Abandoned King Tiger in Normandy Then and Now
Vložit
- čas přidán 30. 11. 2023
- The King Tiger first went into action in Normandy in the Summer of 1944.
In this episode of WW2 Wayfinder I take a look at a series of Then and Now images taken of a King Tiger from the Panzerkompanie (Fkl) 316 and how King Tiger 11 came to end up in the French town of Chateadun in August 1944.
A special thank you to German_Tech3 on Instagram for photos of Panzerkompanie (Fkl) 316 King Tigers.
You can follow on Instagram here:
german_tech3?ig...
#worldwar2 #ww2wayfinder #alliedassault #normandy #normandie #usarmy #britisharmy #germanarmy #armor #armour #tigertank #kingtiger #Panzer #history
Help support the work of Warbird Owners, restorers and Aviation Museums with great, fresh roasted coffee from The Warbird Coffee Company (only available in the UK)
www.warbirdcoffeecompany.co.uk
Please consider supporting the channel at:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/WW2Wayfinder?...
Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/ww2wayfi...
Follow WW2 Wayfinder On:
Facebook: / ww2wayfinder
Instagram: / ww2wayfinder
Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/ww2wayfi...
Music: www.epidemicsound.com - Zábava
The photo of Eisenhower walking past the wrecked Tiger ll (5:02) is so iconic.
Another interesting then and now. The early Tiger II is something I have not seen before in pictures. Thank you for your research.
I’m glad I was able to show you something new! These images I think are very cool and I even had a couple
Of the locals take an interest as they had no idea about it! Took a bit of trying with my dodgy French but they got the idea - I think!
Love the Tiger Tank videos. My favorite tank of WW2
I wish I lived in Europe. I would be going to all these amazing places too. Seeing those buildings still there is so awesome! Love this channel!!
It’s definitely a privilege to be able to find these places and soak up the history. I would recommend a tour to Normandy or the Ardennes if you’re able to as access to the major sights is fine and through a bit of research it’s easy to do on your own.
Thanks for watching and if you ever need any tips for planning a trip let me know 😃
I knew this would be good
Thank you! More King Tiger content next week too which I think you’ll enjoy!
As an ex-tank soldier I'd like to clarify that all all tracked and some wheeled AFV's have a hull NOT a Chassis. 🙂
Good point!
Great pictures, and information. Thank you.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 😃
Love your enthusiasm and Then and Nows. It gives one pause to know you are on the exact spot and the only thing separating you from the point in history, is time. Well Done!
Thank you! For me being on the same spot is a rush, knowing what took place there and the unit involved. It’s a real link to the past hidden in plain sight!
Another interesting video as always! I really admire your great work! Thanks for sharing ❤
Well done. Thank you very much.
You’re most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching!
There was a study made by the US Army regarding how the Tiger Series were disabled! And many tanks ran out of Fuel, or mechanically disabled, or out right abandoned. Once with actual penetration were used as a sitting target and that was the findings.
I just love these then and now photos. Thanks for this upload.
You’re most welcome! I’ve got more King Tiger content coming later this week too which I hope you’ll enjoy!
Always an Outstanding video and presentation.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Absulotely love your period versus now videos. Thanks for doing this!
Thank you! Glad you like them and I'll have another out this Friday detailing the location where Mussolini was rescued from in 1943!
I watch your program with so much intensity I feel like I'm present.. These photos give me so much pleasure!!!! Keep um coming Way Finder your work is brilliant.. Thanks always!!!🏅🏅🏅🎖️🎖️🎖️
Thank you! Really pleased you enjoyed it! Hopefully it’s something a little out of the ordinary too being a King Tiger in Normandy as very few were operational there.
This weeks episode is more King a tiger content but an amazing restoration project!
I can only imagine going back in time to inform those trashing these rare beasts that they would be worth millions.... These babies are just so cool.
No they aren’t
Lol not worth much
Nice. This is like one of the few magazines I used to actually have delivered - After the Battle.
I'm a huge fan of After The Battle. Last I'd heard they'd gone out of print but I might need to double check that as it would be a real pity if they have as their work is the gold standard. Thanks for watching.
