Panther ''Gerda'' Ausf. A

[BPA-Paul]

Hi guys,

Panther Ausf. A (''Gerda"") which was attached to the Panzer Lehr division in 1944, fought at Tilly sur Seulles and the battle of Saint Lo.

My question is are there any images/photos of this tank knocked out ? which would have been in and around the Saint Lo area the month of July.

I think its tank Nr. 234 ?

Thanks guys.



Panther Gerda pic.jpg

[maxfab]

https://www.facebook.com/worldwarinc...5993979197056/

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

i'm reposting this well known picture which was colorized by Doug of WW2 Colourised Photos for the WAF archives.

I suspect that the two Panther shown on the picture were destroyed on the road, and where pushed on the side later by Allied engineers.

see You

Vince

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WW2 Colourised Photos
· 14 février 2018 ·

Two knocked-out German Pz.V 'Panther' tanks of 1./Pz.Rgt.6 on the outskirts of Lingèvres, Normandy, France.
20 June 1944.
(the nearest tank could be Nr.234 'Gerda')

A Sherman 'FIREFLY' of 'A' squadron, (17 Pounder Gun), 4/7th. Royal Dragoon Guards, commanded by Sgt. W. Harris had spectacular success on 13/14th June 1944 when five 'Panther' tanks were knocked out, thereby securing the village of Lingèvres.
Sgt Harris was awarded a DMC and his gunner, Trooper MacKillop got a Mention in Despatches for destroying 5 Panthers with as many shots

Five Panzerkampfwagen V 'Panther' tanks (inc Nr. 234 'Gerda') arrived at Pallières, a farm near Juaye-Mondaye (5km from Lingevres), on 10 June 1944. The unit was sent to support Pz.Aufkl.-Lehr-Abt. 130. The Panthers belonged to the 2. Kompanie of I./Panzer-Regiment 6 from 3.Panzer-Division.

(Photo source - © IWM B 5784)
No. 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit
Midgley, A. N. (Sergeant)

(Colourised and researched today by Doug)

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

another colorized picture of the famous Panzer-Lehr Panther meeting on June 10, 1944. "Gerda" is in the centre.

Colorized by Royston Leonard.

See You

Vince

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WW2 Colourised Photos
10 juin 2016

#1 Five Panzerkampfwagen V 'Panther' tanks (Nr. 234 'Gerda' in the centre) arrive at Pallières, a farm near Juaye-Mondaye, at about 15:30 on 10 June 1944. The unit was sent to support Pz.Aufkl.-Lehr-Abt. 130. The Panthers belong to the 2. Kompanie of I./Panzer-Regiment 6 from 3.Panzer-Division. The I./Panzer-Regiment 6 had recently been attached to Panzer-Lehr-Regiment 130 as the I. Bataillon of that unit. It would become I./Pz.-Lehr-Rgt. 130 at a later date.

#2 130. Panzer Lehr Division officers study a map of the region surrounding Tilly-sur-Seulles

A short timeline of events leading up to this event:

4 June – I./Pz.Rgt. 6 is loaded on trains to move east to Russia

5 June – First train of I./Pz.Rgt. 6 arrived in Magdeburg, Germany (the last train was still in Paris). It may be possible that these last 5 Panthers were never loaded onto a transport train.

6 June – Trains carrying I./Pz.Rgt. 6 ordered back to France

10 June – 5 Panthers of 2. Kompanie I./Pz.Rgt. 6 arrive at Juaye-Mondaye

15 June – Main body of I./Pz.Rgt. 6 arrives in the sector

Details of the five Panthers:

Nr. 234 'Gerda' – Panther Ausf. A
Nr. 2?? 'Christel' – Panther Ausf. A turret on an Ausf. D hull
Nr. 2?? 'Helsa' – Panther Ausf. A
Nr. 2?? – Panther Ausf. A
Nr. 2?? – Panther Ausf. A

(Nb. the pic shows the muzzle of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun)

When the Allied invasion came, Panzer Lehr Division was one of the strongest divisions in the German Army, with 109 tanks, forty assault guns, and 612 half-track vehicles (double the normal Panzer div's component.)
The division was rushed to Normandy and thrown into the Battle of Caen, where it helped to halt Montgomery's advance, but at a terrible cost.
On the 25th of June it had only sixty-six tanks left, and by the 25th of July its combined tank/assault gun total stood at fifty.
Sent to oppose the American advance from St Lo, it was struck by 1,600 US. heavy and medium bombers on July 25th.
Two days later, the divisional commander reported Panzer Lehr as "finally annihilated".

