12/30/07

The US Army was very interested in recovering German vehicles for study, especially any King Tigers that they might encounter.  The US First Army's 463rd Ordnance Evacuation Company had an organizational mission of recovering disabled heavy vehicles and weapons to maintenance areas for repair, but in the wake of the retreating Germans the Ordnance soldiers were pressed into service to recover captured German materiel.  On 25 December 1944 elements of the 463rd Ordnance entered La Gleize, where they found Tiger 204 in a field just off the main road on the eastern side of the village.  After clearing the tank of any demolitions, the unit found that 204 was in running condition, and they decided to drive it to the city of Spa where it could be loaded onto a train and eventually shipped to the States.

The Ordnance soldiers took 204 east on the N33 and turned north onto a steep and narrow road which passed through Roanne and Ruy; the same road from Francorchamps which TF Lovelady had traveled on 20 December.  The tank perhaps stalled more than once during its journey, since it was photographed in more than one location.  While going uphill toward Neuville the tank’s engine caught fire.  The fire was extinguished but the engine would not start again, and the tank was abandoned where it came to rest. (1)  It was later moved off the road and eventually scrapped.  (2)

Notes:

(1) Charles R. Lemons, “America’s King Tiger,” Wheels & Tracks 49 (October 1994): page 36.

204 was found by the American forces in an orchard area called So l'Hesse in La Gleize.  (US National Archives at College Park, Signal Corps Collection)

Another view of 204 where it was found at So l'Hesse.  (Dr. Van Heeley Collection, 30th Division "Old Hickory" website, courtesy Warren Watson)

The rear and right side views of 204 above were apparently taken somewhere along the N33 as the tank was being driven toward the intersection with the road to Ruy, perhaps in the area marked with a red circle on the map below.  The insignia of the 1. SS-Panzerkorps can be seen on the rear hull plate just to the right of the right exhaust stack in the rear view.  (Reproduced from TD: A Brief History of the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion edited by David R. Haugh, San Jose, CA: Recon Publishing, 1972.)

A map of the area of La Gleize, showing in blue the route that the US soldiers took to drive 204 away from La Gleize.  They took the main road N33 out of La Gleize to the east and south, then turned to the left (north) on a smaller road toward Spa.  (from 1:25000 mapsheet Harzé - La Gleize 2-M834 49/7-8, Military Geographical Institute, Brussels)

204 eventually came to rest going up a rise just before the small town of Neuville, and the soldiers could not get it started again.  (US National Archives at College Park, Signal Corps Collection)

The dark line stretching from the upper left of the photo to the tank's turret is probably a commo wire.  Note the white flag attached to the loader's hatch in these photos.  (US National Archives at College Park, Signal Corps Collection, 111-SC-198642)

A modern view of the same location.  (author's photo)

Additional photos of 204 in its final position along the road to Ruy, from a 30th Division veteran's scrapbook.  These are apparently the earliest views of the tank taken in this location, since there is no snow visible.  (courtesy Jon Marshall)

Many soldiers wanted to have their photos taken with the big Tiger.  (Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor)

After the war 204 was pushed off the road into the valley at the bottom of this photo, from where it was later taken to the scrap mills.  (author's photo)

All text copyright 2005-2008 Gregory A. Walden. All rights reserved; material from this website may only be republished with the author’s permission.