By David Glantz and J. House "When Titans clashed" On 6th March 1945 the German Sixth army, joined by Sixth SS Panzer Army launched a pincer movement north and south of lake Balaton.Ten panzer and five infantry divisions, incl large numbers of King Tiger tanks, hoping to cut that front in half and link up with German Second Panzer Army forces attacking south of Lake Balaton. The German success was short-lived. the terrain was a mass of canals and mud, and Tolbukhin had created a deeply echeloned and complex defence system. By 15th march German advance had expired after tremendous losses to both sides.Once again, the Soviets could absorb these losses, for their primary offensive force had not been damaged. ------------ On one book on ostfront ( I think the guy´s name was Winchester (?) ) he mentions some 12-15 tanks falling into the mud up to the turret, several tens of tanks could not be removed from the mud and were blown by the Germans themselves.
C : I think this was a total of T-34's and other Soviet tanks and not just all JS 2's. It is from an untitled book on SS panzer divisions on the Ost Front done way back in the mid 60's. The book is just a selction of pages now as it was destroyed in a flood some 15 years ago whcih came into the back of our house in November, thanksgiving weekend. Took out quite a few of my books actually at the time. anothe more complex account is from 1975 but the text is small and having Grandpa eyes it will take a little time to decipher. patience and I will have it done. As I mentioned the huge Georg Maier book will be translated from the German into English and it maybe the final word on those last months from January 45 till the fall of Vienna in April of 45 concerning the 6th SS Panzer Armee...... E
Ahhh... floods destroying books is no good. But hey- even tho it remains unnamed, at least you salvaged something! Hopefully I'll be book shopping this weekend. See if maybe I see something as well. If I run out of Tiger-related material to get!
Well, I just had to do some research on my free time this weekend as well... Anyway, I have more data on operation Spring awakening on several books like "steel storm-eastern front battles " etc so if anyone´s interested I could put down some of it-quite detailed. Anyway, here´s some from Gordon Williamson´s SS the blood soaked soil: On 18th march 1945 the Russians counterattacked. Peiper ( Yes yes ..) retreated, but the Russians were convinced they were fleeing. Peiper fought back with his Panthers and the Russians lost 120 JS-2 tanks for Peiper´s Panthers. Unfortunately no figures what Peiper lost. ------------ On that command by Hitler for the SS to remove their arm bands: Commander of sixth Army Hermann Balck decided to visit the HQ of Hohenstaufen.On his way he saw fleeing SS men, and Balck accused Stadler of his men fleeing. On this Stadler said they were not his men but other waffen-SS. Later on Balck accused Leibstandarte of fleeing ( without proper evidence?? ) and General Wöhler, commander of the Army Group, informed Hitler. Hitler got mad and told the Waffen- SS to take off their arm bands. Most of all Sepp Dietrich was upset by the fact that Himmler did not defend Waffen-SS at all. Dietrich as well sent an emissary to Hitler to tell of what happened really. Actually as well ,the funny truth is that for keeping the operation secret, the arm bands had already been removed for the operation so the Waffen-SS men could not have done that if ordered... As well the operation was kep top secret, as mentione dearlier, that Dietrich was not allowed to enter the area before the opeation had started. As well no reconnaissance was allowed... Yet the Russians knew there were strong SS forces around because of the operation at Gran in january ( LAH ) and had started defensive measures for probable German attack. I guess the Russians as well heard of operation details from the British ( Enigma decoded ). -------- On Budapest breakout: 11.2.1945 Obergruppenfuhrer Pfeffer-Wildenbruch ordered a breakout. Of the 70,000 men only 790 reached the German lines. 9 German divisions ceased to exist...
