Number on a tank!

[DocKoehler]

Good bye!

[ChrisA]

Hello

Vehicles with the letter "R" are from the Regimentsstab (regimental HQ) which can also be seen by the type of the tank. The "R1" could indicate the regimental commander vehicle but there were unit specific variations. But regimentel commander vehicle is the most likely.

\Christoph

[Akira Takiguchi]

Hello Doc, here another photo of this "R1" - taken in (if I were to believe the burnt-in caption) Iglau (Jihlava today - http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp...=&city=Jihlava ).

The tank being a Panzerbefehlswagen III, it should be rather safe to assume that R means regimental headquaters. But whether this was a standard marking for this unit or one just crudely prepared for this parade, remains a mystery to me.

[Akira Takiguchi]

Another photo, which has similar atomosphere, shows tanks with one or two digits numbers just like "R1".

These tanks have standard rhomboid plates with different number. For example, Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. D "9" is "432" (4.Kompanie).

[A.Capirro]

Battle of the Bulge (1966)

I was just watching the 1966 movie Battle of the Bulge on the History Channel and Robert Shaw's character who plays the tank commander (loosely based on Peiper), drives in the tank marked 'R01'. According to inter-commercial notes about the movie, one of the German commanders at the BotB, was the film's technical advisor for German related militaria.

[DocKoehler]

Another number on a tank!

Good bye!

[Akira Takiguchi]

So you have a hidden ball there! Should have expected it! Some "L" numbers denote "leichte Kompanie" but in this case we shouldn't rush for a conclusion I think! Remotely possible but it could just be rechts und links! Even the initial of the commander is possible.

Anyone with a firm answer?

[DocKoehler]

Origin!

Good bye!

[Bill Murray]

I tend to agree with Akira.
I have a book in my store on German military parades which I will try to fetch today. I have not looked at it for some time but I remember a lot of shots of vehicles forming up on back streets.
It would make a lot of sense to have "L" & "R" and the vehicles number in column prominently displayed so everyone formed up correctly.
Cheers
Bill