Hello,

The well know images from the german newsreel sequence always appeared strange to me.

a battlefield enigma or a clue to a scoop ?

To start, it's strange to find Pz.Lehr tanks in a middle of a 21.Pz column at first sight, it could be the same road to rush to the front...

By order of march :

PzIV 333 - 21.Pz StuH - PzIV - 21.Pz StuH - PzIV 524

12.SS PzIVs belonged to another roll ( image 245 to 249 ).



The sequence shows, PzIV 333, one 21.Pz stug 10,5 FH 38h (f) and a little further in a column the well know Pz.Lehr 524...

I always wonder why the first Panzer IV with L ( panzer Lehr marking ) on mud guard had 333 as turret number, everybody knows all PzIV in Pz Lehr belonged to II./Pz.Rgt.130 ( 5,6,7,8 companies ), ( 1,2,3,4 companies ) made up the I./Pz.rgt.6 with panther... ( presupposed components )

The 333 white number seems to me bigger than usual in Pz.Lehr

Which unit really belongs this 3./company vehicle ? Lehr or 21.Pz ?

I./Pz.rgt. 130 did join the front or they transfered several tanks to Pz.rgt.22 ?

The second solution have a better sound to my opinion .



The Lehr II./Pz.rgt. 130 PanzerIV 524 in the same column...



What means this PzIV on flat-bed wagon from 4./companie of Panzer Lehr unit before Dday and early 1944 ???
I./Pz.rgt.130 did exist ? We are quite sure it did... But where was this unit in june, at Mailly with several old PanzerIVs ?



At the same time, we could see the Pz.Lehr II./130 in Hungary ( absolutely amazing color serie of Lehr PanzerIVs from an Ungarn private collection )

Double COMBO enigma, see the old 5 with dot on the turret !



We could be get one answer through this view... The PzIV 612 ( unzimmerited ) from 21.Pz abandoned near Lebisey ( northern Caen ) in June 1944 was a renumbered tank
Ex 331, see the picture below, we still see the erased number, it could be an ex Pz.Lehr I./130 (3./company) vehicle yielded to II./Pz.rgt. 22 (6./company) ... as 333

What do you think about please !

Fred




PS / By the way, interesting and disturbing to point the same 524 from the PzLehr which was destroyed in the Tilly front in June, see the lunar landscape around and the "unknowed" british mortar troops.

Fred

Hello,

I post this sheet showing different PanzerIV tac.marking use by Pz.rgt.22 between 1944 and 1945, no easy to find 21.Pz french tank wreckage in picture from Normandie.

Fred

The photo of the Pz.IV with the 21.Pz.Div. but with the Pz.Lehr marking is not so much a mystery, but I think that I have an answer.

In a file from the BA (RH39/474) is several pages on AFV for the Pz.Lehr Div.

In a order dated 17.May '44, it gives the details on which the handover of 15 Pz.IVs from the Pz.Lehr Div. to the 21.Pz.Div. was to take place. The original order dated 2.May '44, stated that Pz.Lehr was to give 13 Pz.IVs from the following units:

from Pz.Lehr Regt.130 - 9 Pz.IV
from 3./Pz.Jg.Lehr Abt.130 - 4 Pz.IV
An "take-over" Kommando from the 21.Pz.Div. was to march to the Pz.Lehr Regt. at Logron so that the hand over of the Panzers could take place on 20.May at the earliest. Following the hand-over, it was to report the chassis numbers of the Panzers plus their operational readiness to the Div.
Apparently, the original order from 2.May called for the Pz.Art.Regt.130 to hand over its Pz.IV "B-Wagen" (Beobachtungswagen) in exchange for older Pz.III "B-Wagen." In the current order this plan was dropped and the Pz.IVs were again assigned to the Pz.Art.Regt.130.
Finally, the Pz.Nachr.Abt.130 was ordered to switch out 2 Pz.IV Bef.Wg. to the 21.Pz.Div. and report on the Fgst.Nr. to the Div.

Panzer IVs handed over:

Pz.Lehr Regt.130 - 9 Pz.IVs
3./Pz.Jg.Lehr Abt.130 - 4 Pz.IVs
Pz.Nachr.Abt.130 - 2 Pz.IVs
total = 15 Pz.IVs

I think that this would explain the Pz.Lehr markings on the 21.Pz.Div. Pz.IV, as they had these Panzers only for a few days before those pictures were taken.

This is a great forum,

Panzerjaeger Horridoh!

John Nelson

Thanks John for the info !

Regards Uli.

Hi Fred,
I'm not sure if it 501 or 601, but it is a 2nd PD Pz IV, you can just make out a trident next to the drivers vision block.
Cheers Elliott