Thread: How to disable a T34 by hand

German WWII training film. The hilarity begins at about 1:40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v:biggr...eature=related

I wonder how many German troops actually tried to do any of these things, especially when it was moving!

I thought this was a thread about my old MT platoon. Proven to be able to VOR just about anything within minutes :D

Still using that film at Vogelsang circa 1985 :D

Hmmm. An Aussie Bren gunner took out a T-34 a the Battle of Chongju, North Korea, 1950.

Then go to the clips on 'Germany's Atom Bomb' and thence to 'Germany's Super Weapons'.

Re the first one, the U-235 shipment to Japan (which was intercepted) there was some initial confusion on the dockside as to whether crates labelled U-235 were meant to be loaded into U-234.

Originally Posted by Speedy

German WWII training film. The hilarity begins at about 1:40

I wonder how many German troops actually tried to do any of these things, especially when it was moving!

I'm pretty sure that the "Blanket over the driver's hatch" was used in the very first episode of "Dad's Army".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_and_the_Hour

Unfortunately, Ican't find the episode on YouTube....

On a similar note - how common was 'tank hunting' by infantry in general?

Sven Hassel (admittedly not the most accurate of historical sources) has men attacking tanks with mines/ bundles of grenades dozens of times in his books and he is allegedly a survivor of the Ostfront.

So, was it something that generally did happen with regularity or is it a bit of walting it up similar to modern tales of derring-do from Iraq/Afghan which involve desperate last stands armed only with a NAAFI fork against Zulu-like hordes of Taliban to impress young 'ladies' in the pub on POTL?

Originally Posted by jimmys_best_mate

On a similar note - how common was 'tank hunting' by infantry in general?

Sven Hassel (admittedly not the most accurate of historical sources) has men attacking tanks with mines/ bundles of grenades dozens of times in his books and he is allegedly a survivor of the Ostfront.

So, was it something that generally did happen with regularity or is it a bit of walting it up similar to modern tales of derring-do from Iraq/Afghan which involve desperate last stands armed only with a NAAFI fork against Zulu-like hordes of Taliban to impress young 'ladies' in the pub on POTL?

The Germans had a tank destruction award for infantrymen that had destroyed tanks. It also came in different levels to recognise how many you had destroyed so it must have been happening to some degree.

I don't know exactly what the criteria was so it may have covered ones destroyed using panzerfaust etc as well as leaping onto moving tanks with a stick grenade clenched in your teeth!

A Saracen was blinded in Creggan useing the tank sheet normaly carried rolled up on the wheel guard, it was then driven along Lonemoor road guided by the crew of a Sioux helicopter, it unfortunatly hit a number of parked car causing a great deal of damage to private property,

The T 34 could be totally desroyed by placing a brandy bottle shaped charge on the track over the left hand road wheel.The skin of the tank at that point was thin, and behind it there was a rack of ammo

Originally Posted by Gungythree

The T 34 could be totally desroyed by placing a brandy bottle shaped charge on the track over the left hand road wheel.The skin of the tank at that point was thin, and behind it there was a rack of ammo

Off you go then Klaus! I'll watch from this very safe distance

Originally Posted by jimmys_best_mate

On a similar note - how common was 'tank hunting' by infantry in general?

So, was it something that generally did happen with regularity or is it a bit of walting it up similar to modern tales of derring-do from Iraq/Afghan which involve desperate last stands armed only with a NAAFI fork against Zulu-like hordes of Taliban to impress young 'ladies' in the pub on POTL?

It would depend on the troops involved and there fear of tanks and who had the advantage.

The 1/7th Queen's slowly fought their way into Villers-Bocage and went "Tiger hunting" with their PIATs, while 6-pdr anti-tank guns waited to ambush any German tank that moved around the town.

http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.pat...#Villersbocage

In an interview by sqt B Bramwell publised in the German Michael Wittmann book "Lt Bill cotten of the Queens took a German gas can and a few blankets and went out to destroy the panzers,Bill opened his umbrella on account of the rain, we must have been crazy.We went from Panzer to panzer( three Tigers and a MkIV) Bill with the open umbrella and blankets , and I with gas can.We soaked the blankets in gasoline and threw it into thr turret, followed by a match. Later we learned that the local fire brigade had come and tried to put the fire out, Probably out of the fear the tank would explode," of the four Tigers in Villeres Bocage all were knocked out by tank or anti tank gun, The other three Tigers in the area had already left under the command of SS-Untersturmfuhrer Hantusch in the direction of Caen

Originally Posted by LEGZ30

Originally Posted by jimmys_best_mate

On a similar note - how common was 'tank hunting' by infantry in general?

Sven Hassel (admittedly not the most accurate of historical sources) has men attacking tanks with mines/ bundles of grenades dozens of times in his books and he is allegedly a survivor of the Ostfront.

So, was it something that generally did happen with regularity or is it a bit of walting it up similar to modern tales of derring-do from Iraq/Afghan which involve desperate last stands armed only with a NAAFI fork against Zulu-like hordes of Taliban to impress young 'ladies' in the pub on POTL?

The Germans had a tank destruction award for infantrymen that had destroyed tanks. It also came in different levels to recognise how many you had destroyed so it must have been happening to some degree.

I don't know exactly what the criteria was so it may have covered ones destroyed using panzerfaust etc as well as leaping onto moving tanks with a stick grenade clenched in your teeth!

See here:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/war_...ingle_tank.htm

Not a good idea to share a trench with Ob.Lt. Viezenz!

The tank-blowing caper seems to have been a right dodgy affair. I saw what happened to that one geezer with his "sticky bomb" in "Saving Ryan's Privates". But fair play to that Boxheed with his arm full of awards.

MsG