http://www.americainwwii.com/pdfs/stories/heilbronn-one-last-place-to-die.pdf
good story plenty of detail
good story plenty of detail
Tigers? Funny how Tigers were everywhere. It seems to most allied soldiers they faced Tigers but Tigers were generally only issued to elite units or in their own separate heavy battalions and used as fire brigades. Out of curiosity I looked up the 17th and its OOB.Currently reading "Duty Before Self", which is the history of the 781st Tank Battalion that was attached to the 100th Infantry Division during the fighting. Couple interesting tidbits:
Their HQ Co. had 3 Shermans mounting Calliopes, which were used extensively for bombarding the town.
The four tanks mentioned in the counterattack were Tigers.
German armor was from the 667th Assault Gun Battalion and the 17th Panzer Grenadier Division.
The entire town was basically rubbled, from a December bombing raid by 300 Lancaster bombers and the resulting firestorm.
Three DD Shermans attempted to cross the river, but all of them bogged when trying to exit the river due to the mud and steep banks.
Monkeys with typewriters here ?http://www.americainwwii.com/pdfs/stories/heilbronn-one-last-place-to-die.pdf
good story plenty of detail
Futbol,http://www.americainwwii.com/pdfs/stories/heilbronn-one-last-place-to-die.pdf
good story plenty of detail
I was thinking the same thing. Probably not Tigers but possibly Pz IV which at fast glance can resemble a Tiger I. I would think by this point most units having Tigers were brought back for the defense of Berlin.Tigers? Funny how Tigers were everywhere. It seems to most allied soldiers they faced Tigers but Tigers were generally only issued to elite units or in their own separate heavy battalions and used as fire brigades. Out of curiosity I looked up the 17th and its OOB.
It doesn't appear it ever had Tigers, in fact being a scratch unit it appears it never had tanks per se going back to Normandy but had assault guns attached to it then and did so through the end of the war.
Fleischer/Eiermann, Das letzte Jahr der Waffen-SS
March 1945
SS-Pz.Abt. 17 = 3 Kpn. zu je 17 Stu.Gesch. IV
SS-Pz.Jäg.Abt. 17 = 2 Kpn. zu je 11 Jagd-Pz. IV und 1 Kp. 7,5 cm Pak (mot.Z.)
This is the first time I've seen it said that Tigers were underreported. I remember reading AARs from the U.S. 17th Cavalry Squadron about action against the 11th Panzer in southern France. Every enemy tank they encountered was a "Mark VI" But there were no Tigers in southern France at the time.The Germans used to put dummy fittings on their Tigers so they resembled Pz IVs. Tigers are under-reported in histories.
JR
I would believe that jrv is joking.This is the first time I've seen it said that Tigers were underreported.
Especially the fake-armor they welded on was working exceptionally fine. When Germans are doing something, they usually do it very scrupulously.The Germans used to put dummy fittings on their Tigers so they resembled Pz IVs. Tigers are under-reported in histories.
JR
It doesn't even appear the German units in this action even had PzIV's. Most likely a case where 'tiger' became the catch all description for an AFV.I was thinking the same thing. Probably not Tigers but possibly Pz IV which at fast glance can resemble a Tiger I. I would think by this point most units having Tigers were brought back for the defense of Berlin.
Sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake.I would believe that jrv is joking.
I like this German-type humor.Sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake.
I believe that you are correct. I am just reporting what the book said. They appeared to have engaged just infantry, before any US armor was across the river.Tigers? Funny how Tigers were everywhere. It seems to most allied soldiers they faced Tigers but Tigers were generally only issued to elite units or in their own separate heavy battalions and used as fire brigades. Out of curiosity I looked up the 17th and its OOB.
It doesn't appear it ever had Tigers, in fact being a scratch unit it appears it never had tanks per se going back to Normandy but had assault guns attached to it then and did so through the end of the war.
Fleischer/Eiermann, Das letzte Jahr der Waffen-SS
March 1945
SS-Pz.Abt. 17 = 3 Kpn. zu je 17 Stu.Gesch. IV
SS-Pz.Jäg.Abt. 17 = 2 Kpn. zu je 11 Jagd-Pz. IV und 1 Kp. 7,5 cm Pak (mot.Z.)