I'm not sure of your last figures quoted on Budapest, Kai. Are these quoted in G Willimason's books as well ? I have heard a couple of thousand had broken out to other Heer and W-SS divisions but as you stated the bulk of the units were wiped out in the defnsive fighting. I have some Deutsche Wocheschau footage of W-SS troops dressed in the two piece camos with the fir lined parkas....camo'd and each guy is carrying a panzerfaust 100. Advancing, backed up by Stug III's. Not one of the troops has a camo helmet cover which is interesting....coming toward beligured Budapest forces. Too late ! E
Actually yes, Erich. As well on Tim Ripley´s Steel Storm on this it says, well more precisely, that of the 16,000 German troops left only 785 Germans made it through the Soviet ring. the Waffen-SS General Pfeffer-Wildenbruch tried to escape through the sewers, only to emerge in the middle of a soviet regiment ans was captured. By the way, Hitler decorated Pfeffer-Wildenbruch with the Knight´s Cross for his bravery. The situation reminded many German generals of Stalingrad. The tanks: The LAH panzer regiment eas reinforced with a full battalion of 36 new Tiger II tanks.More would be abandoned of these on the battle fields than were lost to the enemy fire. The other LAH panzers: 27 Pz IV´s, 41 Panthers and eight anti-aircraft tanks. Hitlerjugend: 40 Pz IV´s, 44 Panthers.Also 20 Jagdpanzer IV´s, plus more than 150 armoured half tracks.Also attached was 50th Heavy AT battalion with 31 Jagdpanzer IV´s and 16 Jagdpanthers. Das Reich: 34 panthers, 19 Pz IV´s, 28 StuGIII´s. Hohenstaufen: 31 panthers, 26 Pz IV´s, 25 StuGIII´s. --------- The place where King Tigers were used seems to be the Sio Canal. The vehicles got stuck and Soviet Stormoviks picked off the immobilized German tanks.The climax of fighting was reached here on 12 March. --------- By 20 March I SS panzer Corps couls only muster 80 tanks, assault guns and self-propelled guns fit for service. ( LAH, Hitlerjugend )
Kai : I think it was the SS Schwere Pz ABt. 501 that was equipped with Königstigers and not LAH Panzer regiment. Although we can attest to the combination of Peiper's regiment with Tiger 2's to make one oversized Panzer unit. There is a new book on budapest that was mentioned by friend David Clarke on feldgrau forums and Danile reposnded with a llink to Amazon.uk for this one particular title. I will have to look but am not quite sure if II. SS Panzer Korps had the SS Schwere Pz. Abt. 502 with Königstigers attached to it or not. There is confusion in areas covered since the W-SS and Heer units overlapped one another's territory on the advance as well as the retreat. more to come.....
another interesting tidbit...... 8th SS Florian Geyer was transferred to Hungary along with other SS Cavalry Divisions by then numbered the 22nd, and with other elements was to make up the IXth SS Corps under von Pfeffer-Wildenbruch. The Army's 13th and Feldherrnhalle Armored Divisions were also sent to Hungary to fight alongside W-SS against the advancing Soviet forces. These troops numbering some 50,000, became completely encircled at Budapest by New Year's eve 1944 and were fighting desperately for their lives. For a time the garrison managed to hold back the might of the Soviet forces. Hitler ordered Totenkopf and Wiking of Gille's IVth Korps to the relief of Budapest, but after two weeks of fighting the attempt had to be called off. The odds had been impossible. The garrision weakened, shrunk in area by mid-January and finally fell on February 12, 1945. At that time, approximately eight hundred of the survivors broke the encirclement and reached the German lines. Amongst them were 170 soldiers of the W-SS, all that remained of the 8th and 22nd SS Cavalry Divisions. The Division's commander Joachim Rumohr committed suicide after being wounded while attempting to escape the Hungarian capital..../ Waffen SS, volume 3 by Roger James Bender /...... E
Yeah, I think you´re right on that one as 501st SS heavy Panzer Battalion having the King Tigers. The book is quite detailed but on this one maybe has it wrong.The author does mention the 501st using Tiger II´s but does not attach it to LAH, instead the King Tigers into the LAH panzer regiment.But with this amount of information drawn together I suppose it can happen... On the 502d and 503rd the author says they were sent to the East Prussian and Berlin sectors and thus missed the offensive in Hungary.
