Did you know about the “free-range” Tiger tank in Normandy?

Despite being one of the most recognizable tanks of World War II, very few Tiger I (Tiger I) tanks have survived to the present day. There are only a few specimens scattered all around the world, with only one in running condition in the Bovington Tank Museum in Britain, and only two are on display outdoors. You can meet Bovington’s Tiger on our Britain at War Tour, but this article concentrates on the so-called “Vimoutiers Tiger,” one of the two outdoor displays, which we visit on our Highlights of Normandy Tour.
 
The town of Vimoutiers lies very close to the spot where a gap in Allied forces allowed German troops to escape from the Falaise Pocket (The Falaise Pocket) in the final stages of the Normandy campaign after the D-Day landings, and the American breakout from the beaches during Operation Cobra (The Cobra strikes), which allowed the Allies to encircle the German defenders. (The town was severely damaged by Allied bombers on June 14, 1944, when 36 B-17 Flying Fortresses (The B-17 Flying Fortress) destroyed 75% of it, claiming 170 civilian victims.) Like many other German vehicles in the region, the Vimoutiers Tank found its final resting spot during the desperate dash for freedom.

It's generally claimed that the tank ran out of fuel during the retreat and had to be abandoned, though some researchers suggest it actually stopped due to an engine fault. Either way, the crew placed two demolition charges inside to wreck it and left it in the middle of the road. Once Allied forces arrived, they pushed the tank into a ditch.

Many abandoned military vehicles were acquired by scrap dealers after the war, who bought them from whoever happened to own the land where the wrecks were found. It was in this way that the Tiger passed into the ownership of one Mr. M. Morat, who removed what he could (the transmission gearbox, hatches, some smaller fittings, exhaust cowlings etc.), but had no way to cut up the bulk of the tank. Later, tourists also raided the wreck for whatever small souvenirs could be removed.

Mr. Morat died some thirty years later, and his sister sold the tank to another scrap company based in Caen. By that time, however, the locals had grown fond of the local attraction, and purchased the Tiger to save it from being cut up with oxy-acetylene cutters.
 
The tank was pulled out of the ditch and placed to a more fitting display spot on a concrete plinth in 1975. It had to be lightened by removing the turret, and even so it took three tractors to move it to its new home just across the road. Missing hatches were replaced with metal sheets to keep people from climbing in, and concrete blocks prevent access to the bottom, as the floor is missing. A local volunteer gave the tank a new paintjob – it’s not historically accurate, but gives the hulk a unique personality. The commune of Vimoutiers intends to restore the tank and place it in a better location in the town, but the high cost of restoration has prevented the commune from starting the work so far.