15mm Armoured plate structure section with weld front of the open top superstructure on a German Nashorn tank destroyer used by the 12th Panzer Division recovered from the site of destroyed Nashorn in the Kurland Pocket 1944-1945 battle in Latvia
This is a very rare armoured plate structure section that has ripped off in a explosion from the open top superstructure from German Panzerjager Hornisse or later known as a Nashorn tank destroyer. The section is in relic condition rusty but solid lump of armour still with some of its original red undercoat paintwork remains only partly clear to see and has a welded joint in the middle it has been nicely cleaned and is 19 inches long by 8 inches wide and is a very unusual find which is perfect for display or any collection.This armour plate was recovered from site of a destroyed German Nashorn tank destroyer used by the 12th Panzer Division in the Kurland Pocket 1944-1945 battle in Latvia. The item comes with 2x laminated A5 information cards with pictures.
In February 1942, the Alkett arms firm of Berlin designed a tank destroyer using their recently developed Geschützwagen III/IV which as its name indicated used components of both the panzer 3 and Panzer 4 tanks. The 8,8 cm pak 43/1, a long-barrelled anti-tank gun more known as the main armament of the Tiger 2, was mounted on the rear of the chassis complete with its gun shield and an open-topped superstructure was built up around the gun to give the crew some protection. This model was presented for approval to Adolf Hitler in October 1942 and entered production in early 1943. It had numerous official designations, such as 8,8 cm Pak 43 (L/71) auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen III/IV (Sf) or 8,8cm Pak43 (L/71) auf Geschützwagen III/IV (Sd. Kfz. 164), though it was also known as the Panzerjäger Hornisse (in English "Tank-hunter Hornet"). During the first half of 1943, a new model of the Hornisse was introduced into production. It was renamed Nashorn by Hitler in 1944.Total production of the the Nashorn amounted to some 494 vehicles, most were built in 1943.
The Kurland Pocket refers to the Red Army's blockade or isolation of Axis forces on the Courland Peninsula from July 1944 through May 1945.The pocket was created during the Red Army's Baltic Strategic Offensive Operation, when forces of the 1st Baltic Front reached the Baltic Sea near Memel during its lesser Memel Offensive Operation phases. This action isolated the German Army Group North from the rest of the German forces between Tukums and Liepāja in Latvia. Renamed Heeresgruppe Kurland on 25 January 1945 the Army Group remained isolated until the end of the war. When they were ordered to surrender to the Soviet command on 8 May, they were in "blackout" and did not get the official order before 10 May, two days after the capitulation of Germany. It was one of the last German groups to surrender in Europe. Below German troops in the Kurland Pocket.
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