Kai : I am not sure about the Heer Schwere Panzer Abteilungs 502 and 503. You are correct about the heavy W-SS battalions though. They were to the north and rebuilt in late 44 after Normandy at least this is for the W-SS 502. SS 503 was refitted and sent to Pommerania in january 45 where it was unloaded and quickly divided into small units fighting alonside the stug units of Hermann von Salza of the 11th SS Pz Gr. Div. In fact some authorities have said the the 503 SS constituted on of the battalions of the Panzer regiment of the 11th SS. I do beleive that Carl through info with ex-commander Paul Kausch said this was not so, or maybe it was Paul Errass that mentioned this. Anyway the 503rd SS Pz. Abt. fought alongside this SS unit and a couple of Heer and Fallshirmtruppen in Danzig and to the areas around Berlin before retreating to the interior of the city in the last weeks. The 502nd SS Heavy Abt. finally performed it's last duties to the east of Berlin and then south and retreated from the Halbe pocket along with SS Panzer Jagd Abt. 561 with Hetzers, going by the way to the west to the Americans. E
Thanx Erich, great info. On those Panzer Abteilungen: http://www.wssob.com/101abtssp.html II SS Panzer Corps http://www.wssob.com/002kpspzr.html Argh! But here you can see what happened to those King Tigers...Hungary 1945.. http://www.battlefield.ru/destroyed/german.html Panther column ambushed...
Kai : I am sure there will be more dealing with SS Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502 at: www.ss-panzer.de once these guys get to updating their site. I wonder though would those German Panzers as so well depicted in your scans have been destroyed by their occupants upon retreating from the area. Especially the two Königstigers being what may appear as lack of fuel and stuck in the mud ?
Erich, Thanx for the site.Always lookíng forward to more info!!!!! And yes, at least one gets the picture from all of the articles at least that most of the King Tigers got stuck and were blown by their own crew, I recall.Some 10-15 tanks ( not all King Tigers ?)were stuck in the mud up to their turrets ??But as it is we´ll never know for certain, and just gotta "admire" the pics from the battle area. I´d like to see actually what Mr Peiper and his Panthers did to some JS-2´s.... --------- Anyway I found some nice info ( or so I think ) on King Tigers...It wasn´t such a C*** tank after all....or was it?! http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/quarters/4635/tanks/tiger2/tiger2.htm Disadvantages: mechanical unreliability and difficult logistics 88mm L71 was also a precise gun capable of first shot hittings. Of course such a gun was flanked by advanced optics devices to permit this. The Monocular Turmzielfernohr 9d (sighting periscope) was used and replaced the binocular version mounted on some of the early Porsche Tigers, which had the other opening being covered by an armored plug. Operational history of the Tiger IIs is problematic: while this heavy tank was the optimum on the paper, things on the battlefield went in different way from what the Germans hoped. The 88mm L71 KwK 43 tank gun, joined by the excellent optics, was able to pierce any enemy tank on long ranges; front armor was able to whithstand any enemy anti-tank gun, large battle tracks permitted the tank to offer a ground pressure of only 0.74 Kg/cm2 (when the tracks sunk of 20 cm in the ground), speed of a remarkable maximum of 41.5 Kmh and a cruising one of 38 Kmh on roads and 15-20Kmh on open terrains. The turret rotation speed was even more stunning, capable of turning by its hydraulic gearing system (connected and depending from the engine) of 360 degrees in 19 seconds (with the engine at 2,000 rpm) for fine adjustments and in less than ten seconds at the fastest speed (engine at 3,000 rpm, difficult to archieve because of engine's overheating). The lowest speed for a full turn was 70 seconds: low speed was used (and needed) for long range aiming/shooting (the ideal role for the Tiger). Reliability continuosly improved: a March 1945 German report stated that the operational ratio of the tank in frontline units was 59 percent of the strength, second only to the Panzer IV with 62 percent and much better than Panther at only 48 percent. This is against some common ideas which want the Tiger II as a big, slow and unreliable monster. Many faults were overexploited by inexperienced drivers but with mature drivers and the needed pauses for restoring and maintenaince reliability greatly increased. "Six years ago, I worked with an older gentleman named Jon Klaus. He was a WW-2 vet who had had first-hand experience against the King Tiger, having then been in command of an M4 Sherman. One day, at lunch, he and I started talking about things in general, and we ended up on the topic of AFVs. He mentioned how he really hated/respected the Tiger tank. As our conversation continued, I asked him to draw what the tank he called a "Tiger" looked like. I wanted to verify his story, plus find out just what tank it possibly could have been, since a lot of WW-2 vets call anything big with a long gun a 'Tiger'. "The vehicle was burned into his memory. What he drew was indeed the outline of the Tiger II, not the Panther or