A German Tank of WW2
A photograph of a German WW2 Tank
[Photograph: J. Ritson]
This photograph shows an example of the type of tank used by the Germans during the Battle of Normandy (June - August 1944). It was taken at the Memorial Museum for the Battle of Normandy, Bayeux, Calvados, France.
The Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum has a collection of some of the weaponry, equipment and uniforms used by the troops involved in the battle. It also has a chronological and thematic presentation of the events and stories in Normandy between June and August 1944.
posted by ritsonvaljos at 8:03 pm
5 Comments:
no idea what this was but it looks like the Panther suspension with ultra sloping sides to deflect shots - the gun looks odd also as I would have thought that by then the long barrelled 75mm was in use all over the place
On second thought - this has to be a special tank destroyer (SPGUN) and mainly an Artillery piece which had to lay back as there is no turret apparently on this unit so would not be involved with tank fighting.
Third thought on this model - can't be Panther suspension as that had double bogies with offset axles - strange set up of bogies but seemed to work - was slow and wide just giving an inch each side of a Bailey bridge - fearsome though once panther had you in his sights it wa usually curtains...this SP gun looks smaller and lighter
When I took this photograph all I wrote in my notepad was that it was a German Tank. I often take photographs or scribble things down in my notepad and perhaps look at it again later. That particular day I had spent rather more time at the Bayeux War Cemetery and Memorial looking for certain people.
That's a Hetzer. More fully, a Jagdpanzer 38(t) 'Hetzer', you can see it in the drawings here.
2,584 were produced from April 1944to May 1945. The first combat units to receive the Hetzer, in July 1944, were Panzerjägerabtelungen 731 and 743, and the 15th and 78th Infantry Divisions. It was subsequently issued to tank-hunter detachments attached to all types of formations.
After the war the Swiss army purchased 158 Hetzers and they also served with the post-war Czech army.
Peter
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