"Tigers in Support"

"Tigers in Support". . , Soldiers of the Third Platoon, Charlie Company, Sixth Medium Tank Battalion, 24th Infantry Division received an urgent message on April 25, 1951. It was from the Rangers of the Eighth Ranger Company (Airborne) (code name Old Rose), who found themselves under a massive Chinese attack as they provided rearguard security for the withdrawal of the division. They needed support to evacuate their mounting casualties and to be transported back to friendly lines. Seizing the initiative, Lieutenant David Teich directed his unique, tiger striped tanks of the Third Platoon towards the nearly surrounded Rangers. In describing the desperate fight around Hill 628, one of the Rangers remarked, “if they (the tanks) don’t assist, Old Rose will be No Rose.” Risking potential death or capture, Lieutenant Teich’s tanks reached the Rangers. The tankers helped load the Rangers onto the vehicles and carried them to safety behind friendly lines., The unique yellow, black and white, tiger stripe camouflage pattern of the Sixth Medium Tank Battalion was explained by Lieutenant Teich: ,

“From what I understand the reasons for painting not only my battalion tanks, but I believe all of the Army tanks in Korea, was that the psychological warfare department thought that since 1951 was the Year of the Tiger for the Chinese Army, if we painted our tanks to look like tigers, it would scare them off. I don’t think it did that, but it sure made my tank stand out a long way off.”