Tigers on D-Day...

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TiKi
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Tigers on D-Day...

#1

Post by TiKi » 02 Sep 2002, 22:53

Now i start a thread which may conufeses a few...

I know,
the official statement is that Tigers did NOT see any engagements on D-Day!!!
I say, Tigers saw action on D-Day!!!!!

Lets describe my statement...

In the end of may, early june 1944,
there was built a trainingsunit attached to a Wehrmachtsunit (possible the Panzerlehrdiv.)
Elements of the 3rd co./2.SS-Pz.Reg.DR, 3rd co./12.SS-Pz.Reg.HJ
(also called R. von R. company like its companyleader)
and finally some panzermen of a Wehrmachtsunit (Panzerlehr)

All togehter it was no companysize!!!

In the early morning on 6th of june 44` this unit had training in the interior, ca. 6-7 km behind the beaches of sector omaha!!
(BTW the axis said to this sector bloody beach of oklahoma!!!)

5 Tigers trains and 1 was right behind the Dunes on Omaha!
When D-Day saw its beginning, the Tigers were alerted and drove toward the beaches and they opened fire against light cruisers and landingships!!!

One light cruiser(or another type of ship) withdraw after one heavy hit of a Tiger!!! On evening all Tigers were abbandoned or knocked out!!
1 or 2 Tigers fought very few days after D-Day, but no Tigers came through the first week!

So Waffen-SS panzermen fought on D-Day!!! They were not much,
but they were there!!!

After this action all soldiers came back to their motherunits!

It is a strange theme but my grandpa was on D-Day and he
told me things about this Day which noone can invent from its mind!!!

He searched after the war for any infos he can find.....
....with no success!!!!!!

Except that he could find that the ship had really heavvy losses on board
(The ship had the no. ZG 41(45) or something like that)

Please before writing any replies dont blame me and handle this theme with the necessary seriousness!!! :wink:
Cause i want to clear it!


Best Regards,

TiKi
Last edited by TiKi on 06 Sep 2002, 11:34, edited 1 time in total.

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Christian Ankerstjerne
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#2

Post by Christian Ankerstjerne » 03 Sep 2002, 00:15

Sounds really interresting! I hope you'll figure out a possible solution to that riddle...

Christian


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Wolfkin
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#3

Post by Wolfkin » 03 Sep 2002, 00:28

Hey TiKi!

Very interesting! What was the commander of this unit, R von R? Would that be Rudolf von Ribbentrop?

Did your Grandfather fight with this unit? Very interesting!

Cheers,

Wolfkin

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#4

Post by Darrin » 03 Sep 2002, 01:17

Not likly. The one unit that had tigers and was there fairly early was the panzer lehr. But even its PZIVs only entered combat 2 days latter and against the british wrong beaches. Plus whatever tiger units and reinf that were coming in from the east to the CW beaches the us beaches were too far west. The PzLehr did have 3 tiger Is that were supposed to have been sent to the front but no other info about those tanks is around. Strum tiger, tiger IIs, elephant/ferdinands and jag tigers also seem unlikly.

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Erich
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SS Tiger 1's

#5

Post by Erich » 03 Sep 2002, 01:31

Tiki :

I guess what you need to do is write the SS Schwere Panzer Abteilung 101 and 102 representatives and find out yourself......eh ? Where were the trains heading and where did they stop to unload. You have come up with some interesting information, but......

E

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#6

Post by Timo » 03 Sep 2002, 02:48

I recall reading exactly the same story on feldgrau about a year ago. On that occasion Rudolf von Ribbentrop was also mentioned as the commanding officer but quite strong evidence was brought in to prove the Tigers on the beach story was doubtful.

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TiKi
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#7

Post by TiKi » 04 Sep 2002, 00:29

Sorry,
please dont misunderstand me!
This training-unit was not attached to the sSS Pz.Abt 101 or 102!!!!!!!!

To Timo:
I know that Rudolf von Ribbentrop was not the commanding officer!!!!!!


But hey,
you must also say that official there were no Waffen-SS soldiers on D-Day, the HJ-Div. arrived on 7th of June 44!!!