Tiger I. His story goes like this: "His and two other Shermans came upon this Tiger in a very large break in a forest. The range he estimated from memory to be around 700 yards at first encounter. The Shermans opened fire. Two shells hit the glacis plate of the Tiger and bounced off. The Tiger returned fire and blew up the M4 to Jon's left. The two remaining M4s started to retreat for cover, firing as they went. None of their shells hit the Tiger. The Tiger fired again, and Jon's other platoon mate got its turret blown off, but Jon's M4 made it to cover. "Later, two more "Easy-8" M4s showed up, along with three M10s. One Easy-8 tried to flank the Tiger under cover, but was caught by German infantry antitank weapons. Then the Americans decided to rush the Tiger with superior numbers: after the gunfire died down, one Easy-8 and all three M10s had been destroyed by this solitary Tiger. "Jon told me that he had counted 18 shell marks on the front surfaces of the Tiger, which eventually retreated to just inside the first row of trees at the other end of the opening of the forest. "What arrived next Jon described as a "Tiger killer." When I asked him for specifics, all he could remember was that it looked like an M10 but with a longer barrel; my assumption has been that this was an M36 tank destroyer. Jon said that the "Tiger killer" took two shots at the Tiger: one missed and the second hit the front plate in a "shower of sparks." The Tiger then returned fire and put a shell through the M36's glacis plate, blowing it up. "Jon said the men around him were totally in awe of this German tank and its crew. He still did not understand why he did not die that day like the rest of the guys in the other tanks. He kept telling me how he had never been scared like he was that day. When I asked him what became of this Tiger, he said he did not know for sure, as he had heard only rumors -- he was ordered to pull back while they brought up more "Tiger killers". The rumors he heard said that the Tiger was either destroyed by an air attack (likely) or taken out by another M10 (less likely, unless it got real close)..." In all 469 Tiger IIs were manufactured: 442 "normals" and 20 Befehls (command). Over these the additional 77 Jagdtigers may be added.
The Gran Bridgehead operation before Spring awakening: Operation South Wind (!!!) http://www.sonic.net/~bstone/archives/000116.shtml Even at this late stage in the war, the Germans were able to conduct a successful attack with highly favorable results. The Germans claimed seventy-one tanks, 179 guns, howitzers and anti-tank guns, 537 prisoners and 2,069 Russian dead in the fighting up to 22 February. Of these, Peiper credits Werner Poetschke's mixed SS Panzer Battalion with twenty-three T-34s destroyed, thirty Hungarian, Italian, British and German built tanks captured and 280 enemy killed. According to a return signed by Fritz Kraemer, the Chief of Staff of the Sixth Panzer Army, I SS Panzer Corps suffered 2,989 casualties, including 413 killed in the same period and, rather surprisingly, only three Mk IVs, six Panthers and two Tigers lost or in need of long-term repair. Figures quoted in the Histories of the LAH and HJ would indicate that this is a major understatement. Operation South Wind was, without doubt, a brilliant success. In eight days I SS Panzer Corps, admittedly with valuable assistance from Panzer Corps Feldherrnhalle, had recaptured over 400 square kilometers of territory, inflicted 8,800 casualties on the Red Army and cleared seven infantry Divisions and a Guards Mechanized Corps (Panzer Division) from west of the Gran. It is remarkable that such an effective fighting machine could have been produced within a month of the Ardennes disaster-- the more so when one takes into account that many of the men involved had received only minimal training. Well, I guess that explains why Hitler thought he could do well with operation Spring awakening... By 9 March, the corps was making much better progress and Reynolds describes the fighting but remains hampered by incomplete and contradictory sources. Although the descriptions of the fighting on 12 March are very similar in both the LAH and HJ Divisional Histories, there are conflicting claims as to which units carried out the assault across the Sio canal just to the west of the Bozot river. Ralf Tiemann states that it was made by Hansen's 1st SS Panzer-Grenadier Regiment LAH and the Division's 1st SS Reconnaissance Battalion, with 'elements' of the HJ's 26th Regiment. Hubert Meyer, on the other hand, claims that the assault was carried out by the 1st and 2nd Battalions of Braun's 26th SS Panzer-Grenadier Regiment, with support from the heavy weapons of the Regiment, artillery, and some of Brockschmidt's Jagdpanzers. In the opinion of this author, Meyer is more likely to be correct, since the sector to the west of the Bozot was the responsibility of the Hitlerjugend and there was a greater need for the Leibstandarte's infantry in the attack on the built-up area of Simontornya. The description of subsequent events will therefore be based on this assumption. Despite the momentary successes, the exertions of the corps were futile and by 19 March the LAH and HJ halted their final offensive and withdrew.
