMC R00597-30

11111 1111', WW2, the

us

Office of War Information employed professional photographers

III 1"lIow the troops advancing in Italy and France and take pictures of the citizens of

cities, such as Paris and Toulon, in the aftermath of a city's liberation from German l "II ,,,Lion. George Greb was one such photographer, and he was 'embedded' with us IIJI. 'I ", during Operation Cobra in July, 1944. His caption: "American soldiers advance past Ihil' ' I

~ 111 '1

ked out Tiger tank on the road to st. Gilles after the new US offensive had opened on

July 25, west of st. Lo. As the Americans advanced, they passed the vaunted German Mark VI Tiger tank at regular intervals. They lay across the fields, some burned, some blown open like tin cans with their innards scattered in every direction, some were buried up to their gun turrets in shell holes. The tank which the Nazis counted on most heavily was decisively beaten ," The 'Tiger' in this case was a Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H of 8./Pz.Rgt.130 with improvised armour or its 'Schurzen' on the turret roof.

69

2x US Army

--=­

Air Force motion picture cameramen were also following the aftermath of 'Operation Cobra.' In untitled scenes on silent film, Pz.Kpfw.IV's, Panthers, and SPWs from Panzer-Lehr-Division made their appearance as the cameras panned back and forth . Sometimes the camera lingered on a vehicle, as if its motor might suddenly spring back to life, its hatches clang shut and its turret swivel in search of a target. But the battle had moved on, and the vehicles sat there, motionless, frame after frame . Note the insignia of II./Pz.Rgt.130 on the rear turret 'Schurzen'. 3x NARA

71

A Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H sits in a sunken lane, much a 'Landser' may have sat in a WWI trench, a shell havi punched through the side of the armour. This ph( provides a sense ofthe hemmed in feeling experien( by the Panzers caught in the confluence of bom'''. artillery shells and cannon fire. The fresh dirt is m likely the spoil thrown out of bomb craters . Today is difficult to imagine the maelstrom the GArrYI "". experienced in this sector.

1',II :es 73-75: Another Pz.Kpfw.IV, tactical number '535', wears the town's rubble like a i

"J,tic A GI sits to peer into the turret's interior. The vehicle is packed in spare track but has

been neatly holed dead centre. Note the simple spoked idler. The location is Saint-Gilles, west of Saint-La. 3x NARA

73

Implausibly, but unmistakably, Pz .Kpfw.IV '841' from page 68 has been moved into Saint­ Gilles from the roadside, where it had been causing a bottleneck. Since being relocated, one of the front towing points has broken but has the same features that have allowed

76

us to identify it; small arms scars on the hull front, angle of ' Bosch' head lamp, dama". to rear trackguard, dark patch on the hull side, etc. Quite why it has become covered debris is a mystery.

More ruins in Saint-Gilles, more ruined Pz.Kpfw.IV's, flipped, smashed and shredded like broken toys after a child's tantrum . The concussion and blast pressure would have done the same to the internal organs of any personnel hiding in cellars and foxholes . Bulldozer operators clear a path for supply elements as the pursuit continues. 2x US Army, 2x NARA

By bomb blast or bulldozer, these Panthers from I./Pz.Rgt.6, have been overturned, around and shoved aside. 974th Ord Evac Co is chalked onto the rear of the Panther in bottom photos.

78

"

/1. 1I' , I\ir Force officer peers into a le.Schutzenpanzerwagen (2cm) (Sd .Kfz .250/9) Ausf.A

willi , ' ;1 motion picture cameraman captures him on film. Several rounds shattered the

"11111 ',ide of the vehicle and a small calibre round struck the turret below the sight aperture a clean penetration. Several tool drawers have been pulled out of the combination

I l h d, Il l g

stowage bin between the wheel and track guards. Pages 80 - 81 : Rear views showing that some of the rounds exited the rear door. Various brackets and boxes have been added to the rear of the turret and hull, but one can only speculate as to what they held. No markings could be found on this vehicle. 3x NARA

79

o

00

i

/

/

/

I

/

I

/

"'~.,_',:r ....

