Original Caption: Kraut tanks killed near Bullingen, where the breakthru stopped
Photographs of Panthers and Jagdpanthers knocked out during the Ardennes Offensive. The upper left photograph shows destroyed Jagdpanthers of schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung 560 destroyed between Büllingen und Bütgenbach. The lower photograph shows Panthers of the 3rd Kompanie, 12th SS-Panzer Division knocked out in Rocherath. The remaining two photographs are additional Panthers of the 12th SS Panzer Division destroyed in the fighting around the twin villages of Krinkelt-Rocherath.
Source: History of the Twelfth U.S. Field Artillery Battalion in the European Theatre of Operations 1944-1945, U.S. Army Twelfth FA Bn., 1945.
Two of the Panthers are those of SS-Hauptsturmführer Kurt Brödel (#318, blown off gun barrel) and SS-Oberscharführer Johann Beutelhauser from 3rd Kompanie, SS Panzer Regiment 12 of the 12th SS Panzer Division “Hitlerjugend”.
Was Panzer V #308 towed? That doesn’t look like where the panzer appears in other photos.
Why does the Panther in the center photo seem to have non-standard added side armor that comes down over the rear idler wheel?
In fact, the added side armor on the bottom photo also looks odd – extending out beyond the front of the vehicle’s suspension system.
I’ve never seen this particular “Schürzen” design in artwork or model form before. Was it something that was common on Panthers at that time, or just a peculiarity to one or more used during the BOTB?
Just looked at the center photo again; it looks like the rearmost
Schürzen plate came free from its rear attachment, and pivoted downwards, rather than having a added “tongue” that covered the rear idler wheel.
I still have never seen Schürzen plates that went out clean to the Panthers’s bow, like shown in the bottom photo.
The Panther Schürzen look a little odd, but I believe it is just the camera angle. The front schürzen plate was quite far forward, although in most photos the front plate seems to be the first to have fallen off. The Panther looks to be new from the factory in almost pristine condition.
great page!
Excellent photos.