To: GreyFriar
Saw a tank show on the Canadians in Italy. The Germans mounted V turrets on subterranean concrete support bunkers.
Low profile, four of them stopped a platoon of Shermans, and the advance in that sector, cold.
(Naturally, you have to wonder why artillery or air support wasn't called in.)
To: Calvin Locke
Both of the latter would have a hard time with that situation as well. A decent tank will withstand HE reasonably well, short of a direct hit to the thinner top armor, and direct air support for that sort of thing was fairly difficult in that era.
57 posted on
07/03/2015 1:13:06 PM PDT by
FreedomPoster
(Islam delenda est)
To: Calvin Locke
those are called Panzerkuppel or Panzerturm. generally obsolete or knocked out tanks had their turrets removed for use as fixed fortifications if there was a benefit. guarding airfields or for use on the Siegfried line. these were simply delaying measures. since the fortifications couldn't move, it was only a matter of time until they'd be knocked out by artillery or tanks or anti-tunk guns. you could also bypass them and deal with them later. there are still a handful of these around that have been left as WWII monuments.
![](http://i49.tinypic.com/erftah.jpg)
sometimes late in the war, during city defenses, a tank would be dug in and operate as a panzerturm. either due to tank damage, or lack of fuel, or desperateness of the situation. ![](http://i.imgur.com/BQWo4hF.jpg)
59 posted on
07/03/2015 1:27:03 PM PDT by
TangibleDisgust
(The Parmesan doesn't go like that.)
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