Big panzer news!

[Simon O.]

Many of you will be aware of the thread concerning the 3 Pz.III ausf.N recently recovered in North Norway.
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=186080





It turns out that these two still had their chassis numbers and were thus traceable.

This plate belongs to the vehicle on the right. Originally built as an ausf.M




This plate belongs to the vehicle on the left, built as an Ausf.L




The big news is which units had these vehicles before they were sent back to Germany for conversion to ausf.N and sent to Norway.

74352 was belonged to SS-Pz.Gr.Div. Das Reich, it was damaged at Kharkov and recovered by Grossdeutschland

76219 belonged to Grossdeutschland and both were involved in Zitadelle, the battle of Kursk.

Here's a page from GD's records detailing the armoured vehicles on the divisions strength on the eve of Kursk. I've circled the two relevant serial numbers.




That makes these two panzers very special indeed. Veterans of two of the most famous German divisions and two of the most famous battles on the Eastern Front!

[Simon O.]

So now the hunt is on to find out more about the history of these two panzers. Any help will be most welcome.

As a note. The serial number plates have been removed in order to keep them safe.

[Daniele C]

This is something interesting...i hope you can find more news about the panzer...maybe the crew as well?

[Radcollector]

very intersting stuff simon,ive been following these threads,please keep us up to date with any new info you guys find!

[R MICHAEL]

simply amazing! can't you just feel the history oozing out of the pair?


mike

[SurvivingPanzer]

Amazing. I hope that these beauties will be properly taken care of.

[Danny L]

Really interesting to hear.

I know my wifes uncle (since passed) served with Grossdeutschland as a panzer driver. First on the eastern front and final wounded real bad fighting around Bastogne with Fuhrer-Begleit Brigade.

Info on his service in the eastern front is very difficult to trace since the family does not have any letters that he sent home during that time frame. The only letters to exists are the ones from Battle of the Bulge time.

[Simon O.]

I just received info this morning that by 31. Aug. 1943 Grossdeutschland were down to just 7 Pz.III (lg), of which these were two, 6 were operational and 76219 was under repair.

Incredible to think these two old warriors fought side by side in the same unit in the biggest tank battle in history, stayed together during their conversion to ausf.N, both sent to their new unit in Finland\Norway (we think they were sent to pz.abt.211 but pz.abt.Norwegen is also a posibility) and survived the war, stayed together whilst in Norwegian service in the late 40s and 50s and are still side by side today!

[Theodor]

This is great history!!!

[Simon O.]

Some more photos.

Both main guns on the numbered panzers are dated 1943 and are 3-letter coded ebk. I assume these are the serial numbers but one is stamped R1751 and the other R1734





Here's a shot of the 'ausf.M' as you can see, under the norwegian green paint there remains a fair bit of original dunkelgelb.



Side shot of the 'ausf.L'. Both tanks have the older split commanders cupola hatch rather than the single piece which the third panzer has.




Front shot of the thirs panzer for which there was no chassis number (unless they stamped it on other parts of the vehicle?)

[dblmed]

Living History......

Fantastic Thread......

Amazing that you have found so much linking & confirmatory History.

Hopefully, a Special Museum is in store for these WW2 Veterans!

Dave/dblmed

[paddywhack]

its a pity though that they will get split up!!!great pics though!!

[panzer ace]

noice

[Tor-Helge Y]

its a pity though that they will get split up!!!great pics though!!

They will not be split up

Plan is to restore both of the sisters (or is it brothers???) to a statical condition locally.
The third Pz without any dataplate will be stripped of necessary parts to complete these 2 with road-wheels etc.

Cheers,

[DonC]

Guys, i love America, but will allthe incredibel finds still coming to light i n Europe, I think I ned to start splitting time! Thanks for this thread - I have an old Tamiya Mark III up in my attic that I may just have to repaint to reflect one of these tanks!

Don