Hi Jon
Thanks for another great video presentation mate. ❤😊
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it and next week I’ll have another King Tiger related video which I hope you’ll enjoy!
Another fascinating video. I always find the then and now shots very interesting.
Me too!
Thanks! Defiantly a great opportunity to be able to visit that spot and even more so given how few King Tigers fought in Normandy!
Thank you 😃
Awesome presentation Jon! Tiger II is quite an interesting tank. Never knew that five Panthers could be produced for every Tiger II.
Thank you! I’m fascinated by the Tiger II. I think the design is a very contemporary one and it just has an aggressive look about it, something the Allied tanks (in my opinion) never really had. Not a major point of coarse but you can see how the Tiger series really would strike fear into soldiers on the battlefield!
@@WW2Wayfinder I'm also fascinated by the tiger II. Definitely concur that it's design was ahead of its time. Would have been terrifying as an allied soldier to encounter the behemoth on the battlefield. Tiger I, Tiger II, and panther are my absolute favorites to build scale models of. The history and technical design aspects is quite interesting.
Great info, thanks !
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching 😃
Great vid we enjoy your content always, thank you
Thank you! Hopefully something a little different with this one too given how few King Tigers were operational in Normandy and how many were knocked out or broke down near recognisable places!
very well researched and presented - well done.
Thank you kindly!
Love the GI on the beach at 3:10 "testing" the Goliath....!!!
This is awesome Sir! I wish I have friend to travel places like this with all the story about the Places. As I collecting Germany Military my self Daggers AND more ,very like much Tiger I . Have couple giant models . They been the Best . All The Germany was 100 years in front with quality a craft then anyone else. Stg 44 Sturmgeweher is example .I found one in Liberec in the forest when I was young . Since then Military took me in. Like you say before ,The Kids enjoyed jumping in and out in this abandoned Tanks . My Father told me . Helmets and Bullets was everywhere .
Excellent 😊
Thank you!
First video from you I’ve seen and I must say, very good! I definitely enjoyed it! 🤝🤝
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it and I’ve got plenty more then and now episodes on the channel as well as a range of other stuff so hope you enjoy them 😃
I love this channel and what you do, it must be expensive. Keep it up and thank you from a history buff!
It’s all worth it as discovering these places is always a thrill for a history nerd like myself. Nothing better than standing in these places knowing what took place there all those years ago! I even had a few locals ask me what I was doing as they’d never seen the photos so they were quite surprised!
Another great video my friend THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA.......
Thank you Frank! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for all the information and research, hope there's a lot more to yet be discovered. 🇺🇲👍
NEVER heard of the Borgward remote command & detonated vehicles before! You've earned a position in my subscriptions.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video and welcome to the channel!
Love the video mate. I had the privilege of sitting in the King Tiger at the German Tank Museum when I was a kid, what I’d give to do it again now as an adult! 10/10 on the jealous scale
Oh nice mate! They’re incredible aren’t they. The restoration work they’re doing on the Swiss one is incredible and climbing around the turret was amazing!
I know zero about the King Tiger but really enjoyed the video.
Great work!
I agree!
Thank you 😃
Glad you enjoyed this one! It’s quite cool to find the location of a knocked out King Tiger in France given how few were operational there.
I live in Texas and have visited the Normandy, Bastogne and the Arnhem areas a few times. I only wish that I had seen your videos beforehand! I hope to go back to see more of the “Bulge” area in greater detail later this year. Your videos will be a great guide and resource! Thanks for your great videos, knowledge and research. Cheers!
Hope you're able to get back to the Ardennes soon! Let me know if you need any recommendations for places to see there.
That is one massive killing machine. I was always confused with the turrets, thanks for clearing that one up. Cheers.
No worries and glad to help with the turret issue. I personally prefer the early type as I just think they look nicer but they suffered from a lot of issues and the production turret is an impressive piece of engineering!
Amazing video
Thank you!
Thanks
You’re most welcome!