(Colourised by Royston Leonard from the UK)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colou...82158581977012

[BPA-Paul]

Hello Vince,

Thank you for your input and I am aware of this information, but there are no clear images or (side shots) of the 2x Panther tanks at Lingèvres, to say that one of them could be "Gerda 234" is clearly a guess.

The reason I mentioned in my first post..'Saint Lo area and the month of July' is that I have been researching some photos in my collection that may clear up some speculation ?? and past info discussion
on forums regarding what happened to Panther "Gerda" and where is was destroyed and knocked out ?? ....trying to piece the puzzle so to speak.

Im really trying to find images of knocked out Panther Ausf. A tanks from US aerial bombardment or artillery fire carried out during the battle of Saint Lo on Thursday July 13th and Friday July 14th.

I will continue researching, talk soon. Thank you

Best regards.

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

were you able to check any book on the Panzer-Lehr to check combat reports of the Lingèvres battle ?

I just checked the Perrigault Heimdal book on the Panzer-Lehr, but the infos are clearly lacking for the Lingèvres battle.
"Gerda" is sometimes listed as "224" when in the German translation in the same page it is listed... "214". I don't know who identified "Gerda" as the 1st tank destroyed on the D13, attacking from the West of Lingèvres.

I suppose that you know this combat report on the Lingèvres battle :

https://www.strijdbewijs.nl/breakout/out2.htm

The problem is that the map and the text is not as precise at it should be, and i suspect that many parts are badly translated (confirmed with errors on the attack of Lingèvres).

On the text we can read that a total of 7 Panther (of 2. Kompanie I./Pz.Rgt. 6) were destroyed, when 6 are usually listed. At the end of the text it is said that a total of 9 Panther were destroyed, but I suspect this is again an error.

- first Panther (number/surname unknown) destroyed (between 12 AM and 12.30 AM) by Harris's Firefly on the East of Lingèvres on the D13 road;
- second Panther (number/surname unknown) damaged (between 12 AM and 12.30 AM) by Harris's Firefly on the East of Lingèvres on the D13 road, Panther destroyed by Major Mogg with a PIAT;

[the Panther (number/surname unknown) destroyed (around 12.30 AM) by Harris's Firefly on the East of Lingèvres on the D13 road in the text is imo an error of translation, this is probably the first Panther destroyed]

In the afternoon, an unknown Panther coming from the South (D187 road) destroyed one of the 4 “normal” Sherman that were with Harris(s Firefly. This was the Sherman of Cpl. Johnson which was located in the village square.

At 4.30 PM, Panther were spotted coming from the opposite side (on the West of Linguèvres, on the D13 road) so Harris’s Firefly moved from the East of Lingèvres to the Nord-West of the village, so he can flank those Panther.
Capitain Stirling on one of the 3 remaining Sherman was said to have destroyed the 6th Panther when he was located more in the North-West of Lingèvres.

- the third Panther (“234”/Gerda ???) was the first Panther on the road, and the one destroyed by Harris’s Firefly which was the more distant from the village, it was destroyed around 4.30 PM on the West of Lingèvres on the D13 road.

- the fourth Panther (“225”/surname unknown) was the second Panther damaged by Harris’s Firefly, this one was able to keep running up until it stopped in the village square where he was abandonned.

- the fifth Panther (number/surname unknown) again passed “Gerda” but was the third Panther destroyed by Harris’s Firefly. It was destroyed on the D13 road around 10 meters ahead of “Gerda”.

Maybe there is more on various French, British and German books about this battle…

Now about your pictures and your study on other Panzer-Lehr Panther, do you think that "Gerda" may have indeed survived the Lingèvres battle, and was lost later on ?

See You

Vince