Elephants in North West Europe

Hi, I dont know if this topic has been discussed before, But was the Elephant tank destroyer ever used in north west europe, I know that they served in Russia and some might of found there way to Italy, but I cannot find any info for them being attached to any German unit in north west.
Thanks Yan.

 

According to the article in Wikipedia, no.

 

The US captured one in Italy and is in the US now.

 

I think that the confusion lies in the two Battalions which were first equipped with the Elephant (Ferdinand's), when they were re-equipped they had new weapons see below.

The 653rd and 654th Battalions were equipped with Ferdinand’s for the battle of Kursk, both were badly mauled and withdrawn, the 614th PanzerJager Company was transferred to Italy, and in 1944 the 653rd and the 654th were re-equipped see below.
653rd Panzerjager Battalion.
1 x AA Platoon (4 x 20mm)
1 x AA Platoon (4 x 37mm)
3 x Jagdtiger companies
14 x Jagdtigers each.

654th Panzerjager Battalion.
3 x Jagdpanther companies
14 x Jagdpanthers each.

I think that both Battalions finished the war on the western front, and that is were the confusion comes from.

 

No. The Elefant was used exclusively on the Eastern Front except for 14 that went with S. Pzjr Kp 614 (aka 1/653 S. Pzjr Abt) to Italy from February 1944 to July 1944. The abteilung was otherwise on the Eastern Front. In July and August 1944 S. Pzjr Abt 653 combined its remaining vehicles into the second company and became S. Pzjr Kp 614. S. Pzjr Abt 653's remaining personnel went to reequip with the JadgTiger.

JadgTigers were put into 2 battalions 653 which fought almost exclusively against 3rd and 7th Armies in Southern Germany and, 512 which fought as seperate companies primarily against the US 9th Army in Central Germany and the Ruhr.

At Kursk the Elefant was formed into two battalions 653 and 654. The Brummbär battalion 216 was added. These for Kursk formed (respectively) 1/, 2/, and, 3/ S. Pzjr Regiment 656. After Kursk the regiment was disbanded. S. Pzjr Abt 654 handed their Elefants to S. Pzjr Abt 653 and went back to Germany, then France to equip with the JadgPanther.

 

According to Chris Ellis in his book "Tanks of World War 2" in 1944 a few ferdinand Elefants were sent to Italy, The tank No on the picture is 102.

I hope this is of some help

 

Just been on Wiki and it does mention that the Ferdinand Elefants where in Italy.

Also on lone sentry they state that; The one Ferdinand Elefant that was captured in Italy was originally part of schwere Panzerjager 653 ( sPzJagAbt 653 )

The Ferdinand in the USA is that vehicle 102

View attachment 12647

 

11 Elefant went to Italy. Of those 8 were lost at various times between March 1944 and July 1944 when the unit left Italy for Poland to rejoin S. Pzjr Abt 653.

 

I put down earlier about both the 653rd and 654th Battalions finished the war on the western front, because I was reading a Book called The German Order Of Battle, Panzers and Artillery by George F. Nafziger and it says that the last TO&E was by OB West, I thought OB West was the command centre of the western front, so I naturally thought that served on the western front, sorry for any confusion.

 

There was a point there at the end when all you had to do was 'about face' and find yourself on a different front

 

That guy puts out a hell of a collection of books, doesn't he. Future buys galore!

 

yes,I have The German Order Of Battle series and they are excellent.

 

is it means that some elefants were sent to poland ?
during warsaw uprising in 1944 polish insurgnets named all german assault guns elefants but as far as i know germans didn't use elefants in poland.

 

Just done a quick search on Google and yes some were used there

 

Yes i found information in google. One company of Ferdinands saw action during the Soviets' January 1945 Vistula-Oder Offensive in Poland, and the very last surviving vehicles were in combat at Zossen during the Battle of Berlin.