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Special - tank duel at the cathedral

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	Cologne, Germany, March 6, 1945. The 3rd Armored Division tanks advance on the Cologne center and the cathedral. It's about 2 pm. The following minutes will produce some of the most dramatic combat images to come out of WWII. This page will show you the famous tank battle at the Cologne cathedral.
Coming from western city districts, passing the city areas around Venloer Strasse, Friesenplatz, Friesenstrasse and Zeughausstrasse, a group of several US-tanks approach the central square in front of the cathedral. Big mountains of rubble on the Komödienstrasse prevent the further advance of the tank group. They have to stop only 120 m / 395 ft away from the place where the street leads into the central square.
Two Sherman tanks are standing on Komödienstrasse next to street Andreaskloster (at the left side).		Suddenly a shell from a German Panther tank hits the leading US tank. A member of the crew, tank commander Kellner, tries to flee from the tank
Where did the shot from come ? There's a picture taken by George Silk when the battle at the cathedral was over. It shows the Sherman and in background the german Panther, which had hit the Sherman. On the right side there's the Sherman and in background the burning Panther at street crossing Marzellenstrasse. He is really good to see there. Weblink to Google LIFE: Picture made by George Silk And now a comparison with movie sequences before and after the hit: In the background there's no Panther shortly before (right) and shortly after the hit (left), where one can see the Panther on the Silk photo later. So, where was the Panther located when he had hit the Sherman ?
In the background one can see a tunnel under the central station. It's the street tunnel Trankgasse.
	When the Panther had shot he probably was located in or near the dark tunnel (white arrow) and the US troops were not able to see it there before. The red point is the place where the Sherman was located - distance tunnel / Sherman: 340 m / 1.115 ft.. After the hit the Panther was driving to the crossing Marzellenstrasse where he later was destroyed (distance Panther there / Sherman: 120 m / 395 ft.. There are records saying the Panther was already located at the crossing when the Sherman reached Komödienstrasse and they thought it was knocked out. But this seems to be unrealistic. Tank crews typically will not take it for granted that a tank in no mans land would be knocked out. They would shoot at it until it burned, which is what the Sherman crew would have done if the Panther was in sight on the crossing Marzellenstrasse.
Back to the Sherman in Komödienstrasse after the hit:
The tank smokes from the inside. The hit had cut off the soldier's left leg below the knee. Video popup: Kellner's injury, nothing for sensitive people		Behind the tank commander Kellner who is creeping out a second soldier falls down from the tank
The second soldier seems to be 19 years old Corporal 'Gunner' John J Gialluca of the 3rd Armored Division 'Spearhead'. His son Doug found my site on the web and sent me the following mail where he describes the situation as he heard it from his father: The last tank battle in Cologne Germany on March 6 1945 happened as Corporal Gunner John J Gialluca approached the square of town between two buildings where suddenly by surprise a Panther Mark V hit their Sherman tank. John remembers the tank burning and they were trapped. The shrapnel went through his legs and he said he was pinned to his seat when a second blast under the turret forced him free from his position. There were no other survivors except Corporal John J Gialluca. There was another tank disabled next to his tank that tried to help the injured. They found John lying on the ground with his 45 caliber hand gun in his hand. Then John said as they were helping him he could hear the blast and gunfire from what is known now the battle of the last tank. The Sherman tank that Corporal John J Gialluca was in was facing the cannon of the 75mm high velocity Panther Mark V. The 76 mm is questionable as for penetrating the heavy armored Panther head to head. This was John's second tank hit in his journey from Normandy Beach and very fortunate to survive. Corporal Gunner John J Gialluca was sent to a hospital in England where he had a lengthy recovery and was able to walk again. After a long fight with kidney cancer John went to be with the Lord on July 5th 1998.
Contrary to the memory of John J Gialluca there's another crew member who survives the attack too, it's Oliver Griffin, the assistant driver. So the Sherman crew was: Tank commander: Kellner Gunner: Gialluca Loader: Speer Driver: Patrick Assistant driver: Griffin
Once again the exit of Gialluca: At the beginning of the movie scene Gialluca is already located on top of the cupola. One can see the torso and the head. Then - picture top middle - Gialluca wants to jump down from the tank, showing his bottom. Next pictures: he jumps down headfirst, one can see his legs stretched upwards. Video popup: Gialluca's exit
Another detail: When Kellner leaves the cupola he holds a rifle in his hand. But he loses it and the rifle falls down onto the street next to the Sherman. Video popup: Kellner's exit
Courtesy of The U.S. Army 3rd Armored Division History Website. Photo by Fred Ramage/Getty Images The crew of another Sherman tank standing on the left side of the street tries to help the other crew.
