While at the National Archives yesterday to successfully complete current research, discovered and printed out some twenty pages of data on Tiger 131 by the Military College of Science, School of Tank Technology. The only question remaining is whether she was put out of action on February 21 or 24, 1943. Will post on return to the US for our technically minded members, Gerry
The only question remaining is whether she was put out of action on February 21 or 24, 1943. Now I really am intrigued... (And it's not like I wasn't pretty intrigued already.) Looking forward to whatever you've found, Gerry. ~A
Sorry to jump back into this thread after so long, but the question has been answered by now. See; Tiger 131 is captured David
For others stumbling across this thread - see this linked thread for more of Gerry's input. Book Review - 'Catch That Tiger' - Churchill's secret order that prompted the most dangerous mission of WW2
Update confirming it was 2nd Bn Sherwood Foresters that got it: The Tank Museum | The Myth of Tiger 131 - An Update
I have read a lot about Tiger 131. Any ideas which one this is. Is it a media photo or taken by Major Shepherd. Courtesy the Shepherd Family Collection.
There are two other, very similar photos of this wreck. But this new photo is the only one where we may possibly be able to read the turret number. I've enhanced it several different ways, and the only thing it looks like is "101". We have photos of Tiger 101 when it was new, and it does seem compatible with this wreck, but there were very few differences between any Tigers in the company. David
I am convinced that it is a genuine original photo taken by Major DCL Shepherd MC as in his letters (which I am transcribing) and in the letters of one of his officers Lt Bill Beadle (which I transcribed some years ago) they write home about visiting the battlefield after the German surrender. I inherited Bill Beadles letters but not his photos taken in Tunisia or Italy. However I am working on Major Shepherds letters with which we also have quite a few rather good photos. This is the only one of a Tiger and indeed of the battlefield as in his letters he says that they went to take a look at the areas but it brought back too many memories so he went back to camp. They spent a lot of time and money in Tunis buying and swapping cameras as many of them were amateur photographers. Major Shepherd was mentioned in Despatches during these actions and earned an MC and American Silver Star at Anzio. Bill Beadle was killed by a landmine in Florence in Sept 1944. Major Shepherd was captured, died of wounds and was buried in Ferrara on Christmas Day 1944. Their letters are a memorial to their endeavours and incredibly real as they were written at the time, not memories which can sometimes be a little in error many years later. They have lain in Major Shepherds briefcase along with his Record Book and binoculars until recently when his grandson took them out to read. The family were forbidden by his wife to speak of his death for many years which was not unusual for the time.
The obvious question is where were 67 Fd Regt over Easter? That's assuming he hadn't transferred before he was captured.
The 67th were supporting both 2IB and 3 IB in turn see attached. This was in April/May 1943. Hopefully this posting will explain the situation. It was originally written by Peter Mennell who was Adjutant for some time and wrote much of the War Diaries. It is part of a set of documents deposited in Worcester Archives by Canon Peter Raban previously Major and OC 446 Battery .
Ref Tiger tank #9 above. I am reliably informed that this is probably number 101 taken after the same battle as the famous Tiger 131. Major Shepherd writes in some detail about being fired on by one when in his slit trench OP on Easter Sunday. It proves that 131 was not the only one there. Records show that Operation Fliederblute was supported by 501st Heavy Panzer, with 13 Tiger I heavy tanks. Major Shepherd quite rightly mentions that there were about a dozen of them. Sadly much is written about Longstop (yes I bought the recent publication Battle of the Peaks) but they all ignore Djebel Djaffa and Banana Ridge followed by the fierce fighting for Gueriat el Atach carried out over Easter by the 1st Infantry Division to clear the flank of the main attack. Attached my rather grotty (I am no artist) hand sketch representation of the 1st Div campaign from the research carried out to date. No doubt it will be slated by the team of Armchair Generals but it is what it is, a representation of the events, I am aware that some of the locations are not true to magnetic north etc.