Soviet officer inspect the damaged Sd.Kfz. 251/16 Ausf. C Hanomag

Sd.Kfz. 251/16 Ausf. C Hanomag


Members of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) inspect the damaged and abandoned Panzer VI Tiger (Nº223) of 2./s.Pz.Abt.504 that is obstructing Traversa Quarto, a road in Catania, Belpasso, Sicily.
 6 August 1943.

 Shortly before the Allied landings in July 1943, s.Pz.Abt.504 were ordered to detach the 17 Tigers of 2./Kompanie to join Panzerdivision "Hermann Göring", which was coming from Naples. Of the 17 tanks that made up the company at the time of the Allied landings in Sicily on July 11, 1943, 16 were destroyed in combat or were abandoned by their crews due to malfunction, only one Tiger Nº222, was able to cross the Strait of Messina with the Axis forces in retreat.

 Nb. there is a plaque on the wall at this site, part of which reads;
 "...... threatened by enemy fire when on August 6, 1943. In this way the sudden failure of the German tank was preventing the inexorable advance ......"

 (Source - NAM. 1975-03-63-14-5)
 (Photograph by Major W H J Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

 (Colorised by Benoit Vne from France)taken from FB

Tiger demise

PzKpfw V Ausf G Panther, with passengers and foliate camouflage, in Normandy, Summer 1944.  Note the vertical jack mounted on the tank's rear.  Best regards, JR.