Were they the tank commanders or gunners or..
2007-08-30 14:37:47 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Several of them started there career as a gunner or even a loader in a tank
Take Kurt Knispel ( who is general confirmed as the top ace with 168 confirmed kills ) started his career as a loader and then a gunner in a panzer IV After some time he became a commander in a panzer IV and thereafter in a tiger and finally in a koningstiger.
Some detail he was the only great tank ace that wasn't allowed the German cross, he was recommend for it several time for it by his superiors but never got it. According to the sources the reason for that was that he was a non-commissioned officer or that he had little to much critique on the regime.
Sadly he didn't survived the war
A other one who did survive is Otto Carrius with over 150 kills He ended his career as commander of a hunting tiger battalion in the Ruhr pocket and after the war he wrote his experience in a book " tigers in Der slam " ( tigers in the mud ) Which you certainly have to read some time
Not all tank aces had served on a tiger but also on a panzer IV ( Johannes kummel Africa corps and Italy ) Panther ( Karl Nicolussi ) or a assault gun ( sepp brandner )
For the record Wittman had " only " 138 kills before he was killed so he isn't the great top ace like most people think
2007-08-31 06:44:56 · answer #1 · answered by general De Witte 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ww2 German Tank Aces
2016-12-16 05:30:35 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the commander, the top German ace was Michael Witmann. His single Tiger stopped an entire Canadian division outside of Caen during the Normandy campaign... He was eventually killed by a fighter bomber. His confirmed tank kills were phenomenal.
2007-08-30 18:28:04 · answer #3 · answered by Its not me Its u 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They were tank commanders which managed to destroy many tanks with their crews.Excellent example is Michael Wittman who at Villers Bocage destroyed 23 British tanks.He was a commander of Tiger tank.There were many others like Mueman,Metelman,Wenk (who became general later...),Peiper etc.
general de Witte definitely deserved best answer here,good work man.thanks for posting.
2007-08-30 23:32:27 · answer #4 · answered by Opera Phantom 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They were the tank commanders. Everyone else in the tank follows his orders, so he gets the credit, and the blame.
2007-08-30 17:43:24 · answer #5 · answered by rohak1212 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