The soldiers and a medic try to help Kellner in a bomb crater near the Sherman, but he passes away. The driver Patrick and the loader Speer die just when the shell hits. On the Gettyimages website there's a picture showing the dead Patrick sitting on the drivers chair, head outside the driver hatch. Weblink to Gettyimages: Photo dead Patrick - nothing for sensitive people ! Griffin and Gialluca survived the incident with injuries.
In a parallel street, street An den Dominikanern, the US-troops hear from this incident in Komödienstrasse. They receive the command, to approach and attack the Panther tank.
Overview battle area
A Pershing tank at crossing An den Dominikanern / Marzellenstrasse fires toward the German Panther. Distance between the two tanks: 110 m / 360 ft. Video popup: Shot and 3. hit		A crew member of the German tank flees. Movie pictures taken from cameraman James Bates
Another shell is on the way to the German tank		The shell a short time before the hit
The shell hits the tank		A German crew member is running away.
And a third shell appears		Again a hit. Video popup: 2. and 3. hit
The German Panther tank is on fire		Most of the other crew members are able to escape, one of them dies in a hospital a short time later. According the records another soldier was found dead in the Panther the next day.
The three hits caused by the Pershing - (1), (2) and (3). Number (4) is the Panther's optic, not a hit (one can see the optic in the little picture top right showing another Panther - red arrow). So you see the fire inside the Panther through this optic. Hit number (2) is hidden behind the gun.
On this picture one can see hit (2) much better.		The burning German tank. The Sherman which was hit by the Panther is located in the road going to the right side.
The description of the tank duel Pershing / Panther above is only a short summary of the events. A more detailed description of this tank duel and especially the bale out of the German tank crew with 37 and more photos and detail pictures can be found on my webpage tank duel blow-by-blow. In addition there are 5 digital worked movie sequences close up and not that blurred as the original.
Video popup: Youtube video, the entire Panther movie sequence
The next days US soldiers examine the destroyed German tank, it becomes a popular photo subject		Again the destroyed German tank in front of the cathedral
The crew of the US tank which fired at the German tank: top left Cmdr Robert Early, Gunner Clarence Smoyer, Asst. Gunner John Deriggi, bottom left Asst Driver Homer Davis, bottom right Driver William McVey.
And finally a photo where one can see the way the US-troops made through the Cologne center. Yellow line the way of Company 'F' with the Sherman tanks coming from Friesenstrasse, passing Zeughausstrasse and ending in Komödienstrasse next to the cathedral. Red line the way of Company 'E' with the Pershing tank, coming from Gereonstrasse ending in street An den Dominikanern. Blue point the location where the Panther was located finally - at crossing Komödienstrasse / Marzellenstrasse. This picture in big resolution here - 535 KB.
The German tank at the cathedral was one of the last three German Panther tanks in the city center at this time. The other German units had already left this side of the city and had withdrawn across the Rhine. During the senseless tank duel 2 crew members of the German tank and 3 crew members of the US tank die
Photos courtesy of: The U.S. Army 3rd Armored Division History website Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society The Third Armored Spearhead Division website Kevin "The Rocketeer" Trotman Movie "Allies Drive Across Rhine To Victory" by Universal Studios
Overview battle area
More Weblinks:
General links:
Google/LIFE photo: Sherman and burning Panther (Silk) Google/LIFE photo: Sherman place in 1949, Carnival Corbis photo: Panther and Cathedral Corbis photo: Sherman before hit (Ramage) LIFE photo: Sherman after hit (Ramage) 3AD Panther photo sequence youtube Video, 3AD during capture of Cologne 1000 bomber raid May 30/31, 1942 Bates interview with movie sequences Smoyer interview, History channel Once again capture of Cologne, tank duel Combat Mission scenario "Duel in Cologne"
sightwalk - Panorama pictures from the battle area today - german
Building A.d.Dominikanern - Bates location during tank duel Location where the Panther stood - corner Marzellenstrasse/Komödienstrasse Location where the Sherman stood - Komödienstrasse

	Special 2 Tank duel blow-by-blow
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