На фейсбуке нашлось такое фото и описание
The M-8 was obviously not a real good match up for the German Panther in face-to-face combat. However, when Lt. Lyman Diercks' 3rd Platoon, B Troop, 43 rd Squadron was faced with the situation, not only did they knock out one Panther Tank, but would you believe two?
Lyman Diercks recalls, " On September 8, 1944 our 3rd Platoon was sent by Captain Richard Stolze, Troop Commander, to reconnoiter an area where we entered a small village near Murville, France. We established outposts in the village square, aiming our 37-mm gun towards the road leading into the village. All of a sudden we heard tank motors starting and two German Panther tanks pulled out of a barn about 50 yards from our lead armored car and started turning their 75mm gun towards us. Only Joe Side, gunner, and I were able to see the tank from our turret position. I yelled ' Tanks! Tanks! Fire one and get the hell out of here!" Our driver, Dave Baum and radio operator, Loren Hocking, scrambled out of the front hatches. As Joe and I were leaving the turret he fired the 37-mm. It was a miracle! Our shell went directly down the barrel of the Panther tank and evidently met their shell as it was fired. The barrel of the tank folded back like a banana peel and the ammunition exploded, setting it on fire"
The burning disabled tank rammed our armored car and set it on fire too. The second German tank, which had been following the first, continued down the street, smashing jeeps and pushing other vehicles to one side until it was disabled by bazooka fire. We asked Joe Side recently what his personal thoughts were at the time. He said, "Although through the years some who tell about our experience suggest that I accidentally tripped the foot trigger of our 37-mm when leaving the M-8 and destroying the Panther, actually I had deliberately, with malice aforethought, fired at the Panther, not aiming at the center of the 75-barrel, of course. I remember a bunch of emotions jammed into the space of a very short time; fear combined with anger and frustration at our impossible match up. Perhaps, in retrospect, it was like a little guy, I know you can beat me, but I want a little piece of your ass before that happens. So, I had already loaded the 37 with an armor piercing shell and had sighted it down the road before the Panther had appeared. It took little time to fire the foot pedal and move out, but fast."
The second armored car, commanded by Sgt. Joe Szubka, contained gunner Fred Grant, driver John Bracco and radio operator, David Pinsker. Szubka tells this, "We were around the corner and although we heard firing and explosion, we could not see the action. Suddenly, racing around the corner appeared a Panther tank (the second German Panther.) It collided with our M-8 and actually ran up the front of our vehicle like it was attempting to run over us. We backed up and dislodged. The Panther moved out into a nearby field where it was destroyed by bazooka fire. Our front end and suspension system was damaged and we were towed away by ordinance the next day."
The third armored car was commanded by Sgt. Herb Krinke, gunner Elwood Haubrick, driver Ralph Schroeder and radio operator Thomas Reith. Schroeder reports "We heard the shooting but saw nothing at our location until a Tiger (the second) came around the corner. I pulled over to the left along a stone wall and the crew jumped out behind the wall. Suddenly a 75 round was fired through the right side of our M-8. It entered the front, destroying our radio and the three tires on the right wheels. I grabbed a bazooka and Haubrick got the ammunition. We managed to get two shots off into the bogie wheels as the Tiger passed us. It went a short distance and was on fire. I remember one German coming out of the turret on fire and jumping off the end of the tank. When he hit the ground he was dead.
Ordinance picked up our vehicle the next day and I got three new tires, a new radio, the holes were welded and the damaged area painted."
Sergeant Ken Logan in one of the accompanying jeeps said, "I and the other jeep members quickly joined the other platoon members in the field. Among these were Frank Faukowitz and Sergeant Sigismond Kraska. One jeep was run over by the second Tiger and completely flattened. At the end, our jeep was the only vehicle of the platoon that was operational."
The Panthers belonged to Panzerbrigade 106 which suffered heavy losses during the night attack on U.S. positions. While they and accompanying Panzergrenadiers in half-tracks managed to penetrate deep behind U.S. lines - there was no panic amongst the Americans. They were able to keep track of where the Germans were by radio and set up blocking positions and ambushes. In the end - most of the attacking German vehicles were trapped and destroyed.
Pz Brig.106 знак на ящике.
Автор
Тема: Камуфляж, маркировка: обсуждение. (Прочитано 389951 раз)