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J.McGillivray · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 149

I found this on photobucket. It is an interrogation report of a German PW from the maintenance company of the 508 Heavy Tank Battalion who was captured in Italy in June 1944.

s23.photobucket.com/al...r64/tiger/

JWB2 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 25, 2006 Posts: 199

Interesting info. Shows how the "mighty Heeren" Laughing

were already cracking. But the part about "remote control tanks"... was Germany using those vehicles that early in Italy?

J.McGillivray · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 149

This is from Ã¢â‚¬Å“Battleground Italy 1943 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 1945 The German Armed Forces in the Battle for the Ã¢â‚¬ËœBootÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬Â? by Franz Kurowski (J.J.Fedorowicz Publishing).

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Fallschirm-Panzer-Division "Hermann Goring," which had been pulled from the frontlines elsewhere to make it available specifically for this offensive. Attached to this division was schwere Panzer-Abteilung 508 (Tiger), Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 216 (an assault-howitzer battalion) and the l./schwere Panzerjager-Abteilung 653 (Ferdinande tank destroyers). As part of its organization, schwere Panzer-Abteilung 508 had one of its Tiger companies equipped with the Borgward IV radio-controlled demolitions carrier.Ã¢â‚¬Â?

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

did that report just say what i thought it said about the "M4 Sherman"???

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

and what were the remarks about the "Tiger"????????

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Shawn! Hi Folks!

- SHAWN

did that report just say what i thought it said about the "M4 Sherman"???

The unit had three Shermans which they were using to tow Tigers with!

That would make an interesting diorama. I wonder how many Shermans they used per Tiger?

I wonder where that report was found at?
Interesting!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

J.McGillivray · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 149

This is typical of the reports coming out of Italy. The big German cats were built for the conditions on the Eastern Front. They were not suitable for the conditions encountered in Italy. With the heat, dust, rocks and the mountainous terrain the cats had a very high breakdown rate. See below.

web.inter.nl.net/users...g104/d.htm

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Folks!

Looks like the sPz.Abt 508 covered the openning for the turret and installed the split hatch cuploa off the turret onto that cover.

Anyone have any idea how much towing power a M4 tank had?

I think that says a lot about the good points of the Sherman when the enemy thinks it is far better than their own.

Sgt, Scouts Out! Smile

Maple_Leaf_Eh · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 517

- Roy_A_Lingle

Anyone have any idea how much towing power a M4 tank had?

As much as the M32(?) recovery vehicle (whatever that was). With recovery, the weight of the towing vehicle is almost more important than the object in tow. There was a Ram towing vehicle for th 17-pdr AT gun.

One interview subject is listed as a Jugoslav from Maribor, who didn't speak much German. Maribor is in Slovenia and virtually on the Southern flank of the Austrian Alps. It is on the direct train route out of Vienna into Yugo', and forms an East West junction. Not surprising that he would have felt sympathetic to the German military, if only from the lingering influences of the Austro Hungarian Empire.

On a related note, the documents are classified Secret. The serving soldier in me flinches to see that caveat on the Internet; even 60 years after its writing OPSEC is front of mind.

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Maple! Hi Folks!

- Maple_Leaf_Eh

On a related note, the documents are classified Secret. The serving soldier in me flinches to see that caveat on the Internet; even 60 years after its writing OPSEC is front of mind.

Me TOO! I have been retired for a few years and I was thinking the same thing. The word 'Secret' should have been crossed out and remarked with 'Unclassified', a date of de-classifition, and the control official who reclassified the document if that is a U.S document. Even after all this time, there is an SOP that has not been followed which makes me wonder if that document is still classified. My guess is there is no harm being done, but still it doesn't feel right.

That is why I was wondering where that document was found at.

Sgt, Scouts Out!

J.McGillivray · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 149

I canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t shed any light on where the document came from. I was just browsing on the Photobucket site when I came across it. I thought that it may be of interest to other people so I posted the link.

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