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Newest Scenarios |
CMAK |
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Kampfgruppe Richter in Budel. Dilemma, fight the allies or retreat?
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A Very British Civil War
Note: this is clearly a “what-if” scenario, loosely based on the bustling miniatures war gaming off-shoot of the same name. Outstanding work has been done by Solway Crafts and Miniatures, and I credit them with the brilliance of this war gaming theme.
Background
England, May 1938 (designer note: note the in-game calendar notes “1944”; this is only to create the optics of lush green environment of the British Isles)
Weather: overcast, mild, dry
The very social fabric of Great Britain was torn during the apocalypse that was The Great War. The mightiest empire on the globe ended victorious, but at what cost? The rigid social hierarchy was shaken, and the world wide waves of social change did not stop at the English Channel. Class structure, worker’s rights, regional animosities have all brewed in the decades following the Great War. This has all been exacerbated by the crippling economic crisis of the 1930s, to which the ever cautious government responded to by constricting public spending ever more.
In May 1937, King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom married Wallis Simpson. The marriage to Wallis was not supported by Stanley Baldwin, the British Prime Minister; and King Edward refused to abdicate. This marriage left the British government, and most of the people, alienated; and public hatred for King Edward and Queen Wallis rose. Parliament was torn, and in the general election of 1937, Baldwin was defeated. The Conservative party, ripped by the issue of King Edward’s marriage, as well as economic and regional tensions, broke apart, and a large segment of the Tory support went to the British Union of Fascists. Oswald Mosley’s promise to ensure public order, and shore up the Empire, resonated with a public tired of public disturbances, strikes in essential services, and the economic malaise. The Labour party too split, with the more radical sections forming their own splinter parties which ran their own candidates. The 1937 election results saw a fractured parliament, and although only winning slightly over 200 seats, and less than 30% of the vote, the BUF formed the largest caucus in the House of Commons. King Edward VIII asked Oswald Mosely to form a government. Mosley did so and almost immediately issued “Orders of Council”, outlawing strikes, restricting collective bargaining, and establishing new offences for unauthorized public gatherings, and publishing “any article intended to alarm the public”. Any opposition was swiftly responded to, if not by the police, then by Mosely’s own BUF Blackshirts, the BUF’s paramilitary wing.
In January 1938, a protest by Dockyard workers in Liverpool was brutally crushed by the BUF and elements of the Regular Army; and violent clashes began across the country; between the Kings troops and those of several other factions. The British Civil War has begun!
Factions: The outbreak of conflict led several groups to attempt to seize the country or their own personal goals. Major factions included:
On the Right (Axis in this scenario
* The Edwardian Army – elements of the professional Army, bound to King Edward VIII.
* The Royal Navy and Royal Marines – bound by tradition and culture to remain loyal to the reigning monarch, and the majority have done so.
* The British Union of Fascists (or “BUF”) – the dominant political party, led by Oswald MOSLEY and heavily backed by German and Italian interests. Mosley has garnered considerable support in his efforts to restore order internally and restore the status of Britain’s Empire
* The Mosley Youth – a “social club” of young men, who have been drilled and armed by unknown sources, and have formed para-military units to push the BUF agenda.
* Foreign Volunteer Units: after the recruiting of numerous foreign elements to fight in the Spanish Civil War, similar detachments have been formed to back those with similar agendas in the British Civil War. Contingents from other fascist and imperialist sympathizers have been formed. Here we will see the presence of the “Hanoverian Legion”, volunteers from Germany, who are backing the Edwardian and BUF efforts
On the Left (Allied in this scenario)
* The Albertine Army – elements of the regular forces, plus most of the “Territorial Army”, backing the young Prince Albert’s claim to the throne.
* The Anglican League - A large army led by a group of bishops and archbishops, they were aligned with the Albertine Army. Many are veterans of the Great War.
* The People’s Party Army - Made up of disillusioned Labour party supporters, disgruntled workers and Spanish Civil War veterans, they are seeking to turn Britain into a Socialist state based upon Lenin's Russia.
* The Farmer’s Union: radical small plot farmers and farm working hands, seeking better pay, price subsidies, and land redistribution. They are heavily influenced by Marxist doctrine.
* The Student’s Union: like students before and after them, the university students have ramparts to thwart whomever they view as authoritarian,
* Foreign Volunteer Units: after the recruiting of numerous foreign elements to fight in the Spanish Civil War, similar detachments have been formed to back those with similar agendas in the British Civil War. Groups of Americans, Canadians, and ANZAC units have been formed; here we will see the Lafayette Battalion, formed of French volunteers, many fresh from the savage fighting in Spain.
This scenario occurs in the West Coast port town of Twaddlemore. Twaddlemore is the home base for a small Royal Navy destroyer flotilla, as well as being a mid-sized port for international commerce. Given that the United Kingdom lives or dies based on this freedom to trade overseas, the port is vital to all in this conflict. The Royal Navy, which for the most part has remained loyal to King Edward VIII, dispatched the flotilla two days ago to join the rest of the fleet, tasked with stemming the flow of foreign volunteers coming to fight for their faction of choice. Many of these foreigners have come directly from fighting for the Nationalists or the Republicans in Spain, who have endured two years of their own brutal Civil War already.
Yesterday the dock workers, who are heavily influenced by communist agents and are affiliated with the People’s Party, refused to move armaments stored in the dock warehouses. Instead, they armed themselves and fighting broke out when security staff sought to control the situation. Who opened fire first is both in dispute and a moot point at this juncture. A company of the Army’s Provost Corps was rushed to Twaddlemore by train, but a bomb was used to derail the trail just outside of town. Multiple factions are either in town currently or rumoured to be headed this way. The Telephone Exchange is the key to communicating with the rest of the country, and is clearly a goal to secure. Likewise, the docks and the armaments stored there in are also of immense value. Lastly, the mysterious new Wireless Tower being built on the south shore is of unknown value, as the work crews are from “away” and appear to be quite Teutonic in manner.
This battle will surely prove that the term “Civil War” is clearly a misnomer.
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A historically fictional 'what if' look at the events leading up to the Deutsche Afrika Korps capture of Tobruk in June 1942.
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SCENARIO DESCRIPTION
A meeting engagement played out in the wooded terrain of the Ardennes at the beginning of the Bulge. 60+ turns.
The Germans are trying to seize important territory: bridges, cross-roads, and towns to allow breakthrough armored thrusts. Central to this map is the village of L’Shone and its surrounding road network.
The Americans are trying to occupy the same terrain to prevent its use by the Germans.
Best played as: H2H
Second Best played as: H2H
(Not designed for vs. AI play due to mounted units)
Map edge friendly to Axis: East. Map edge friendly to Allies: West.
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It is hard to believe that it was only a week ago when we first heard of “The Outbreak”. Initially it was thought to be a terrorist biological attack, with outbreaks in large cities overwhelming medical facilities. But soon it was apparent it was much more… the more we hear, the more we realize that we know very little – the cause – the prognosis – or the scale of this crisis. All remain unknown – at least to the general populace. What the “government” knows may be something else again.
You are Jack McCann, police chief in the small coastal tourist town of Shady Acres, Maine. Normally by this time of the year, your town is overrun with loud tourists from the cities of the East Coast. If only that were the case.
Four days ago a large staff of the Center for Disease Control showed up at the Town Hall, and brusquely informed the Mayor, Chuck Zeto, that the Federal Government was immediately taking control of “Shady Island”, a favourite picnic spot in the bay. This was all one-way communication, you don’t know much more other than soon thereafter a convoy of sealed trucks arrived and barbed wire was being strung across the access bridge to the island.
The National Guard has been mobilized, and your own police force has been placed under the command of the governor’s office.
And yet even now, you are not sure why. A strange illness has swept the globe, but what little news was initially released was like something from a bad movie. Now that trickle of news has stopped altogether. The official story is that a Chinese cyber attack has shut down the Internet, but this being Small Town America, there are a lot of conspiracy theories floating about.
The Mayor, Chuck Zeto, who also is the local bank manager, has asked that citizens assist in securing the town from whatever threats may arise. Given that the local National Rifle Association sponsored Chuck’s last campaign, their members were eager to show their affinity for the 2nd amendment and reaffirm their ownership of large capacity magazines and assault rifles. With some hesitation, you agreed to deputize these men, but have asked them to stay at home until they may actually be required. Their training and experience doesn’t necessarily match their enthusiasm.
You were at your office all night. You had a call from Doctor Jacobie at the hospital. Dr. Jacobie, a Vietnam war draft dodger who only returned from Canada in the 1990s, is determined to ignore what he considers a “fascist edict” that all patients in suspected cases of the “outbreak” be turned over to the C.D.C. immediately and quarantined on the Island. “It reminds me of the interment of the Japanese in 1942!” Jacobie ranted, and he said he would treat all patients as “patients, not criminals”. At that, you sent two teams of part time deputies to the hospital to deal with any issues that may arise.
The town is an important transportation hub, in that the coastal railway runs through the town. The Railway has deployed their own security at the train station, as if there is an epidemic, it is important to prevent those infected from traveling. Hopefully they have enough staff to do the job.
You remained in your office all night, and it seemed that things may be calming down, but then with a complete news black out, and the mute C.D.C. guards by the island Park, who knows? You did receive several calls from citizens overnight, reporting screams and other noises from the areas near cemeteries last night; typically the local teens will go there to drink and smoke up. Although you usually will send a Deputy to put the run on them, there are more important things to do now.
The sun is coming up, but a heavy thick fog has blankets the town. A convoy of C.D.C. relieve staff are expected in from Bangor any minute; hopefully they have some news. To allow your exhausted staff get some needed rest, two detachments of National Guard troops will be arriving, one is about 5 minutes away and a second convoy from the east in another 5 minutes after that. It will be good to get home and hit the sheets. You are so tired you feel like the walking dead.
Your phone rings. It is the security detail from the train station. Old man Codger, a elderly farmer who lives north east of town, has just shown up at the Rail station, out of breath and terrified. He is rambling about being attacked at his home, and that the only way he could escape is by setting the buildings on fire. You had better send a Deputy to go interview him. It sounds bizarre.
The phone rings again… it is Deputy Boomhauer at the hospital. He sounds quite distraught. Apparently the hospital was overwhelmed with patients overnight, and now he reports the motion detector alarms in the morgue have gone off.
At that second the switch board lights up, and several simultaneous “10-78” calls are received – “officer need assistance!”… What the?????”
This scenario is
1) Meant strictly for play against the AI. Although it one player wants to try playing the Axis/Zombies, please feel free.
2) The scenario is meant to be strictly for fun.
3) Watch you ammo loads. Shoot for the head. You only have the ammo you brought into the fight.
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August 12,1944. France. SE of Argentan.
Married platoons of U.S. 5th Armored Division
night out-posts.
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France, 1940 - Case Red.
Heavy Tanks of the 4th DCR must smash a hole in the advancing German line - but there are complications.
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At Dornot, the U.S. Third Army's XX Corps' first attempt to establish a bridgehead on the Moselle River south of Metz met bloody failure. Two and a half miles south of Dornot the XX Corps' 10 Infantry Regiment is trying once more to establish a permanent bridgehead across the Moselle at Arnaville. Since the first U.S. troops crossed at Arnaville on the night of 8/9 September, the Germans have been launching increasingly vicious counterattacks in an effort to destroy the bridgehead and repeat what happened at Dornot.
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This is an Aug 44 meeting engagement between Brit and German mech forces in Belgium. The map is based on a satellite photo of Neubruck just southeast of St. Vith.
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Cassino town was destroyed by Allied Airforces on Wednesday, March 15th, along with the abby known as Monte Cassino. "The town was blown assunder and beaten into heaps of rubble, the official British history reported. Yet hundreds of bombs and thousands of shells failed to pound the town to powder, contrary to Allied expectations, nor were the surviving defenders 'rendered comatose', as planned." --The Day of Battle
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CMBB |
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The Axis launch a major attack on the Allied defenses.
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Soviet vs. German Meeting Engagement. 60+ turns.
Best played as: H2H (Not recommended for vs. AI play due to mounted infantry.)
In recent weeks, this industrial center has been the scene of increasingly sharp clashes between recon units and regular forces. Both sides have traded jabs over this important airplane fabrication city. Both have moved into the town and then been forced out again. No one seems to be able to hold it. The landing gear assembly plant on the edge of town was occupied by the Red Army a few days ago and then burned and destroyed as the Wehrmacht forced them out. Much of the town lies untouched, but the workers and residents know it is just a matter of time before a major battle rages through the streets of their city…
After another bloody engagement, both sides have backed off. Again, in the still of a Sunday morning under the cover of a pounding rainstorm, both sides push forces forward to gain possession of the city.
No one is sure where the front lines lie. Is the enemy in front of you? Or is he gone?
Push forward, as so many before you have tried, and hold this town once and for all!
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This is a CMBB scenario, modelling Plan Yellow in France in May 1940.
It is a "dynamic flag" scenario, on a large map that will provide many options in attack and defence.
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July 1941, a german advance detachment, composed of motorized infantry with Stug support, attempts to cut off retreating russian forces.
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Russians attack three German-held villages in an attempt to secure the flank of a future offensive.
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July, 1944. Operation Bagration already going on since one month. The german north front runs danger to be cut off. Setting down of german troops in western direction
runs among constant attacks of soviet armoured shock forces...
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43-02-01, South. SS commandos save Kleist's troops from encirclement. Fictional.
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42-07-10, South. Axis forces in Group A cross the Donits to secure northern flank in the beggining of Fall Blau Operation. Semi-fictional.
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October, 1942
In the northern Caucaus, along the Terek river line, the battle has been raging brutally for nearly two months. Germany's 13.Panzer-Division tasked with taking the key junction city of Vladikavkaz (Ordzhonikidze) has been stymied in it's every attempt to breakthrough.
But now, at the end of October a break has been achieved through the first mountain range and panzers are rolling along the valley near Ardon, on a back route to Vladikavkaz.
The Russians, somewhat disorganized, are withdrawing to new positions. A desperate stand is ordered to slow the German advance and buy time to set-up the new defensive positions.
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Russian breakout from a Kessel against a German blocking force.
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CMBO |
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German infantry dawn attack during the Battle of the Bulge. American infantry caught off-guard whilst lining up for chow.
VPs for casualties and German exit points only.
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Before dawn on D-Day the British airbourne must destroy the gun batteries at Vierville.
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Koen - A Town to conquer
*****************************************
a Couple of weeks ago the Allies have conquered one of the major towns in France.
Now the Germans broke through the American line of defense in the Ardennes and are advancing rapidly towards this town.
Can the Allied commander hold this town?
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November 1944, the French 2nd Armored Division is tasked to breach the German fortified line of the Vosges mountains. This battle takes place on the second days of the attack. The different French Task forces are competing with each other in order to be the first to reach the plain of Alsace. The company team Minjonnet (part of the Task Force Massu) blocked close to Voyer in a narrow valley by German remnants of the 708. ID has to bypass quickly this resistance. The French can be sure that their old enemy is not about to ease their action !
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An American WWII GI's dream come true- a "what if" American assault on Berlin AND a chance to personally bag the ol'Führer himself!
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Arnhem Bridge battle. British airborne against armoured SS.
