US Armor & Vehicles

Cologne tank battle

US Army Signal Corps/United Press International

Komödienstrasse/Cologne (Germany); March 6, 1945: M4 Sherman of the US 3rd Armored Division received a direct hit by a German Panzer V "Panther" of Panzer-Brigade 106 in Komödienstrasse in the center of Cologne. The Sherman's crew consisted of Tank Commander Kellner, Gunner Gialluca, Asst. Gunner Speer, Driver Patrick und Asst. Driver Griffin. Patrick and Speer were killed instantly by the impact of the Panther's shell. Kellner, Gialluca and Griffin made it out of the tank but Kellner (he can be seen bailing out of the tank on the right side of the photo) lost a leg and died in spite of immediate medical treatment. The German tank however was destroyed shortly after by a T26E3 "Pershing".