36th Engineers and giant German tank

[Walt's Daughter]

Thank you for all that info, Keith. Superb reply!

[Keith]

Location and some background information answered....now for the next question...who and or what unit has been given credit for this tank kill?

[JTM]

Hi,

 

The crew of the tank blown it up after a mechanical break down, so the s.pz.jg.Abt 653 destroyed the tank! The date was 17 March 1945, (most probably).

 

In this link there is some information about the wreck place:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/571595/thread/1206431344/last-1206462039/Jagdtiger+234+of+s.Pz.Jg.Abt.+653+-+location+of+loss+identified

 

Regards,

[JTM]

Well, I have noticed that I have posted two times the link to the wreck place of the Jagdtiger. Sorry. Maybe this one is new to you?

 

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675022038_United-States-7th-Army_128-mm-self-propelled-gun_soldiers-advance_steel-bridge

 

Regards,

[CaptO]

I saw the Jagdtiger at Aberdeen while they were in the middle of transitioning the collection down to Fort Lee, Va. It was massive!! Here are some of my pictures (it was raining that day but it was the only time I had):

 

 

[Keith]

Thanks for the responses; have added Fort Lee to my road trip list! I always thought the tank was disabled due to a hit to the left front track (semantics for mechanical failure?).

[CaptO]

I would assume that the (former) Aberdeen Jagdtiger (serial number 305020) has been moved since I saw it in late 2011. They were about 75% done moving everything at the time I had a meeting up there. Now as to where, that I am not sure. They moved most of the vehcles to Fort Lee, the new location of the Army Ordnance Museum. In Wikipedia (the knower of all things) it says this, however:

• Jagdtiger serial number 305020
  

National Armor & Cavalry Museum in Fort Benning, Georgia. It was produced in October, 1944 and was attached to the s.Pz.Jg.Abt 653 and had the vehicle number 331. The vehicle was captured near Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany in March 1945. Damage is still visible on the gun mantlet, glacis plate, and lower nose armor. This vehicle used the late version nine-tooth sprocket ring,^[14] for use with the 'contact shoe' and 'connector link' style continuous track it shared with the Tiger II.

Why they would move this one piece to Fort Benning and not Fort Lee with the rest, I don't know. It wasn't there at Ft Benning the last time I was there in early 2012.

 

Found this photo here. This is not the same JT, to my knowledge.

 

Here is another one I took of the track and suspension.

 

All of my Aberdeen photos.

[Keith]

Major, Thanks for the update and photo series. I live approximately one half hour from Carlisle War Barricks and AHEC.

Let me know if I can be of any research assistance.

[JTM]

The history of the Aberdeen Jagdtiger:

 

 

“The lead tank drove through an underpass before being hit. The Americans spotted two panzerjager, covered by infantry, tucked in beside a nearby building. A Sherman fired at them and missed. Its next shell did better, hitting one of the German armoured vehicles at the junction of its gun and shield, jamming the recoil mechanism. The German tried to retire, but lost a track to another shell. The panzerjäger collided with its mate, wedging it against a wall. Both German armoured crews bailed out and fled, except one driver who remained in his seat, concussed by the first hit. As the Shermans engaged the infantry with their machine-guns, the commander of the leading American tank collapsed in his turret, shot by a rifleman. His tank pulled aside, allowing its successor to overtake and drive on. This little firefight had lasted only four minutes. The Americans now drove on into Speyer in thick fog which reduced visibility to a hundred yards. They suffered a steady trickle of casualties for some hours before the town was secured.”

 

 

Well, the track survived, but maybe the transmission got blocked.

 

Regards,