Unknown emblem on destroyed Panther...

[Simon H]

Great pictures Christoph. I wonder who traversed the gun between the photos being taken - I am right in thinking this is the same tank am I? It's also interesting to note that the local scrap man has already removed much of the external fittings, spare track links, as well as the outside set of road wheels.

"Oh for a time machine!!"

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

If it is the same vehicle, one of the image have been mirrored. I doubt they would paint the same marking on both sides...

Christian

[Simon H]

If it is the same vehicle, one of the image have been mirrored. I doubt they would paint the same marking on both sides...

It isn't mirrored - otherwise the badge would be reversed.

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

Silly me

It isn't the same - one is missin gthe tracks, one is not.

Christian

[Christoph Awender]

It´s not the same tank! But the location looks pretty the same looking at the terrain, don´t you think?

I know as much as nothing about free french forces but I wasn´t able to find a 8th division. It must be a regiment.
But there is not much information about french units in WWII.

Christoph

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

I don't think it look that much alike. If you disregard the bushes in the front, the 'colour' image is far more desert-like than the 'BW' one - that one has grass and so on.

From the terrain it must be Italy. I don't know anything about the italian campaigns, so if someone else could help out here, it would be nice.

[Al Carter]

Could that be a "B" surrounded by a French horn? Also on the first some writing can be seen the second line seems to start"Le M..." something I think. My guess would be Italy also. Where there any Panthers shipped to North Africa? The French fought there too I believe.

Al Carter

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

There weren't any Panthers in Africa - would be the best resemble, I agree, but Italy is still quite diverse...

Christian

[Matt Gibbs]

I think perhaps the yellowy wash i making people think of hotter climes when really if you imagine all the mid field area as grassy and the road as a muddy ish or dusty brown the it could really be any old where, in fact, in a bizarre way I have been along a road to a campsite near some old quarry buildings that looked a bit like it, and thats in the UK.
Nice pics though, and an interesting story!
Regards

[Christoph Awender]

The foto the veteran sent me (the yelow one) was taken in Italy! The veteran worked for the OSS (whatever this is) and took pictures there. Italy is for sure!

Christoph

[Mike R]

Well, there was an organization known as the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which existed in America, formed in June of 1942 I believe. This organization was the precursor to the modern-day CIA. They dealt with secret intelligence and special operations, like the CIA does today.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/oss/

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

Yes, the tree make the difference. The cliffs in the background are also a desert phonomenon.

What is interresting is, that the knocked-out Panther in the background of the first pictures could be the one in the second picture. It's hard to tell, as the angles doesn't allow much comparison, and the second picturte is clurry.
What could prove otherwise is the lack of the first Panther and the tree on the first picture on the second picture - given the angle of the turret on the second Panther, they should be visible. (We don't know the time slot, though - the tree can be hard to spot, or have been blown up. The second Panther can have been moved...)

If it is not the same Panther, but the same area, it must have been a rather large battle, and so we should be able to find some info about it...

Christian

[Birgitte Heuschkel]

From my experiences in travelling, I'd say the black and white one could be taken almost anywhere in the drier parts of Southern Europe.

[James]

As long as we are on the subject of markings on tanks, can I ask a really dumb question? What is the significance of the "v" shaped marking, and the differing directions it is "pointed" in, that one sees on the armor of many nations, both now and in the past? This has puzzled me for years, but I have never had the nerve to ask anyone. (I think this qualifies as a Third Reich Forum question, as I believe I have seen it on German armor. But it hardly seems worth creating a new thread for it, as I am sure the answer will be both simple and obvious, much to my further embarassment.)

[Birgitte Heuschkel]

I have no idea. Now we can be clueless and embarrassed together!