Description
Footage from the Battle of Cologne, taken on 6 March 1946 by a cameraman from the 165th Photo Signal Company. A U.S. Pershing tank advances toward the city center, and at one point the twin spires of the Cologne Cathedral can be seen in the background. The American tank engages and hits a German Panther tank. The main gun round from the Pershing ignites the fuel and ammunition inside the Panther. A German crewman escapes as the tank brews up, eventually bursting into flames.
Though the capture of Aachen in late 1944 gave the allies their first toehold in Germany, they needed to breach the German Siegfried Line in order to advance into Germany and reach the Rhine River. By early 1945, allied armies had broken through the German defensive line and advanced, seeking intact bridges over the Rhine River. Cologne, a major industrial center, sat astride the Rhine and offered an opportunity to establish a bridgehead.
On March 6, the U.S. 3rd Armored, 8th Armored, and 104th Infantry Divisions advanced into the city. During the course of the war, Cologne had been targeted by the Royal Air Force in 262 separate air raids and a total of 34,711 long tons of bombs were dropped on Cologne, with the last air raid carried out on 2 March 1945, leaving the city in ruins. As the Americans worked their way through the city, a German Panther tank lay in wait by the train station, where it ambushed the two leading Sherman tanks. A new Pershing tank was sent forward to eliminate the Panther.
The M26 Pershing entered service late in the war. With heavier armor and a potent 90mm main gun, it was designed to counter the Panther and Tiger tanks fielded by the Germans. The Pershing’s weakness was its engine, which was underpowered and resulted in frequent breakdowns. In this particular engagement, the German Panther crew hesitated when the Pershing approached, having never seen the M26 and thinking that it might be a German tank. The American crew then destroyed the Panther.
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