I

/

/

/

,~

Greb again ; "American soldiers study the remains ofa German armored reconnaissance vehicle knocked out and burned a few hours earlier in the fight west of st. La." The peg for mounting the forward MG was not installed, a feature of a m.S.PW. (Granatwerfer) (Sd.Kfz.251/2L although the interior is too damaged to make any assumptions. Opposite page: It appears a round smashed into the right side of the vehicle, cracking the armour and peeling back the interior liner. On the left of the photo, the tow pintle ha s fallen back into the vehicle. In the centre, we see the floor plate with inspection hatches has been thrown out of position. By using digital manipulation, we were able to tea se out a tactical number, '646' or '645' painted on the side of the vehicle . lx NARA, lx US Army

82

,

"i

~.~

The same vehicle from pages 82 - 83 . Each tinl! ' II photographer moves, the SPW seems to change 10(,,1111 from the shoulder of a road to a farm yard to a fi eld , left: We can see that the rear doors are missin!!. , right: The belly plate wa s 5.5mm thick with a mi nl llill of openings . Left: Some interesting details emerge. 11,11 Crook spotted the thin aiming rod on the top Carli I'I the bow plate which was a means to assist the drlVl'I a mortar vehicle (Sd.Kfz.251/2) in lining up his morLII a target. The bow plate carries the tactical symbol 1111 Panzer Grenadier company, with the letter 'L' for '11'1, inside. Above the top right corner of the licence nUII " 1 '6/902' is painted in dark paint. Hans Weber exp l.llll

"From the way these markings were applied Isugges! (II were there already earlier in '44. Now 902 was alwII the weaker and newer unit in Panzer-Lehr-Division, bill , early as March 1944 it was partially armored and Wlil ll, eventually be fully armored by June 1944. Interestillul the first Companies being armored were the 1. and tIll' (schwere) Kompanie as well as the 5., 6., and 7. of !I/I At this time around early March 1944, they all werl' I one single Battalion, with an additional Company III' numbered and still mechanized, probably a Traill l11 Company. It's funny to see them numbered out of on/,., but that's how it was. 50 what / think is that we havI' 251 of5chwerer Zug, 6./Pz.Gren.Rgt.902. A mortar con i, would fit very well with 'x4x,' that's the Heavy P/atcJIII where these were to be found ." 3x NAil

84

f\ I ,lterpillar D7 Tractor with a LeTourneau CK7 bulldozer blade mounted works with an M ', l ARV to recover a bogged down Sherman as a m.S.P.w. stands by. As seen by Greb: "/1 IJS tank and bulldozer pull another US tank out of a deep shell-hole where it is stymied

with a broken tread. In the background is a Mark VI tiger [sic] tank, one of the big German panzer units knocked out in the armored battle that preceded this breakthrough on the road to St. Gilles, which the Americans entered on July 26." US Army

85

"The American soldier in the center background is holding a shirt which a Nazi lost when his Mark VI tank was destroyed on (Ii road to St. Gilles as the American offensive opened west of st. Lo." Inset: ':4 group of American soldiers recline on a vanquisht'tl Tiger tank, while in the left background, one of their number holds the shirt which a Nazi lost when his Tiger was defeated. Wht'/I the American offensive opened west of St. Lo tank after tank was destroyed by bomb hits from the air, by artillery fire, by bazooku" 2x US Army Others were killed by US tanks and mobile guns'~ Like other Panthers in this series, it is from l./pz.Rgt.6.

86

~\ .,

,

't' ' i>:« ~,. .........

~

'

\" , v''1j

~

\

111, ,1 )'S

'.

..~ ..

\. ,

caption for this photo is lost, but we know from another that the GI with fixed bayonet is Sgt. Harvey Davis of San Diego, CA.

Davis' outfit knocked out the Tiger tank ... with a bazooka anti-tank gun a few hours earlier." Inset: Another Panther found in I II II t iJ ern Chapelle-en-Junger. 1x US Army, Ix US Airforce '", I.

87

"Private David Wise of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, stretches on his motorcycle as the American advance west of st. Lo has halted for a moment. Private Raymond Bennett of Irwin, Tennessee sits on the motorcycle at right and Sergeant Harvey Davis of San Diego, California, stands in the back." Opposite: "A few hours after the battle west of st. Lo,

88

Americans examine Nazi armor which they have destroyed. In the foreground is a NU:l troop-carrier, in the background, one of many Mark VI Tiger tanks, knocked aut in tl,/-, breakthrough." This is the Panther shown overturned in the bottom photos on page 711 2x US Army

