► Photothread: Destroyed/Captured Panther tanks

[Piotr Mikołajski]

Was this common in the east (tanks sitting out in the open for years after the war because resources/manpower were lacking to salvage them)?

Not in Poland. Soviet recovery teams cleared area during war. After the war Polish military teams tried to recover both German and Soviet wrecks - the first one were sent to scrap, the second were sent for rebuild into the service worthy vehicles. For the few first years after the WWII Polish Army was ill equipped and even damaged tanks left alone on battlefields were important source of spare parts for rebuild.

Of course there were few forgotten vehicles stuck in muddy rivers or in swamps. Locals tried to cut off and use all available parts of such tanks, but fuselage and turrets were rarely dismantled to the pieces.

[Manuferey]

In France in 1944:

1) Near Oissel (near Rouen, France) in September 1944:


http://www.oissel.net/2008/06/rtro-la-d ... mands.html

2) At Montlhéry (south of Paris), on August 18,1944:


http://www.montlhery.com/liberation.htm

Emmanuel

[eldar1]

I know this is a little silly but I love the big cats.To se them like this makes me whant to sit in the Haufbrau singing Lilly Marlene and get smashed on root beer.P.S. I dont drink alcohol I'm allergic to the stuff such is life.

[Mat3k]

I was always wondering. What is that bucket for on the rear?

[RazNaRok]

Are pictures 1 and 2 the same parade? The eagle looks Polish.

I'm afraid not, please look closer:


This one was made on parade at Neuhardenberg. This is small city and parade background looks like a field and forest. Panther is Ausf.G variant with inscription "Bij wroga jego własną bronią" ("Fight the enemy with his own weapon").

Acording to the Osprey Vanguard 7020: ARMOR BATTLES ON THE EASTERN FRONT (2) DOWNFALL OF THE REICH

This Panther supouse to have on it's turret polish markings ?!?

One of dozens of many victory parades of all sizes That took place between May and June 1945 all around the Soviet fronts. This ceremony was held by the Polish 1 st Infantry Division in NeuHardenberg on 22 May 1945. The tank at right is a Pz.Kptw. V Ausf. G Panther captured by the Poles during the last weeks of the war. It still carries the German camouflage pattern with an inscription in Polish on the glaces: ""Fight the enemy with his own weapon"". On the side of the turret is the emblem of the Polish armored troops, the red and white rhomboid checkerboard and the tactical number. ...

Is that thrue?!?

AFAIK
Rotated by 45 ° red-white checkerboard, which sometimes took the form of a rhombus been painted since the 60s to 80s of the twentieth century...

[mark67]

Is that thrue?!?

Not necessarily, AFAIK there is only this one photo available, slightly less cropped on the right side.
Probably there was something white painted on the turret side but it is impossible to say what it was due to the angle.