Since I don't have with me the 43-44 Das Reich volume by Weidinger I cannot comment, but the unit moved back towards Vienna and gave it their best shopt beofre retreating out of the city close to the last two bridges over the Donau. I can imagine the twin Flak towers at Augarten must have been depressed as far as they could go to aid in the protection of the railways and the huge traffic buildups as many were trying to get out to the west. The Flak towers included 4 twin 128mm guns. Wiking and Totenkopf had their own problems and were protecting the northern sphere associated with the Gran bridgehead. I do have the article somewhere that is the last gasp so to speak of the W-SS from January to April of 45......buried with who knows how much other information. Looking tonight for it and will post thus
Wow.. nice info. I had seen those photos from the russian site of the King Tigers sunk in the mud. Figured Kai would post the link quicker than me... few things.. OK, not sure about this... but according to Restayn, Tiger I on the Eastern Front,- the Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 was not SS... and "On 15 January 1945, it was renamed s.Pz-Abt. 424 and fought until its disbanding in the Vistula sector." SO I looked further... the chapter on the LaH Tiger Is is about "The 4th, then 13th s.SS Pz-Kompanie "Leibstandarte ..."... then "at the end of February 1944... Having meanwhile become the s.Pz.-Abt. 101(501), the unit was engaged in Normandy, then re-equipped with Tiger IIs.". So was this the unit fighting under Peiper's command? I looked in Ripley (SS Steel Storm), and he says much of what Kai found- On the 36 King Tigers sent to reinforce the LaH's panzer regiment- "The 501st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion was one of three such units created by the Waffen SS in the final months of the war, which used the Tiger II tank. These units grew out of the Tiger I companies that had served with the three original SS Panzer divisions since 1943.". So I guess they renamed the 101(501) to just plain 501, since the original 501st had since been re-named... OK, now confused again... from the http://www.wssob.com/101abtssp.html link... Now, as far as I know, Restayn is pretty authoritative on Tigers. He does mainly photo work, but his two books on Tigers are rather well regarded, especially as far as identifying Tigers and their histories goes. And he makes no mention of a 101st s.SS Pz Abt 101 being created as part of the LaH. He clearly states that the Tiger I tanks that were part of the LaH served in the 4th, and then 13th, s.SS Panzer-Kompanie "Leibstandarte...". This is the same unit I was referring to above. What's more, Restayn claims that this unit was activated on 15 August 1942- in time to train and wind up fighting in Zitadelle . And this would seem correct- I have read other mention of LaH having Tiger Is for Zitadelle. But the dates given on wssob.com don't work here. For one thing, look on wssob.com- under "Campaigns" for the supposed s.SS Pz Abt 101, it lists Citadelle. But according to the unit timeline below that, the unit was not even created until July 1943-and that was "the future nucleus of the Abteilung.". I'm thoroughly confused now!
