28 December 2008

Famous WWII tank "found"

Right under our noses, so to speak, at Rose Barracks in Vilseck.

Vilseck tank confirmed as ‘Cobra King’
By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes

A World War II-era M4 Sherman tank on display at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany has been confirmed to be the “Cobra King,” the first tank to reach besieged American troops defending Bastogne from the Germans’ counterattack during the Battle of the Bulge.

U.S. Army Europe officials announced the discovery Friday in a news release timed to coincide with the Dec. 26, 1944, anniversary of the Company C, 37th Tank Battalion’s famous arrival in Bastogne.

Much more at the link.

Update: Adding this photo from a new article about the Cobra King at Army.mil.
'Cobra King' on Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany, February 25. During the Battle of the Bulge the tank and its crew led an armor an infantry column that relieved the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. U.S. Army Europe historians and museum curators recently confirmed the tank's identity and lineage. Photo: Dave Melancon.

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