Panther tank monument - Celles

The tank is of the Panzerkampfwagen V Panther type.

This tank is a reminder of the fact that the Battle of the Ardennes raged here on December 24, 1944. The Germans' 2nd "Panzer Division" was stopped thanks to brave American soldiers from the 2nd armored division and the 3rd regiment of British tanks.

In 1944 this tank was the leading Panther tank of Kampfgruppe von Cochenhausen . The Germans lacked fuel, ammunition and reinforcements... They were trapped in Celles. The tank hit a mine on the morning of December 24, 1944 , which disabled the tank. This happened in the field just below the castle, near the intersection of the N510 and the N48.

There is a real legend in this region, about the intervention of Marthe Monique , manager of the café 'pavillon ardennais'. She was interrogated by the Germans and allegedly told them that the road was covered in mines , even as far as Dinant. And since one of the tanks had just been blown up by a mine near Marthe Monique's café , the Germans refrained from further advance .

The tank remained upside down on the side of the road for several years . The brave Monique did not have to put in much effort to convince the Belgian army to install that famous tank in front of her café . Only after removing the tracks and wheels was it possible to turn it over , hence its current appearance... Ultimately, her trophy was placed in front of the terrace of her café.

The tank is one of three remaining Panzerkampfwagen V Panther tanks in the Ardennes , in addition to those from the Tank Monument in Houffalize and Tank Monument in Grandmenil.

According to numerous books we speak of the 'tiger' of Celles , which is still located at this intersection, but which is in reality a Panther type G (or Panther MK V or S d. Kfz 171 during the Second World War). This tank was known for its excellent balance of weight, firepower, mobility and protection . The first Panther left the factory in January 1943 and was first seen in action during the "Citadel" operation. During the day
Its 7.5 cm shells make 170 mm holes in the walls of other vehicles over a distance of 100 km . The 2 MG34 machine guns
provided good protection closer to the tank. The operating weight was 44.8 tons . The fuel tank tanks were 720 liters in size, which allowed 250 km on the road and only 100 km in the field . Its top speed was 55 km/h.

In total, including all other types, only 5,928 copies were produced. That compares to 9,000 Panther IVs, 1,350 Tiger I and 450 Tiger II (or Royal Tigers). During the same period, the Americans produced 49,900 Shermans and the Russians 39,700 T34s.

Willem Vandenameele