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2.) Skirmish Pershing vs. Panther
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In a parallel street "An den Dominikanern", the US-troops from E Co, 32nd A.R., 3rd AD hear about this incident in Komödienstrasse 
  They receive the command, to approach and attack the Panther tank with the help of a Pershing tank
 The lurking Panther
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The T26E3 Pershing tank
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What happened the last minutes before the upcoming tank duel ?
The US troops are only 200 - 300 m away from Marzellenstraße which leads to the central place at the cathedral where the German Panther tank now is located. US Army Signal Corps cameraman Jim Bates wants to film the upcoming tank duel.
Jim Bates:
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A Tank Commander named Robert Early from E Company 32nd. Armored Regiment went on foot to investigate. I asked to go along and we went on the mezzanine of a building and saw the tank. He told me to stay there and he would come back in his tank and try to put the German tank out of commission and I could photograph it. He had one of the new M-26 Pershings with a ninety-mm gun. Sgt. Early said he would turn into the square under me, stop and fire at the German tank.
Source: Website by Charles R. Corbin Jr.
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This is the building of the Deutsche Arbeitsfront, where Bates and Early watched the German tank and the surroundings.
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At this time the German Tank crew is waiting what happens and observes the surroundings.
When Early comes back to his tank he gives last instructions to his crew and starts the mission. The Pershing tank approaches the crossing An den Dominikanern / Marzellenstraße. Jim Bates:
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When his tank came in the square under me the German tank began to traverse the gun.
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Pershing gunner Cpl. Clarence Smoyer:
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  "Gunner" Clarence Smoyer:
Shortly before our T26 "Pershing" tank destroyed the German Mark V Panther tank in the Cologne Cathedral square, the same German tank destroyed one of our Sherman tanks and killed three of its crew. When this happened, our crew was ordered to go down the adjacent street and destroy the Panther. We were told to just move into the intersection far enough to fire into the side of the enemy tank, which had its gun facing up the other street. However, as we entered the intersection, our driver had his periscope turned toward the Panther and saw their gun turning to meet us.
When I turned our turret, I was looking into the Panther's gun tube; so instead of stopping to fire, our driver drove into the middle of the intersection so we wouldn't be a sitting target.
Source: 3rd Armored Division Website - www.3ad.com
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The German tank crew discovers the tank the same time when it is leaving the cover of the destroyed houses in street An den Dominikanern.
Both tanks are in direct visual contact now. The first shot now will decide the fate of the other tank, the fate of five soldiers and their families.
What's the reason the Panther doesn't shot immediately ?
It's possible they have problems to identify the tank. The Pershing tank was very new in Europe. Maybe they want to wait until the Pershing stops on the crossing. Maybe they are not able to aim the Pershing as long as it is driving.
In any case this delay is crucial for the fate of the German tank. Fractions of seconds decide between life and death.
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 Overview battle area 
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On the right side the building of the Deutsche Arbeitsfront where Jim Bates filmed the Panther in his tank duel movie. The Panther tank location is marked blue on the left side. The Pershing now is located on the crossing in front of the building.Jim Bates: |
Cpl. Clarence Smoyer the gunner, did not wait for his tank to stop but fired before the gun was aimed at him.
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The Pershing tank drives to the crossing An den Dominikanern / Marzellenstrasse and fires toward the German Panther at the end of Marzellenstrasse. Distance between the two tanks: 110 m / 360 ft.
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A crew member of the German tank flees. Movie pictures taken from cameraman James Bates
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Another shell is on the way to the German tank
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The shell a short time before the hit
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The shell hits the tank
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A German crew member is running away.
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And a third shell appears
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Again a hit.
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The German Panther tank is on fire | |
Following the film made by Jim Bates four 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.
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Pershing gunner Clarence Smoyer described the event several times. The following description is based on a meantime outdated thesis from cameraman Jim Bates, that no German soldier survived the tank duel:
... our driver drove into the middle of the intersection so we wouldn't be a sitting target. As we were moving, I fired once. Then we stopped and I fired two more shells to make sure they wouldn't fire at our side. All three of our shells penetrated, one under the gun shield and two on the side. The two side hits went completely through and out the other side.
As for the German tank crew, I spent many years wondering if they survived. Only recently, did I find the answer. A documentary film about the life of Jim Bates, the Army photographer who took the famous Cologne footage, revealed that three of the crew died outside of the tank. A letter I received from another soldier who looked through one of the shell holes said he saw one burned to death inside the tank. Apparently none of them survived the ordeal. The T26 tank was the best tank we had during the war.
Source: 3rd Armored Division Website - www.3ad.com
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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.
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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.
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 | 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. |
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The next days US soldiers examine the destroyed German tank, it becomes a popular photo subject
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Again the destroyed German tank in front of the cathedral
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The crew of the US tank which fired at the German tank, left to right:
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 Asst. Driver Homer Davis
Tank Commander Robert Early
Gunner Clarence Smoyer
Driver William McVey
Asst. Gunner John Deriggi
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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. |
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Resumee The German Panther tank at the cathedral was one of the last three German tanks in the city center at this time. One stayed in the area around Christophstraße and was abandoned after a short skirmish with the advancing US troops. The Pershing was involved too. This happened some time before the tank duel at the cathedral. The two other tanks were located in the area cathedral / central station. One of them was the Panther who shot the Sherman and was destroyed by the Pershing. The third tank remained behind the cathedral and resisted the US troops for about one hour when they wanted to advance to the banks of river Rhine after the destruction of the Panther at Komödienstraße.
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. From two German soldiers we know they survived WWII. The German crew:
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Bartelborth - survived
König - survived
? died in a hospital
? died inside the tank
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Clarence Smoyer lives in the US. The other German and US tank soldiers died in the meanwhile.
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| NEW: Video |
 Video Battle for Cologne - tank duel |
| Youtube Video tank duel at the cathedral, March 06, 1945. Chronic and analytical presentation of the famous tank duel at the Cologne cathedral. See the fascinating original film with descriptions. 10 minutes of interesting film scenes show the destruction of a Sherman tank, the destruction of a Panther tank and the escaping crew members. 5 presentation parts show different analyses. Original film scenes show injured persons. |
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| NEW: tank duel sightseeing tour |
In case you plan to visit Cologne and look for the places the tank duel  took place, this page could be a little help for you. Here I have created a little sightseeing tour, where you will visit the most relevant places of the tank duel. Even without a scheduled visit this page is certainly very interesting because of the many pictures and descriptions.
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 | More Weblinks:
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| 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 (with partially incorrect descriptions)
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"
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| sightwalk - Panorama pictures showing 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
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print version tank duel at the cathedral