Thanks for this, i can only imagine hearing these things approaching from a distance and especially in the dark hours must have been a very scary time, i would rather have been a foot soldier rather than a crewman having to take these beasts on although i enjoyed my time on armoured vehicles during my serving time back in the 70’s and 80’s, once again thanks for sharing, Robbo 👍
Thanks Robbo, and I agree, at least in the infantry you could see all around you. Hard to imagine how claustrophobic it must have been for tank crews with only vision slits/ports to see out of in combat!
TY🙏🙏
You’re most welcome!
Outstanding Jon, clearly you put in a lot of research and you are a great story teller- looked a lovely day to be talking tanks. Why a remote controlled demolition unit needed the king tiger or 6 is hard to comprehend- panzer III at best!
Thank you! I just love finding these out of the way places and being able to tell their stories. While the big set piece battle of Normandy etc are always amazing, these smaller unit type stories hold an equal amount of fascination for me.
MAN!...Just lookit the sheer size of that press for forming the horseshoe shape of the T1 turret!
Thank you for including that photo! (Ive a rather large reference book library, all pertaining to WW2 German armor & Im AMAZED Ive never seen, nor possess that photo)
~Keep up the great/interesting work!...;)
Thank you! It’s amazing isn’t it. The scale of the machinery needed to produce those beasts is impressive in itself! Thanks for watching.
@@WW2Wayfinder
Enjoy the New Year WWWF.....;)
I have a photo of 11 before it was moved off the road by the americans. it was taken directly in front of the house with the Dubbonet sign and just in front of the larger two story building opposite, with the Tiger facing down the road towards it final resting place. the turret was facing to the rear right of the radio/machine gun operators position of the vehicle(further round than in the other pictures) with the open hatch on the back almost over the drivers position. the shell that penetrated the vehicles turret came from the direction the tank was going too. very interesting video but you forgot to mention the unusual snorkel cover on the rear deck unique to the early production tiger II as with the exhausts which were later changed.👍👍
Great work Jon, loving the armor editions. Unfortunately these magnificent machines were plagued with a multitude of problems; 69 tons on a less than adequate engine and drive train, narrow roads and weight restricted bridges hampered maneuverability and dwindling fuel and ammunition often led to crews to abandon or destroy these vehicles.
That’s it, the idea was sound but everything else needed to make it an effective weapon on the battlefield was inadequate. I know there were plans to upgrade the engines to deliver more power as the HL230 that powered the Tiger I just wasn’t capable to carry the extra weight of the Tiger II.
Ultimately it’s a good job they got it wrong but I still can’t help but be impressed by the engineering development that went into the Tiger II
Thanks ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
You’re most welcome 😃
@@WW2Wayfinder sir where are you from
Of those King Tigers, "13" is my favourite, as I've got a soft spot for that number....😎
being with an armor musem here in new york, i can sure appreciate this one.
Oh very cool! Which museum is that?
museum of american armor@@WW2Wayfinder
It's also worth mentioning that the reason the Porsche designing or Krupp witch ever you want to call it that first turet was cool looking but it was a shot trap that is why they changed it
It’s certainly my favourite of the two but the shot trap issue and the production problems with the commanders cupola sadly meant we got the slab sided one!
keep on your good working wayfinder regards allan petersen dk
Thank you Allan!
Glad you enjoyed it and next week I’ll have another King Tiger episode looking at the amazing work being done at the Swiss Military Museum😃
Great work. Love the theory about the turret being tested by the Yanks. Fascinating.
Thank you!
Tank was left in main road and was towed off it to were it was in photos on video with crater beside it. There is a photo of it at this original location.
The turret damage was thought to have been done by following German tank when 11 broke down. The crew did not have time to set demo charges so following tank shot it in turret to prevent tank falling intact into allied hands
I’d read that too about the following tank disabling it. It definitely seems plausible although I’d have thought a few rounds into the engine block would do more damage. Hard to say but most certainly a plausible option! Thank you for watching 😃
thats Kellys Heros unit patch @10.00
That’s the one! Love the 35th Infantry Division and great that they were represented in Kelly’s Heros. Thanks for watching.
WOW!! They even spray the ski there!!! CHEMTRAIL CITY!!! Holy!!!
