In their path were the last tanks of the German army present in the region. This is the story of how an M26 Pershing tank took on a fearsome Panther outside the iconic cathedral, with the duel filmed in one of the most iconic scenes of the Second World War.
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Written sources:
Dierk Lürbke, website (English and German). He once again describes the events in great detail. -https://anicursor.com/colpicwar2.html
Forgotten Archives: Photos of the Lost Signal Corps – https://www.facebook.com/ForgottenArchivesLostSignalCorpsPhotos/
A. Makos, Spearhead (2019)
S.Zaloga, Pershing M26/M46 tank 1943-45 (2000)
W. Ramsey After Battle 104 (1999)
D. Zumbro, Battle for the Ruhr (2006)
Video sources:
Getty Archive, Divisions of the 1st Army enter Cologne during World War II
H. Rheindorf (2015 edition), March 1945, Duel at the Cathedral
War Scenes, interview with J. Bates (documentary 2015), accessed via https://www.youtube.com/watch?vy4u5VM4Z2bM
Original sources for images by Bates, Rosenmann and Garrell:
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/23469
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/15761
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/17311
General archival sources:
Archives of the Imperial War Museum (IWMA)
United States National Archives (NARA)
Bundesarchiv (German National Archives)
anicursor.com
Page of Dierk Special – Cologne at war, tank duel at the cathedral (1)
Tank duel at Cologne Cathedral, March 6, 1945. Battle of the Last Tank
War Scenes: Combat Photographer Jim Bates
catalog.archives.govcatalog.archives.gov
National Archives NextGen Catalog
The online portal for documents held at the National Archives and information about these documents.
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