M26 Pershing

[Pistol_Pete 0]

@abc:

Es uwrde nur ein einziger Pershing im WW2 zerstört und zwar bei Köln durch ein Nashorn.

[Tankkiller 0]

Das hab ich auch gelesen,stand beim Panzer Archiv.Nur einer,net 2 .

Der Pershing war auch bekannt als Tigertamer(Tigerzähmer)

[Gast abc]

2 Perhings

Ein weiterer Pershing wurde von einem KT an der Weser erledigt.

Ort: Prolle

Datum: 7./8.04.45

Einheit KT: sPzAbt 508

[Geier 0]

Gibts beweise? Trümmerteile, usw.?

[Albernesau 0]

(...)The first one "lost in action" was serial no. "38" prophetically nicknamed "Fireball", belonging to F Co. 33.Arm.Rgt., which was zapped on the night of February 26th, 1945.

It was positioned behind a roadblock in Elsdorf but became silhouetted at night by fires burning behind it and a Tiger I hit it 3 times at under 100 yards. The first round penetrated the coax MG port in the mantlet then bounced around inside the turret killing the gunner and loader, the second round hit the muzzle brake and set off a round already chambered which caused the barrel to swell at the halfway mark as it fired, and the third round bounced off the RHS of the turret and tore off the open cupola hatch.

The Tiger then reversed to change position and became hung up on a pile of rubble and was abandoned and a crewman who was later captured admitted that his Tiger was indeed responsible for KO'ing the Pershing that night.

"Fireball" was later repaired and returned to action on March 7th with a 90mm barrel scrounged from an M36 Jackson.

No."22" was also disabled on March 22 by 2 HE rounds which extensively damaged the turret and running gear.

Pershing No."25" of H Co. of 33.Arm.Rgt. was KO'd on the bank of the Rhine in Niehl just north of Cologne by a Nashorn at under 300 yards. The round penetrated the lower hull and went between the driver's legs and set the turret on fire. The crew managed to escape before the ammo cooked off and the turret burnt out. It was apparently reparable, but it would have taken several months so it was written off for cannibalising. It was the only one of the 20 "Zebra Mission" T26E3 Pershings committed not to see out the war still in service.

FWIW the Tiger that KO'd "Fireball" belonged to s.Pz.Kp."Hummel" (named after its CO), which was formed in July '44 with 14 Tigers Is as an independent "fire brigade". It first saw service in Arnhem in Sept. and later in Aachen during Oct. under 10.SS. "Hohenstaufen" as part of "KG Spindler".

But for the most part it was attached to s.Pz.Abt.506 from mid December on, till Feb. 16 as their 4.Kp. (even though 506 had gone to Tiger IIs in their other 3 Kp.s).

As per p.87 of "Tigers in Combat 2" the Tiger in question was abandonned on Feb.22 (vs.26th!* see above) 1945 after the Kp. was reassigned to 81 Armee Korps and was working with Pz.Rgt.33 of 9.Pz. (it was then later finally reassigned to Pz.Bgd. 106 of 52 Armee in early April).

The next day after Fireball and the Tiger were KO'd - the 27th?, another Tiger of "Hummel" again in Elsdorf was actually KO'd, by Pershing No.40. 4 shots hit it at c.900 yards, the first an HVAP destroying the final drive, the second a T33 round, pentrated the base of the mantlet and caused interior explosions, while the last 2 HE rounds did only minor exterior damage. Two Pz.IVs were also KO'd at 1200 yards by single T33 shots then 2 rounds of HE took out the escaping crews. One other Pz.IV was also destroyed by No.40 as they moved towards Cologne a little later.

See also pp.17-26 of Hunnicutt's "Pershing" book as mentioned for a pretty solid account of the 20 "Zebra Mission" Pershings and their first use against these Tigers and their fates, plus theres also a front shot and a couple of close ups of the damage on the second Tiger that was KO'd by them.

As to the ID of the Nashorn that KO'd the Pershing in Niehl , according to Martin Block and John Nelson who have dug into this fairly thoroughly, it was from s.Pz.Jg.Kp.93. Though they are at odds with Karl-Heinz Münch who is claiming it as 654, as the sPzJgKp.93 (formerly 2.Kp./ 93) which was absorbed by the 654, along with 1.Kp./525. The 1./525 became 4.Kp./sHPzJgAbt 654 and received some of the 654's older Jagdpanthers, (like "123").(...)

Aus Nuts & Bolts "Nashorn"

Wer English kann ist klar im vorteil

MfG

[Sarge Surfat 30]

Guter Beitrag, danke. Das klärt die Sache ja auf. Es wurden also tatsächlich drei Pershings abgeschossen, aber nur einer als Totalverlust gebucht, weil die anderen repariert wurden.

Interessant finde ich den Vergleich der Schussdistanzen. Das der Tiger auf 100 Yards die Geschützblende des Pershing zerstört, ist ja nachvollziehbar. Aber das der Pershing mit einer Standard-Panzergranate T33 (kein Hochleistungsgeschoss wie die HVAP) auf 900 Yard einen Tiger (100mm Panzerung) und auf 1200 Yard einen Panzer IV (80mm Panzerung) locker knackt, finde ich beachtlich.

Und ich möchte nicht der Pershing Fahrer gewesen sein, dem die Tiger-Granate zwischen den Beinen durchgesaust ist.

Sarge

[Albernesau 0]

1200 yards sind doch auch nur ca 400m da ist das denke ich gut und gerne möglich.

MfG

[Sarge Surfat 30]

Da liegst du leider falsch. Ein Yard sind 0,9144 Meter, mithin entsprechen 1200 Yards einer Distanz von 1097,28 Metern.

Vermutlich hast du Yards und Fuß verwechselt (1 Fuß = 0,3048 Meter).

Sarge

[Albernesau 0]

jup hab ich bin ein Dumchen dann sind es natürlich beachtliche werte

MfG

[Schaaf 9]

Gibts beweise? Trümmerteile, usw.?

[Gast abc]

Du hast ne Einstellung mit deinem Propaganda

[johel89 0]

Du hast ne Einstellung mit deinem Propaganda

[Schaaf 9]

Du hast ne Einstellung    mit deinem Propaganda

Ich muss wohl nicht auf deine Einstellung aufmerksam machen?

[OpaWilli 4]

It was positioned behind a roadblock in Elsdorf but became silhouetted at night by fires burning behind it and a Tiger I hit it 3 times at under 100 yards.

[Albernesau 0]

It was positioned behind a roadblock in Elsdorf but became silhouetted at night by fires burning behind it and a Tiger I hit it 3 times at under 100 yards.

hey, cool. In Elsdorf is mein Bliiard Verein, mein lieblings Mexikaner und mein lieblings Kino

MfG OpaWilli