Hasso, Freiherr von Manteuffel, colour studio portrait in Panzer Black.  Best regards, JR.

Manteuffel.

The Germans used a strange collection of vehicles in the course of their occupation of the Channel Islands.  This French-built Char B was, apparently, used by the Germans on Jersey.  Hard enough to imagine how this vehicle could have operated effectively except on the main road of the island, running along the southerly coast (facing France).  Still - who knows ?  These days, Jersey has one of the highest rates of car ownership per capita, and many of the cars in question are not really suitable for use on most of the island's roads (difficult to show flash in the sort of car suitable for these roads - a good "new Beetle" or a "Smart car" would best serve, but not for display).  Maybe this early war heavy did manage to haul its way up those hills, through those narrow roads.  If so, I only hope they gave notice ... In any event, the only information I could glean on this tank is that it is pictured, literally, on the scrapheap, probably immediately following the liberation of the island by the British. If anybody else can enlighten me further, I would be interested.  Best regards, JR.

German Char Bbis - final trip to the seaside.

German machine gunners move into new position during the battle of Stalingrad