Unit badge on Tiger tank

[David Dunlop]

Some neutral thoughts on this topic.

All three of these vehicles look like knocked out and burned to some degree items.

The first two Tiger photos are clearly the same vehicle, in the same location, and in spite of the grainy second image, these photos look like they were taken far enough apart in time that the vegetation surrounding the tank has changed. In the second photo, a black shadow seems to be located where the drivers hatch should be located, suggesting this hatch has disappeared. If you go back to the first photo, the men standing where the drivers hatch would be located appear to be posed trying to avoid a large opening in the top of the hull in that location and no open hatch is evident in either photo. However, the gunners hatch on the opposite side of the barrel seems to be in place. In the first photo one person is standing right on top of where it would be located. If the drivers hatch is indeed missing, then this Tiger probably came to a sudden, violent end and possibly caught fire.

The shape of the opening of the foliage around the Tiger seems to mirror the general outline of the Tiger, suggesting it was backed into position. If so, then a fair bit of time passed after the Tiger was in place. Dead foliage and dirt has infilled in front of the tracks quite noticably. It would take a while for Nature to take back that ground, so if this Tiger was lost in late 1944, it seems probable these two photos were not taken until the summer of 1945, or even 1946. Photos of abandoned in place German armour in France are not uncommon, even as late as 1947 in the countryside. These photos may simply be postwar tourist shots taken by troops still in Europe waiting to be demobbed after the war.

The German SP looks oddly placed, almost posed, and the only trace of tracks are directly under the right front road wheel. It appears to have a coat of Zimmermit applied, but it looks oddly discoloured, as if perhaps having been heat damaged from a vehicle fire. The same heat may have also cooked this vehicles markings.

The last photo of another Tiger also looks like a fire damaged vehicle with that odd white and grey patches over the paint. A careful look at the rear of the turret can just make out an outlined ’14’ still showing through from the burnt paint. It is also possible the rear hull plate shows extensive heat damage that has cooked the original German Army markings to the point we can still see where they were, but not what they were. This phenomenon may also apply to the front of the first Tiger. Original German markings cooked beyond recognition.


David

[m kenny]

The Magny Tiger was moved to the centre of Magny some time after its demise and it for certain was in its new position in October 1945. The Jagdpanther and Tiger pics were posted just to show how Allied Units put their badges on German vehicles and the Jagdpanther is a BLUECOAT wreck from August 1944. Its being examined by a technical team in the pic. The Tiger (114) was taken at Rauray during EPSOM June 1944. It is parked up awaiting shipment back to the UK.

[m kenny]

The most likely location of the Tiger https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@48.83...6656?entry=ttu

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Some neutral thoughts on this topic.
In the second photo, a black shadow seems to be located where the drivers hatch should be located, suggesting this hatch has disappeared.

The hatch is open:

Tiger hatch.jpg

Don’t forget that on the Tiger I, the hatches aren’t directly above the driver and radio operator’s seats, but offset outboard some way, ending up partly over the sponsons.