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Tigers in Normandy
The Battle for Point 112, a strategically positioned hill just a few miles
south-west of Caen, was the scene of the most violent fighting between German
and British armor, artillery and ground troops during the weeks immediately
following the D-Day invasion, in June 1944. Desperate to regain Hill 112, on
July 9th, the Tiger tanks of SS Panzer Battalion 102 were ordered to advance. 2
Kompanies Tigers managed to occupy the eastern slopes of the hill, while 1
Kompanie came under fire as they rached the first houses in the small village of
Maltot. At this point they came head on to British Sherman tanks. Entering the
village firing his 88, Unterscharfuhrer Fey in tank 138 quickly knocked out
three Shermans at 200 yards range, and by the evening of July 10th the Panzers
had re-taken Maltot. But Allied artillery had driven the Germans off Hill 112.
The battle raged on for another three weeks when on August 1st the Allies frove
the Germans off Point 112 for the final time. Tigers of SS Panzer Battalion 102
yet again advance towards the infamous hill, passing two Shermans knocked out in
the previous days fighting. Overhead, Me109s of II./JG26 give aerial support as
the German armour makes a last ditch attempt to repel the advancing forces, in
their effort to hold the important city of Caen. |