Crazy, Erich, There is quite a lot of different views around, one must admit. I am trying to find some kinda harmony for now and hope this works out: schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 schwere SS-Panzerabteilung 501 (22. September 1944) Aufgestellt am 19. Juli 1943 in Sennelager als schwere SS-Abteilung General-Kommando mit zwei Kompanien. Zwischen dem 7. und 12. Juni 1944 erfolgt die Straßenverlegung der Abteilung in die Normandie. Dabei ist sie schweren Luftangriffen ausgesetzt. Viele Tiger bleiben liegen. Nach schweren Kämpfen übergibt die 1./ ihre restlichen 3 Tiger an die 3./ und wird nach Sennelager verlegt, um dort mit den neuen Tiger II ausgerüstet zu werden. Bereits am 18. August ist die 1./ wieder in Frankreich und wird mit ihren 14 Tiger II entladen. Zum ersten Einsatz der neuen Panzer kommt es am 23. August 1944, als die 1./ einen Gegenangriff der 18. Luftwaffenfelddivision unterstützt. Am 25. August werden noch 2 Tiger II der s.SS.Pz-Abt. 103 übernommen. Zwischen dem 17. Oktober und 26. November werden 34 (!) neue Tiger II geliefert,Anfang Dezember werden von der s.SS-Abt. 509 weitere 11 Tiger II übernommen. Am 12. Februar kommt die Abteilung in Györ an und wird der 1. SS-Panzer-Division LSSAH unterstellt. Am 3. März 1945 erhält die 1./ weitere 13 Tiger, muß diese aber am 12. März bereits wieder an die s.Pz.Abt. 506 abgeben. Am 15. März 1945 wird die Abteilung der Heeresgruppe Süd unterstellt. Von den 34 Tiger der Abteilung sind 8 einsatzbereit. http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/schwPzAbtSS/sSSPzAbt101-R.htm ------------ schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102 schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502 (September 1944) Nach verlustreichen Abwehrkämpfen hat die Abteilung am 1. September 1944 keinen einzigen Tiger mehr. Die Reste der Abteilung werden nach Sennelager verlegt und dort noch im September zur s.SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502 zusammengefaßt. Am 27. Dezember erhält die Abteilung 6 neue Tiger, die sie jedoch gleich wieder an die s.SS-Pz.Abt. 503 abgeben muß. Zwischen dem 14. Februar und dem 6. März 1945 erhält die Abteilung 31 neue Tiger II. Anfang März wird die Abteilung nach Stettin verlegt und der HGr. Mitte unterstellt. Am 19. März befand sich die Abteilung bei Kürstin. ---------- schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 103 schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 503 (September 1944) Im September verlegt die Abteilung dann nach Sennelager, wo sie am 19. Oktober 1944 ihre ersten vier Tiger II erhält. Am 14. November erfolgt die Umbenennung zur schweren SS-Panzer-Abteilung 503. Zwischen dem 27. Dezember 1944 und dem 25. Januar 1945 erhält die Abteilung weitere 35 Tiger II. Am 25. Januar 1945 erfolgt der Verlegungsbefehl an die Ostfront mit 39 Tiger II. Ende März befindet sich die Abteilung bei Danzig und ende April im Raum Berlin. --------- http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/schwPzAbtSS/Inhalt-R.htm schwere Panzer-Abteilung 424 Ordered to be formed from renamed s.Pz.Abt.501 on 27 Nov 44. Formation date was in Dec 44. Assigned to 24.Panzer-Korps as Korpstruppen. Disbanded on 11 Feb 45 and remnants used to reform s.Pz.Jg.Abt.512. Chronology 11 Feb 45 remnants, except for 3./, reorganized and redesignated schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 512 (Jagdtiger) at Detmold-Schvningen, 3./ remained in Paderborn. http://www.feldgrau.com/spa424.html Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 was sent to North Africa following the allied landings in Africa. The first tanks arrived in Tunisia Nov 1942 and the second kompanie was used during the occupation of Vichy France and was not sent to Africa. It surrendered in Tunisia May 1943 but it was reformed in Sep 1943 from the cadre that had not been sent to Africa. It was sent to the eastern front in Nov 1943 and fought at Vitebsk and Gorodok. It was refitted with Tiger II (Köningstiger) tanks in July 1944 and attached to Heeresgruppe Nordukraine. It fought at Radom, Sandomierz and Kleice before being disbanded and used to form Schwere Panzer Abteilung 424 Dec 1944. Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502 was formed Aug 1942 and the first tanks arrived at the front near Leningrad 29 Aug 1942. The rest of the first company arrived Nov 1942 and more tanks arrived in Feb 1943. The second and third company was formed Apr 1943. It was redesignated Schwere Panzer Abteilung 511 Jan 1945. Panzer Abteilung 503 was originally planned for North Africa but was sent to the eastern front. It fought in southern Russia, taking part in the Don campaign and the withdrawal from Stalingrad. It fought at Kursk and was later attached to Panzer Regiment Bake Aug 1943. This unit fought near Cherkassy and 503 remained a assigned to it until Apr 1944 when it was sent to the west. It was partly refitted with Tiger II (Köningstiger) tanks and fought the allies in Normandy. It inflicted heavy losses on the allies but sustained heavy losses due to the air attacks. It was sent to Hungary in Sep 1944 and was redesignated Schwere Panzer Abteilung Feldherrnhalle Jan 1945. ------------- Dietrich placed the Leibstandarte in the middle of the offensive, II. SS-Panzerkorps (Das Reich and Hohenstauffen) to the left and I. Kavalleriekorps to the right. Attached was s.SS-Panzerabteilung 503(???). Dietrich would later say that 132 vehicles were trapped in the mud, and 15 Königstiger sank up to their turrets in mud. The Leibstandarte had formed up quicker, and was already attacking from 3 march onwards. The formation only had 12,461 enlisted personnel, and operational were: 14 Mk.IVH, 26 Mk.V Panther, 15 Jagdpanzer IV and StuG IIIG and the attached sSS-Panzerabteilung 501 had a mere 4 Königstiger battle ready (???). SS-Panzerregiment 1 (SS-Standartenführer Joachim Peiper) made the deepest penetration, the unit was only 32 km removed from the Danube, their first objective, when the Russians counterattacked on 16 march. This caused the overextended VI. SS-Panzerarmee to be trapped, and Das Reich had to fight against troops coming from three different directions, and held the narrow gap open through which the trapped divisions could escape. http://www.geocities.com/wolfram55/hungary.html [ 18. February 2003, 09:55 AM: Message edited by: Kai-Petri ]
Kai : Good background materials on the Heavy Abteilungs. SS Schwere Panzer Abt. 503 was not involved in the Hungary operations. It was up to the north where after it detrained was seperated into small battle groups in the Pommeranian plains and later in and around Danzig and the marshes and finally as mentioned in and around Berlin. Crazy, got your private, thanks ! Peiper was CO of the 1st Ss Pz. regt. with Panther and Pz IV's and some Stug III's. Werner Poetschke was Abt. commander of SS Schwere Panzer Abt. 501 until killed in action I beleive at the Gran bridgehead and this is where then if I am not mistaken......guys help me here......that Peiper eventually led the remnants of the Königstiger Abteilung along with his Panzer regiment, forming one oversized and powerful unit, or at least a unit I should say in a weakened state. E
Good info... but geez, this one is rather confusing!! So Peiper was in command of SS-Panzerregiment 1, which included as a sub-unit s.SS-Panzer Abt. 501? Ok, I think I'm getting this straight! What about the relation between the original 501st, 502nd, and 503rd, and their later W.SS counterparts? This kind of confuses me... Originally, s.SS Pz. Abt. 501, 502, and 503, were all regular army units equipped with Tiger I tanks. Now it seems like the W.SS re-created these units, still equipped with Heavy Tanks (now Tiger IIs). Was there any relation between the original units and their W.SS counterparts? (Erich- I told ya we should have started a dedicated Spring Awakening thread! )
get ready to be more confused now Crazy ! Ok let's look at the compositon of LAH Tiger company the 13th. As stated the unit was at Kursk with 14 Tiger 1's. 1305 to 1334, the last commanded by Jürgen Brandt. 1 November 1943 the unit was added to and outfitted with more Tiger 1's, these renumbered like Das Reich with the first letter S menaing Schwere or heavy. The 13th Komapnie of Ss -Panzerregiment 1 now had a total of 27 Tiger 1's, S05 to S-55. The breakdown was thus. Two Tiger 1's in the stab kompanie followed by 5 Zug's with S11-S15 S21-S25 S31-S35 S41-S45 S51-S55 now a little late history for the Kompanie in 1944. 30.12.43 Wittmann takes over the company, Heinz Kiling takes on the battalion and receives the DK. on the 31st there are only 2 Tiger 1's ready for ops the rest are in states of repairs. 