Tiger Tanks of 101st SS Heavy Battalion on the Road to Morgny, June 1944

September 8, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Tiger I tanks of the 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion on the road near Morgny, Normandy, June 7, 1944.

German Tiger I tanks of the 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion moving along a road near Morgny, Normandy, June 7, 1944.

This wartime photograph shows German Tiger I heavy tanks of the 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion moving along Road 316 near Morgny, Normandy, on June 7, 1944. The battalion had just been deployed to counter the Allied landings during the Normandy invasion, which had begun the day before on June 6.

The 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion was one of the most feared armored units of the Waffen-SS, equipped with Tiger I tanks that combined thick armor with the powerful 88 mm KwK 36 gun. Among its most notable tank commanders was SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann, who would achieve lasting notoriety only a few days later, on June 13, in the legendary battle at Villers-Bocage, where he destroyed dozens of British tanks and vehicles in a sudden ambush.

A unique feature visible in this photo is the anti-aircraft MG 34 machine gun mounted on the turret roof of the nearest Tiger tank, using the Fliegerbeschützgerät 42 device. This adaptation reflected the growing threat of Allied fighter-bombers in Normandy, which posed a serious danger to German armored movements in daylight.

The 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion fought throughout the Normandy campaign, suffering heavy losses under relentless Allied air attacks and artillery strikes. While its Tiger tanks caused significant destruction on the battlefield, the unit was gradually worn down until the German retreat from France in August 1944.

Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: German WWII archives, Normandy campaign tank records
📍 Location: Morgny, Normandy, France
📅 Date: June 7, 1944
📷 Photographer: German war correspondent (unknown)