Bgile wrote:
Could you? I'm very interested in this. I'd like to know what weapon was used and whether the tank was destroyed or just temporarily immobilized. I'm fairly sure if a direct hit was achieved with a rocket or bomb or artillery shell it would be destroyed, but I think that would be very hard to achieve and very lucky.
Hello,
As I said, I tried to put together the Tigers which succumbed to air attack in Normandy. I used Tigers in Combat, vol1 and 2, by Wolfgang Schneider.
Some remarks:
- most of the jabo attacks on Tigers were strafing attacks, which resulted in damaging the vehicle. In many occasions, the crew was forced to blow up the (damaged) tank while retreating in front of the allied advance. Although this ain't a direct source of destruction, it is very important regarding the outcome of dozens of Tigers employed in Normandy.
- The Tigers that were completely lost due to air attack suffered direct or very-near misses by bombs.
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Tiger batalions employed in Normandy:
503rd Schwere Pz-Abt.
Air-attacks:
1) On the 18th of July, area bombing preceding Goodwood destroyed 1 tank and flipped over another.
2) On the 12 Aug, the total no of tanks was 13
On the same day, "- Tiger 311 knocked off a rail car by fighter bomber attack" AND
Near Pontoise, (right bank of the Seine), "the majority of tanks are put out of action by fighter-bombers and have to be
blown up". Total tanks at the end of the day: 3
101st (501) Schwere Pz-Abt:
On the 30th of April 1944 - it had 45 Tigers (37 operational)
air-attacks
- 7th of June "2/sch SS-Pz-Abt are hit by a air strike near Versailles"
- 8th of June - The 3/sch SS-Pz-Abt returns to Paris and starts
single tank movement to the west on the next day. Numerous strafing attacks by fighterbombers"
- 10th of June 1944: "The 2./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 is strafed by fighters in Argentan.
A short while later it is hit from the air again at Occagnes"
- 12 June - total of 18 operational Tigers.
The book does not mention other Tiger damage/losses than those inflicted by air. So, in 5 days, we should asume that 19 Tigers were "knocked-out" (whatever that means) by air.
- 15 June 1944: The 3./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 moves into the assembly area
near Evrecy. During the night, the 3./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 (four Tigers) is hit
by a heavy air strike and totaly destroyed.
- 26 August 1944 - "Further to the northeast, the last tank-Tiger 124-is attacked by fighter-bombers on the road
SaiUy-Fontenay St. Pere and tips over after two bomb near misses"
102nd (502nd) Schwere:
10 July 1944: Air strike early in the morning; two Tigers are knocked out
18 July 1944: The 3./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102 is hit by a heavy air strike; five out of its seven
Tigers are damaged.
20 July 1944: 11 Tigers operational.
22 July 1944: The 2./schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102 is put on alert and advances
towards Amaye. It receives orders there to attack along the road to Maltot. It pulls back
after being hit by fighter-bombers. [...]. Seven Tigers operational.
So, again, we can asume that 4 more Tigers were knocked-out by air.
The Panzer-Lehr Tigers haven't been lost/damaged by air, as far as Schneider goes.
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So, I counted 7 directly destroyed Tigers, but 40 more knocked-out by fighter-bombers. Out of those, how many have been repaired, and resent to battle, I do not know.
All the best,