Interesting photo

[Jürg]

here is a photo from a Kriegsberichterstatter. The photo says: tank sunk ship! Does anyone of you guys know maybe the unit which this tank belonged?

[Jürg]

back

backside

[Glenn2438]

4./Pz.Rgt. 3

Jürg,

a picture of the same tank appears in "Die 2. Panzer-Division 1935-1945". The Panzer IV belonged to 4./Pz.Rgt. 3 and the caption states that this tank sank a British destoyer on the 23rd of May 1940.

Regards
Glenn

[Ian Jewison]

Thats interesting Glenn!

The only info that I can find nearest to that date and location is:

24/05/40 Destroyer WESSEX (1,100t, 1918) Sunk by aircraft bombs, off Calais, France

I will see if I can find more.....incidentally I could find no British Merchant or Trawlers in the area for that date either!

However a more detailed search says that this was sunk on the 25th and not 24th

/Ian

[Ian Jewison]

Unfortunately can not find any British ships sunk on that date....quite a few on the 25th but not 23rd!

/Ian

[Glenn2438]

Destroyer?

Ian,

the photo history of the 2nd Panzer Division does not elaborate on the incident. The English translations of the captions are generally appalling and the original German caption does not even give a date! The English caption to the photo however states May 23 1940. Perhaps someone with a detailed history of the 2nd Panzer-Division could throw some more light on the subject.

Regards
Glenn

[Angel Farré]

In the book "Field uniforms of German Army Panzer Forces in World War II" page 80, you can see I picture of this tank and three of his crew members and says that this crew engaged a British destroyer at the harbour of Boulogne and sunk it on May 23rd, 1.943.

Angel

[Ian Jewison]

I am still unable to verify what destroyer it was and even if it was British.
I did find this page which gives a little info about the action, however the idenfication of the ship is unknown..

http://members.aol.com/ladung/destroy.htm

/Ian

[Akira Takiguchi]

This is FW Helmut Langhammer from 2.Panzer-Division, and the destroyed ship shown in the text history of 2.Panzer-Division has been identified as french destroyer Chacal by my friend.

Langhammer later became a Panther commander (Chef 4.Kp./Pz.Abt.51), but unfortunately he did not survive the war (MIA in Falaise as Chef 4.Kp/Pz.Rgt.33) to share this interesting story with us.

[Jürg]

Thanks guys

Thanks a lot guys for your information.

Greetings
Jürg

[Ian Jewison]

If it was "The Jackal" (Le Chacal) my sources state that it was sunk on the 24th of May and not the 23rd!

23.5.1940 took part in operations of coastal bombardment on the German positions (fort de la Crèche).
24.5.1940 hit by 4 bombs (aircraft) and sank at Cape d' Alprecht close to Boulogne.

/Ian

[Akira Takiguchi]

Good point, Ian. That's why I wrote "<i>the destroyed ship shown in the text history of 2.Panzer-Division</i>". Thus the photo shown in the book is not likely the victim of Langhammer.

Another friend had thought it was the british destroyer <b>Keith</b> whose captain was said to have been killed by a bullet from the land, but after some discussion with my friend, the likelyhood is that the vessel was the destroyer <b>Vimiera</b> whose pennant number was D23, which is similar to 523 in the drawing (but in reality no british destoyer was sunk!?).

Your opinion will be appreciated!