Condensation trails when hot air meets cold air
@@WW2Wayfinder LOL Negative!!! But you believe what they tell you! Good luck
I was waiting for the tank now, lol.
Another great video of you 👍 - are you suggesting that there were radio-controlled Goliaths ? So far I thought they were controlled by wire … pls keep on making these great videos - you are a top-expert !
Thank you!
They acted as a command vehicle controlling the smaller Sd Kfz 301 vehicles by radio control rather than the wire controlled Goliaths
@@WW2Wayfinder Perfect - I see - thank you for clarifying … I appreciate your videos 👏
👍👍👍!!
Thank you!
Great work Jon, is there any Museum or places at Chateaudun to visit ?
Chateaudun is worth a visit, plenty of history besides WW2, monuments for the Franco-Prussian war and so on, some fantastic views, lovely market place, cafes and so on. You might want to check what day the market is, memory suggests Thursdays but 'memory' can be faulty. It is easier to find somewhere to park on other days.
I found that in most cafes there are enough people who speak enough English to help if you don't speak French. I was last there in 2020, just passing through.
Thank you! Sadly no museum that I know of but I did stumble across a memorial to a shot down B-26 Marauder nearby which was the only tangible link to the war I found as I drove through (other than the King Tiger location).
Hi friend, have you thought about shooting a report from the scene of Wittman's death, or is there just an empty field?
I'd like to at one point given the debate over who actually knocked out his tank that day in August 1944.
The Initial , 1st, first early or whichever term you use for first designed Krupp turret was made For both Porsche and Henschel designs the only difference being the changing of the gun turret drive.
Electric if it was to be mounted on a Porsche hull which none were ever completed or Hydralic if mounted on Henschel designed hull as seen in photos. The Series , 2nd , Second Krupp turret design was initiated due to cost and manhours in producing the first style. The cost was due to bending commnaders cupola bulge in right side of turret caused cracking and rejection of a lot of plates. Also cost of manhours fitting frontplate to side plates.
Interesting, I’ve not read anywhere that the turret for the Porsche hull (VK.45.02(P)) was in fact made to be used by both. Clearly it was used on the Henschel design hull but not that it was made for both hull types from the outset.
I’m aware of the issues with the commanders cupola and it being an over ambitious design. The curve on the VK.45.02(P) turret was also a shot trap which the production turret eliminated.
Unser Tiger 1 ist noch heute der schönste Panzer den es je gegeben hat ❤
There could be a King Tiger buried under the middle of Potsdam according to a book that I read
I’ve read something similar I think. Certainly plausible!
Oh man you guys are crazy! You know when we were in that Bocage county we were assaulted by those Tigers. You know what I mean by assaulted well I mean assaulted!
Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
@@WW2Wayfinder Crap!
Is there any news of where this tank is now ? me wonders if it made it into a museum after the war?
Sadly I suspect it was towed away and then melted down for scrap as many were. Of the near 500 that were made, only 10 King Tigers remain to this day!
So what happened to the remains of Tiger 11 after the war?
Scrapped
Sadly it was melted down for scrap like most were post war. Fortunately some were preserved though!
Still to this day I'm trying to figure out why they called it the Porsche turet . itself wasn't even made by Ferdinand was made by Krupp
I think it was modellers back in the day to differentiate between the two and it stuck, made worse by the internet forums etc!
Its become a Tiger nerd point of honour to call out this turret designation. People who own perhaps one book and who watched 3 CZcams videos infest online forums and start countless arguments as they call out anyone daring to use the 'P' word. I think they are just fools because everyone knows what it means. I would be embarrased if I wasted my time arguing over such a trivial detail.
So what actually happened to the tank? Does it still exist?
Sadly taken away and melted down for scrap. Only 10 examples of the King Tiger exist of the 492 produced!
@@WW2Wayfinder aw that’s a damn shame, I was hoping you were gonna say it’s standing in such and such a museum. Just suppose it had survived and now existed in say a private collection any idea what its commercial market value would be ( assuming in the preceding years it would have been fixed and a runner?
