Tank Aces

AFAIK Pools score includes 'only' twelve tanks.

 

On the eastern front alone, the Germans had more than two thousand tanks even in January 1945.

Anyway, yes, Pool's score includes only a few tanks. I believe the number was eighteen, in any case it wasn't too impressive compared to the big German aces. Once again, however, it must be noted that the Allies fought a completely different war, being more often relieved, having few enemy vehicles to shoot at and getting more varied support (artillery, air power) to do their job for them.

 

I received an interesting newspaper cutting through the post from a friend of mine about Wittman, and how he met his end.

It was an interview with Joe Ekins, who had served in the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry in WW2. On 8th August 1944 Joe (aged 21) was a gunner in a Sherman Firefly, though his gunnery career up to this point had involved firing a grand total of 5 practice rounds. His account of the action that day is as follows:

Later that day Joe hit & destroyed another tank before his Firefly was knocked out (but strangely no mention is made of it catching fire! ). He and the rest of his crew escaped unscathed except for the officer who was hit by shrapnel. In line with normal British practice at the time, the crew was used as replacements for missing crew members in other tanks and Joe became a wireless operator.

On the fact that he killed the legendary Michael Wittman, Joe said:

There followed a short interview with David Willey, curator of the Tank Museum at Bovington, in which he blames the post-war myths about the relative invincibility of the Tiger tank on why the death of Wittman was attributed to air power etc. he ends with:

It is good to see that story out in a national newspaper – and very refreshing to hear about an unsung hero from the Allied side for a change. Heck, if Joe had stayed as a gunner, or even if the British had had a propaganda machine half as active as the Germans did, we might now be sitting around discussing the actions of ‘Joe Eskins, tank ace’. 3 Tigers in 12 minutes qualifies in my book...

 

wittmann

Well done Richard, Luck plays a big part in the life (and death) of a tank soldier.