Regiment ‘GD’ of the elite Großdeutschland Panzer-Grenadiere Division. It was lost in its first action during the counter-attack on Wilkowischken in the autumn of 1944. The new Soviet owners used it against the former owners, claiming five kills before the vehicle found its way into the hands of new masters once more. Bulgarian tankers employed her in limited action before she was again sent east on a railway flatbed , but thi s time , further than even those G erman engineers who had designed and built her could have envisaged.
To Hamuda and his men , she was affectionately called 'Masami’, the 'Elegant Beauty’ , and in the Rainbow Brigades ’ 1st Tank Company she had thirteen sisters , all equally loved and equally deadly.
To the G erman s , she was officially known as the Sonderkraftfahrzug 171, Panzerkampfwagen V Ausf. G.
To any allied serviceman who had encountered her or her sisters before , she was simply known as the Panther Tank , and she was very much to be feared.
The 3rd S.O. Brigade 'Rainbow’ was the right flank of a Japanese attack intended to cause consternation in Allied circles, aiming as it was for Nanning and points westwards. It was intended to reinforce the excursion that had previously secured a route to the Ind o-Chinese border , and to threaten US-Chinese supply routes from India into the vast hinterland of China itself.
The main strike unit had been the Japanese 3rd Tank Division , but concern over the disappearance of an American armoured unit had resulted in the Rainbow Soldier ’ s tem p orary reassignment from the Suwabe Detachment to provide strength if a stand-up fight took place.
Leading the 3rd Division ’s drive on Nanning was the 6th Japanese Tank Brigade , and it had successfully overwhelmed every impediment posed by the Chinese Nationalist forces, inflicting huge casualties.
This brought cries for help , which prompted the swift redeployment of the 1st Provisional Tank Group, a mixed Chinese and American armoured force.
The Japanese armour was not capable of holding its own in a stand-up fight with modern enemy tanks , and 1st Provisional sported many Shermans and a handful of Hellcat Tank-destroyers , which were all capable of dealing with the standard Type 97 with ease.
Nationalist officers assured the US officer commanding 1st PTG that the Chinese 22nd Division would hold north and south of Xingye, where more favourable terrain meant that the Japanese armour advantage was greatly reduced. A fu r ther division of Chinese troops was promised to reinforce the position, especially as the Japanese tank force had been successfully halted and it was likely that a different approach would shortly be made.
Indeed , intelligence suggested that the attacking Japanese forces had moved up two infantry divisions to carry forward the assault, which bottleneck of forces looked particularly inviting for the US officer commanding 1st PTG and for which he planned a stellar coup.
1st Provisional would strike over the Yujiang River at Guiping , driving straight down Route 304, seemingly aiming at Wuzhou.
In reality, leaving the 6th Chinese Tank Battalion to secure their rear, the bulk of the Group would turn right near Baishahe, and follow Route 211 all the way to Rongxian, cutting the Japanese supply lines and placing a powerful force behind the attacking formations.
Some of the armoured infantry , supported by the 4th and 5th Chinese Tank Battalions , would then be detailed t o hold the area around Rongxian, securing the area against any Japanese counter-attack.
Lieutenant Colonel Albrighton would then lead his remaining three tank battalions and infantry into the rear of the Japanese assault forces and cause havoc .
The plan was bold and relied on speed and surprise, but the roads were familiar to Albrighton’s Chinese second in command , and Japanese reconnaissance capability was almost nil.
132 5 hrs , Monday 13th August 1945,
To Hamuda and his men , she was affectionately called 'Masami’, the 'Elegant Beauty’ , and in the Rainbow Brigades ’ 1st Tank Company she had thirteen sisters , all equally loved and equally deadly.
To the G erman s , she was officially known as the Sonderkraftfahrzug 171, Panzerkampfwagen V Ausf. G.
To any allied serviceman who had encountered her or her sisters before , she was simply known as the Panther Tank , and she was very much to be feared.
The 3rd S.O. Brigade 'Rainbow’ was the right flank of a Japanese attack intended to cause consternation in Allied circles, aiming as it was for Nanning and points westwards. It was intended to reinforce the excursion that had previously secured a route to the Ind o-Chinese border , and to threaten US-Chinese supply routes from India into the vast hinterland of China itself.
The main strike unit had been the Japanese 3rd Tank Division , but concern over the disappearance of an American armoured unit had resulted in the Rainbow Soldier ’ s tem p orary reassignment from the Suwabe Detachment to provide strength if a stand-up fight took place.
Leading the 3rd Division ’s drive on Nanning was the 6th Japanese Tank Brigade , and it had successfully overwhelmed every impediment posed by the Chinese Nationalist forces, inflicting huge casualties.
This brought cries for help , which prompted the swift redeployment of the 1st Provisional Tank Group, a mixed Chinese and American armoured force.
The Japanese armour was not capable of holding its own in a stand-up fight with modern enemy tanks , and 1st Provisional sported many Shermans and a handful of Hellcat Tank-destroyers , which were all capable of dealing with the standard Type 97 with ease.
Nationalist officers assured the US officer commanding 1st PTG that the Chinese 22nd Division would hold north and south of Xingye, where more favourable terrain meant that the Japanese armour advantage was greatly reduced. A fu r ther division of Chinese troops was promised to reinforce the position, especially as the Japanese tank force had been successfully halted and it was likely that a different approach would shortly be made.
Indeed , intelligence suggested that the attacking Japanese forces had moved up two infantry divisions to carry forward the assault, which bottleneck of forces looked particularly inviting for the US officer commanding 1st PTG and for which he planned a stellar coup.
1st Provisional would strike over the Yujiang River at Guiping , driving straight down Route 304, seemingly aiming at Wuzhou.
In reality, leaving the 6th Chinese Tank Battalion to secure their rear, the bulk of the Group would turn right near Baishahe, and follow Route 211 all the way to Rongxian, cutting the Japanese supply lines and placing a powerful force behind the attacking formations.
Some of the armoured infantry , supported by the 4th and 5th Chinese Tank Battalions , would then be detailed t o hold the area around Rongxian, securing the area against any Japanese counter-attack.
Lieutenant Colonel Albrighton would then lead his remaining three tank battalions and infantry into the rear of the Japanese assault forces and cause havoc .
The plan was bold and relied on speed and surprise, but the roads were familiar to Albrighton’s Chinese second in command , and Japanese reconnaissance capability was almost nil.
132 5 hrs , Monday 13th August 1945,
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