1-1-44 Wendorff knocks out 5 T-34's 2.01.44 4 Tigers are lost, so some reapired units came back for action.... 10.01.44 For knocking out 66 enemy tanks, Untersturmführer Wittmann is recommended for the RK. 11.01.44 during the night, withdrawl wouth of SSmela, 4 tiger !'s operational. still on the Ost Front now....05.03.44 6 new Tiger 1's delivered and operational the next day. 22.03.44 1 Tiger 1 knocks out 3 T-34's. 02.04.44 only 3 Tigers operational the unit now is broken up and joins on with the 10th SS Frundsberg, where Warmbrunn and his Tiger 1 knock out 1 Sherman and 1 T-34 supporting the liquidation of the bridgehead at Bobulince. The Kompanie knocks out more than 400 tanks in two years. now for more confusion. The SS Schwere Panzerabteilung was independent of the heavy Kompanies of the 1,2 and 3rd Totenkopf divisions. For SS Pz Abt. 101 on March 27, 1943 6 crews are sent to Paderborn by the two divisions Das Reich and Totenkopf. The CO of LAH refuses to carry out this order becuase he prefers to retain his Tiger kompanie, instead the SS Pz Abt. is ordered to dispatch the reamining crews. in April/May of 43 the SS Pz Korps received 15 Tiger 1's earmarked for this battalion, but these vehicles were divided among the 3 komapnies and 3 were given to Schwere Pz Abt. 102. the original plans to employ the new battalion during Kursk did not materialize. The 3 divisions retained there heavy kompanies. Only the personal of LAH company merged into this newly formed battalion.....101. There was an order for the 13./SS Pz. Regt. 1 to be the third compnay of the 101st battalion. The maintenace platoon of the company is to merge into the Werkstattkjompnie of the battalion......arg it gets worse Crazy ! As the 13th kompnaie of LAH wastes itself on the Ost front during 1943-through spring of 44 some of the members are transferred to the battalion 101 as the 13th kompanie dwindles down to nothing. there is evidently a seperation of some of the internal organization of the companie to the battalion on and between August 3rd to November 8th 1943. From November 8th to December 27, 1943 the Battalion (101) goes through basic training on their Tiger 1's. 1-1-44 SS Schwere Panzer Abt. has 9 operational Tiger 1's on hand. now get this...... 22.04.44 last remnants of 13th Panzerkompanie that remained in Russia return to the battalion. 30.04.44 38 of the 45 Tiger 1's are operational. From May 10-17, 1944, drill and live firing exercises and continual training. 01.06.44 37 tanks on hand. 07.06.44 march along D316 via Gournay en Bray to Morgnay and some elements strafed along the way...1st kompanie. Continual harassment by Fighter bombers from this date till June 13, 1944 where the first actions against British armor take place at Villers-Bocage. jumping ahead again..... As 101 SS Schwere Pz Abt. is being consumed in the Normandy battles a new heavy battalion is being formed. July 9, 1944 new arrivals of crews and training on Tiger 2's. Training and firing practice. 1st kompanie arrives nw of Paris 23.08.44 4 Königstigers support a counterattack by Luftwaffenfledregiment 33 and 36 near Guitrancourt. The rest of august the Tiger 2's reamin active and fight a retreat. These heavy units are part of 101 still...... September 22, 1944 Removal from the subordination to General der Panzertruppen West and the subsquent attachment to Stab Panzerarmeeoberkommando 6, resulting in withdrawl from the formation of the I Ss panzerkorps and re-designation into SS Schwere Panzerabteilung 501. Transfer into the area of Bielefeld with Möbius as battalion commander for a sick kommandeur. From 30th of September 44 to November 30, 1944 a complete reformation of 1-4th kompanies. October 17, 1944 4 Tiger 2's are delivered, then 6 on the 18th. 10 more are delivered on the 26th of November 1944. December 14, 1944 Briefing at SS-Panzerregiment 1, to which the battalion is attached......then the Ardenne campaign ! January 15, 1945 there are 10 operational Königstigers. and they march into the assembly area of Blankenheim, individually they move to Brühl on the 24th of the month. February 20, 1945 the I. SS Pzkorps is ordered to be immediately transported via Berlin to a yet unknown detrainment location.......and then it srats in Hungary..... my hands are totally geeked for now. more to come as I will give a brief synopsis of the 501st SS Panzerabteilung in Hunagary in 1945..... E