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Updated Scenarios |
CMAK |
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A Very British Civil War
Note: this is clearly a “what-if” scenario, loosely based on the bustling miniatures war gaming off-shoot of the same name. Outstanding work has been done by Solway Crafts and Miniatures, and I credit them with the brilliance of this war gaming theme.
Background
England, May 1938 (designer note: note the in-game calendar notes “1944”; this is only to create the optics of lush green environment of the British Isles)
Weather: overcast, mild, dry
The very social fabric of Great Britain was torn during the apocalypse that was The Great War. The mightiest empire on the globe ended victorious, but at what cost? The rigid social hierarchy was shaken, and the world wide waves of social change did not stop at the English Channel. Class structure, worker’s rights, regional animosities have all brewed in the decades following the Great War. This has all been exacerbated by the crippling economic crisis of the 1930s, to which the ever cautious government responded to by constricting public spending ever more.
In May 1937, King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom married Wallis Simpson. The marriage to Wallis was not supported by Stanley Baldwin, the British Prime Minister; and King Edward refused to abdicate. This marriage left the British government, and most of the people, alienated; and public hatred for King Edward and Queen Wallis rose. Parliament was torn, and in the general election of 1937, Baldwin was defeated. The Conservative party, ripped by the issue of King Edward’s marriage, as well as economic and regional tensions, broke apart, and a large segment of the Tory support went to the British Union of Fascists. Oswald Mosley’s promise to ensure public order, and shore up the Empire, resonated with a public tired of public disturbances, strikes in essential services, and the economic malaise. The Labour party too split, with the more radical sections forming their own splinter parties which ran their own candidates. The 1937 election results saw a fractured parliament, and although only winning slightly over 200 seats, and less than 30% of the vote, the BUF formed the largest caucus in the House of Commons. King Edward VIII asked Oswald Mosely to form a government. Mosley did so and almost immediately issued “Orders of Council”, outlawing strikes, restricting collective bargaining, and establishing new offences for unauthorized public gatherings, and publishing “any article intended to alarm the public”. Any opposition was swiftly responded to, if not by the police, then by Mosely’s own BUF Blackshirts, the BUF’s paramilitary wing.
In January 1938, a protest by Dockyard workers in Liverpool was brutally crushed by the BUF and elements of the Regular Army; and violent clashes began across the country; between the Kings troops and those of several other factions. The British Civil War has begun!
Factions: The outbreak of conflict led several groups to attempt to seize the country or their own personal goals. Major factions included:
On the Right (Axis in this scenario
* The Edwardian Army – elements of the professional Army, bound to King Edward VIII.
* The Royal Navy and Royal Marines – bound by tradition and culture to remain loyal to the reigning monarch, and the majority have done so.
* The British Union of Fascists (or “BUF”) – the dominant political party, led by Oswald MOSLEY and heavily backed by German and Italian interests. Mosley has garnered considerable support in his efforts to restore order internally and restore the status of Britain’s Empire
* The Mosley Youth – a “social club” of young men, who have been drilled and armed by unknown sources, and have formed para-military units to push the BUF agenda.
* Foreign Volunteer Units: after the recruiting of numerous foreign elements to fight in the Spanish Civil War, similar detachments have been formed to back those with similar agendas in the British Civil War. Contingents from other fascist and imperialist sympathizers have been formed. Here we will see the presence of the “Hanoverian Legion”, volunteers from Germany, who are backing the Edwardian and BUF efforts
On the Left (Allied in this scenario)
* The Albertine Army – elements of the regular forces, plus most of the “Territorial Army”, backing the young Prince Albert’s claim to the throne.
* The Anglican League - A large army led by a group of bishops and archbishops, they were aligned with the Albertine Army. Many are veterans of the Great War.
* The People’s Party Army - Made up of disillusioned Labour party supporters, disgruntled workers and Spanish Civil War veterans, they are seeking to turn Britain into a Socialist state based upon Lenin's Russia.
* The Farmer’s Union: radical small plot farmers and farm working hands, seeking better pay, price subsidies, and land redistribution. They are heavily influenced by Marxist doctrine.
* The Student’s Union: like students before and after them, the university students have ramparts to thwart whomever they view as authoritarian,
* Foreign Volunteer Units: after the recruiting of numerous foreign elements to fight in the Spanish Civil War, similar detachments have been formed to back those with similar agendas in the British Civil War. Groups of Americans, Canadians, and ANZAC units have been formed; here we will see the Lafayette Battalion, formed of French volunteers, many fresh from the savage fighting in Spain.
This scenario occurs in the West Coast port town of Twaddlemore. Twaddlemore is the home base for a small Royal Navy destroyer flotilla, as well as being a mid-sized port for international commerce. Given that the United Kingdom lives or dies based on this freedom to trade overseas, the port is vital to all in this conflict. The Royal Navy, which for the most part has remained loyal to King Edward VIII, dispatched the flotilla two days ago to join the rest of the fleet, tasked with stemming the flow of foreign volunteers coming to fight for their faction of choice. Many of these foreigners have come directly from fighting for the Nationalists or the Republicans in Spain, who have endured two years of their own brutal Civil War already.
Yesterday the dock workers, who are heavily influenced by communist agents and are affiliated with the People’s Party, refused to move armaments stored in the dock warehouses. Instead, they armed themselves and fighting broke out when security staff sought to control the situation. Who opened fire first is both in dispute and a moot point at this juncture. A company of the Army’s Provost Corps was rushed to Twaddlemore by train, but a bomb was used to derail the trail just outside of town. Multiple factions are either in town currently or rumoured to be headed this way. The Telephone Exchange is the key to communicating with the rest of the country, and is clearly a goal to secure. Likewise, the docks and the armaments stored there in are also of immense value. Lastly, the mysterious new Wireless Tower being built on the south shore is of unknown value, as the work crews are from “away” and appear to be quite Teutonic in manner.
This battle will surely prove that the term “Civil War” is clearly a misnomer.
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A historically fictional 'what if' look at the events leading up to the Deutsche Afrika Korps capture of Tobruk in June 1942.
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France, 1940 - Case Red.
Heavy Tanks of the 4th DCR must smash a hole in the advancing German line - but there are complications.
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Axis and Allied forces clash for a town and large hill.
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This is an Aug 44 meeting engagement between Brit and German mech forces in Belgium. The map is based on a satellite photo of Neubruck just southeast of St. Vith.
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At Dornot, the U.S. Third Army's XX Corps' first attempt to establish a bridgehead on the Moselle River south of Metz met bloody failure. Two and a half miles south of Dornot the XX Corps' 10 Infantry Regiment is trying once more to establish a permanent bridgehead across the Moselle at Arnaville. Since the first U.S. troops crossed at Arnaville on the night of 8/9 September, the Germans have been launching increasingly vicious counterattacks in an effort to destroy the bridgehead and repeat what happened at Dornot.
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Normandy - known for its rolling fields, orchards, stud farms and a good glass of cider. Sheltered from the elements which can pound the coastline this is a landscape is carpeted in apple blossom. It is here, at the heart of one of the best designated cider producing areas that you will find the Chateau les Bruyîres, an Empire period residence and 18th century manor house - run by the Wehrmacht. It is your task to put an end to this inappropriate ownership.
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US Army invades an island defended by Italian Troops.
Map is 1200x1200.
Non-Historical.
20 Battles 10 Turns each.
Play HtH (Preferred), or Allied vs. Axis AI.
Allow AI to setup units, there is no pre-planned setup for the defender yet.
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Two Reinforced Infantry Companies with Armor Support clash in this typical Meeting Engagement.
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engineering company attacks dug in german positions somewhere near monte cassino to capture wine stash for captain hosehead
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CMBB |
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Soviet vs. German Meeting Engagement. 60+ turns.
Best played as: H2H (Not recommended for vs. AI play due to mounted infantry.)
In recent weeks, this industrial center has been the scene of increasingly sharp clashes between recon units and regular forces. Both sides have traded jabs over this important airplane fabrication city. Both have moved into the town and then been forced out again. No one seems to be able to hold it. The landing gear assembly plant on the edge of town was occupied by the Red Army a few days ago and then burned and destroyed as the Wehrmacht forced them out. Much of the town lies untouched, but the workers and residents know it is just a matter of time before a major battle rages through the streets of their city…
After another bloody engagement, both sides have backed off. Again, in the still of a Sunday morning under the cover of a pounding rainstorm, both sides push forces forward to gain possession of the city.
No one is sure where the front lines lie. Is the enemy in front of you? Or is he gone?
Push forward, as so many before you have tried, and hold this town once and for all!
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The Axis launch a major attack on the Allied defenses.
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Russians attack three German-held villages in an attempt to secure the flank of a future offensive.
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Russian breakout from a Kessel against a German blocking force.
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43-02-01, South. SS commandos save Kleist's troops from encirclement. Fictional.
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42-07-10, South. Axis forces in Group A cross the Donits to secure northern flank in the beggining of Fall Blau Operation. Semi-fictional.
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October, 1942
In the northern Caucaus, along the Terek river line, the battle has been raging brutally for nearly two months. Germany's 13.Panzer-Division tasked with taking the key junction city of Vladikavkaz (Ordzhonikidze) has been stymied in it's every attempt to breakthrough.
But now, at the end of October a break has been achieved through the first mountain range and panzers are rolling along the valley near Ardon, on a back route to Vladikavkaz.
The Russians, somewhat disorganized, are withdrawing to new positions. A desperate stand is ordered to slow the German advance and buy time to set-up the new defensive positions.
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a product of HDCS
3rd SS Totenkopf arrives back at the front after its Hiatus from the front in France and is immediately thrown back into action.
Follow the swift Donet's campaign the IInd SS panzer Korps stands poised for the final push too retake Kharkov and restore the pride of the Waffen SS, but they have too cross the Mzha river first.
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Alternative History : Moskow Decision
This the first of a series of fictional scenarios based on the hipotetic decision by Hitler to attack Moskow instead of Kiev during the august 1941.
The german offensive to Moskow is starting, the first task is to take the bridge over the Dnjepr between Smolensk and Viazma.
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Alternative History : Moskow Decision
This the first of a series of fictional scenarios based on the hipotetic decision by Hitler to attack Moskow instead of Kiev during the august 1941.
The german offensive to Moskow is starting, the first task is to take the bridge over the Dnjepr between Smolensk and Viazma.
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CMBO |
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German infantry dawn attack during the Battle of the Bulge. American infantry caught off-guard whilst lining up for chow.
VPs for casualties and German exit points only.
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An American WWII GI's dream come true- a "what if" American assault on Berlin AND a chance to personally bag the ol'Führer himself!
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Newest Maps |
CMAK |
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a fictional Town in North Africa.
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Fictional City in North Africa. Best played as a meeting
engagement.
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Fictional City in North Africa. Best played as a meeting
engagement.
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Version 2, church size and orientation adjusted to be in village center. Minor adjustments such as villages, small hills and ridges around the wheat fields.
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Mixed terrain, woods, open fields, villages, church, river, bridges.
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This is a huge (actually 5 x 4 km) map representing a piece of French countryside west of the town of Arras. It is flat (gentle slopes) and moderately populated with villages, forests, orchards and the like. It is suitable for a massive battle of regiment-sized forces (15,000 points or more).
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Fictional Map, Crete, An almost compleatly dried up river bed with a ruined bridge across, 2 small hamlets on either side
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The axis forces have captured the ridge east of Lieso. It´s been quiet over a month, so they have had enough time to dig deep in the ridge.
Allied forces are attacking with brutal force from east. Tuomari-Laurila has already been taken.
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The axis forces are about to assault a little town called Lieso in aim to capture a road that leads through a ridge to deeper east. The allied forces are dug in somewhere around the old elementary school.
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A small river splits a large map, with lots of roads and 6 bridges to control and a town also to control. This map is for meeting engagements and no side has a terrain advantage. Hopefully this will boil down to your choice of units and your game play.
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CMBB |
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Beautiful and challenging map perfect for direct or flank approach. Fight in the woods, the streets, the buildings or inside a small factory! Great for infantery with some armor and artillerie support and IDEAL for a quick motorized assault in the middle of a foggy night.
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This was a work in progress for the cancelled CM Campaigns. Maps are both operations and battles. Four maps included. One is large version (75% accurate scale) of the entire fortress of Brest Litovsk and immediate area. Others are 2 km x 2 km maps of the north and south portions of the fortress. You are welcome to use these maps as long as your credit "Bannon DC" for map creation.
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1600x1600m, middle eastern front,
3 big victory locations in the middle of the map,
4 additional small flags,
medium settlement with surrounding rural areas,
some hills, woods and farmland,
a small river crossing from N to S,
prepared setup-zones for both sides,
therefor I call it battlefield-map.
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Germans advance easily untill they find... A speed bump on the road to Leningrad
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This Map is designed for Meeting engagements, it is set in a fictional City.
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A medium town lying crosswisely to the advance direction. In and around the town gardens and fields, some bush and tree rows.
2 small rivers with some fords.
Only 1 large victory location.
Best used for meeting engagements.
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Damaged large town/small city divided by a river. Contains several bridges, an old fortress, stadium, factories, railway station, and an old manor. Flags spread pretty evenly out on the map, made for a QB axis attack. IMPORTANT: ONLY FOR USE WITH UMLAUTS STALINGRAD MODS. You most use the scenario with these three mods found at www.cmmods.com:
FULL_telephonepole_umlaut
rubble_spray_umlaut
stalingrad_buildings_umlaut
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Stalingrad-ish map made for Umlaut´s Stalingrad-mods.
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29 2x2km maps. Various terrain; city, village, farmland, deep forests ...
They all quite beatuful ;)
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I know it was UK and not USSR! but i didnt own CMAK when i made the level and i dont want to do everything over again so USSR must equal UK! its a fun level with the FJ troops in the greatest air invasion prior to D-Day.
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CMBO |
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This CMBO map is built from a topographical map of the little town of Seville, NE of Melbourne, Australia. My idea was to lauch a Brit brigade (3 btns) across it at a German static defence screening mobile reserves.
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Desiliens is an ancient Roman town. The map features the ruins of the town, an aquaduct, and the ruins of a villa on a low central hill.
The eastern side of the map is mostly woods, the west is hills and farms. It is most suitable for an assault on the town, but if the focus is shifted to the ruined villa it would be good for a meeting engagement.
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Updated Maps |
CMAK |
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Ideal for a QB ME
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CMBB |
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This Map is designed for Meeting engagements, it is set in a fictional City.
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axis winterattack on a Russian City
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Please feel free to download, use or edit the map.
Screenshots can be found here:
http://worldatwar.eu/index.php?entity_sess=512x00db4fede3b24a34db2c5e9d283f162c&lang=3&location=boardshownode&boardid=51
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A town with a river and lake surrounded by grainfields
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Map is based on a sketch in the book > Die guten Glaubens waren< the history of the SS Polizei Division and shows a hard-fought area south of Leningrad. The Observatory was not reached by the Germans although they really tried it
This is part of a series of maps on the so-called Ladoga
Front
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CMBO |
Newest Members |
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forseti007 |
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Bee Goode |
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Coyote1945 |
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fungf |
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frankf |
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Tiger Battalions |
MAD RUSSIAN
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Post #201
6532 days, 2 hours, 54 minutes, 58 seconds ago
Since everybody is in awe of the Tigers, I'll attempt to do a short history of the Tiger units.
