This is Sgt Robert Early - Left and John Deriggi - right, in their M-26 Pershing on the way
into the central square where the German Panther is waiting in front of the Catheral. He has to make a left turn. and be ready to fire.
This is Sgt Robert Early - Left and
John Deriggi - right, in their M-26
Pershing on the way
into the central
square where the German Panther
is waiting in front of the Catheral.
He has to make a left turn. and be
ready to fire.
The M-26 has turned left and
entered the square. Cpl.Clarence Smoyer sees the
tank and is traversing
his gun toward his target.
Cpl Smoyer sees that the
Panther has his gun pointing
at his tank and he fires
before the driver stops.
After Cpl Smoyer hit the
Panther again, the crew
start to bale out. The driver
is making a run but gets
to the back of the building
and dies.
Two more men escape the tank
but die near by.
Another crew member bails out
and falls dead over a bicycle.
The tank commander can not get
out and burns up.
The tank burns all night.
The 36th. Armored Regiment
clean up Cologne in house
to house fighting with most
of the building in rubble.
More 36th. Infantry mop up Cologne.
M-24 (T-26)
Tank Crew
|
Top Left Cmdr Robert Early |
Gunner Clarence Smoyer |
|
|
Asst. Gunner John Deriggi |
Asst Driver Homer Davis |
Driver William McVey |
These are the Street
Cars the Germans
used to try to block
the 3 AD advance.
This is what's left of the Rail Road Station.
The Entrance to the bridge in Cologne across the Rhine.
The Germans blew the Hohenzollern Bridge when the Third Armored advanced into Cologne.