Com-Central.net

blair · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 87

I've been reading "Infantry Aces" by Franz Kurowski which is a book about the exploits of various german soldiers during WW2.

During the depictions of several battles between the Germans and the Soviet there were numerous occasions that the German were knocking out tanks by jumping up on them during the heat of the battle.

They either placed explosives under the turret over hang on the rear deck or simply pounded on the turret until the hatch was opening by the commander and then a grenade was thrown in.

Why in the world would a tank commander open his hatch in the middle of a firefight?

BTW there is another book in the series called " Panzer Aces", is anyone familiar with it?

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

I having not read the accounts and the circumstances involved, I could only assume that since the Russians lagged behind in communications (tank to tank & tank to infantry), the tc might assume it would be his own infantry trying to knock on his door.

keef · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 22

Yep i have read Panzer aces, not a bad read

Jens_O_Mehner · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 1:46 pm Post subject: Re: Knock Knock

I would read everything by Franz Kurowski with large dosages of salt, he has been known to, shall we say "embellish" the facts- and not only a bit.

Jens O.

palic · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Mar 03, 2006 Posts: 172

Believe or not, when TC losts his ability to OBSERVE the battlefield he can do everything even to open his hatch. Long time ago we trained our soldiers to be able to engage tanks at close quarters by using improvised means....
I can remember lads storming the house ruin, running upstairs and jumping on the turret of tank passing by and then covering TC's cupola with tent part to black it out.
There were more "episodes" arranged for trainees, for instance armoured vehicle (tank or BMP) driven over guy laying "as flat as possible" on the terrain and then throwing grenade when vehicle had passed, or pushing AT mine in front of moving tank track and then crawling in front of tank to the trench... Pretty exciting exercise it was...

Follow the link: forum.valka.cz/viewtop...807#105807
There are some pics taken during such training.

Com-Central.net

Select Language

Login

`±`Recent Visitors

`±`User Info-big

Com-Central.net

Select Language

Login

±Recent Visitors

±User Info-big

`±`Recent Visitors

`±`User Info-big