"Catch That Tiger"

The Tank Museum presents two letters that question the veracity of claims made in Botham and Montague’s 2012 title "Catch That Tiger"...

Tiger 131 from the The Tank Museum in England

http://www.tankmuseum.org/asset_arena/textual/12/bovtm_tank_times_feb_2012.pdf

GENERAL DER PANZERTRUPPEN HANS-KARL FREIHERR VON ESEBECK

Hans-Karl Asmus Werner Freiherr von Esebeck (10 July 1892 – 5 January 1955) was a German General who commanded the 15th Panzer Division in the AfrikaKorps. He was also a conspirator against Adolf Hitler.


Von Esebeck had knowledge of and was sympathetic to the anti-Hitler conspiracy. He was arrested on 21 July 1944 and spent the rest of the war in concentration camps. Liberated at the end of the war he lived the rest of his life in poverty and died on 5 January 1955.

THE GAZALA LINE BATTLES

MAY 26-27 1942

The 8th Army front extended from Gazala to Bir Hacheim and was interlaced with huge minefields of a scale and complexity never encountered before. Behind this line loomed the strongly defended boxes of Knightsbridge and El Adem and finally Tobruk, occupied by experienced desert fighters. Even Rommel underestimated the strength of the forces mustered here. However, within 3 weeks of opening his offensive, Rommel would reduce this magnificent British army to a state of complete rout.

BIR HACHEIM

January 29 1942 after the Bengazi's fall Rommel reaches the at Bomba's golf and to Ain el Gazala's line. At May 26. The Axis forces consists in the 15st e 31st Panzer Divisions (320 combat vehicles), the Italian Division Ariete (240 combat vehicles), the Italian Division Trieste and a German Motorized Division. The Axis forces wait for the arrive of second Italian Division; the Littorio.

DAK GUNS - Panzer IV - Medium Tank

A Panzer IV penetrating the Mersa Matrouh perimeter

AFRIKAKORPS TODAY - Kübelwagen from the 15th Panzer Division

A few years ago I find this in a Gas Station. Is a 1/43 Scale Kübelwagen Type 82 from the 15th Panzer Division. Some marks are not very acurate, but is in general a nice model

THE BATTLE OF THE KASSERINE PASS

FEV 14-23 1943

American Soldiers Taking Cover in Kasserine Pass

On February 14th the 10th and 21st Panzer divisions attacked from Faid towards Kasserine Pass. The American forces holding the pass area were driven back over a period of 9 days. Finally, American resistance stiffen and the thrust ended on the 23rd.

DAK GUNS - Panzer III

Panzer III - Medium Tank

 

A brandnew Panzer III of Panzerregiment 8, 15. Panzerdivision

German re-armament plans in the 1930's called for the new panzer battalions to be constitued of three light-medium tank companies and one heavy-medium company. The lighter tank, wich was to form the bulk of the panzer force for much of the war and remain in production to its end, was the Panzerkampfwagen (PzKpfw or Panzer III). One reason for this sucess was that a turret ring diameter was specified that allow upgunning to higher-calibre weapons that 37mm (1.41in) gun originaly fitted.

DAK RELATED COMIC BOOKS - Hellman of the Afrika Korps

Hellman of Hammer Force tells the story of Kurt Hellman, a German panzer commander who is not a member of the Nazi Party and offers no affiliation to Hitler or his minions. Hellman wants to fight a clean war for Germany, and so avoids the excesses of his Nazi SS and Gestapo comrades. He fights fairly and avoids taking life wherever possible, preferring to take prisoners instead.

DAK GUNS - Panzer VI Tiger - Heavy Tank

The Tiger "121" from the Schwere Panzerabteilung 501 in Tunis (Colorized Picture)

OTHER GERMAN UNITS IN NORTH AFRICA

Other German Division in North Africa. There are no originaly Afrika Korps members, but somethimes they are refered as this:

GERMAN ARMY ORGANIZATION

15th PANZER DIVISION

Panzer III Ausf.J of the Panzer-Regiment 8 of the 15th Panzerdivision

OPERATIONAL HISTORY

Formed on 1 Nov 1940 (from 33rd Infanterie Division).

• 1941 Apr: arrived in North Africa as part of Deutsches Afrika Korps
• 1941 - Libya: Tobruk (heavy losses)
• 1942 - Egypt: Benghazi, Gazala Line, Bir Hacheim, Tobruk
• 1942 - Egypt : El Alamein (heavy losses), Alam Halfa (heavy losses)
• 1943 - Tunisia: Medenine, Wadi Zigaou, El Hauma (heavy losses)

Destroyed in Tunisia on 9 May 1943

DAK GUNS - Panzer II - Light Tank

PANZERS OF THE DEUTSCHES AFRIKAKORPS