|
Title: Celles [B] - PzKpfW V 'Panther' Post by: Koen on 21 February 2009, 20:35:13 Quote On 24th December 1944, elements from Kampfgruppe Von Cochenhausen, of 2nd Panzer Division, reached the Ardennes village of Celles. By this time British units from XXX Corps had been rushed into the area to stem the tide of the German advance, and tanks of 3rd Royal Tank Regiment assisted by units from the American 2nd Armoured Division stopped the offensive at this point. 3rd RTR had been in the area around Ypres (in Flanders, western Belgium) training on the newly arrived Comet tanks, equipped with 17-pounder guns. The training was abandoned, and they returned to their old Shermans and were moved to Dinant. During the fighting near Celles they occupied a ridge west of the village while CCB of 2nd Armoured entered the area supported by P38 Lightning aircraft. During this action CCB knocked out a number of Panthers, of which this was one. The tank lay close to a chateau farm nearby for many years until it was placed in this position and painted in its current camo-scheme that barely matches what was on the original tank. Title: Re: Celles - PzKpfW V 'Panther' Post by: Earl Grey on 28 May 2009, 21:54:15 I actually stumbled over two pretty old pictures a while ago... the original camouflage pattern was quite different from what we see now:
(http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww164/earlofgrey/WW2%20Photographs/2PzDivCellesDezember1944-2-.jpg) - probably still taken in December or shortly after the Ardennes offensive was over (http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww164/earlofgrey/WW2%20Photographs/2PzDivCellesDezember1944-1-.jpg) - that very obviously is late spring or already summer and not necessarily the same vehicle, but the pattern is very similar Anyway, you get the idea of how a proper Ardennes pattern (one of many) really looked like! Title: Re: Celles - PzKpfW V 'Panther' Post by: Koen on 28 May 2009, 22:25:32 this one is the worst one from the Ardennes collection!
it's in a terrible state hdbng but at a very nice location! wished I had some money so that I could buy that pub and start a international WWII meeting place :champ: Title: Re: Celles - PzKpfW V 'Panther' Post by: stoffel on 10 October 2009, 10:23:01 Better to buy that castle in the back, that way we all can come over and stay to sleep as well ;) :D
Title: Re: Celles [B] - PzKpfW V 'Panther' Post by: MELLENTHIN on 20 May 2012, 18:45:51 Here is a picture from the one in Houffalize.
|