I will post each unit by itself so that others can add to them as they need to. I don't have exhaustive histories of these units. I'm sure that others have much more information on them than I do.
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MAD RUSSIAN
Senior Tester
Member #468
Joined: Oct 2003
Ratings: 14 / 1 / 0
Discussions: 138
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Post #202
6532 days, 2 hours, 50 minutes, 18 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 - sPzAbt. 501/424
Following the Allied landings in northwest Africa, Germany quickly sent troops to Tunisia to block access to Lybia and deprive the Allies of bases within easy striking distance of Italy. One of those units was the schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, which was one of the two Tiger units that had been promised to Rommel and prepared for tropical deployment.
Originally, sPzAbt 501 was to have been outfitted with the Porsche-Tigers, but due to the delays and subsequent cancellation of Porsche-Tiger production, the sPzAbt 501 was issued normal Henschel-Tigers.
The 501st had been outfitted with 20 Tigers and 25 PzKpfw III Ausf N. All 20 Tigers safely made the crossing to Tunisia, the first three Tigers of 1. Kompanie being unloaded at Bizerta on 23 November 1942. The last two Tigers did not arrive until 24 January 1943, the second kompanie being diverted due to the occupation of southern France and therefore delayed in reaching Tunisia. The sPzAbt 501 surrendered in Tunisia, on 12 May 1943 but was reformed from the surviving remnants in September, receiving 45 Tigers from the ordnance depot in October and November.
Sent to the Eastern Front in November, sPzAbt 501 did not receive any new production replacements until six Tigers were sent in June 1944. Decimated by the Russian summer offensive, sPzAbt 501 was pulled out in early July 1944, reformed and refitted with the Tiger II.
Issued 45 Tiger II, the 501st was ordered to join Heeres Gruppe Nordukraine (army group) on 6 August. This resulted in the first combat action involving the Tiger II on the Eastern Front.
On 12 August 1944 schwere PzAbt 501 fighting in the Soviets' Baranov bridgehead over the Vistula River. In this action, a single Soviet T-34/85 under the command of Guards Lieutenant Os'kin from the 53rd Guards Tank Brigade knocked out three Tiger IIs by firing into their sides from an ambush position. For this feat he was made Hero of the Soviet Union.
The 501st was overwhelmed during the Russian winter offensive and ordered to be disbanded and used to create the sPzJgAbt 512 by orders dated 11 February 1945.
The Schwere Panzer Abteilung 424 was formed in December 1944 from Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501. The redesignation took effect on the 21st December 1944. The unit kept it’s remaining operational Tigers, while receiving 11 additional Tiger Is from the Schwere Panzer Abteilung 509. The unit strength on 30th December 1944 was 18 operational Tiger II and 54 Tiger I, while 2 were in need of repair (although some sources claim that it’s Tiger strenght was 28 Tiger II or even 45 Tiger II with 11 additional Tigers II coming from the sPzAbt. 509).
The Abteilung was attached to XXIV Panzerkorps. The unit itself participated in one big engagement when it fought against the Russian 61st Guards Tank Brigade of 10th Guards Tank Corps (4th Tank Army) for the town of Lisow on 13th January 1945. The German XXIV Panzerkorps made it’s counter attack with the 424 advancing towards the town of Lisow.
The town itself was at that time already occupied by the 61st Guards Tank Brigade (with approximately 65 T-34/85, a few JS-2 from the 72nd Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, and ZIS-3 anti-tank cannons). This was the single largest encounter during WWII between King Tigers and JS-2's.
When the Abteilung entered the town it found itself opposed by numerous well prepared anti-tank positions and tanks, which decimated it’s ranks.
The 1st company advanced on the left, the 3rd company on the right and the 2nd company followed. During the push several tanks were bogged down in the swamps beside the road. On the South edge of Lisow, Tiger #111 (commanded by Leutnant Oberbracht) lost both tracks but destroyed 20 tanks. The 2nd company knocked out 7 T-34s.
But even with these successes the 424th was destroyed. It was disbanded in February 1945 and it’s remnants were used to form the Schwere Panzer Jäger Abteilung 512.
(modified 01/09/2007 20:56:37 by Mad Russian)
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MAD RUSSIAN
Senior Tester
Member #468
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Discussions: 138
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Post #203
6532 days, 2 hours, 48 minutes, 5 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502 - sPzAbt. 502
On 23 July 1943, Hitler had ordered the first company of Tigers to be formed quickly and sent to the front at Leningrad. The first unit to receive Henschel-Tigers was the 1. Kompanie of schwere Panzer Abteilung 502, four arriving on August 19 and 20. These Tigers, accompanied by four PzKpfw III Ausf N, arrived at the front and went into combat on 29 August 1942. Two of the four Tigers were still operational at the end of the day and the other two were recovered and repaired.
On 21 September 1942, the Tigers and PzKpfw IIIs were sent into action again, with the loss of one Tiger and two PzKpfw IIIs. This action resulted in the first Tiger that was permanently lost. Having become hopelessly mired, the Tiger was subsequently filled with explosives and destroyed on 25 November 1942.
The rest of the company arrived at the front on 25 November 1942 with five Tigers, nine PzKpfw IIIs (50mm KwK L/60), and five PzKpfw III Ausf N. Seven more Tigers arrived at the front in February 1943 to replace losses. Ordered to upgrade to the new organization, the 1.Kompanie received seven more Tigers in June 1943, to fill their complement of 14 Tigers.
Having been outfitted in December with nine Tigers and ten PzKpfw III Ausf N, the 2.Kompanie was attached to the sPzAbt 503 and on 10 February 1943, the 2.Kompanie of the 502nd was renamed 3.Kompanie/sPzAbt 503 and became a permanent part of the 503rd.
On 1 April 1943, a new 2.Kompanie and a 3.Kompanie were formed for the 502nd and to fill these two companies and the Stab (headquarters), 31 Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot between 190and 26 May 1943. The 1.Kompanie was joined by the Stab at the front, 1. and 2.Kompanien in early July 1943, bringing the unit strength to 45 Tigers. They received 32 replacements in January, and a further 20 in February 1944, bringing the total strength of the sPzAbt 502 up to 71 Tigers on 29 February 1944, although only 24 were operational.
The 502nd was renamed as schwere Panzer Abteilung 511 on 5 January 1945. The last 13 Tiger IIs produced by Henschel were picked up directly from the factory on 31 March 1945, by the crews of the 3.Kompanie/Tiger Abt. 510 and 3.Kompanie/Tiger Abt. 511. On 31 March, they reported that each company possessed eight Tiger IIs. Of these 12 were brand new productions from Henschel along with three older Tiger IIs from the Waffenamt at SennelÄger and one older Tiger II from the Waffenamt at Northeim. On 1 April 1945, they engaged in combat with seven Tigers per company in Kassel, reporting that three further Tiger IIs had been lost due to bomb damage. The battalion continued the struggle on the Eastern Front until the end of the War.
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Member #468
Joined: Oct 2003
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Discussions: 138
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Post #204
6532 days, 2 hours, 46 minutes, 51 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 503 - sPzAbt 503
The second unit promised to Rommel, the 503rd, was to receive Porsche-Tigers, but the cancellation of production resulted in the 503rd being outfitted with 20 Henschel-Tigers and 25 PzKpfw III Ausf N in November and December 1942. The unit first saw action in southern Russia, during the Don campaign, seeing heavy fighting during the withdrawal from Stalingrad.
The 503rd was upgraded and received 24 new Tigers in April 1943, completing their complement of 45 Tigers. Having lost only four Tigers during the Kursk offensive and a further four during the withdrawal, the unit received 12 replacements in August 1943.
In late 1943, sPzAbt 503 was assigned to Panzer Regiment "Bake", a special battle group which fought in several fierce engagements in the Dnieper sector near Cherkassy. sPzAbt 503 remained assigned to PzRgt. "Bake" until April 1944, when it was withdrawn and sent to the West for refitting.
The 503rd was outfitted with 45 new Tigers and re-entered combat 25 January 1944. It received a further 35 new Tigers in February and March 1944, before being withdrawn form combat late in April 1944.
Transferred back to the West, the 503rd received a further 33 Tiger Is and 12 Tiger IIs. The unit was then sent to Normandy. It was then, on 18 July 1944, that the first use of the Tiger II in combat occured.
The battalion staff and 1st company had been re-equipped with Tiger II Bs, but the 2nd and 3rd companies retained the Tiger I E. The 3rd company was caught in a bombing attack in July 1944, and all of its Tigers were destroyed or damaged. It was re-equipped with new Tiger II Ausf Bs in August. By 9 September 1944, sPzAbt 503 was completely equipped with 45 new Tiger II Bs.
It was then transferred to Hungary and committed to the defense of Budapest. In January 1945, sPzAbt 503 was renamed sPzAbt Feldherrnhalle and attached to PzGren. Div. FHH. This division was eventually destroyed in the defense of Budapest.
(modified 01/04/2007 08:53:46 by Mad Russian)
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Discussions: 138
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Post #205
6532 days, 2 hours, 45 minutes, 18 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 504 - sPzAbt 504
The 504th was the second Tiger unit to be sent to Tunisia. It was issued 25 PzKpfw III plus two Panzerbefehlswagen Tiger in January, and 18 Tigers, comprising the battalion staff, workshop company, and 1st tank company arrived in Tunisia on 12 March 1943. The 2nd company remained in Sicily. The tank company had four platoons, each with two Tiger I tanks and two Pzkpw III support tanks. All of the sPzAbt 504 Tigers were destroyed or captured. The surviving elements surrendered on 12 May 1943.
On 13 April 1943, the OKH ordered that six Tigers were to be stationed on Sicily and that until transferred to Tunisia, the 2.Kompanie/ schwere Panzer Abteilung 504 was to be attached to PzAbt 215 with a reinforced platoon of six Tigers being immediately shipped to Sicily. Altogether 17 Tigers gathered on Sicily: the original nine from 2.Kompanie of the 504th, two Tigers that had been used as replacements for the 501st in February, and the six Tigers issued in April 1943 for the 215th.
Attached to Panzer Division Herrmann Goering, the 17 Tigers under the 2.Kompanie of the 504th attacked the American landing zone on 11 July 1943, but were neutralized by naval gunfire. Within the first three days ten out of the 17 Tigers were destroyed to prevent capture and a further six Tigers were destroyed later for the same reason. The last Tiger was shipped back across the straits of Messina to Italy.
sPzAbt 504 spent the rest of the war in Italy. The battalion was rebuilt with a full three company organization, with additional personnel from PzAbt. 18. The unit trained in Germany, and when it returned to Italy, was assigned to support 17th SS PzGren. Div. Goetz Von Berlichingen. Its first action in Italy was in support of the 362nd Inf. Div. in the containment of the Allied advance up the Italian coast following the Anzio landing. sPzAbt 504 saw a great deal of action in the Italian campaign, including the Arno river campaign and the defense of northern Italy. In 1944, in the Vienna area, sPzAbt 504 was partly re-equipped with Tiger II Ausf Bs. The battalion surrendered at the end of the war, along with other German units in Italy.
Service in Afrika
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 504 (s.Pz.Abt.504) was the second Tiger Battalion to be assigned to Tunisia. (s.Pz.Abt.501 was already in Tunisia and operating against the allies.)
In February 1943 the s.Pz.Abt.504 was advised that its 1st Company would be going to Tunisia, and their Tigers were equipped for tropical duty. Because of the training time and delays in the delivery of vehicles and equipment, the ill-fated 1st Company did not begin to move until the end of February of 1943. From March 6 to April 16th the s.Pz.Abt.504 was ferried across to Tunisia on motorized lighters, with no losses in transit. Some were unloaded at Bizerta and the rest at Tunis.
25 PzKpfw III, two Panzerbefehlswagen Tigers and 18 Tigers I’s (comprising the battalion staff, workshop company, and 1st tank company together with the commander of the Battalion, Major August Seidensticker) arrived. The tank company had four platoons, each with two Tiger I tanks and two Pzkpfw III support tanks.
Upon arrival the commander of 504 learned that the 501 was without a commander and only 11 of the 501’s Tigers remained serviceable. It was therefore decided to incorporate the 501 Tigers and their remaining PzKpfw.IIIs and PzKpfw.IVs into the 504 since only 3 of the 504 Tigers were ready for action around the time of March 10th. Gen.von Arnim then ordered the merged battalion south to the Maknassy pass area in support of Kampfgruppe Lang.
On March 20 they moved west to intercept American forces attempting to break through to the sea and claimed 44 tanks of 9th Armored Division. These would be some of the last victories for the newly combined 1st Company 504 battalion.
Because of situation in Tunisia getting worse, the 2nd Company s.Pz.Abt.504 was retained in Sicily. All of the 1st Company s.Pz.Abt.504 Tigers were destroyed or captured. The First Tiger to be captured by the allies came from this unit. The surviving elements surrendered on 12 May 1943, only 60 short days from their arrival.
(modified 01/09/2007 21:11:34 by Mad Russian)
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MAD RUSSIAN
Senior Tester
Member #468
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Discussions: 138
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Post #206
6532 days, 2 hours, 44 minutes, 9 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 505 - sPzAbt 505
The 505th was the last independent battalion created with the old organization of 20 Tigers and 25 PzKpfw III. Formed in February 1943, the 505th received several Tigers and the rest in March with 25 Pzkpfw IIIs. The unit was loaded on rail cars on 29/30 April 1943 and sent to Heeres Gruppe Mitte on the Eastern Front, where it was ordered to upgrade to the new organization, and received 11 Tigers that were shipped from the ordnance depot between 8 and 10 June 1943. It took part in OPERATION CITADEL as part of Feldmarschall Model's 9th Armee. At the start of the Kursk offensive on 5 July 1943, the unit had 31 Tigers and was joined on 9 July 1943 by 3.Kompanie which was formed in April and received Tigers in June. The 505th lost only four Tigers during the Kursk offensive but lost a further six by the end of July 1943.
After the Kursk offensive, sPzAbt 505 was moved to the Smolensk area. During the fall of 1944, sPzAbt 505 was equipped with new version Tiger Is, which had cast cupolas, zimmerit, and the new steel-rimmed wheels developed for the Tiger II Ausf B Koenigs Tiger.
The 505th was ordered out of the Eastern Front on 7 July 1944, to rest and refit at the troop grounds at Ohrduf. By early September, 1944, sPzAbt 505 had been equipped with new Tiger II Ausf Bs. sPzAbt 505 was used with 24th and 25th Panzer Divisions, initially against the Narev bridgeheads in the 1944 Russian offensive into East Prussia. The battalion fought in East Prussia until the end of the conflict.
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MAD RUSSIAN
Senior Tester
Member #468
Joined: Oct 2003
Ratings: 14 / 1 / 0
Discussions: 138
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Post #207
6532 days, 2 hours, 43 minutes, 3 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 506 - sPzAbt 506
The 506th was formed in July 1943, primarily from personnel of III Abt./Pz. Rgt. 33 of 9th. Pz. Div.. In August, the battalion received forty-five new Tiger I tanks. The unit was engaged in the Dnieper battles in 1943. On New Year's Day, 1944, sPzAbt 506 went to the area south of Korovograd, and fought in Krivoi-Rog. In 1944, sPzAbt 506 was withdrawn to Germany for refitting and preparation for action in the West. Their Tiger Is were distributed as replacement vehicles to other units. sPzAbt 506 received new Tiger II Ausf Bs in August 1944. The full battalion establishment of 45 tanks was retained.
