Battlegroup Fehrmann Tiger v. three British Comets, 3RTR

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by SDP, Jan 6, 2012.

  1. Smittyburger

    Smittyburger New Member

    I realize that this thread has been idle for quite some time, however, can someone tell me if the road that the F01 was knocked out on was dirt, cobbled or otherwise? Thanks
     
  2. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Judging by the various photos available, the road was not cobbled and too smooth to be dirt. It's also clear that the land to the side of the road was soft. On balance my guess is a metalled surface for the road with soft sand either side.
     
  3. Smittyburger

    Smittyburger New Member

    Thank you SDP. “Metalled road” is a new term for me LOL. In Canada, I believe they are called “chip” or “sealed” roads. I tend to agree with your photo analysis.
     
  4. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    The chap with the binoculars standing on the right hand side of the photo in front of the tank is apparently Lt Jeff Lomas of B Squadron and the chap on the extreme right hand side with the armband is the Medical Officer Capt Barry Whitehouse.
     
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  5. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Youtube - "Published on 18 Dec 2018:The Comet was Britain's newest tank in 1945, and led the charge into Northern Germany. In this episode, find out what happened when Royal Tank Regiment Comets encountered a lone German Tiger in the forest."

     
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2019
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  6. m kenny

    m kenny Senior Member

    Not one single second of the Youtube film is related to this incident.
     
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  7. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Correct...apart from the frontal photo of F01. There were lots of still photos taken after the incident, particularly by B Squadron members, and some of those are included in this thread but none of them are in the YouTube film either. The commentary is, however, quite accurate, including the bit that some comment makers find amusing notably the 'Comets reversing quickly'. Most of the inaccuracies in the film suggest the commentator used the accounts by Saft and Finizio as base knowledge and hence why he states F02 rather than F01. I guess the reason that none of the film footage relates directly to the incident itself is that there were no cameras present during said incident - the action was very close and intensive.
     
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  8. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Hi, new to the forum, found it while looking for info on my Grandad, B squadron 3 RTR, I have some photos that may interest you and they confirm that it is indeed Bad Segeberg, I found some fairly recent photos of the buildings, in google maps the area to the west/left has been demolished.
     

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  9. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Those are brilliant photos! Thanks for posting them....and welcome to the Forum. Natural question: do you have any more that you can share with us?
     
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  10. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Hi, glad you like them..I have a few more, I'm currently scanning them, cleaning them up a bit..I'm trying to locate various sites, etc, so may open a thread later, as a teaser, here's my grandad, Frank Curzon, wireless operator, far right, watching how the rest of the crew adjust a comet's tracks! Unfortunately, I don't have much info on the rest of the crew, his comet was 'Cherub'. The guy on the left also watching was called Charlie, and I know the driver was called Sid Evans, As I said, later I'll open a thread. Enjoy!
     

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  11. SJBW

    SJBW Junior Member

    As SDP says, brilliant to see these. Thanks for posting. Interesting mix of cap badges on the last photo, suggests it might have been taken after VE Day?
     
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  12. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Well spotted! I don't know the date of the photo, but I know they had to give up the comets shortly after VE day and were given churchill crocodiles (another of the things I have to look into!). My granddad and Charlie are wearing the 3RTR cap badge, and the man second from right is wearing the RAC cap badge, perhaps my grandad talked him into it!
     
  13. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    Great photos. As well as the various cap-badges, the chalk writing on the track guard in the track tensioning photo looks interesting. I can see 'Drivers', 'Turrets' and 'Normandy'. What's all that about?
     
  14. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Well, having put my reading glasses on, I realise that maybe 'Charlie' isn´t Charlie... and his cap badge is different... I've spent the last hour trying to identify it, so far, no luck!
     
  15. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Maybe they ran out of paper??!! Seriously, no idea, but I managed to enlarge and boost the contrast..from what I can make out it reads: Drivers, sandshields, Normandy, 11 m/m , mounting, B..E (?).. taking into account they only got the comets in 1945, maybe someone used the mudguard as a whiteboard during a talk? Perhaps the photo was taken during comet training, the trees are bare but I think I can make out buds..March, April, perhaps? That would explain the different cap badges, I guess.
     

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  16. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    Nearly a year late but only just seen this. The Comets of 3 RTR, 2 FF Yeo and 15/19 Hussars led VIII Corps' 'charge' into Northern Germany but Comets did not lead the 'charge' by the armoured units in XII and XXX Corps as they were equipped with Cromwell and Sherman. At times Churchills also led the 'charge'. Strictly speaking only one Comet encountered Tiger F01, and this was the one commanded by Sgt Harding. However, F01 was one of three Tigers committed to the battle in the forest on the road to Ostenholz and these additional tanks were engaged, unsuccessfully, by 6pdrs of 4 KSLI and A and C squadrons 3 RTR.
     
  17. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    Never thought I would get into chalk inscriptions! Here is a still from a IWM video taken of a B Squadron 3 RTR Comet having its main armament pulled through in Schwarmstedt on 14 April 45. The Comet has the chalk inscription in the same place.

    In the video the crew look old enough to be the father's of the lads in the still and are grimey from 3 weeks of action. This supports SJBW's suggestion that the photo was taken after VE Day and perhaps they are newly-joined men doing crew maint while the veterans take a well-earned rest!
     

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  18. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    '11 m/m' will be '77mm', which was the name by which the Comet's version of the 17pdr was known in order not to confuse it and, more importantly its ammunition, with the 'normal' 17pdr.
     
  19. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    Have trawled my two cap badge books to try to identify ‘Charlie’s’ cap badge but with absolutely no success. Intriguing.
     
  20. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    'Normandy' could still relate to the Comets; I'm not sure of the history by any means but the term 'Normandy Cowl' was used to describe the exhaust deflectors on the Mk1a Comet.
     

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