German Tanks

Dash to the Sea, November 1944 by David Pentland ."Dash to the Sea" by David Pentland. As allied forces pressed inland towards Caen, the 21st panzer Division launched a counterattack along a narrow three mile corridor between the Canadians on Juno beach and the British on Sword. the charge led by fifty tanks of 22nd panzer regiment and supporting Panzer grenadiers was engaged on its eastern flank by heavy British anti tank fire and the bulk of the force was pinned down or destroyed. ultimately only six PZ IV's and a company of infantry mannered to reach the coast at lion sur mer. their stay however was short lived and within a few hours the arrival of the transports and gliders of the British 6th Airborne directly overhead forced the entire division to pull back for fear of being trapped.

Action at Arras, France, May 21st 1940 by David Pentland 88mm AA guns of the 23rd Flak Regiment, used as anti-tank guns by orders of Rommel himself, are shown firing on British Matilda tanks of 4th/7th Royal Tank Regiment. THE BATTLE - ARRAS Rommel's report of being attacked by 'hundreds of tanks' put a halt to the German advance for 24 hours. This break gave the British troops the time they needed to arrange the retreat through Dunkirk. In an effort to restrain the Germans advance the British 1st Tank Brigade, 6th Durham Light Infantry and the French 3rd Light Armoured Division were quickly mustered under the command of Major General Franklyn. The subsequent attack on Rommel's 7th Panzer Division divided the panzers into two, devastated two rifle regiments, and some of the 3rd SS Division panicked and ran. However, Rommel eventually beat off the British tanks using his anti-aircraft guns

Preparing for the Day, The Reichswald, February 1945 by David Pentland Sturmtigers of Sturmmorser Company 1002, commanded by Lieutenant Zippel, take on ammunition in preparation for the battle to come. These fearsome monsters 38cm rocket projectors could penetrate up to 2.5m of reinforced concrete. Luckily for the Allies only 18 were completed by the war's end.

Operation Winter Tempest by David Pentland Depicting Panzer IVF2 tanks of the 6th Panzer Division attempting to fight their way through to the beleaguered Sixth Army at Stalingrad, 12th December 1942.

"The Falaise Gap" Normandy 12-20th August 1944 by David Pentland After almost two months of continuous fighting in the front line, remnants of the 12th SS Panzer Division, "Hitler Jugend", fall back under incessant air attacks by allied fighter bombers for their final battles in France. In their defense of the northern flank of what is to become the Falaise Gap the new Jagdpanzer IV in particular is to prove a formidable foe to the attacking British and Canadian tanks.

The Magician Balkans 11th April, 1941. by David Pentland Hauptsturm fuhrer Fritz Klingenberg, and the men of 2nd SS Divisions Motorcycle Reconnaissance battalion stop at the swollen banks of the River Danube. The following day he and six men, a broken down radio, and totally unsupported were to capture the Yugoslavian capital of Belgrade.

Blitzkrieg, Northern France, May 1940 by David Pentland General Major Erwin Rommel leads the vanguard of his vaunted 7th Panzer (Ghost) Division past an abandoned French Char B tank on its epic drive from the Ardennes to the English Channel.

Battle of Gazala by David Pentland Panzer II's and III's of the African Korps, 15th Panzer Division drive towards Arcoma during the epic battles for the Gazala line. THE BATTLE - Battle of Gazala The most convincing defeat of the British forces during the whole desert campaigns of World War Two. The front line ran south from the coastal town of Gazala, about 95 km west of Tobruck, to the oasis of Bir Hacheim. In May 1942 Field Marshal Rommel launched an attack against Gazala using two diversionary Italian corps at the north end of the line while the two other corps (the Afrika and Italian corps) corps veered towards Tobruck from the southern end of the line. Although surprised the British forces fought well, inflicting heavy casualties on the German forces and cornering them. Finding himself trapped between a minefield and the British defences, Rommel was on the verge of surrender. The Italian Trieste Division, however, were able to create a supply route through the minefield to the cornered German forces allowing them to be take on supplies. Helped by British indecision, Rommel managed to break through the Cauldron area and overwhelm the British defences. The British counter attack was confused and useless, easily defeated by the German forces who then continued onto Tobruck. Rommel defeated many British forces on the way and eventually the British abandoned their positions and retreated to the El Alamein line.

Breaking of the Pomperanian Wall by David Pentland T-34/85 tanks of the Polish Peoples Army "Heroes of the Westerplatte" 1st Armoured Brigade. During the battle to break through the tough German defences of East Prussia.