In late September, the battalion was sent to the area around Osterboek, west of Arnhem. It took part in the German defense against the combined Allied thrust to the Rhine during OPERATION MARKET GARDEN.
The following month, sPzAbt 506 Took part in the defense of Aachen. In November 1944, the battalion was strengthened by the addition of a 4th company. This new company had been organized originally as a heavy assault support unit, used wherever necessary - a Feuerwehr (fire brigade). Its first commander was named Hummel, and this was the name given to the company. sPzKp. "Hummel" (now 4th company, sPzAbt 506) was equipped with Tiger Is. This new company was fully integrated by early December 1944.
The only Heer Tiger battalion to take part in the Ardennes offensive was sPzAbt 506. It took part in the defense of Germany and finally surrendered to US forces in the Ruhr pocket on April of 1945.
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Member #468
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Discussions: 138
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Post #208
6532 days, 2 hours, 40 minutes, 5 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 507 - sPzAbt 507
The 507th was formed on 23 September 1943, from personnel taken from I Abt./Pz.Rgt. 4 of 13th Pz. Div.. It was organized in the usual fashion: a battalion HQ staff company, 3 tank companies, and a workshop company, plus supply and support detachments, and equipped with 45 Tigers between 23 December 1943 and 25 February 1943. Transferred to the Eastern Front in March 1944, the 507th received seven replacement Tigers before the end of the month and a further 12 in April, eight in July, six in August, ten in november and one final tiger in December 1944.
Overstrength with 55 tanks, the 507th met the Russian winter offensive on the Tarnapol river above Vitebk and around Narev, on 14 January 1945. By 1 February 1945 only seven tigers were still under the battalions control and none of those was operational.
On 6 February 1945, the 507th was ordered to return to SennelÄger, to refit with the Tiger II. The unit received 21 Tiger II Ausf Bs: four on 9 March 1945, 11 on 22 March 1945, and the last six on 31 March. The front came to the sPzAbt 507, deployed in the defense of the local area.
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Discussions: 138
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Post #209
6532 days, 2 hours, 38 minutes, 46 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 508 - sPzAbt 508
sPzAbt 508 was formed in August of 1943, from personnel from PzRgt. 8, and later, more men from PzAbt 190. Issued with 45 Tigers between December 1943 and January 1944, the 508th was ordered to Italy to attack the Allied bridgehead at Anzio. Unloaded at a railhead 200 km from the bridgehead, about 60 per cent of the Tigers suffered mechanical failures negotiating the narrow, sharply curved mountain roads.
The 508th, along with other units outfitted with Panthers and Ferdinands, were repulsed mainly by naval gunfire. Five replacement Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot on 23 March followed by six on 25 April 1944.
Following the losses to the Allied drive in May and early June, the 508th received a further 27 replacement Tigers that were shipped from the ordnance depot on 3 and 5 June 1944. On February 1945, the 508th gave their remaining 15 Tigers to the 504th and returned to Germany for outfitting with the Tiger II.
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MAD RUSSIAN
Senior Tester
Member #468
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Post #210
6532 days, 2 hours, 36 minutes, 13 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 509 - sPzAbt 509
sPzAbt 509 was formed on 9 September 1943, from elements of Pz. Rgt. 204 of 22nd Pz. Div. The battalion was issued 45 Tiger Is, and fought on the Eastern Front.
From late 1943 to the early spring of 1944, sPzAbt 509 was engaged near Kirovograd, Kirivoi-Rog, Kiev, and Pavlova, in southern Russia.
In November of 1943, the 3rd company of sPzAbt 509 was detached and assigned to support 2 SS Pz. Div. Das Reich. The 1st and 2nd companies fought at Novosselki, Shitomir, Chmelnik, and Kiev.
A major reinforcement occurred between 20 May and 1 June 1944, when the unit received 30 Tiger Is. During September of 1944, sPzAbt 509 was in SennelÄger, the training ground, for re-equipping with new Tiger II Ausf Bs. It was issued 11 Tiger IIs in September that were turned over to the SS 501st. After experiencing further delays in outfitting due to severe interruptions in production at Henschel, the 509th was sent 45 Tiger IIs from the ordnance depot between 5 December 1944 and 1 January 1945.
In January of 1945, the battalion was sent to Hungary, and assigned to IV SS PzKorps. The German offensive started on January 18th, and the battalion was engaged in a number of battles in Hungary and then Austria. sPzAbt 509 surrendered to American troops on May 9, 1945, near Linz. The battalion had no tanks - its motorized component was one Schwimmwagen, one radio car, and one truck.
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MAD RUSSIAN
Senior Tester
Member #468
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Discussions: 138
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Post #211
6532 days, 2 hours, 33 minutes, 23 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 510 - sPzAbt 510
sPzAbt 510 was formed in June, 1944, and was the last of the ten independent heavy tank battalions. It received 45 Tiger Is between 20 June and 7 July 1944. On 3 August, six replacements were shipped to the 510th.
During August 1944 the battalion fought against the Russians in East Prussia. Part of the battalion was detached to 14th Pz. Div. , for an assault on Russian forces in November 1944. The other company was attached to the 30th Inf. Div. sPzAbt 510 was heavily engaged during the Kurland campaign, operating with 14th Pz. Div., in early 1945. In March, two companies of the battalion were withdrawn to the Kassel area in Germany.
The remainder of sPzAbt 510, with 13 Tiger Is, was assigned to 14th Pz Div. The last Tiger was lost on 8 May, and the battalion surrendered with other survivors of the fierce Kurland fighting. The 510th was never issued any Tiger IIs.
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Member #468
Joined: Oct 2003
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Discussions: 138
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Post #212
6532 days, 2 hours, 32 minutes, 12 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung (Funklenk) 301 - sPzAbt (FKL) 301
Panzer Abteilung 301 returned from the Eastern Front to rest and refit with Tigers to use as control vehicles for the BIV Sprengladungsträger and was organized with a headquarters and three companies each with 10 Tigers. A total of 21 more Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot between 25 August and 15 September 1944 and an additional ten were taken over from the s.SS.PzAbt.103.
The 301st was first reported on the Western Front by the LXXXI Armee Korps on November 1944 as having 31 Tigers (27 operational) and 66 BIV (61 operational). Four Tigers were lost before the 301st was engaged in the Ardennes Offensive and at the beginning of the attack on 16 December 1944, the 301st reported 27 Tigers available of which 12 were operational. It still had 27 Tigers of which 21 were operational on the Western Front on 30 December 1944.
The 301st remained on the Western Front until the end of the War
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Post #213
6532 days, 2 hours, 31 minutes, 28 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung (Funklenk) 316 - sPzKp (FKL) 316
sPzKp (FKL) 316 was issued 10 Tiger Is in September 1943 and five Tiger IIs in March 1944, which they did not use in combat. Attached to Panzer Lehr Division and engaged in Normandy, the 316th had six out of eight Tigers undergoing repair on 1 July 1944. By 1 August 1944, the 316th was no longer with the Panzer Lehr Division.
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Post #214
6532 days, 2 hours, 30 minutes, 45 seconds ago
13.Kompanie/Panzer Regiment Grossdeutschland
A schwere Kompanie was formed for Panzer Regiment Grossdeutschland on 13 January 1943 and received a total of nine Tiger Is and ten PzKpfw IIIs. The company was sent to the Eastern Front in February 1943 and in May received six additional Tigers to upgrade it to the new organization.
On 1 July 1943 the unit was renamed as the 9.Kompanie/Panzer Regiment Grossdeutschland and at the start of the Kursk offensive on 5 July, the company had 14 out of 15 Tigers operational. None of those were lost during the battle.
(modified 01/04/2007 07:14:53 by Mad Russian)
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Post #215
6532 days, 2 hours, 29 minutes, 38 seconds ago
III.Abteilung/Panzer Regiment Grossdeutschland
An entire heavy tank battalion of three companies with 45 Tigers was created for Panzer Grenadier Division Grossdeutschland as the III.Abteilung/Panzer Regiment Grossdeutschland.
Its first company (9.Kompanie) was provided by the old 13.Kompanie, the second and third companies (10 and 11 Kompanien) were the former 3.Kompanie/sPzAbt.501; and 3.Kompanie/sPzAbt.504 respectively. The Stab, 10 and 11 Kompanien joined the 9.Kompanie at the front on 14 August 1943 by which time they had received 31 Tigers.
The first six replacements arrived at the front on 26 August. Further replacements followed in 1944 with 10 in February, six in March, six in April, 14 in May, 6 in June, 12 in July, 6 in October, and a final 4 in December. The battalion remained on the Eastern Front without being relieved or refitted until the final surrender
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Post #216
6532 days, 2 hours, 28 minutes, 48 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Kompanie Hummel
The Allied drive out of Normandy decimated the units trapped in the 'Falaise Gap' and the remnants trying to cross the Seine river. With open space all the way to Berlin, the schwere Panzer Kompanie Einzats Dunkirchen was hastily formed by the schwere Panzer Erzats und Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 at the training grounds near Paderborn. This unit with 14 Tigers was sent west on 19 September to stop the British spearhead at Arnhem in Holland. It was renamed the next day, sPzKp Hummel and continued to fight on the Western Front after it was incorporated into sPzAbt.506 as the 4.Kompanie on 8.December 1944.
Training and research/development units had originally received a total of 49 Tiger Is for training and 10 Tiger Is for testing. As Germany's position continued to deteriorate, additional units were thrown together and given these worn out tigers in a last ditch effort.
Amongst these units were: sPzKp.Paderborn with 15 Tigers on 21 October 1944, PzKp.Panther with three Tigers (30 January 1945), Erzats Brigade Grossdeutschland with two Tigers (31 January 1945), and PzAbt.500 Paderborn with 17 Tigers (both Is and IIs - 2 April 1945).
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Post #217
6532 days, 2 hours, 28 minutes, 9 seconds ago
Panzer Abteilung Kummersdorf
Having received the last five Tiger Is to be issued on 23 February 1945, this unit joined the makeshift Panzer Division Muncheberg in an attempt to halt the Russian advance. Absorbing remnants from other units it reported having 13 Tigers of which ten were operational on 15 April 1945.
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Post #218
6532 days, 2 hours, 27 minutes, 32 seconds ago
Tigergruppe Meyer
Before the loss of Sicily, eight Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot on 28 july 1943, to outfit an independent unit destined for Italy. Known as Tigergruppe Meyer, this small unit with its eight Tigers was attached to PzJgAbt.46 between August and November 1943, and by 4 February 1944 was renamed Tigergruppe Schwebbach and attached to the LXXVI Panzer Korps to attack the bridgehead created by the Allied landing at Anzio.
None of the Tigers remained operational on 12 February, but seven or eight were available by 15 February for the planned attacks. On March 1944, the surviving crews and Tigers of Tigergruppe Schwebbach were incorporated into sPzAbt.508
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Post #219
6532 days, 2 hours, 26 minutes, 48 seconds ago
Jagdtiger Abteilung 512
Jagdtiger Abteilung 512 was formed in the late fall of 1944 and was equipped with twenty Jagdtiger heavy tank destroyers (see drawing below), mounting 128mm KwK 44 L/55 guns on modified Tiger II Ausf B chassis.
There were two companies, each with 10 vehicles. Two Jagdtigers were in each company HQ section, and four Jagdtigers were in in each of the two platoons. The two companies, named "Company Carius" and "Company Ernst", fought as separate units."Company Ernst" was reinforced with a platoon of Stug III, one PzKpfw IV, and a platoon of self-propelled 37mm flak guns. Both components fought in Germany's last battles, and surrendered to US forces in the Ruhr.
This unit was deployed to stop the American breakout at the Remangen Bridge.
(modified 01/04/2007 07:20:00 by Mad Russian)
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Post #220
6532 days, 2 hours, 23 minutes, 50 seconds ago
Schwere SS Panzer Kompanien (SS-PzRgt.1, 2and 3)
Effective on 15 November 1942, three schwere Panzer Kompanien were established, one each for SS-Panzer Regiments 1, 2 and 3. Each Kompanie was to have nine Tigers and ten PzKpfw III. A total of 28 Tigers and 30 PzKpfw III were issued in December 1942 and January 1943. Sent to the Eastern Front, all three companies took part in the Manstein's counter offensive to retake Kharkov in February March 1943 in which they lost five Tigers.
An order dated 22 April 1943 authorized these three companies to be upgraded to 14 Tigers and by this same order the three companies became an organic part of the schwere Panzer Abteilung of the I.SS-Panzer Korps. However, the three companies remained with their Regiments at the front. In May 1943, 17 Tigers were shipped to the front bringing the total to 13 with the 13.sKp/SS-PzRgt.1, 14 with the sKp/SS-PzRgt.2, and 15 with the 9.Kp/SS-PzRgt.3.
Of these 42 Tigers, 35 were operational at the start of the Kursk offensive on 5 July 1943 of which three were lost, one from each company. Five replacements arrived for the 13.Kompanie/SS-Panzer Regiment 1 on 25 July 1943, before it was ordered to Italy with Panzer grenadier Division LSSAH. Before leaving on 28 July 1943, nine Tigers were transferred to.sKp/SS-PzRgt.2 and eight Tigers to 9.Kp/SS-PzRgt.3
The s.Kp/SS-PzRgt.2 remained on the Eastern Front, receiving five tigers in September 1943 and a further five in January 1944. Having lost their last Tiger, the unit was ordered to return to the West on 14 April 1944.
The 9.Kp/SS-PzRgt.3 also remained in the East Front and received five replacement Tigers on 20 September 1943. Originally ordered to return to the West to refit as part of the parent schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101, the order was rescinded by Hitler and 9.Kompanie was then refitted with ten Tigers in May 1944. The final five replacement Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot on 26 July 1944.
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Post #221
6532 days, 2 hours, 22 minutes, 52 seconds ago
Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101/501
By an order on 19 July 1943, a schwere Panzer Abteilung was formed for I.SS-Panzer Korps. Two new heavy companies were to be created and 13.Kompanie of SS-Panzer Regiment 1 was to be incorporated as the third company.
Having been pulled out of Russia in response to the landings in Sicily in July 1943, Panzer Grenadier Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) was refitted and sent to Italy in August 1944. Attached to the division were elements of the newly formed schwere SS Panzer Abteilung of the I.SS Panzer Korps with 27 Tigers that had been issued in July 1943. As a result of Italy's defection, LSSAH remained in northern Italy until mid-October.
The unit was then transferred back to the Eastern Front where it was renamed schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101.
The 1. and 2. Kompanien went east with LSSAH but the rest of the battalion remained behind at a training ground. Eleven Tigers were received in February 1944 and on 4 April 1944, the remnants of Panzer Division LSSAH were ordered to return to the West to refit.
In the interim, the rest of sSS-PzAbt.101 had received 19 Tigers, shipped between October 1943 and January 1944. After the return of the rest of the battalion from the Eastern Front, a further 26 Tigers were received during April 1944.
