Tiger I in Normandy June 1944

[martyn powell]

Hi All

Can any one tell me if there were any Tiger I`s around Cristot, Les Hauts Vents, Le Haut d Audrieu on the 11th June 1944.

Thanks
Martyn

[Michael Kenny]

The first Tiger Unit to reach Noirmandy was SS 101 and they were in action at Villers Bocage on 13/6/44. Before this date the only POSSIBLE Tiger I's would be 3 from fkl(316) who were attached to Panzer Lehr.

[martyn powell]

Hello Michael

Thank you for your reply. I didn`t know the Panzer Lehr had any Tiger I`s attached to them, thank you for that.

The reason i ask is that the 24th Lancers from the 8th Armoured Brigade, had to fight of a counter-attack from a number of Tigers and Panthers, at 2230 on the 11th of June. The Panthers were from the 6th Panzer Regiment that had began to arrive late on the 10th, but the Tigers i put down to MK IVs due to the usual mistake between the MK IV and Tiger.
But as the Panzer Lehr had three Tigers attached to them, it might be possible they were there?

Thanks
Martyn

[Michael Kenny]

Nothing is known about the employment of the 3 Tiger I's in fkl. 316. There are no reports or photos of them at all. As the fkl. company was attached to the Panther Abteilung it is possible they might have been in action with Pz. Regiment 6.

[Michael Kenny]

N/T

[martyn powell]

Hi Michael

Thanks for your help it has been a big help to me

Thanks
Martyn

[Kingfish]

I don't think it was Pz Lehr which was defending that area at the time. Steel Inferno states that the 12th SS HJ reconnaissance battalion, with support from Panthers from I.Bn/12th SS Pz Regt. repelled the British 69th infantry brigade's attack on point 102 (south of Cristot) on this day.

[martyn powell]

Hello Kingfish

Thanks for your reply, yes you are right about the 69th Infantry Brigade and Point 102, its my fault for not explaining the full
situation, as i did not believe there were any Tigers in the area at the time.
The 24th Lancers were on Point 103 about a mile or so West of Cristot, with Saint Pierre to the South. This is where the attack came from by the Panzer Lehr, with the 901st Panzergrenadier Lehr, Panthers from the 6th Panzer Regiment and
MK IVs from the 130th, and thanks to Michael`s Post the possibility of three Tigers

Thanks
Martyn

[uli]

Hi Martyn

10. June 44:

1./PzReg 6 was south of Tilly-sur-Seulles (Pz V) (or after 10th June)
5./PzReg 130 and 6. /PzReg 130 were north (west of Chouain) and east of Tilly (Pz IV)

Bataillon Uthe (I./901) + Pz.Jg.Lehr-Abt.130 were near St. Pierre and point 103

The border between Pz Lehr - 12.SS was Cristot

HKL (MLR) east of Tilly 10th June: Cristot - Les Hauts Vents (point 103) - CG172 - St. Pierre

East of ponit 103 Oberst Luxenburger (Panzerartillerieregiment 130) was captured.

Major Prinz Wilhelm von Schönburg-Waldenburg, commander of II./Panzer-Lehr-Regiment 130 was KIA at point 103.

Source:from the book "Westfront 1944" by Helmut Ritgen, german edition.

No Tigers from Panzer Lehr at this time, maybe Jagdpanzer IV from Pz.Jg.Lehr-Abt.130

Regards Uli

[JonS]

More likely mis-identified Pz IV (or poss. mis-identified Pz V)

[Brad Hunter]

Check out:

http://web.telia.com/~u18313395/normand ... gerob.html

[Michael Kenny]

Jaugitz (in Funklenkpanzer page 390) says:

"On the same day (9th) British Units occupied St. Pierre, a suburb of Tilly-sur-Seulles. On 10 June the town was recaptured from the enemy.
On 11 June the British launched a heavy attack into the area of operations of the Panzer-Lehr-Division. The remote control company played a succesful role in the subsequent counterattack."

As I said earlier there in no information on the 3 Tiger I's in (fkl)316 other than they were listed as on strength in June.