I remember years ago, out in the field at Fort Knox. One of the less intelligent soldiers among us, climbed into the "hole" of an M-60A3, fired her up and went for a drive. Everyone was fine until the DS had him button up, this is where the problems kicked in. Our brilliant field general couldn't see through the periscope, for who knows why, but kept driving. Next thing you know he hits a pine tree going maybe 10 mph. The tree was maybe 25-35 feet tall, I know, big range but I've never prided myself in guestimating the height of trees. Any way, the tree instantly bent like something out of Jurassic Park then the most gawd awful cracking sound that penetrating to the bone. With that the tree snapped clean just above the base and toppled over.
With all the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' and a few 'holy sh*ts' Pvt Monk (don't know why I still remember the idiots name) finally stopped the tank, set the brake, popped the lid and looked at his handiwork. The cuss words were perfectly clear 100yds away as if they were swearing at me.
If one idiot Pvt in a 60ton M-60A3 can snap a rather tall tree without so much as a shrug, should these trees flip a 56-65 ton Tiger I or II? My guess is no but hey, the gods of AH say yes so here we are.
Boo
PS The rest of the story. The DS took turns running over the trees in tanks, turning it into kindling wood. They didn't want the local Communist Commissar Political Officer, I mean the Environmental Officer to see the tree. If the remains were kindling wood the story of "we found it that way" made sense. If a whole tree, hard to say someone else did it.