The leading elements of the 101st reached the front in Normandy on 12 June 1944, six days after the Allied landings. By the end of June, the 101st had lost 15 of its 45 Tigers, and was pulled out in July to refit with the Tiger II. The 101st still had 25 Tigers os which 21 were operational on 7 August 1944, but these were all lost during the retreat in August, the remnants of the 101st being ordered back to the training grounds to rest and refit, in Senneläger, with the Tiger II on September 1944.
At first it was planned to outfit the battalion with two companies of Tiger Is and one company of Jagdtigers. On 4 November, Hitler ordered that none of the Jagdtigers were to be issued to Tiger battalions. Therefore, the SS 101 was renamed SS 501 Tiger Abteilung and was ordered to outfit the third company with Tiger Is. This order was later rescinded and the third company was also outfitted with Tiger IIs.
Due to severe production problems, only six TIger IIs had been sent to the SS 501st from the ordnance depot on 17 and 18 October. A further eight were shipped in November, for a total of 14 Tiger IIs, enough to outfit one company. Finally 20 more were shipped between 26 November and 3 December. These 34 Tigers IIs were all that were available for issue from the ordnance depot before the SS 501st was loaded on trains and sent to the Western Front on 5 December. To these were added 11 Tiger IIs confiscated from sPzAbt 509 replacement shipping, that was then redirected to the sSS-PzAbt.501.
The SS 501st was sent to the Western Front as a key unit for the Ardennes Offensive, unloaded the last of ten trains at Liblau-Euskirchen on 9 December. The SS 501st reported loss of 13 Tiger IIs during fighting in December before a status report revealed a total of 31 Tiger IIs (18 operational). As ordered on 24 January 1945, the SS 501st was transferred to the Eastern Front with the I.SS Panzer Korps.
Re-organization December 1944
By the first week of December the battalion's reorganization was complete. Records of tank issues and veteran accounts indicate that s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 was at full strength of 45 Tiger IIs on the eve of the Ardennes Offensive. Each of the three tank companies had 14 tanks: four each in three platoons, one for the company commander, and one for the company headquarters squad leader. The three battalion staff tanks carried the battalion commander, his adjutant, and the signals officer.
SS-ObersturmbannfĂĽhrer Heinz von Westernhagen had returned in November to command the battalion after a period of hospitalization, recovering from an earlier wound. SS-UntersturmfĂĽhrer Eduard Kalinowsky continued in his assignment as battalion adjutant, and SS-ObersturmfĂĽhrer Dollinger remained as the signals officer.
The commander of the 1. Kompanie was SS-ObersturmfĂĽhrer JĂĽrgen Wessel, formerly commander of the 2. Kompanie. SS-UntersturmfĂĽhrer Rolf Henniges and Heinz Buchner and SS-OberscharfĂĽhrer JĂĽrgen Brandt, all panzer veterans of long standing, were his platoon leaders. In the ranks of the 1. Kompanie as a section leader was SS-Standartenjunker Franz Staudegger, the only Knights Cross wearer still on active duty with the battalion.
SS-Standartenjuncker Franz Staudegger. Photo taken in July 1943 after he won the Knight’s Cross. (Bundesarchiv)
SS-Hauptsturmführer Rolf Möbius led the 2. Kompanie. Möbius was a Tiger veteran from the Normandy campaign. The 2. Kompanie platoon leaders were SS-Untersturmführer Georg Hantusch and Walter Hahn, and SS-Hauptscharführer Georg Lötzsch. Hahn had been with the Tigers since the summer of 1943, and had earned the silver Panzerkampfabzeichen (Tank Battle Badge) with special designation for 25 separate armor actions.
The Panzerkampfabzeichen, or Tank Battle Badge. The silver grade on the left was awarded to tank crewmen for three separate tank actions on different days. The bronze badge on the right was awarded to crews in armored reconnaissance units. The badge in the center with the special designation for 25 actions was instituted in July 1943 but was rarely awarded; only four soldiers of s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 had won it prior to the Ardennes Offensive.
The 3. Kompanie commander was SS-HauptsturmfĂĽhrer Heinz Birnschein. Birnschein transferred from schwere SS-Panzerabteilung 103 on the Eastern Front at the beginning of December 1944. His platoon leaders were SS-UntersturmfĂĽhrer Thomas Amselgruber and Winfried Lukasius, and SS-HauptscharfĂĽhrer Rolf von Westernhagen, the battalion commander's brother.
In common with other corps heavy tank battalions, s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 possessed an extensive organic combat support and service support capability. The battalion's 4. Kompanie, commanded by SS-HauptsturmfĂĽhrer Wilhelm Spitz, included an armored reconnaissance platoon, a pioneer (combat engineer) platoon with half-tracks and half-tracked trucks, and two Flak platoons of four self-propelled antiaircraft guns each. The staff and supply company, commanded by SS-ObersturmfĂĽhrer Paul Vogt performed service functions. In addition to a medical platoon, this company operated more than 40 fuel and ammunition trucks. The workshop company provided maintenance and recovery support. SS-ObersturmfĂĽhrer Gottfried Klein commanded the company. His vehicles included maintenance trucks, wheeled and halftracked wreckers, and the Bergepanther armored recovery vehicle.
(modified 01/18/2007 11:49:19 by Mad Russian)
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Post #222
6532 days, 2 hours, 22 minutes, 12 seconds ago
Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 102
Originally created in April 1943 as the schwere Panzer Abteilung for the I.SS-Panzer Korps, three Tiger companies were deployed at the front but the headquarters remained behind at he training grounds. On 1 June 1943, the I.SS-Panzer Korps was renamed II.SS-Panzer Korps and the 13.Kp./SS-Pz.Rgt.1 was lost to the sSS-PzAbt. for the new I.SS-Panzer Korps. A new third Tiger kompanie was created and on 22 October 1943, the unit was renamed schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 102.
When the 9.Kompanie/SS-Panzer Regiment 3 was ordered to remain with the 3.SS-Panzer Division 'Totenkopf' in the east, the 102nd was left with two new companies with no experience and the remains of the schwere Kompanie of SS-Panzer Regiment 2 'Das Reich' which returned from the front in April. Six Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot on 21 April 1944, followed by another 39 between 20 and 29 May 1944.
Ordered to the front in Normandy, the first seven trains unloaded west of paris on 27 June 1944, however, the threat of attacks from the fighter-bombers was sufficient to delay their arrival at the front until 7 July. On 20 July, the 102nd still had 42 Tigers of which 17 were operational.
No fewer than 30 operational Tigers were reported on 30 July and 21 on 8 August 1944 but all these had been lost by 7 September 1944 and the unit was ordered to return to the training grounds to rest and refit with the Tiger II.
The s.SS PzAbt.102 (later renamed 502) was ordered on 9 September 1944 to transfer to SennelÄger to rest and refit. Due to the shortage, the issue of Tiger IIs was slow in coming. Finally 31 Tiger IIs were shipped from the ordnance depot between 14 February and 6 March 1945. The SS 503rd was transported to the Eastern Front to Heeres Gruppe Mitte starting in mid March, logging their first engagement in combat at Sachsendorf on 22 March. By 27 April 1944 (last report) there were only 5 operational Tiger IIs.
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Post #223
6532 days, 2 hours, 21 minutes, 25 seconds ago
Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 103/503
The s.SS-Panzer Abteilung 103 was originally formed on 1 July 1943 as the II.Abt/SS-Pz.Rgt. 11 and sent to Yugoslavia to fight as infantry, however, at the end of November, the battalion was converted to the s SS-PzAbt.103.
Issued six Tigers in February for training, the 103rd was ordered to give them to another unit in March 1944. Another six Tiger Is were arrived at the training grounds on 26 May and four more in August. On 20 October, all ten Tigers were given to sPzAbt.(FKL)301 and the 103rd was outfitted with the Tiger II before being ordered to the Eastern Front. The s.SS PzAbt.103, later renamed the 503rd, had a total of 39 (instead of the full complement of 45) Tiger IIs and was loaded on to trains on 27 January 1945, and sent to the Eastern Front in the Heeres Gruppe Weichsel sector. By 15 April 1945 (last report), the 503rd reported a total of 12 Tiger IIs, of which 10 were still operational.
sSSPzAbt 503 originated from the 8th company of 3rd Waffen SS Panzergrenadier Division "Totenkopf", which was equipped with Tigers from July 1943 to March 1944. On 17 October 1944, sSSPzAbt 503 received their King Tigers and on 27 January 1945 was transferred to the Eastern Front. Following their arrival to the front, the unit saw heavy combat in the Neu Stettin (Szczecinek) area, allowing the escape of refugees from East Prussia.
During the night of 17/18 February, sSSPzAbt 503 was loaded on a train and moved to Danzig (Gdansk). During the combat in Gdansk (Oliwa and Wrzeszcz districts) and Sopot, SS-UntersturmfĂĽhrer Karl Brommann (commander of the 1st Company) destroyed 65 tanks and self-propelled guns along with 44 artillery pieces and 15 vehicles (including some T-34s from 1st Polish Tank Brigade "Heroes of the Westerplatte").
Following heavy losses, the remnants of the unit were evacuated to Swinemunde (Swinoujscie) and took part in combat in Stettin (Szczecin) area. In the last days of the Third Reich, six King Tigers from sSSPzAbt 503 attached to 11th Waffen SS Panzergrenadier "Nordland" took part in the defense of Berlin.
sSSPzAbt 503 scored approximately 500 kills in the period January–April 1945 on the Eastern Front, for the loss of 45 King Tigers (most of which were abandoned and destroyed by their own crews after mechanical breakdown or due to lack of fuel)
For his outstanding actions during the fighting around Danzig(Gdansk), Brommann was awarded the Knight's Cross.
SS-Hauptscharführer Karl Kärner and SS-Untersturmführer Karl Brommann are both Panzer aces who started and finished their careers on King Tigers. They both served in schwere SS Panzer Abteilung (103) 503, which became part of III SS Panzer Corps (Germanic)
***
After the war, Brommann became a dental laboratory technician at the university clinic in Germany, until his retirement . ***
In April 1945, SS-Hauptscharführer Karl Kärner (platoon commander from the 2nd Company) was supporting an infantry counterattack in the Bollersdorf area (east of Berlin), when he encountered two Soviet JS2 heavy tanks at a distance of 200m. He quickly destroyed the first one.
The second JS2 trying to reverse in order to take a firing position drove into an anti-tank ditch and was abandoned by the crew. On the road from Bollersdorf to Strausberg, Kärner observed additional 11 JS2 tanks and around 120 to 150 enemy tanks in the process of being refueled and re-armed on the edge of the village. He then fired and destroyed all 11 JS-II tanks on the road and attacked the rest of the tanks and their surprised crews. A number of fuel and ammunition trucks exploded, causing even more panic among the Russian tankers; while Kärner fired all 39 rounds he had left and knocked out 39 enemy tanks before he withdrew.
Following this action, sSSPzAbt 503 and other units were falling back to defend Berlin. On his way to Berlin, Karl Kärner "destroyed" over 100 Soviet tanks and 26 anti-tank guns in total, an achievement for which on 29 April, he was awarded the Knight's Cross in the bunker of the Reich Chancellery. After the ceremony, Kärner returned to his unit on the frontline at Charlottenburg district of Berlin. On 2 May, last King Tiger from sSSPzAbt 503 was destroyed during an attempt to break out of the city on the Spandau Bridge.
(modified 01/04/2007 09:49:47 by Mad Russian)
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Post #224
6532 days, 2 hours, 20 minutes, 31 seconds ago
Hungarian Tigers
On 22 July 1944, three Tiger Is left the ordnance depot by rail for delivery to the Hungarian Army. In addition, an unknown number of Tiger Is were acquired from the sPzAbt.503 or the 509th who had been assigned to train the Hungarian crews.
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Post #225
6532 days, 2 hours, 18 minutes, 56 seconds ago
Sturmtiger Units: Panzer Sturmmörser Kompanien (PzStuMrKp) 1000, 1001 and 1002
The original role of the Sturmtiger was intended to be as a heavy infantry support vehicle, to help with attacks on heavily fortified or built-up areas. By the time the first Sturmtigers were available however, the situation for Germany had changed for the worse, with the Wehrmacht being almost exclusively on the defensive rather than the offensive.
Three new Panzer companies were raised to operate the Sturmtiger: Panzer Sturmmörser Kompanien (PzStuMrKp) 1000, 1001 and 1002. These originally were supposed to be equipped with fourteen vehicles, but this figure was later reduced to four each, divided into two platoons.
PzStuMrKp 1000 was raised on 13 August 1944 and fought during the Warsaw Uprising with two vehicles, as did the prototype in a separate action, which may have been the only time the Sturmtiger was used in its intended role. PzStuMrKp 1001 and 1002 followed in September and October. Both PzStuMrKp 1000 and 1001 served during the Ardennes Offensive, with a total of seven Sturmtigers.
After this offensive, the Sturmtigers were used in the defence of Germany proper, mainly if not exclusively at the Western front. They proved to be excellent defensive weapons, hard to destroy except by air attack or heavy artillery bombardment. Few Sturmtigers were therefore destroyed by enemy action, with most being destroyed or abandoned by their crews after either a mechanical breakdown or because of fuel shortage.
Some 18 Sturmmorser Tigers were produced in 1944 from damaged Tiger I tanks.
Two Sturmtigers survived World War II, one being on display at the Deutsches Panzermuseum at Munster, Germany and one at the Russian Tank museum in Kubinka.
(modified 01/04/2007 08:42:38 by Mad Russian)
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Post #226
6532 days, 1 hour, 21 minutes, 33 seconds ago
Ferdinand/Elephant
The chassis was created from the 90 Porsche Tiger I models already built with new tracks and an all-steel wheel arrangement.
An 88 mm PaK 43/2 L/71 gun was fitted. This gun was not the same famous 88 mm gun that had found fame as an anti-aircraft gun and improvised anti-tank gun in the Western Desert. This new gun had a much longer barrel (giving higher muzzle velocity) and fired a different, longer cartridge than the Flak 18 or 36 guns. This gave the 88mm L/71 significantly improved armor penetration abitlity.
No secondary armament until late 1943. Many were lost to infantry actions. The original version had no mg's on the vehicle.
The units were deployed at a company level, sometimes sub-divided into platoons, with infantry or tanks to protect the vulnerable flanks of the vehicles. On the attack, this Jagdpanzer was a first-strike vehicle, while in defence, they often comprised a mobile reserve used to blunt enemy tank assaults.
All but two of the 91 available Ferdinands were put to use in the Battle of Kursk, the first combat the Ferdinand saw. Although they destroyed many Russian tanks, they performed quite poorly in other respects. Within the first 4 days nearly half of the vehicles were out of service, mostly due to technical problems and mine damage to tracks and suspensions.
Actual combat losses to direct Soviet action were very low as the Ferdinand's very thick armor protected it from almost all Soviet weaponry and Soviet infantry were reluctant to approach the vehicle. One Ferdinand was lost to a hit to its side armor from the Soviets' new SU-152 assault gun (source: The Combat History of schwere Panzer Abteilung 654, by Karlheinz Munch, pages 67-69).
