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General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Bong40 on October 06, 2014, 11:47:43 AM

Title: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Bong40 on October 06, 2014, 11:47:43 AM
Seen the scenes before Just never put together and stabilized
Enjoy............
Panther kills Sherman then Pershing kills Panther

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fb8_1412600463
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: tunnelrat on October 06, 2014, 02:25:07 PM
Sobering.
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Ack-Ack on October 06, 2014, 04:16:24 PM
Amazing footage.  You can see the hits on the Panther from the Pershing tank.  When the Panther starts to cook up, you can see 3 glowing 'circles' on the side and front of the turret where the Pershing's rounds penetrated.

ack-ack
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: scott66 on October 06, 2014, 04:20:22 PM
Wow..scary stuff...
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: DaveBB on October 06, 2014, 04:45:12 PM
Part of the panther crew actually managed to escape, only to be machine gunned down a few blocks down.  Also, the Sherman crew member with his lower leg blown off bled to death.
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Ack-Ack on October 06, 2014, 04:52:11 PM
Part of the panther crew actually managed to escape, only to be machine gunned down a few blocks down.  Also, the Sherman crew member with his lower leg blown off bled to death.

All but one of the Sherman crew died, the gunner was the only survivor. 

ack-ack
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Cthulhu on October 06, 2014, 05:02:37 PM
This video always impressed me. Like Ack-Ack said, the holes the 90mm punched thru the Panther really get your attention. It's really hard watching the poor guy manage to get out of the Sherman with his lower leg missing.

I don't think many people appreciate the sheer amount of energy transferred when rds like this hit. Even after penetrating, there's still plenty left to turn us into Jello.
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: GScholz on October 06, 2014, 05:45:42 PM
That's what you get when you don't keep your front armor towards the enemy and don't protect your weak sides...
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Cthulhu on October 06, 2014, 07:15:39 PM
That's what you get when you don't keep your front armor towards the enemy and don't protect your weak sides...
Watch the video. I'd never seen this one with the street layout before. I always thought the Panther engaged the Sherman facing sideways. Turns out he was facing the Sherman and the Pershing flanked him.
Besides, I think that 90mm would have sliced thru the front plate of the Panther just as easily at that range. I'm surprised anybody got out in time.
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Scherf on October 06, 2014, 08:08:13 PM
Right on the steps of Cologne cathedral, quite literally. The fact the cathedral remained standing was nothing short of miraculous.

Friendly advice - never attempt to drink beer in Cologne.
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: GScholz on October 06, 2014, 08:30:10 PM
The fact the cathedral remained standing was nothing short of miraculous.

Or just the result of Teutonic levels of over engineering...
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Scherf on October 06, 2014, 09:08:58 PM
Heheh, no, there were plenty of other churches and cathedrals which were laid flat.

IIRC the interior of the cathedral is fairly stark. There's another chuch very close by, on the other side of the station I think, which has been restored to its original glory. The lady there told me it was largely Polish craftsmen who'd done the work...
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: GScholz on October 07, 2014, 08:35:18 AM
Well... These old Gothic cathedrals are incredibly difficult to destroy. The amount of stone needed to build such a high construction is staggering and results in something that resist damage and fire like a bunker. St. Paul's in London survived largely due to the efforts of a special unit of firefighters assigned to its protection. Despite being hit 29 times during the Blitz the cathedral survived. Even if the Germans had succeeded in setting St. Paul's ablaze only the led dome and roof would have been completely destroyed. The stone building itself would have been left standing. The destruction in Cologne and London were mostly caused by fire, not explosives.

(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/13/article-1294420-0A22928F000005DC-447_634x415.jpg)
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: MiloMorai on October 07, 2014, 02:11:31 PM
St Martin's cathedral at Ypres
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/21/article-2282108-182A0565000005DC-741_964x720.jpg)
after rebuilding
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/21/article-2282108-00D3962E00000190-617_964x923.jpg)
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: MiloMorai on October 07, 2014, 02:21:40 PM
All but one of the Sherman crew died, the gunner was the only survivor. 

ack-ack

Two of the Sherman crew survived according to the video. (0:48)

Three of the Panther crew survived according to the video. (3:35)
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Mister Fork on October 07, 2014, 03:26:59 PM
Two of the Sherman crew survived according to the video. (0:48)

Three of the Panther crew survived according to the video. (3:35)
I'm not sure any of the Panther crew survived the video as the Pershing shot the second round the crew trying to escape the turret didn't seem to be able to get all the way out before it went up in flames and I thought that they were strafed by the gunner as well.  But that video is hard to tell. I saw that video years ago on the old World at War series as a young kid almost 30 years ago - this version is definitely more clear as to what was going on.

