Good morning David,
Reading your posting about the Panzerfaust, I recalled the history of the
King Tiger #213 currently on display at La Gleize -
(also see this link). After the fighting it was used by US troops to try out the Panzerfaust - see some footage here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DestroyedTa...a_knocked_out/
There is a difference between a tank being used for target practice on a range post-war, and a using it to familiarize troops with enemy (or even: own) weapons during wartime. In the former case it would be stripped for spares and set up on range for safe shooting. In the latter case it was a much more impromptu manner, probably after finding a cache of enemy weapons and a knocked out tank nearby. Look at the footage at La Gleize above, I wonder if the US soldiers did much more than shout out "fire in the hole" or similar to warn bystanders of their dangerous game!
The latter is what happened with the La Gleize King Tiger and that is what may have happened to our Sherman Crab.
Looking at the holes punched by the Panzerfaust, they are considerably larger than the holes in Avalon's sides. Looking at various then & now photos of the La Gleize Tiger I wonder if all those holes were punched in by Panzerfausts - it they really were, it must have been a mighty weapon.
Interestingly, none of the holes visible after the training can be seen today. All carefully filled to restore it to its after the battle condition?