Most total losses of the Ferdinand occurred during the Soviet counter-offensive after the Kursk offensive, many damaged Ferdinands had to be abandoned as they were too heavy to tow and others were lost to mechanical breakdown during the retreat. The surviving vehicles saw further limited action on the Dniepr front during late 1943.
At this point they were recalled and modified at the works in Austria and received the name Elefant. While the modifications improved the vehicles, some problems could never be fully fixed.
In 1944 the Elefants served on the Italian front but were rendered rather ineffective, their weight of nearly 70 tons didn't allow them to use most Italian roads and bridges. Due to a permanent lack of spare parts most of the units were not destroyed in battle but abandoned and blown up by their own crews.
After Kursk, the Russians didn't encount Elefants again until the battle of Berlin, however Sturmgeschutz were frequently counted as Ferdinands when destroyed by the Russians.
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.
Ferdinands were assigned to schwere Heeres Panzerjager Abteilung 653 and 654 (each was to be equipped with 45 Ferdinands), in preparation for the Kursk offensive (Unternehmen "Zitadelle") in July of 1943. Both units were formed in April of 1943 at Bruck. sPzJagAbt 653 was formed from personnel from 197th Sturmgeschuetz Abteilung. sPzJagAbt 653 was commanded by Major Steinwachs, while sPzJagAbt 654 by Major Karl-Heinz Noak, both (along with Sturmpanzerabteilung 216 - equipped with Brummbars) formed the 656 sPanzerjager Regiment commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Jungenfled.In fact, sPzJagAbt 653 had 45 Ferdinands, while sPzJagAbt 654 had 44 Ferdinands as a single one was still being tested at Kummersdorf. In order to provide Ferdinands with ammunition, six Panzer IIIs were converted into Munition Schleppers attached to the Ferdinand units. 656 sPanzerjager Regiment was part of 41st Panzer Corps (under command of General Harpe) of Army Group Center for the upcoming operation.
During the Kursk offensive until November of 1943, Ferdinands from sPzJagAbt 653 destroyed some 320 Soviet tanks and lost 13 Ferdinands, while entire 656 sPanzerjager Regiment destroyed some 502 Soviet tanks and 100 other vehicles.
In October of 1943, 50 survivors were sent back to the factory for badly needed repairs and pre-planned modernization. Modernization consisted of the installation of a MG34 in the hull, improvement of armor protection, installation of wider tracks and installation of commander's cupola (developed from that of Stug III Ausf G), which provided improved visibility. Most of the Elephants were partially covered with Zimmerite, an anti-magnetic paste. Modernization was made in February and March of 1944 by Nibelungenwerke in Austria and modified Ferdinands were renamed Elephants. Officially Ferdinands were renamed Elephants in general order dated May 1st of 1944.
After modernization, 48 Elephants were grouped into schwere Heeres Panzerjager Abteilung 653 and part of it was transferred to Italy in late February of 1944. They arrived in Rome by train via Salzburg, Innsbruck, the Brenner Pass , Trento and Florence on February 24th of 1944. They saw combat at Nettuno, Anzio and Cisterna as early as March 1st of 1944. sPzJagAbt 654 was moved to France in late 1943 and rearmed with Jagdpanthers. In April of 1944, part of sPzJagAbt 653 was transferred back to the Eastern Front. In Autumn of 1944, all existing Elephants were grouped into newly created unit - schwere Heeres Panzerjager Kompanie 614, sPzJagAbt 653 was re-equipped with Jagdtigers. sPzJagAbt 614 with some 13-14 vehicles saw service on the Eastern Front as late as early 1945 and eventually all remaining (4?) Elephants saw final service with Kampfgruppe "Ritter" in area of Zossen (south of Berlin) in mid April of 1945. When employed defensively in Italy and Russia, Elephants proved to be formidable opponents. As of January 1st of 1945, there were still 4 Elephants in service of which some took part in the defence of Berlin as part of Kampfgruppe Ritter.
One Elephant is recorded to have knocked out a Soviet T-34 at a range of 4.5 kilometers.
(modified 01/09/2007 20:43:26 by Mad Russian)
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Post #227
6531 days, 22 hours, 12 minutes, 26 seconds ago
some useful links:
Panzer Ace Wittmann
Tiger Files
Tiger Tanks
K 
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War and Tactics: ## WaT ##
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Post #228
6531 days, 22 hours, 10 minutes, 48 seconds ago
Useful Info found on Tigers
Quote:
The introduction of the PzKpfw VI Tiger I heavy tank provided a dramatic improvement in the power of German armored formations. Both because of the real technical advantages of the Tiger I, and the propaganda advantages of creating "elite" units in the Panzertruppen, the Tiger was assigned to special heavy tank battalions (schwerer Panzer Abteilungen - sPzAbt.) These were to be held at army or corps level and assigned as needed to reinforce other units during a campaign. Only a few divisions ever received organic Tiger battalions. These included Panzergrenadier Division Grossdeutschland and Panzer Lehr Division.
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War and Tactics: ## WaT ##
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Post #229
6531 days, 22 hours, 10 minutes, 15 seconds ago
Quote:
As originally conceived, the schwere Panzer-Kompanien (heavy tank companies) were organized as three Zuege (platoons) each with three Pz.Kpfw.VI.Tiger for a total of nine heavy tanks. Later the organization was expanded to include 10 Pz.Kpfw.III along with the 9 Tigers to compose one schwere Panzer-Kompanie. The first three units (schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501, 502, and 503) send into the field experimented with practically every possible combination of Pz.Kpfw.III and Tigers within their schwere Panzer-Kompanien.
Only after the first combat reports were received from the unit commanders was the decision made to increase the strength of each company to 14 Pz.Kpfw.VI.Tiger and to drop all the Pz.Kpfw.III. Many of the unit commanders had argued for the retention of the Pz.Kpfw.III, to perform the many duties for which the Tiger was not suited to, but their requests went unheeded and the Pz.Kpfw.III were replaced by Sd.Kfz.250, assigned to the Abteilung-Stabskompanie (battalion headquarters company) for performing scouting, reconnaissance, running messages, standing perimeter guard, and other tasks not suitable for Tigers. This organization of 14 Tigers per schwere Panzer-Kompanie was retained to the end of the war.
At first there were only two units, schwere Panzer-Kompanie 501 and 502. created as Heerestruppen (independent army units). These were incorporated into schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501, and two more units each with two companies were created, schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (heavy tank battalion) and 503. Then the idea was tested of incorporating the heavy tanks into Panzer-Regiments. This fase saw the creation of a schwere Panzer-Kompanie for Panzer Regiment Grossdeutschland and three SS-Panzer-Regiments as well as the assignment of several of the schwere Panzer-Abteilungen as the III.Abteilung within existing Panzer Regiments. However, this concept was short-lived. Under Guderian's guidance, all newly created schwere Panzer-Abteilungen, as well as all already in service, were converted to pure units with 45 Tigers.This organization with three Tigers for the Abteilung-Stab and 14 Tigers in each of the three schwere Panzer-Kompanien lasted through the end of the war.
Altogether, eleven schwere Panzer-Abteilungen were created for the Heer (initially numbered 501 through 510 and the III.Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment Grossdeutschland), and three for the SS (numbered 101 through 103 in October 1943). In addition, three Panzer-Kompanien(FKL) and Panzer-Abteilung (FKL) 301 were converted to Tigers as control vehicles for deploying the Sprengstofftraeger (Sd.Kfz.301) (radio-controlled explosive charge carriers). As the situation deteriorated, ad hoc units were formed and quickly thrown into combat as stop gap measures. These ad hoc units included Tigergruppe Meyer and Panzer-Kompanie Hummel as well as other last-gasp attempts to activate training and experimental units with their few operational Tigers at he end of the war.
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Post #230
6531 days, 22 hours, 7 minutes, 8 seconds ago
Tiger Tactics
Quote:
The first heavy tank companies were committed to battle on an ad hoc basis, as vehicles became available, therefore achieving little but giving away the precious element of surprise that an impenetrable shroud of secrecy had given them. The result was something of a fiasco. Certainly, at that time, very little thought or guidance had been given to developing tactics.
As a result the men of the first units - 501st, 502nd, and 503rd Schwere Panzer Abteilungen - were left largely to their own devices, with only the experience gained earlier in light and medium tank units to guide them. Not unnaturally, the development of tactics were a priority, and regular reports were demanded of the unit commanders.
There were four formations authorized for the Tiger platoon. Line abreast (Linie), with the Platoon Leader (Zuegfuherer) on the extreme right and the Section Leader two vehicles away, was used for assembly. Row (Reihe), with the Platoon Leader at the head and the Section Leader in the third vehicle, was used both for assembly and marching, the former with 10m (33ft) between vehicles, the latter at 25m (84ft) intervals. Double row (Doppelreihe), which for a platoon was actually a box formation, was used for approach marches, over open country, and in the attack, with the Platoon Leader at the head of the right hand row and the Section Leader alongside him. In combat, the rows were to be 150m (165yds) apart and the lines 100m (110yds). The wedge (Keil), was the most often used attack formation, with the Platoon Leader and the Section Leader level and separated by 100m (110yds), and the second tank in each section 100m (110yds) behind and the same distance to right and left, respectively. Therefore, when combat started, the Platoon Leader was to move to a position within the formation from were he could make the best use possible of both terrain and situation, the chances of either double row or wedge staying intact for very long seemed slight.
Tiger Platoon Authorized Formations
There were five authorized formations for the Tiger company. The column (Kolonne), used for assembly, was essentially three platoon rows side by side, with the company Commander and his alternate vehicle at the head of the center row. For marches an extended row was adopted. The Company Commander took the the lead, followed by the second Kompanie Truppe vehicle, with the three platoons strung out behind. For approach marches a company double row was adopted, with the third platoon alongside the first. The company wedge was essentially a wedge of wedges, with the company headquarters vehicles in the center of the formation, in echelon behind the rearmost tanks of the first platoon and ahead of the lead tanks of the second and third platoons; as an alternative, the second and third platoons could form a row or double row behind the company headquarters vehicles. The broad wedge (Breitkeil), was the company wedge in reverse, with two platoons up and one back, and the company headquarters vehicles in the center of the formation, in echelon ahead of the two lead tanks of the third platoon. Where the company found itself on an open flank, the third platoon would deploy in an echelon to the open side. In either company wedge or broad wedge formation, the company occupied an area of some 700m (765yds) across and 400m (440yds) deep.
Where Tigers operated independently, with less capable medium tanks in support, the wedge formation was favoured, with a single heavy tank at its point and medium tanks (and later PzKpfw V Panthers) making the tail. This was modified as early as July 1943, into a "bell". This was essentially a right arc or rounded wedge of medium tanks with a Tiger in its center, where a bell would have its clapper.
Evidently, the tactical directives were modified in light of experience, and particularly when it became clear that far from being 'especially suitable for pursuit ', the Tiger was actually at its best in an ambush position, picking off incoming enemy tanks at long range with its superior gun.
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Post #231
6531 days, 22 hours, 1 minute, 15 seconds ago
Camouflage and Markings
Quote:
Because they served on many fronts, attached to a variety of other units, and in large multi-unit formations, Tiger battalions used more distinctive tactical markings, and carried a greater variety of these markings than most other German tank units.
The first Tigers issued to front line units during mid-1942 were delivered in overall Dark Grey (RAL 7027). In the Winter of 1942-43, washable White paint was used as camouflage in snow-covered areas. The Tigers of sPzAbt.501 , which deployed to Africa during late 1942, were camouflaged in Desert Brown (RAL 8020) and while Dark Gray was authorized to be used as a second color in a disruptive camouflage pattern, there is no evidence that sPzAbt.501 ever painted their vehicles in this manner. In the more temperate climate of coastal Tunisia, many of the tanks of sPzAbt.501 were oversprayed with Olive Green (RAL 7008) to enhance their camouflage.
Tigers of sPzAbt.504 were camouflaged in overall Brown (RAL 8020) oversprayed with Olive Green (RAL 7008). It is not known if any Tigers went to North Africa painted in Dark Yellow (also known as Wehrmacht Olive), which was specified for use as an overall basecoat on all combat and front line support vehicles during 1943.
The camouflage colors used to paint vehicles, with a wide variety of disruptive patterns, were Olive Green (RAL 7008 - the light-green color first ordered for use in North Africa in 1941) and Red Brown (RAL 8017) - which was more of a brown than a red). Tigers used all these colors in a wide variety of schemes and applications.
During August of 1944, to reflect the needs of a changing war situation, the Germans added new camouflage colors which were intended to be used in place of the older shades. A new Olive Green (RAL 6003) was introduced, along with a new Red Brown (RAL 8012). The new Red Brown was more red than the older Red Brown, while the new Olive Green was somewhat darker than RAL 7008, and was often used as a primer color on many vehicles in November of 1944.
In the last months of the war, Dark Gray was also used on a number of vehicles, both as a primer and as a camouflage color. It should be noted that older paints were almost always used until supplies were exhausted, so many older vehicles carried new paint colors while newer vehicles often appeared in older colors. It should be noted that many German manufacturers used Red Oxide primers extensively, and some of these primer paints appeared on new vehicles.
The markings used on Tigers were perhaps more varied than those of any other German combat vehicle. As the Tiger battalions moved from engagement to engagement, from one command structure to another, they came under the command of many different formations. This led, in many cases, to the Tiger units adopting different markings and even marking systems, especially in the tank identification numbers. Most Tiger units used the standard Wehrmacht three-digit system of vehicle identification, the first digit denoting the company, the second denoted the platoon, and the third digit denoted the individual vehicle within the platoon. In some Tiger battalions, only the company number was used to identify the vehicle, in others, only the platoon and individual vehicle number, while other units used only the vehicle number.
In addition, a wide variety of number styles and colors were found in Tiger units. Many Tiger battalions used fairly consistent numbering, others changed not only styles, but also systems. Some of these resulted from being attached to another unit, and as a result having to renumber the Tigers. In other cases, these changes appear to have resulted from changes in commanding officers, a new CO changing things to suit his own preferences.
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Post #232
6531 days, 22 hours, 0 minute, 2 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 - sPzAbt. 501
Quote:
Following the Allied landings in northwest Africa, Germany quickly sent troops to Tunisia to block access to Lybia and deprive the Allies of bases within easy striking distance of Italy. One of those units was the schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, which was one of the two Tiger units that had been promised to Rommel and prepared for tropical deployment. Originally, sPzAbt 501 was to have been outfitted with the Porsche-Tigers, but due to the delays and subsequent cancellation of Porsche-Tiger production, the sPzAbt 501 was issued normal Henschel-Tigers.
The 501st had been outfitted with 20 Tigers and 25 PzKpfw III Ausf N. All 20 Tigers safely made the crossing to Tunisia, the first three Tigers of 1. Kompanie being unloaded at Bizerta on 23 November 1942. The last two Tigers did not arrive until 24 January 1943, the second kompanie being diverted due to the occupation of southern France and therefore delayed in reaching Tunisia. The sPzAbt 501 surrendered in Tunisia, on 12 May 1943 but was reformed from the surviving remnants in September and received 45 Tigers from the ordnance depot in October and November. Sent to the Eastern Front in November, sPzAbt 501 did not receive any new production replacements until six Tigers were sent in June 1944. Decimated by the Russian summer offensive, sPzAbt 501 was pulled out in early July 1944, reformed and refitted with the Tiger II.