I wonder if 11 was abandoned due to turret traverse problems, it seems to be in the same position in all the pics and I would have thought that all those curious GI's and civilians might have had a go at hand traversing it for the hell of it, I know I would have.
It could well have done combined with lack of fuel as like you say every image shows the turret in a position and it’s not a natural one for travelling down a street like that!
And like you I’d definitely have gotten in there and played around with it!!!
You forget how young the soldiers were until you see footage like that American going for a ride in that Goliath. The old war movies cast middle-aged men, but those who fought were boys.
Exactly. I think the average age for the US Airborne was 24!
These Tiger II's were, I think, just another manifestation of Hitler's "fortress" mentality that emerged as the German military declined. Their cost, comparative lack of mobility and mechanical unreliability made them a poor investment, even though few were made - less than 500. Meanwhile the USA was churning out thousands of cheap, very mobile and reliable Shermans (around 50,000 during the War) and the Soviets were doing likewise with the T-34 alone - 84,000 produced during the War.
The British, Soviets (and Americans eventually) also made heavier tanks than their mediums. The Soviets built KVs then IS. The British had the Churchill and the Americans the Pershing at the end of the war. While not as heavy as the Tiger and Tiger II these nations all clearly felt they needed some tanks heavier than their main medium tanks, so it wasn't unique to Germany.
Soviets did not produce 84,00 T-34's in WW2 I believe the 84,000 includes postwar production as well in WW2 they produced around 58, 701 T-34's in WW 2 and lost somewhere around 40,000 odd thousand of those.
If they did not receive lend lease trucks the Russians would not have been to sustain drives with those tanks.
U.S. built 49,234 Shermans and the U.S. alone not counting all allied users lost around 6,000 of these. Also not all of these vehicles were in service or made it too the front at the same time. The Germans did not only make the Tiger II either they made Tiger I, Panther , Panzer IV , and Panzer III. The Panzer IV and Panther being the General issue medium tanks that would be comparable to Shermans and T-34s. The Tiger I and II were corps and army level assets used to back up standard tanks of Panzer Divisions.
Tigers were also pretty mobile and if you look at battled at Siegfried line and in Ardennes the Tigers wider tracks and lower ground pressure allowed them to cross terrian Shermans could not.
Also Specifications for heavy tank were laid down by WaPruf 6 German Army Ordnance and not AH.
He did want a bigger gun the 88 installed on heavy tank and if I remember correctly he wanted armor on front of Tiger II increased from what Ordnance had proposed.
While not a perfect design which no design is it,was a decent tank for being designed in mid war.
@@allendail9562
Indeed. Good post. Quite right. 80% of German armour in WW2 was not of the 'big cat' variety and at 25 tons or under was smaller and lighter than the Sherman and T-34.
And yes the Soviets were able to build nearly 60,000 T-34s and 40,000 other armour types because they didn't also have to build all those trucks etc. Lend Lease supplied the USSR with nearly half a million trucks etc, which was between 2/3 and 3/4 of their supply and transport vehicle needs 1942-45.
🇧🇩🇧🇩👍👍
Thank you!
Where is the tank now?
Sadly it was towed away and I believe broken down for scrap shortly after the war.
Bummer.
So, you didn't find it?
Find what? The tank was removed in the 1940’s.
👁👁
so match work efort so match energy ,time material spending for this monster tank ,it was just a stupid arrogant project in 3.reich ! useless tank !
Not useless, not by a long shot but had fundamental flaws that with time and different circumstances would have been ironed out but to say it was useless is an overstatement I feel:
GREAT DESIGNED TANK BUT OVER ENGINEERED ! BAD MOTOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESIEL BAD TRANSMISSION SHOULD HAVE BEEFED UP TO CARRY THE EXTRA 20 TONS OF WEIGHT AN IT SHOULD NEVER BEEN USED IN THE FOREST OR TOWNS ! PETTY SO MANY WERE SCRAPED AT THE END OF WW 2 👀😡😲👍🥴🥺💯🇩🇪 DOC 🇭🇲
Doesn’t sound like it was a great design to me The design engineers lost their way a bit with the over engineering