mkenny wrote:
alecsandros wrote:
1. Villers Bocage: 501st Tigers destroys 23-26 British tanks while losing 3-6 Tigers. Sources: a) Willbeck 2002, further quoting Reynolds (1997, pg 126), b) Schneider 1997, Tigers in combat vol 2, pg 206
It is sSS PzAbt 101. Get the name right at least.
Wilbeck and the others give the totals for all British tanks lost to all causes at Villers. You however were arguing that Wittmann got them all. You are confused and need to decide what point you wish to make. Are you saying that all the other Tigers and the PzIV's from Lehr did not destroy a single British tank at Villers?
That's it. To the above mentioned faults in your writing, I'm adding the fact that you don't know who you're talking with, and seem to be certain that it was only me who you have been replying to. And if you don't know who you're talking, why should I ask you to know
what you're saying?
Schneider, 1997, pg 206-207:
"12June 1944: During the night, the battalion completes arrival in its designated assembly
area, experiencing many mechanical problems and failures during the road march. The
1./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 (eight Tigers) assembles eight kilometers northeast of
Villers-Bocage on the N 175; the 2./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 (six Tigers) assembles
in a defile south of Montbrocq (two kilometers northeast ofVillers-Bocage).The battalion is
immediately ordered to cover the left flank of the I. SS-Panzer-Korps. Because of incessant
heavy naval shelling, the crews cannot rest.
13 June 1944: In the morning, the 2./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 (six Tigers;
Lotzsch's Tiger has track damage) is assembled at Point 213 northeast ofVillers-Bocage in
a defile south of the road Villers-Bocage-Caen.
A detachment of the British 22nd Armoured Brigade approaches Point 213 and stops
there. The British element is moving in column along the road and not deployed for combat.
This element was attempting to exploit a gap between the 352. Infanterie-Division and
the Panzer-Lehr-Division.
SS-Obersturmfiihrer Wittmann attacks the enemy-a Squadron of the 4th City of London
Yeomanry and parts of the 1st Battalion of the Rifle Brigade-ahead of his company,
which is not yet ready for action. He uses Tiger 222 of SS-Unterscharfiihrer Sowa. First, he
knocks out a Cromwell and a Firefly of A Squadron, which had already nearly reached
Point 213.
Afterwards, he advances parallel to the road towards Villers-Bocage. Passing within a
short distance of the enemy, he destroys the majority of the 1st Rifle Brigade: thirteen M-3
halftracks, three Stuart light tanks, two Sherman artillery observer tanks, the Daimler
Scout Car of the brigade's Intelligence Officer, the M-3 of the brigade surgeon, and more
than one dozen Bren and Lloyd carriers (some from the antitank-gun battery).
At the outskirts of the town, he knocks out three of the four Cromwells of the regimental
headquarters section of the City of London Yeomanry. Still alone, he enters VillersBocage,
pursued by the fourth Cromwell, which intends to hit the Tiger from the rear.
Inside the town, Wittmann's forward progress is stopped by tanks of B Squadron (including
one Sherman Firefly). He turns around and rushes back along his route of advance.
On his way back, he knocks out the Cromwell, whose two armor-piercing rounds fired at a
distance of only fifty meters fail to penetrate the Tiger. After several hundred meters, the
tank becomes immobilized from an antitank gun hit damaging the left front drive
sprocket. The crew bails out and leaves the tank. It sneaks through to the command post
of the Panzer-Lehr-Division at Orbois-Sermentot, which directs offensive action towards
Villers-Bocage with fifteen Panzer IVs.
The remaining tanks of the 2./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 occupy position east
ofVillers-Bocage (south of the road) and knock out two more Cromwells (SS-Unterscharfiihrer
Sowa) and three Shermans (SS-Oberscharfiihrer Brandt). Approximately 230
British soldiers surrender and are taken prisoner. Eight Tigers of the 1./schwere SSPanzer-
Abteilung 101 (SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Mobius) attack at 0800 hours along the N
175 towards Villers-Bocage. Five Cromwells positioned farther north are damaged and
abandoned by the crews. Several Panzer IVs of the Panzer-Lehr-Division positioned at Parfouru-
sur-Odon join the attack. Two Tigers and one Panzer IV advance along the main
road (Rue Pasteur).
The rear tank-Tiger 112 of SS-Oberscharfiihrer Ernst-is knocked out by a Firefly of
B Squadron, which fires through two corner windows of a building. After changing positions,
a Panzer IV is knocked out by an antitank gun. The leading tank-Tiger 121 of SSObersturmfiihrer
Lukasius-is hit from the rear by a Firefly. These tanks are then set on
fire by the British.
Five more Tigers advance forward on roads farther south. One Tiger is knocked out
by an antitank gun in the Rue Emile Samson. Two more Tigers are immobilized by antitank-
gun fire. Tiger 132 of SS-Unterscharfiihrer Wendt remained at the outskirts of the village.
During the night, Tiger 132 is in position on Hill 213. Four Tigers of the 1./schwere
SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 are positioned south ofVillers-Bocage; the 2./schwere SS-PanzerAbteilung
101 assembles again in the defile parallel to the N 175.
The 3./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 reaches Falaise. The casualties of the battalion
on this day amount to three tank commanders and seven other crew members. Three
Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 (Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 501) 207
Tigers of the 1./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 are lost, whereas the British lose twentysix
tanks, fourteen M-3s, eight Bren Carriers, and eight Lloyd Carriers."
The "flaming troll" was a perfect label.
Good night.