Issued 45 Tiger II, the 501st was ordered to join Heeres Gruppe Nordukraine (army group) on 6 August. The 501st was overwhelmed during the Russian winter offensive and ordered to be disbanded and used to create the sPzJgAbt 512 by orders dated 11 February 1945.
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Post #233
6531 days, 21 hours, 58 minutes, 21 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502 - sPzAbt. 502
Quote:
On 23 July 1943, Hitler had ordered the first company of Tigers to be formed quickly and sent to the front at Leningrad. The first unit to receive Henschel-Tigers was the 1. Kompanie of schwere Panzer Abteilung 502, four arriving on August 19 and 20. These Tigers, accompanied by four PzKpfw III Ausf N, arrived at the front and went into combat on 29 August 1942. Two of the four Tigers were still operational at the end of the day and the other two were recovered and repaired.
On 21 September 1942, the Tigers and PzKpfw IIIs were sent into action again, with the loss of one Tiger and two PzKpfw IIIs. This action resulted in the first Tiger that was permanently lost. Having become hopelessly mired, the Tiger was subsequently filled with explosives and destroyed on 25 November 1942.
The rest of the company arrived at the front on 25 November 1942 with five Tigers, nine PzKpfw IIIs (50mm KwK L/60), and five PzKpfw III Ausf N. Seven more Tigers arrived at the front in February 1943 to replace losses. Ordered to upgrade to the new organization, the 1.Kompanie received seven more Tigers in June 1943, to fill their complement of 14 Tigers.
Tigers were introduced into new units for training during late 1942 and early 1943. These new production Tigers of sPzAbt.502 are engaged in summer training during 1943 and are equipped for tropical use with Feifel dust filters on the rear engine deck. These filters were deleted from Tigers not intended for tropical service.
Having been outfitted in December with nine Tigers and ten PzKpfw III Ausf N, the 2.Kompanie was attached to the sPzAbt 503 and on 10 February 1943, the 2.Kompanie of the 502nd was renamed 3.Kompanie/sPzAbt 503 and became a permanent part of the 503rd.
On 1 April 1943, a new 2.Kompanie and a 3.Kompanie were formed for the 502nd and to fill these two companies and the Stab (headquarters), 31 Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot between 190and 26 May 1943. The 1.Kompanie was joined by the Stab at the front, 1. and 2.Kompanien in early July 1943, bringing the unit strength to 45 Tigers. They received 32 replacements in January, and a further 20 in February 1944, bringing the total strength of the sPzAbt 502 up to 71 Tigers on 29 February 1944, although only 24 were operational.
The 502nd was renamed as schwere Panzer Abteilung 511 on 5 January 1945. The last 13 Tiger IIs produced by Henschel were picked up directly from the factory on 31 March 1945, by the crews of the 3.Kompanie/Tiger Abt. 510 and 3.Kompanie/Tiger Abt. 511. On 31 March, they reported that each company possessed eight Tiger IIs. Of these 12 were brand new productions from Henschel along with three older Tiger IIs from the Waffenamt at SennelÄger and one older Tiger II from the Waffenamt at Northeim. On 1 April 1945, they engaged in combat with seven Tigers per company in Kassel, reporting that three further Tiger IIs had been lost due to bomb damage. The battalion continued the struggle on the Eastern Front until the end of the War.
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Post #234
6531 days, 21 hours, 56 minutes, 57 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 503 - sPzAbt 503
Quote:
The second unit promised to Rommel, the 503rd, was to receive Porsche-Tigers, but the cancellation of production resulted in the 503rd being outfitted with 20 Henschel-Tigers and 25 PzKpfw III Ausf N in November and December 1942, and first saw action in southern Russia, during the Don campaign and the withdrawal from Stalingrad.
The 503rd was upgraded and received 24 new Tigers in April 1943, completing their complement of 45 Tigers. Having lost only four Tigers during the Kursk offensive and a further four during the withdrawal, the unit received 12 replacements in August 1943. In late 1943, sPzAbt 503 was made part of Panzer Regiment "Bake", a special battle group which fought in several fierce engagements in the Dnieper sector near Cherkassy. The sPzAbt 503 remained assigned to PzRgt. "Bake" until April 1944, then was withdrawn and sent to the West for refitting.
The 503rd was rested and outfitted with 45 new Tigers and re-entered combat on 25 January 1944. It received a further 35 new Tigers in February and March 1944, before being withdrawn form combat in late April 1944. Transferred back to the West, the 503rd received a further 33 Tiger Is and 12 Tiger IIs and was sent to Normandy. The battalion staff and 1st company had been re-equipped with Tiger II Bs, but the 2nd and 3rd companies retained the Tiger I E. The 3rd company was caught in a bombing attack in July 1944, and all of its Tigers were destroyed or damaged. It was re-equipped with new Tiger II Ausf Bs in August. On 9 September 1944, sPzAbt 503 was completely equipped with 45 new Tiger II Bs.
It was then transferred to Hungary and committed to the defense of Budapest. In January 1945, sPzAbt 503 was renamed sPzAbt Feldherrnhalle and attached to PzGren. Div. FHH. This division was eventually destroyed in the defense of Budapest.
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Post #235
6531 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes, 33 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 504 - sPzAbt 504
Quote:
The 504th was the second Tiger unit to be sent to Tunisia. It was issued 25 PzKpfw III plus two Panzerbefehlswagen Tiger in January, and 18 Tigers, comprising the battalion staff, workshop company, and 1st tank company arrived in Tunisia on 12 March 1943. The 2nd company remained in Sicily. The tank company had four platoons, each with two Tiger I tanks and two Pzkpw III support tanks. All of the sPzAbt 504 Tigers were destroyed or captured. The surviving elements surrendered on 12 May 1943.
On 13 April 1943, the OKH ordered that six Tigers were to be stationed on Sicily and that until transferred to Tunisia, the 2.Kompanie/ schwere Panzer Abteilung 504 was to be attached to PzAbt 215 with a reinforced platoon of six Tigers being immediately shipped to Sicily. Altogether 17 Tigers gathered on Sicily: the original nine from 2.Kompanie of the 504th, two Tigers that had been used as replacements for the 501st in February, and the six Tigers issued in April 1943 for the 215th.
Attached to Panzer Division Herrmann Goering, the 17 Tigers under the 2.Kompanie of the 504th attacked the American landing zone on 11 July 1943, but were neutralized by naval gunfire. Within the first three days ten out of the 17 Tigers were destroyed to prevent capture and a further six Tigers were destroyed later for the same reason. The last Tiger was shipped back across the straits of Messina to Italy.
sPzAbt 504 spent the rest of the war in Italy. The battalion was rebuilt with a full three company organization, wit additional personnel from PzAbt. 18. The unit trained in Germany, and when returned to Italy, it was assigned to support 17th SS PzGren. Div. Goetz Von Berlichingen. Its first action in Italy was in support of the 362nd Inf. Div. in the containment of the Allied advance up the Italian coast following the Anzio landing. sPzAbt 504 saw a great deal of action in the Italian campaign, including the Arno river campaign and the defense of northern Italy. In 1944, in the Vienna area, sPzAbt 504 was partly re-equipped with Tiger II Ausf Bs. The battalion surrendered at the end of the war, along with other German units in Italy.
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Post #236
6531 days, 21 hours, 53 minutes, 29 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 505 - sPzAbt 505
Quote:
The 505th was the last independent battalion created with the old organization of 20 Tigers and 25 PzKpfw III. Formed in February 1943, the 505th received several Tigers and the rest in March with 25 Pzkpfw IIIs. The unit was loaded on rail cars on 29/30 April 1943 and sent to Heeres Gruppe Mitte on the Eastern Front, where it was ordered to upgrade to the new organization, and received 11 Tigers that were shipped from the ordnance depot between 8 and 10 June 1943. It took part in OPERATION CITADEL as part of Feldmarschall Model's 9th Armee. At the start of the Kursk offensive on 5 July 1943, the unit had 31 Tigers and was joined on 9 July 1943 by 3.Kompanie which was formed in April and received Tigers in June. The 505th lost only four Tigers during the Kursk offensive but lost a further six by the end of July 1943.
The sPzAbt.505 had one of the most spectacular markings: a knight on a charger.
After the Kursk offensive, sPzAbt 505 was moved to the Smolensk area. During the fall of 1944, sPzAbt 505 was equipped with new version Tiger Is, which had cast cupolas, zimmerit, and the new steel-rimmed wheels developed for the Tiger II Ausf B Koenigs Tiger. The 505th was ordered out of the Eastern Front on 7 July 1944, to rest and refit at the troop grounds at Ohrduf. By early September, 1944, sPzAbt 505 had been equipped with new Tiger II Ausf Bs. sPzAbt 505 was used with 24th and 25th Panzer Divisions, initially against the Narev bridgeheads in the 1944 Russian offensive into East Prussia. The battalion fought in East Prussia until the end of the conflict.
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Post #237
6531 days, 21 hours, 52 minutes, 7 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 506 - sPzAbt 506
Quote:
The 506th was formed in July 1943, primarily from personnel of III Abt./Pz. Rgt. 33 of 9th. Pz. Div.. In August, the battalion received forty-five new Tiger I tanks. The unit was engaged in the Dnieper battles in 1943. On New Year's Day, 1944, sPzAbt 506 went to the area south of Korovograd, and fought in Krivoi-Rog. In 1944, sPzAbt 506 was withdrawn to Germany for refitting and preparation for action in the West. Their Tiger Is were distributed as replacement vehicles to other units. sPzAbt 506 received new Tiger II Ausf Bs in August 1944. The full battalion establishment of 45 tanks was retained. In late September, the battalion was sent to the area around Osterboek, west of Arnhem. It took part in the German defense against the combined Allied thrust to the Rhine during OPERATION MARKET GARDEN.
The following month, sPzAbt 506 Took part in the defense of Aachen. In November 1944, the battalion was strengthened by the addition of a 4th company. This new company had been organized originally as a heavy assault support unit, used wherever necessary - a Feuerwehr (fire brigade). Its first commander was named Hummel, and this was the name given to the company. sPzKp. "Hummel" (now 4th company, sPzAbt 506) was equipped with Tiger Is. This new company was fully integrated by early December 1944.
The only Heer Tiger battalion to take part in the Ardennes offensive was sPzAbt 506. It took part in the defense of Germany and finally surrendered to US forces in the Ruhr pocket on April of 1945.
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Post #238
6531 days, 21 hours, 50 minutes, 47 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 507 - sPzAbt 507
Quote:
The 507th was formed on 23 September 1943, from personnel taken from I Abt./Pz.Rgt. 4 of 13th Pz. Div.. It was organized in the usual fashion: a battalion HQ staff company, 3 tank companies, and a workshop company, plus supply and support detachments, and equipped with 45 Tigers between 23 December 1943 and 25 February 1943. Transferred to the Eastern Front in March 1944, the 507th received seven replacement Tigers before the end of the month and a further 12 in April, eight in July, six in August, ten in november and one final tiger in December 1944. Overstrenght at 55, the 507th met the Russian winter offensive on the Tarnapol river above Vitebk and around Narev, on 14 January 1945, and by 1 February 1945 had only seven tigers left, none of which operational. On 6 February 1945, the 507th was ordered to return to SennelÄger, to refit with the Tiger II. The unit received 21 Tiger II Ausf Bs: four on 9 March 1945, 11 on 22 March 1945, and the last six on 31 March. The front came to the sPzAbt 507, deployed in the defense of the local area.
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Post #239
6531 days, 21 hours, 49 minutes, 32 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 508 - sPzAbt 508
Quote:
sPzAbt 508 was formed in August of 1943, from personnel from PzRgt. 8, and later, more men from PzAbt 190. Issued with 45 Tigers between December 1943 and January 1944, the 508th was ordered to Italy to attack the Allied bridgehead at Anzio. Unloaded at a railhead 200 km from the bridgehead, about 60 per cent of the Tigers suffered mechanical failures negotiating the narrow, sharply curved mountain roads.
The 508th, along with other units outfitted with Panthers and Ferdinands, were repulsed mainly by the threat of naval gunfire. Five replacement Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot on 23 March followed by six on 25 April 1944. Following the losses to the Allied drive in May and early June, the 508th received a further 27 replacement Tigers that were shipped from the ordnance depot on 3 and 5 June 1944. On February 1945, the 508th gave their remaining 15 Tigers to the 504th and returned to Germany for outfitting with the Tiger II.
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Post #240
6531 days, 21 hours, 48 minutes, 39 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 509 - sPzAbt 509
Quote:
sPzAbt 509 was formed on 9 September 1943, from elements of Pz. Rgt. 204 of 22nd Pz. Div. The battalion was issued 45 Tiger Is, and fought on the Eastern Front. From late 1943 to the early spring of 1944, sPzAbt 509 was engaged near Kirovograd, Kirivoi-Rog, Kiev, and Pavlova, in southern Russia. In November of 1943, the 3rd company of sPzAbt 509 was detached and assigned to support 2 SS Pz. Div. Das Reich. A major reinforcement occurred between 20 May and 1 June 1944, when the unit received 30 Tiger Is. The 1st and 2nd companies fought at Novosselki, Shitomir, Chmelnik, and Kiev. During September of 1944, sPzAbt 509 was in SennelÄger, the training ground, for re-equipping with new Tiger II Ausf Bs. It was issued 11 Tiger IIs in September that were turned over to the SS 501st. After experiencing further delays in outfitting due to severe interruptions in production at Henschel, the 509th was sent 45 Tiger IIs from the ordnance depot between 5 December 1944 and 1 January 1945. In January of 1945, the battalion was sent to Hungary, and assigned to IV SS PzKorps. The German offensive started on January 18th, and the battalion was engaged in a number of battles in Hungary and then Austria. sPzAbt 509 surrendered to American troops on May 9, 1945, near Linz. The battalion had no tanks - its motorized component was one Schwimmwagen, one radio car, and one truck.
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Post #241
6531 days, 21 hours, 47 minutes, 35 seconds ago
Schwere Panzer Abteilung 510 - sPzAbt 510
Quote:
sPzAbt 510 was formed in June, 1944, and was the last of the ten independent heavy tank battalions. It received 45 Tiger Is between 20 June and 7 July 1944, and, from August 1944, fought against the Russians in East Prussia. On 3 August, six replacements were shipped to the 510th. Part of the battalion was detached to 14th Pz. Div. , for an assault on the Russian forces in November 1944. The other company was attached to the 30th Inf. Div. sPzAbt 510 was heavily engaged during the Kurland campaign, operating with 14th Pz. Div., in early 1945. In March, two companies of the battalion were withdrawn to the Kassel area in Germany. The remainder of sPzAbt 510, with 13 Tiger Is, was assigned to 14th Pz Div. The last Tiger was lost on 8 May, and the battalion surrendered with other survivors of the fierce Kurland fighting. The 510th have never been issued a single Tiger II.
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Post #242
6531 days, 21 hours, 44 minutes, 20 seconds ago
Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101
Quote:
By an order on 19 July 1943, a schwere Panzer Abteilung was formed for I.SS-Panzer Korps. Two new heavy companies were to be created and 13.Kompanie of SS-Panzer Regiment 1 was to be incorporated as the third company.
