Panthers Disguised As M10 Tank Destroyers! Battle of the Bulge.

[TrondK]

When we see these "war documentars" they never seems to have such easy accessible details as these photos. It is easier to just copy old "documentars"with new voices and scary music.

Thanks for sharing these photos, i have to admit this was totally new information for me.

[lithgow]

This info has been available for many years, cleverly hidden in books- one of the alterations required the removal of the commander's cupola which compromised the operation of the vehicles-they were never used in an infiltration op and were used as 'ordinary' tanks in the Ardennes.

[4md]

I really enjoyed this book, there is a large chapter on " Operation greif " and Panzer brigade 150 plus plenty of photos, including Germans being shot as spies by American firing squads and disguised German tanks.
I like Otto Skorzenys code name for the operation" Dr Solar"....... sounds like a Bond villain.

regards Paul

[big ned]

Here's a model of the ersatz M-10 to show what they looked like. It is not my kit.

And a little info on them and their use.


Ersatz%20A.jpg


During the German Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, Panzerbrigade.150 Rabenhugel had two companies of vehicles in American markings as part of a planned ruse to seize vital bridges ahead of 6.Panzerarmee as part of Operation Greif. In the event, the unit was not used as intended but instead was used in a conventional attack towards Malmedy on 22 December 1944. Panzerkompanie Dreier of Kampfgruppe Z was equipped with four Panther Ausf. G tanks and one captured M4A1, and lost all five tanks in fighting that day, mainly against the US 120th Infantry Regiment. The Panthers were from a group of six that had been rebuilt by MAN to look like US M10 tank destroyers. Two of Panthers were knocked out by bazooka hits to the rear, one of these hits inflicted by Pfc. Francis Currie who won the Medal of Honor for his actions that day.

Regards, Ned.

[hucks216]

What surprises me is the lack of ex-Allied vehicles the Germans used in the operation. Considering the Germans must of had some access to captured & damaged Allied vehicles from either Africa, Italy, France and ex-land lease from Russia you would of thought that they would of made more effort than just a handful of ex-Allied tanks & halftracks.

[DioMac]

Have a look at the operations of KG200

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampfgeschwader_200

Attachment 411080

[Scout]

What surprises me is the lack of ex-Allied vehicles the Germans used in the operation. Considering the Germans must of had some access to captured & damaged Allied vehicles from either Africa, Italy, France and ex-land lease from Russia you would of thought that they would of made more effort than just a handful of ex-Allied tanks & halftracks.

Pure conjecture on my part: As for capturing ground vehicles in Russia, Lend Lease didnt get up and running until well after the beginning of Barbarossa.
When US vehicles really started rolling on Russian soil and in particular in the latter part of the war, the German troops had enough on their plate to worry about hauling captured/stranded allied vehicles back the Reich.
Same goes for France following D-Day.

[Adrian Stevenson]

German units did have captured Allied vehicles in small quanities: the problem was they did not want to hand them over to another unit when they were so short of running vehicles themselves.

Cheers, Ade.

[hucks216]

Pure conjecture on my part: As for capturing ground vehicles in Russia, Lend Lease didnt get up and running until well after the beginning of Barbarossa.
When US vehicles really started rolling on Russian soil and in particular in the latter part of the war, the German troops had enough on their plate to worry about hauling captured/stranded allied vehicles back the Reich.
Same goes for France following D-Day.

Considering the way the Germans pressed into service any vehicle they could get their hands on (thinking particularly of trucks at this point) even if the numbers of captured vehicles were low (used for comparison tests or to make up numbers in much the same way as T-34's were in some Panzer units in 1942/43 etc) the actual amount must of still of been of a much higher number then actually handed over for the Ardennes operation.

I mean if an army that size fighting in a war of that magnitude on so many fronts you would think it would have access to alot more captured material then seems to be the case when needed.

[Scout]

There certainly was a lot of hardware from both sides on the battlefield.