More views of the mittlerer Pionierpanzerwagen (Sd.Kfz.251/7)' tactical number '1134,' from PZ.Pio.Kp .11 of PZ.Gren.Rgt.901 seen on the previous page. These images were shot by a motion picture cameraman after the vehicle had been pushed off the road and shows the extreme range of the

front axle in rough terrain. The vehicle is virtually intact. Opposite: The interior is clean as a whistle! Note the slight bow in the 'Obergangsschienen.' Artwork courtesy of Barry Crook. The unit insignia is a speculative design. 2x NARA

90

I cit: George Greb took the photos on pages " 2·93, but there also exists a 'War Pool' ph oto very similar to the one on page 92, .lId its caption seems more enamoured of th e USAAF than the ground troops Greb IIlt erviewed . We include it here to add .mother dimension to our coverage of ·Cobra.' "8/8/44 US dive bombers destroyed

,""

1/34 German tanks like this. A battered mass If steel, this German Tiger tank is one of the 184 tanks that U.S. dive bombers smashed III the first week of the great July 25, 1944 uffe nsive in the area south of st. La, France. In addition U.S. flyers demolished 2,287 other l;erman vehicles, many of them armored." I

US Army

Right: Greb: "American soldiers examine a German Mark VI, knocked out ofaction as the Am ericans advanced west ofst. La. The tanks \ uffered a direct hit and sank into its own crater, burying itself level with the road. The Nazi crew apparently expected a smooth run li1rough the war, as they carried a complete ';et of beautiful French dinner-ware amongst lheir loot, which remained intact." From .mother of Greb's captions: "Two soldiers who were taken by the Americans during the (lpening of the offensive west of st. La [were lI ot Germans]. Tartars, Mongolians, Russians fro m the Far East, they had been forced to fi ght in the German Army after their capture. I hey could not speak a word of German, I rench, or English, and Nazis captured with th em said they could speak with their fellow ·.oldiers only through an interpreter."

~;:~£1:i\.";::

US Army

93

II I

Greb's captions

were

American soldiers (at 1/ , ' of the vaunted Nazi Mark 111 11 " where were knocked out as 1/, , " ', advanced west of st. La, on I I' I (i illes. The Americans passed 11/. , I (('gular intervals in this break II I I tanks lay across the fields, '1111 11, ,I, some blown open like tin fI , I "' ir innards scattered in every 'I lle were buried up to their III shell holes. The tiger [sic] It/zis counted on most heavily 'Iy beaten." It is clear that the III " " Ire sitting on a vehicle on the lit ',I, I" of the road. US Army 111 11 .' ('

" , I, " ,l~ up of the rear deck showing Ii I.. 'I lor a stowage box that tankers 111: 1 I, fitted to their Panthers. The II" Idl er strips mounted underneath II ,..' of the tu rret were put there to II ',"'Il eone sticking a hand grenade ., will 'n the turret was traversed over I,· ," I he vehicle. US Army

,,,I ,,j t he 'civilians' George Greb was " d 10 photograph? We have only

I" Ii ' II: "American medical corpsmen

" , l il ly wounded civilian found in st. \vil , II US troops entered the town on , Ih troops entered the town this 11, ',1 out. The man's leg was broken, I, 'lit' I he ankle, by a piece ofshrapnel, '\ lI lt' ricans administered to him, they I ' ',I " 'ok to him in French, but the man 1,'II\ sian . He was captured on the I I/ t! front and brought to Cherbourg , ( ,('rmans as a slave laborer. He 11 ', 1 to escape from them during ,II I,' for Cherbourg. He kissed the " I the Americans, crying 'Tovarish, , /,,1 '"

' '"'- ::;':~

.•

4 +,

;:

.­ ..

p .i (i\CiUI1' :.'is'''I}I '~- &:

.s--­

--- --

....

-'"

<- • .;..

'-

+.

,- -" "

.....4'"

.­

-I.'

.---- ... ­

-:.

~

Greb: "An American soldier stands guard over a knocked out Tiger tank on the road to st. Gilles after the new US offensive had opened on July 25, west of st. Lo... 3000 bombers dropped 6000 tons of explosives on enemy positions." The GI is holding a German 9mm Maschinenpistole. Inset and opposite: The same Panther. It is extraordinary

96

that Greb took so many photos of German AFVs. After the war, he continued work from his studio, photographing babies and Chevrolets, among other subj e( I '; 2x US AnllY