Having been pulled out of Russia in response to the landings in Sicily in July 1943, Panzer Grenadier Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) was refitted and sent to Italy in August 1944. Attached to the division were elements of the newly formed schwere SS Panzer Abteilung of the I.SS Panzer Korps with 27 Tigers that had been issued in July 1943. As a result of Italy's defection, LSSAH remained in northern Italy until mid-October.
The unit was then transferred back to the Eastern Front where it was renamed schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101.
The 1. and 2. Kompanien went east with LSSAH but the rest of the battalion remained behind at a training ground. Eleven Tigers were received in February 1944 and on 4 April 1944, the remnants of Panzer Division LSSAH were ordered to return to the West to refit.
In the interim, the rest of sSS-PzAbt.101 had received 19 Tigers, shipped between October 1943 and January 1944. After the return of the rest of the battalion from the Eastern Front, a further 26 Tigers were received during April 1944.
The leading elements of the 101st reached the front in Normandy on 12 June 1944, six days after the Allied landings. By the end of June, the 101st had lost 15 of its 45 Tigers, and was pulled out in July to refit with the Tiger II. The 101st still had 25 Tigers os which 21 were operational on 7 August 1944, but these were all lost during the retreat in August, the remnants of the 101st being ordered back to the training grounds to rest and refit, in Senneläger, with the Tiger II on September 1944.
At first it was planned to outfit the battalion with two companies of Tiger Is and one company of Jagdtigers. On 4 November, Hitler ordered that none of the Jagdtigers were to be issued to Tiger battalions. Therefore, the SS 101 was renamed SS 501 Tiger Abteilung and was ordered to outfit the third company with Tiger Is. This order was later rescinded and the third company was also outfitted with Tiger IIs.
Due to severe production problems, only six TIger IIs had been sent to the SS 501st from the ordnance depot on 17 and 18 October. A further eight were shipped in November, for a total of 14 Tiger IIs, enough to outfit one company. Finally 20 more were shipped between 26 November and 3 December. These 34 Tigers IIs were all that were available for issue from the ordnance depot before the SS 501st was loaded on trains and sent to the Western Front on 5 December. To these were added 11 Tiger IIs confiscated from sPzAbt 509 replacement shipping, that was then redirected to the sSS-PzAbt.501.
The SS 501st was sent to the Western Front as a key unit for the Ardennes Offensive, unloaded the last of ten trains at Liblau-Euskirchen on 9 December. The SS 501st reported loss of 13 Tiger IIs during fighting in December before a status report revealed a total of 31 Tiger IIs (18 operational). As ordered on 24 January 1945, the SS 501st was transferred to the Eastern Front with the I.SS Panzer Korps.
(modified 01/04/2007 12:04:12 by koen)
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War and Tactics: ## WaT ##
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KOEN
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Post #243
6531 days, 21 hours, 43 minutes, 1 second ago
Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 102
Quote:
Originally created in April 1943 as the schwere Panzer Abteilung for the I.SS-Panzer Korps, three Tiger companies were deployed at the front but the headquarters remained behind at he training grounds. On 1 June 1943, the I.SS-Panzer Korps was renamed II.SS-Panzer Korps and the 13.Kp./SS-Pz.Rgt.1 was lost to the sSS-PzAbt. for the new I.SS-Panzer Korps. A new third Tiger kompanie was created and on 22 October 1943, the unit was renamed schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 102.
When the 9.Kompanie/SS-Panzer Regiment 3 was ordered to remain with the 3.SS-Panzer Division 'Totenkopf' in the east, the 102nd was left with two new companies with no experience and the remains of the schwere Kompanie of SS-Panzer Regiment 2 'Das Reich' which returned from the front in April. Six Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot on 21 April 1944, followed by another 39 between 20 and 29 May 1944.
Ordered to the front in Normandy, the first seven trains unloaded west of paris on 27 June 1944, however, the threat of attacks from the fighter-bombers was sufficient to delay their arrival at the front until 7 July. On 20 July, the 102nd still had 42 Tigers of which 17 were operational.
No fewer than 30 operational Tigers were reported on 30 July and 21 on 8 August 1944 but all these had been lost by 7 September 1944 and the unit was ordered to return to the training grounds to rest and refit with the Tiger II.
The s.SS PzAbt.102 (later renamed 502) was ordered on 9 September 1944 to transfer to SennelÄger to rest and refit. Due to the shortage, the issue of Tiger IIs was slow in coming. Finally 31 Tiger IIs were shipped from the ordnance depot between 14 February and 6 March 1945. The SS 503rd was transported to the Eastern Front to Heeres Gruppe Mitte starting in mid March, logging their first engagement in combat at Sachsendorf on 22 March. By 27 April 1944 (last report) there were only 5 operational Tiger IIs.
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KOEN
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Post #244
6531 days, 21 hours, 41 minutes, 46 seconds ago
Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 103
Quote:
The s.SS-Panzer Abteilung 103 was originally formed on 1 July 1943 as the II.Abt/SS-Pz.Rgt. 11 and sent to Yugoslavia to fight as infantry, however, at the end of November, the battalion was converted to the s SS-PzAbt.103.
Issued six Tigers in February for training, the 103rd was ordered to give them to another unit in March 1944. Another six Tiger Is were arrived at the training grounds on 26 May and four more in August. On 20 October, all ten Tigers were given to sPzAbt.(FKL)301 and the 103rd was outfitted with the Tiger II before being ordered to the Eastern Front. The s.SS PzAbt.103, later renamed the 503rd, had a total of 39 (instead of the full complement of 45) Tiger IIs and was loaded on to trains on 27 January 1945, and sent to the Eastern Front in the Heeres Gruppe Weichsel sector. By 15 April 1945 (last report), the 503rd reported a total of 12 Tiger IIs, of which 10 were still operational.
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KOEN
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Post #245
6531 days, 21 hours, 38 minutes, 26 seconds ago
Schwere SS Panzer Kompanien (SS-PzRgt.1, 2and 3)
Quote:
Effective on 15 November 1942, three schwere Panzer Kompanien were established, one each for SS-Panzer Regiments 1, 2 and 3. Each Kompanie was to have nine Tigers and ten PzKpfw III. A total of 28 Tigers and 30 PzKpfw III were issued in December 1942 and January 1943. Sent to the Eastern Front, all three companies took part in the Manstein's counter offensive to retake Kharkov in February March 1943 in which they lost five Tigers.
An order dated 22 April 1943 authorized these three companies to be upgraded to 14 Tigers and by this same order the three companies became an organic part of the schwere Panzer Abteilung of the I.SS-Panzer Korps. However, the three companies remained with their Regiments at the front. In May 1943, 17 Tigers were shipped to the front bringing the total to 13 with the 13.sKp/SS-PzRgt.1, 14 with the sKp/SS-PzRgt.2, and 15 with the 9.Kp/SS-PzRgt.3.
Of these 42 Tigers, 35 were operational at the start of the Kursk offensive on 5 July 1943 of which three were lost, one from each company. Five replacements arrived for the 13.Kompanie/SS-Panzer Regiment 1 on 25 July 1943, before it was ordered to Italy with Panzer grenadier Division LSSAH. Before leaving on 28 July 1943, nine Tigers were transferred to.sKp/SS-PzRgt.2 and eight Tigers to 9.Kp/SS-PzRgt.3
The s.Kp/SS-PzRgt.2 remained on the Eastern Front, receiving five tigers in September 1943 and a further five in January 1944. Having lost their last Tiger, the unit was ordered to return to the West on 14 April 1944.
The 9.Kp/SS-PzRgt.3 also remained in the East Front and received five replacement Tigers on 20 September 1943. Originally ordered to return to the West to refit as part of the parent schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101, the order was rescinded by Hitler and 9.Kompanie was then refitted with ten Tigers in May 1944. The final five replacement Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot on 26 July 1944.
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Post #246
6531 days, 21 hours, 28 minutes, 57 seconds ago
Websites containing Tiger Information
Tiger I and Tiger II Unit Information:
http://www.chsk.com/steppenwolf/tigers.htm
http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=2160
http://www.achtungpanzer.com/articles/tigertam.htm
http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz5.htm
http://www-d0.fnal.gov/~turcot/Armour/tiger.htm
http://www.homepurchaseprogram.com/504th.html
http://64.26.50.215/armorsite/tigers-02.htm
http://www.ss501panzer.com/menandunit.htm
Jagdtiger Information:
http://www.peachmountain.com/5star/US_Army_Ordnance_Museum_Jagdtiger_tank.aspx
Sturmtiger Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmtiger
Ferdinand/Elephant Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elefant
http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz6.htm
(modified 01/18/2007 11:51:57 by Mad Russian)
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THE_ENIGMA
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Post #249
6530 days, 13 hours, 20 minutes, 55 seconds ago
Tigerfibel, the tank manual (in German)
Partially translated
Able to buy it in English
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The Demolition ManQuote:
sgtgoody (esq)
I find that people will play the way they want. Make the OP that you want, if others like it, great, if not, well there is no accounting for taste is there?
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Post #352
6254 days, 12 hours, 46 minutes, 26 seconds ago
Performance of the Tiger Battalions in Action:
Kill/Loss Ratio of the Tiger Battalions (1942 - 1945):
Unit.....................Losses......Kills..........Kill/Loss Ratio
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 120 450 3.75
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 107 1,400 13.08
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503 252 1,700 6.75
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 504 109 250 2.29
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505 126 900 7.14
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506 179 400 2.23
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 507 104 600 5.77
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 508 78 100 1.28
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 509 120 500 4.17
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 510 65 200 3.08
13./Panzer-Regiment GroĂźdeutschland 6 100 16.67
III./Panzer-Regiment GroĂźdeutschland 98 500 5.10
13./SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 42 400 9.52
8./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 31 250 8.06
9./SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 56 500 8.93
Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 (501) 107 500 4.67
Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102 (502) 76 600 7.89
Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 103 (503) 39 500 12.82
TOTAL:.....1,715.....9,850.....5.74
Source: Tiger I Information Center web site.
http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/tigers-02.htm
(modified 10/09/2007 04:54:25 by Mad Russian)
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MAD RUSSIAN
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Post #396
6207 days, 17 hours, 56 minutes, 57 seconds ago
Tigers in Operation "Zitadelle"
Prior to Operation " Zitadelle " the schwere Panzer-Kompanien were all authorized to be converted to the new organization, with 14 Tigers per company. Most of these reinforcements had already arrived at the front in May with plenty of time to train their crews and conduct tactical exercises. The 3.Kompanie/Panzer Regiment 505 was the exception; it didn't arrive at the front with its 14 Tigers until 6 July, after the start of the offensive.
In preparation for the offensive, tests were conducted on the ability of the Tigers to cross anti tank ditches and streams. one such test, conducted on 2 June to determine the Tiger's ability to cross a stream bordered by a swampy area, was reported as follows:
It was concluded that the Tiger couldn't cross swampy barriers of this type. If the width of the swampy area was greater than the length of the Tiger, it was impossible to get through. If the width of the swampy area was shorter than the Tiger's length, a crossing under favorable conditions (favorable approach, flat banks, swamp not deeper than the height of the roadwheels) was perhaps possible but uncertain.
To aid themselves in crossing such barriers, schwere Panzer Abteilung 505 had converted most of their PzKpfw III into " Bruekenmaterialtraeger " as was discovered by the Armee command which responded to this innovative action as follows: " ...This type of modification on Panzers is strictly forbidden. It must be ensured that the dismounted turrets will again be attached to their Panzer chassis. "
In spite of General Guderian's advice that Tigers should be employed concentrated in a schwere Panzer Abteilung , on 4 July 1943, one Kompanie from the schwere Panzer Abteilung 503 was attached to each of the 6th , 7th , and 9th Panzer Divisions . Therefore the only Tigers concentrated in greater than company strength were the two companies in schwere Panzer Abteilung 505 under Heeresgruppe Mitte .
On July 1943, the commander of sPzAbt.505 , Hauptmann Graf Kageneck, reported the problems with mines and poor tactical handling that his scattered unit encountered.
III.Panzer Korps reported the loss of 13 Tigers in one Kompanie that had started out with 14 Tigers on the morning of 5 July 1943. Nine Tigers fell out due to mine damage. It would take two or three days to repair each one of them. The reasons for this extraordinary high loss rate from mines was:
1. From the start, there wasn't a single map available showing the location of mines that had been laid by the German units in front of the bridgehead. two completely contradictory mine plans were available, and both were incorrect. Therefore, two Tigers ran onto our own mines directly after setting off. Another two Tigers hit mines during further advances across terrain that was shown on the map to be free of mines.
2. Mine clearing was sloppily conducted, so that three additional Tigers fell out due to mines after being shown supposedly mine-free gaps. After this, 120 mines were lifted from an area shown on the map to be free of mines.
3. The eighth Tiger drove onto mines when it attempted to move into position against an enemy tank attack reported on the left flank. Eight Tigers fell out for two or three days as a result of carelessness or tactically incorrect employment. Therefore, during the period they were not available for their actual purpose, fighting enemy tanks and heavy weapons.
Dissatisfied with how the Tigers had been employed by the units to which they were attached, General der Panzertruppen Breith, commander of the III.Panzer Korps, issued the following directive on 21 July 1943:
Based on experience in the recent battles, I issue the following instructions for the cooperation of Tigers with other weapons:
1. As a result of its high performance weapon and strong armor, the Tiger should be used primarily against enemy tanks and anti tank weapons and secondarily - and then only as a a complete exception - against infantry targets. As experience has shown, its weapons allow the Tiger to fight enemy tanks at ranges of 2,000 meters and longer, which has especially worked on the morale of the opponent. As a result of the strong armor, it is possible to close to short range with the enemy tanks without being seriously damaged from hits. Still, the Tiger should not attempt to start enemy tanks at ranges over 1,000 meters.
As often as the situation allows - which was possible very often during the recent battles - prior to employment of Tigers the terrain should be scouted with the primary purpose of determining the possibility of crossing rivers and streams, bridges, and marshlands. Kompanie and Zugleaders and also Panzer commanders may not shy from dismounting and performing scouting patrols on foot in order to prevent the entire unit from getting stuck in difficulty terrain. In connection with this, unnecessary losses of Tigers on mines could have been prevented. The same applies to the other types of Panzers.
A known weakness of the Tiger is caused by the location of the commander's cupola on the left side of the turret. The commander can't see an extensive area close to the right side of the Tiger, which presents a threat from the opponent's tank hunter teams. Therefore, it is well known that it is necessary for other troops to protect the Tiger from this threat.
2. During the attack on 5 July in a sector of the Korps front, lack of knowledge about our own mine fields worked out to be detrimental to our Tigers. Therefore, the forward Kampfgruppen should plan to constantly have sufficient Pioniere not only to clear away obstacles but also to clear mine fields.
3. I forbid employment of Panzers, especially Tigers, under Kompanie strength. For defense, Panzers are to be consolidated into attack groups that are to be sent in as planned counter strikes. After completing a counter strike, these Panzer groups are to be immediately pulled back to return to the disposal of the sector or division commander. Dispersal of Panzers in the main battle line or guarding other weapons by day and by night must not occur.
Tigers at Kursk
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