But my grandpa was on the omaha sector!! as a member of the Das Reich Div. like some other tankcommanders of the 3rd/Pz.Reg.2 DR also,
he still know some of the names!!!

At the moment i cant ask him cause of his problems,
but i will looking forward for more informations!!!

Rudolf von Ribbentrop is still alive,
maybe he know something...

Regards,
TiKi

Darrin
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#8

Post by Darrin » 04 Sep 2002, 01:03

TiKi wrote:Sorry,
please dont misunderstand me!
This training-unit was not attached to the sSS Pz.Abt 101 or 102!!!!!!!!

To Timo:
I know that Rudolf von Ribbentrop was not the commanding officer!!!!!!


But hey,
you must also say that official there were no Waffen-SS soldiers on D-Day, the HJ-Div. arrived on 7th of June 44!!!

But my grandpa was on the omaha sector!! as a member of the Das Reich Div. like some other tankcommanders of the 3rd/Pz.Reg.2 DR also,
he still know some of the names!!!

At the moment i cant ask him cause of his problems,
but i will looking forward for more informations!!!

Rudolf von Ribbentrop is still alive,
maybe he know something...

Regards,
TiKi
The 2 ss das riech PD was ordered to move towards normandy on the 12 th of jun 44 from central france. The 2 ss proably was not present on any beach on the 6th. No tigers were likly thier either.

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TiKi
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#9

Post by TiKi » 04 Sep 2002, 09:48

Oh comon,

why are always thought, that if a very few picked up soldiers of one div.
where detached to a trainings unit that it must be the hole DAS REICH Div.?????
Can you explain me that?? :wink:

I know it also that the Das Reich Div. saw first action in the end of jun44!
Also the the 3rd co./Pz.Reg.2 DR!!! There is no doubt and this is not the theme ive asked for.

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#10

Post by Tolga Alkan » 04 Sep 2002, 10:26

Story is looks interesting but do you have a historical resource to correct your idea?

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Nicklas Fredriksson
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#11

Post by Nicklas Fredriksson » 04 Sep 2002, 13:11

Hello!

There might well have been individual members of SS-DR present on D-Day. Who knows?

There most certainly weren't any PzVIs though. The first PzVIS in Normandy arrived with sSSPzAbt 101 (even though the PzLD had three on their inventory they were prototypes and couldn't be moved from Paris and were eventually blown up to prevent capture). SS-DRs Tiger company was removed in early 1944 to form sSSPzAbt 102 so there were to PzVIs on their inventory.

And SPWs from SS-HJ arrived along the coast as early as mid-day June 6 according to Meyer.

Kind rgds
Nick

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#12

Post by Darrin » 04 Sep 2002, 13:56

Nicklas Fredriksson wrote:Hello!

There might well have been individual members of SS-DR present on D-Day. Who knows?

There most certainly weren't any PzVIs though. The first PzVIS in Normandy arrived with sSSPzAbt 101 (even though the PzLD had three on their inventory they were prototypes and couldn't be moved from Paris and were eventually blown up to prevent capture). SS-DRs Tiger company was removed in early 1944 to form sSSPzAbt 102 so there were to PzVIs on their inventory.

And SPWs from SS-HJ arrived along the coast as early as mid-day June 6 according to Meyer.

Kind rgds
Nick

I thought that panzer lehrs 5 tiger IIs prototypes were not brought fwd and eventually blown up. Thier 3 tiger Is were though although the source I have does not say what happened to them afterwards. Also the meyers elements that arrived and entered combat on jun6th were probably just recce elements. It was not until the 7th that real combat units were commited.

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#13

Post by Alex F. » 04 Sep 2002, 18:22

I've also heard this story about a Tiger engaging ships offshore on D-day... I'm not sure as to the source or the truth of it though.

Alex

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TiKi
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#14

Post by TiKi » 04 Sep 2002, 18:41

Hi Alex,

do you know from where did your source come?????



Regards,
TiKi

Alex F.
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#15

Post by Alex F. » 04 Sep 2002, 19:19

I'm sorry TiKi, it was many years ago and I heard it as an anecdote. I can't recall now who told me or why. I believe it was a German vet but I can't remember why we were talking about that.

Regards
Alex

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