German wooden carry crate for 2 x shell cases for 15cm SIG 33 heavy infantry gun,black ink markings recovered from an old German gun pit position used in the battle of Helmond,Operation Market Garden on 22nd-25th September 1944 in Netherlands.
This is a late war made from rougher wood with some remains of black stamped markings which is German Wooden ammunition crate for 15cm SIG 33 heavy infantry gun which held 2 separate propelling charge shell cases The box is in very nice condition the wood still retains some of its original brown finish the wood is in nice condition is still very solid not braking up or falling apart it has had wood worm but has been treated.The crate has its paper label on the side with no markings but on the front still clear to see it has some of its original stamped black ink markings only on the front it still has its wooden carry handles a very nice example of this ammunition crate battlefield found. The crate was recovered from an old German gun pit position used by the 107th Panzer Brigade or supporting Fallschirmjager troops used in the battle of Helmond during the British Operation Market Garden led by British 30 Corps the Offensive 22nd-25th September 1944 in Netherlands.The crate comes with 2xA5 laminated information cards
The 15 cm sIG 33 (schweres Infanterie Geschütz 33, lit. "Heavy Infantry Gun") was the standard German heavy infantry gun used in the Second World War. It was the largest weapon ever classified as an infantry gun by any nation. Its weight made it difficult to use in the field, and the gun was increasingly adapted to various ad hoc mobile mountings. It was used from the beginning of the war until the end in 1945 and around 4600 of them were built.
Panzer Brigade 107 was raised around the remnants from Panzer-Grenadier-Division 25. Although the brigade only received 33 Panther tanks and 12 StuG IV assault guns the unit got 9 to 12 weeks for training and organisation! The urgency of troops at the front thwarted this schedule and on the 15th of September the troops were loaded on trains heading for the West. Panzer-Brigade 107 was destined for operations in Lorraine but the major Allied airborne operation in the Netherlands required tank forces in this sector.
On the 19th of September the tank battalion was fully operational and set out on his mission: the destruction of the bridge at Son over the Wilhemina Canal, just above Eindhoven. This would cut of all airborne troops and the supply of the Guards Armoured Division, who was moving towards Arnhem. In Helmond, a town just east of Eindhoven, the Panzer-Brigade took a break, which they used to mount the German airborne troops as supporting infantry to their destination. After leaving from Helmond the Germans soon were close to their objection.
After two days of heavy fighting around the Son bridge attacking the British supply lines to Arnhem. The German tanks of Panzer Brigade 107 retreated they lost at least 150 men and 4 Tanks in the fighting. Meanwhile from the south the British 44th Royal Tanks Battalion of the 11th Armoured Division was coming from Eindhoven to deal with the menace of Panzer-Brigade 107. They advanced on a broad front towards the southern flank of the attacking German forces, which were in danger of being caught into encirclement from the north and south. The southern attack ended in a tanks clash, which took heavy losses both sides. Panzer-Brigade 107 managed to escape to the east but lost almost one third of its tanks in the process, some of them due to lack of fuel.
Von Malthzahn the commander of the 107th Panzer Brigade realised that the British were keen to drive his forces away from the vital bridge at Son. He also knew that the British had ssembled superior tank forces for this job, which would smash his brigade if he stayed where he was. On the 21st of September he withdrew his forces towards Helmond, where he started his advance on September 19th. The British caught up the tail of the Panzer-Brigade and a fire fight between the British vanguard and the German rearguard developed in which the Germans lost three more precious tanks but after heavy fighting manged to escape East.
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