Thanks for posting it Bong :aok
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Oldman731 on October 07, 2014, 03:30:48 PM
I'm not sure any of the Panther crew survived


Belton Cooper's book mentioned this engagement.  IIRC he also said that one or more of the Panther crew survived.

- oldman
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: GScholz on October 07, 2014, 04:47:15 PM
St Martin's cathedral at Ypres
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/21/article-2282108-182A0565000005DC-741_964x720.jpg)
after rebuilding
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/21/article-2282108-00D3962E00000190-617_964x923.jpg)

Ypres was shelled by German artillery in The Great War and almost totally destroyed by blast damage. Cologne and London were primarily firebombed. While the Cologne Cathedral suffered some blast damage it was not structurally critical (obviously).

Monte Cassino is a better example of what WWII concentrated air power using high explosives could do...
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Ack-Ack on October 07, 2014, 06:12:44 PM
Two of the Sherman crew survived according to the video. (0:48)

Stand corrected.  John J Gialluca (gunner) probably never knew the assistant driver was able to make it out okay and also survived.  On the website of the video's creator, he posted a letter he received in the mail from Gialluca's son Doug recalling his father's story of the event.

Quote
The last tank battle in Cologne Germany on March 6 1945 happened as Corporal Gunner John J Gialluca approached the square of town between two buildings where suddenly by surprise a Panther Mark V hit their Sherman tank. John remembers the tank burning and they were trapped. The shrapnel went through his legs and he said he was pinned to his seat when a second blast under the turret forced him free from his position. There were no other survivors except Corporal John J Gialluca. There was another tank disabled next to his tank that tried to help the injured. They found John lying on the ground with his 45 caliber hand gun in his hand. Then John said as they were helping him he could hear the blast and gunfire from what is known now the battle of the last tank. The Sherman tank that Corporal John J Gialluca was in was facing the cannon of the 75mm high velocity Panther Mark V. The 76 mm is questionable as for penetrating the heavy armored Panther head to head. This was John's second tank hit in his journey from Normandy Beach and very fortunate to survive. Corporal Gunner John J Gialluca was sent to a hospital in England where he had a lengthy recovery and was able to walk again. After a long fight with kidney cancer John went to be with the Lord on July 5th 1998.



Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Cthulhu on October 09, 2014, 07:16:59 AM
Is there any information as to where the Sherman was hit? From the commander's injuries I'm guessing it was hit in the mantlet, or down around the turret ring.
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Charge on October 09, 2014, 07:01:03 PM
http://worldwartwo.filminspector.com/2014/07/shootout-at-cologne-cathedral.html

-C+
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Cthulhu on October 10, 2014, 12:41:31 PM
Thanks Charge. That's exactly what I was looking for. Panther's shot went right thru the mantlet. Explains how the commander lost his leg. Jeez, the Pershing was right on top of the Panther!
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: DaveBB on October 11, 2014, 12:38:47 PM
A Super Pershing (extremely long barreled 90mm gun) destroyed a King Tiger in the final days of WW2.  Unfortunately no one was there to record it.  But it was at point blank range in the rubble of a burned out city.
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: WWhiskey on October 11, 2014, 04:02:57 PM
A Super Pershing (extremely long barreled 90mm gun) destroyed a King Tiger in the final days of WW2.  Unfortunately no one was there to record it.  But it was at point blank range in the rubble of a burned out city.
from what I understood the Pershing also was disabled as well but no one died in it, 
Just going by memory tho
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: DaveBB on October 11, 2014, 05:39:26 PM
http://www.3ad.com/history/news/super.pershing.1.htm

Wow, crazier than I thought.  Super Pershing was ambushed by a Tiger II.  The Tiger II even hit the Pershing in the turret before being destroyed by the Pershing.  Range was approximately 600 yards in this engagement.
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Cthulhu on October 12, 2014, 04:04:12 PM
It's inconclusive from the story whether the King Tiger ever hit the Pershing, and the rd that killed the Tiger did penetrate the thinner belly armor. Even still, I'm pretty sure the Pershing's gun would probably get thru the front glacis of the Tiger at only 600 yds. 3850 fps is a SERIOUS velocity. I wonder what the lifetime of the barrels was.
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: Guppy35 on October 19, 2014, 10:19:07 PM
I'm way late to this one, but a better detailed account in this documentary that includes some other parts of the day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFU4q2KkVmA
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: GScholz on October 20, 2014, 06:12:01 AM
Touching.
Title: Re: Panther Vs Sherman and Pershing
Post by: SmokinLoon on October 24, 2014, 01:48:28 PM
Very touching. Goes to show the humanity on both sides of the conflict, and those caught in the middle.   :frown: