T
.J- - '-'-==ft
... -; ... ...,
r
j
1
3. Til(er E, I / ,P'Il Abt.604; Tun!.la, 1943
, l'z Abl . !'tOI
A
-
I. Tiger E, 8/,i>ItKp, 2.SS-i>,,-Cr f! n-Di ... 'ORB "-,-,,:-
Ruuia, "'ebruary 11:143
.. -
332
y .... '"
.I"
2. Tiger E turret detail, unit unknown:
Ru .. ia, 11:143
- -
I
"I -
____ __
3. Tiger E, 8/sP7. KII , 3.SS-P:t-Cren-l>iv. Wrote nkopf":
Kurllk, lIummllr 1{143
I-II
B
,
,
1. Tiger E, 13/,PzK Pt I.SS-pzGren-Div. 'Leihl!tll ndllrw
Adolf Hitler'; Kurllk, lIummer 1943
2. TilCcr E, 8/11f>zKP..l2.SS.P:r..(lren-lJiv. '01l8 Reich';
Kurllk, lIummer 11143
c
I. Tiger F.,I/.SS-PzAbt.IOI: Morgny, Normandy. June 1944
2. Tij[er E. S/.I"ltAbt.Ml3: Normandy, July 1944
D
I. Tiger B (Por llche turret), 3/&P:r.Abt.6Q3: Ma iHy- Ie-Camp, July 1944
2. Tiger n (lIenllChel turre t), 2/I1P:r.Abt.601J,: Ruuifl, .. utumn 1944
3. Tiger H (lI e nllChel turre t), 2/.I':r.Aht.603: Budapest. ellrly 1945
4. Tiger B (He nschel tUrret). Hungllry, winter 1944/46
E
(fop) Tiger Ii: turret interior: loader'. polIition. (Bottom) Gunner' . pUlition,loon from IOllde r '. po.itio n. S .... key on p.26.
F
--'-
G
In.iarni" detail.; .ee Platd
eummentary (or key.
2
7
,.
H
3
6
~
9
n
,
~ ~ ~
Key, Plate F (top): Tiger E turret interior,
looking right and forward:
, Breech of KwK 3688mm L/56 gun
2 Lead to smoke grenade dischargers
3 Loader's kit bin
4 Compressed spring counterweight cylinde r
5 Stowage position for box containing bull
and bipod for co-ax :\IG when dismounted.
6 Gasmask canisler
7 Stowage, :\1G belt bags and water canteens;
in all four bags and two canteens could be
stowed here.
8 Turret escapc h,uch
9 Projecti le ejeclOr
10 IG rds. 88mm ammunition sec text for
colour code details
I I 16 rds. 88rnm ammunition
12 Loader's scat
Plate F (bottom): Turret interior looking
left and forward ; note gun breech and
basket cut away for clarity, indicated by
red sectioning:
13 Dri ve shaft to traverse indica tor
14 Commander's radio sockets
15 Emergency battery for firi ng circuit
16 Gunner's radio sockets
'7 Gunner's kit bin
18 Traverse indicator
19 Hand traverse wheel
20 TZf 9b sighti ng telescope
21 Elevation clinometer
22 Loader's seat
23 Co-ax :\1G
24 Elevating handwhecl
25 Co-ax MG trigger pedal
26 Rocker plate control, power traverse
27 Tetra fire extinguisher
28 Stowage position, breech spares bin
2g Power traverse motor
30 Stowage, three wa ter cans
31 Commander's scat
32 Gunner's seat
33 Commander's ha nd traverse wheel
34 Instruction board (for scaling turret)
Plate G (top): Tunet interior looking to
left and rear Crom loader's position ;
again, breech ofKwK36 is cut away for
clarity:
I Turret fust' box
2 Escape hatch
3 Extractor fan housing
4 Stowage for :\11'.40 and mag. pouches
S Spa re vision block SlOwagf'
6 Stowage, microphones and headsets
7 Fl are pistol ammunition stowage
8 Commander's scat; canu:en stowage behi nd.
9 Pistol port
10 Drive shaft to traverse indicator
II Commander's kit bin
12 Flare pistol and holster stowage pistol
displayed here purely for clarity.
13 Commander's hand traverse wheel
14 Signal nag basket
15 Stowage, three water cans
Plate G (bottom): Driver's position:
[6 Gyroscopic direction indicator
17 Power steering wheel
18 Spare vision block stowage
Ig !nstnlment panel
20 Selector control
21 Dri ve change lever (direction control)
22 Electric start er
23 Emergency track steering level"!
24 Clutch, foot brake and accelerator pedals
25 Hand brake
The PzKpfw VI
HASte TI'.CII NI CAI. DETAILS
Model E
Weight :
Armour:
Spero,
Overall length :
Width :
l'leight :
Model B
Weight:
Armour :
Speed,
Overall length:
Width :
Height :
54.1 tons
tlQmm
23mph
27ft. gi n.
12ft 3in. (with st'lVice track)
9ft. 6i n.
68.7 tons
t8smm
23
6m
ph
33
ft
.
8in
.
12ft. 31in. (wi th service track)
loft. I tin.
Tiger E of 1/8SS.P .. Ahl.lol p.",,,,in! through the village of
Morgy, F ..... ce. en route for tbe lnvasion Front on ' 0 Jane
'944: He Plate 0 . (Bundetoarchlv)
it was subject to breakdown spzAbt. 501 was
equipped with early production Illodels still
prone to teething troubles and its inhibiting
dimensions and limited oper.ational radius be-
came dearly appare nt following technical exami
nation of a captured example which had had its
trac ks blown off by the 6pdrs. of 72 Ant i-Tank
Regi ment RA on 31 J anuary.
Towards the end of J anuary 2/50 1 moved into
the southern sector of tile line ncar Pon t dl! Fahs,
and on [4 February 1/501 took part in the opera-
tions against the US II Corps in the Faid-
Kasserine Pass area, destroyi ng 15 Shermans,
one of whi ch was knocked out at a recorded range
Of2,700 metres.
On 26 February 1/501, now at full strength
with 14 Tigers, joined II {Ilanzer-Regiment 7 in
/lampfgruppt Lang, which had the task of seizi ng
the major road junction of Beja as part of an Axis
26
cou nter-oflcnsive. From the outset, almost every-
thing went wrong. The balllcgroup's route
wound through twining mountain vall eys which
I(,ft lillie room for the tanks to deploy, and a
stubborn British outpost at Sidi Nsir took a day's
hard fighting and cost .several valuable tanks to
subdue. During that t ime a strong defensive
position was const ructed at Il unt's Gap, so that
when the Panzers reached the area all the 27th
they rolled onto a can-full y preparcd killing
ground, several vehicles being lost on mines while
the others were subjected to the combined fire of
huJl-down Churchills, anti-tank guns, field and
Ill('dium artillery, and swooping Hurri-bombers.
1/50 1 lost scV('n of its Tigers through various
causes, one being knocked out by a Churchill's
6pdr. penetrating its thinner turret side armour.
Two men v"e re killed and 18 wounded, including
Major Leuders and most of the company's
officers; the battalion history subscqU(,1l11y re-
ferred to Hunt 's Gap as The Tiger Graveyard.
II / PR 7 suffered even more severely and was
reduced to a handful of vehicles. t>. 1 uth of the
damage was caused by the concentrated fire of
the superbl )- handled British arti ll ery, particularly
the medium batteries. e\-en Tigers could
afford to ignore shelling by 5.5in. howitzers,
which the British us<:"d r('gularly as an dfcClive
counter in later campaigns. So traumatic had
been the experience that in later years the
survivors erecled a stone memorial on the site.
The battlcgroup commander, Oberst Rudolf
Lang, received the scomful sou briqul't of ' Tank
Killer' , somewhat harsh ly, since he had merely
followed his orders. (Sec also Vanguard No [3,
The Churchill Tank. )
For th(' next few weeks both Tiger companies
were employed in minor defensive operations
along the front. On '7 ). Iarch t\ t ajor August
Seidensti cker of sl)zAbt. .')04- arrived in Tunisia,
followed by the first six Tigers of 1/504, and
assumed command of all the heavy companies in
the theatre. The first task of the combined unit,
which numbered only a dozen tanks, was to assist
[0. Panzer Division at :\ Iaknassy in
the US II Corps breaking out of the mountains
'pI ' of :JIIISS-P" Abl . u)I Inl ..... ! in F ..... ce prior 10 Ih",
' .. _!rio .. ; Ih", i.a";5ni. of ISS-P"-OZH" Korp" i" cI",arl)' vi";b) ..
on Ihe f...,,,1 pl.l"'. WiUtna .. ,,' . TiS"''' tn .. st h ...... p..-..-a.ed.
""'ry .itnila ... pope ...... ee it ,huad","", ia,o tt.", "H.dr. . ,
ViUe .... Bocas"'. (Bua.d",_rchiv)
and driving across the rear of the Wadi Akari!
Line, the defenders of which were coming under
pressure from tIl(' British Bth Army. The Ameri
can I st Armored Division was stalled by the
obstinate defcnce, losi ng 44 tanks on 24 t\larch
alone. Long after the war Seidcnsticker, servi ng
in the Bundeswt'hr, met the commander of one or
the American tank battalions, who commented:
' It was you r goddam Tigers that stopped us
getting to tht' sea that night' . The new com-
mander of II Corps was George S. Patton J r,
whose opto'rationai directi ve to his troops had
been tersel y encapsulated in the sentence: ' Go
take a bath!'
Reduc('d in number to eight, the Tigers fought
their last African batl lcs in the :\1cdjtrda Valle)
in April and :\ Iay 1945, the survivors ofsPzAbt.
501 and ' /504 surrendering on 12 :\ lay. Tiger
' 13 1', til(' last in running order, was examined
with gn-'at interest by Hi\.t King George VI
before being shipped to England for evaluation.
Taken logether, the lessons of Leningrad and
Tunisia confirmed that even though the Tiger
had been designed as a breakthrough lank, il
produced its best results when fight ing defen.
sively. Naturally, most of its subsequent battles
were fought on the Eastern Front , where the sheer
scale and longevity of operations permits mention
of only the briefest details.
On the Leningrad sector spzAbt. 502 a{lained
thrceeompany status in the spring of 19+3,
remaining in the area until the Russians finall y
broke the siege, and then serving with Army
Group North until the latter was dismembered
during the Red Army' s 1944 series of offensives.
The battalion fought at Riga, Memel, Konigs
berg and in East Prussia, where its career ended
on 9 1945. It has been calculated that this
longest-serving battalion destroyed not less than
1,400 tanks, 2,000 antitank guns and as many
artillery weapons during its years of almost
COlllinuous involvement.
During the Stalingrad dcbftcle spzAbt. 503
had assisted in holding open a corridor at ROSIOv
through which the German troops in the
Caucasus retreated from the trap into which they
had driven. At Kursk the Army Group South
wing of the German attack was given the greatest
concentration of Tigers yet seen, including not
only sl)zAbt. 503's three fully equipped com
panic...'S (45). but also the Heavy Companies of the
favoured di visions 'Grossdeu{schiand' ( 14), I. SS
Panzer ( 13), 2. SSPanzer-Grena-
dier ' Das Reich' ( '4), and 3. SSPanzerGrenadier
'Tottnkopf' ( 15), a grand total of 101 Model
Es. The story of Operation .(itndl'lil' is too
well known to require repetition in detail here,
but it is worth mentioning that at the climactic
tank battle of Prokhorovka the Russian counter
to the Tiger's obviously superior firepower was to
close the range as quickly as possible and, on
occasion, to ram. Further details will be found in
Vanguard Nos: 12, StuNnarfillerie and
'4. Tlte T-34 Tank, 16, The III
and 18, The
After Kursk, Army Group South was pushed
steadily west until by the end of 1943 it had been
forced across the Dniepr. In January '944
Supo:rb ponrail or '-Z,T. a lale-produccion Tiser E or -z/sSs..
PzAbt.,o" polled ;a the aununer woodlaadlf or Norma ..... y:
a photO(l:raph which sivelf a Sood idea ollhe "h.,.,r ... taacing
bulk orlhe bea..-I. To ....... yAllied laalr me-a La NOO'Tnandythe-
Tille"'" rearrul reputalioa m.ade il " 'bas..,."'''''' {Bu..des.
.rrhi,,\
spzAbt. 503, st ill in possession of 34 Tigers, was
joined by a 46-strong Panther battalion to form a
Heavy Tank Regiment which would operate
under the command of 1st Panzer Army. Named
Bake after its commander,
Oberstleutnant Dr Franz Bake, the regiment also
included a self-propelled artillery battalion and
an engineer bridging battalion.
l\luch of the fighting took the form of Kessel
schlacllten (literally, cauldron battles) in which
Biike's regiment either fought its way to the relief
of pockets of German troops trapped by Hitler's
insane standfaSI orders, or was compelled to fight
its own way Ollt of trouble. These aClions were
never less than desperate and at the Balabonowka
Pocket 267 Russian tanks were destroyed in five
days and nights of fighting ; the German loss was
not believed at first and had to be carefully
verified it amounted to one Tiger and four
Panthers.
During the spring of 1944 sPzAbt. 503 was
withdrawn and re.equipped with Model Bs.
After serving in France the battalion returned to
the Eastern Front in October, fi ghting in
Hungary until the general collapse.
At Kursk spzAbt. 505, with two companies,
had fought under Army Group Centre on the
northern wing of the German attack. To main-
tain a balance of heavy breakthrough vehicles the
northern wing was also supported by J agdpanzer-
Regiment 656, which contained two battalions
of Porsche Elefants (653 and 654). After .(iladtllt
505 remained with Army Group Centre until the
latter was virtually destroyed during the Red
Army's summer offensive Bagration. The bauaHon
was then refitted and served with Bs in
East Prussia.
Schwere l)anzer.Abteilung 506 came into the
line under Army Group South in September
194.3, subsequently taking part in various
cauldl'on battles neal' Lemberg and Tarnopol. In
April 1944 it disabled the first .1S11 so far en
countered, the vehicle being despatched to the
Kummersdorf proving grounds for evaluation.
The battalion was withdr:l\\ n for re-equipment
in August 19'H and did 1I0t return to the Eastem
FrOllt.
Also serving on the Tarnopol sector was
spzAbt. 507, which arrivt-d in 1944, and
was transferred to tht crumbling northern from
in It ren'ivC'd ilS last replacemem
ve hicles 15 Bs in 1945 and
during the following month "'as fought to
des truct ion.
Schwere I)anzer-Ableilung S09 arrived on the
Army Group South from in 19+3,
being involved in numerous actions designed to
stabilize the front around Proskurov. The bat-
talion then replaced spzAbt. 503 in Panzer-
Rfgimfnt BiiAt and fought at the notorious
Kamenets-Podolsk pocket. In Septembcr [9+4
sSS_PzAbt.IOlZ'a approach march to Nonn .... dy wa" made il)
Ibe face of 101a1 air " upe';Only, hruce the liberal U$f!
of folias:e (or camouO"l!:e. The e,,, .... fuel dru.m.,. On tbe
el)!>I)e dKk" are a reonil)d"'r of the Til!:er' . s:rl!f:dy COIl5u.m.p-
rio ... (Ma.nm Windrow)
spzAbt. joq returned to Germany for re-
equipment with J\ l odel Bs and arrived back on
the Eastern Front in January 1945- fighting in
Hungary. The survi\'ors surrendc'T{'d to the
American Army near Linz, Austria.
A battalion \\ hich had a comparat ively short
act ive hisl01)' was sPu \bt. 510, which fought on
the northern front and in Courland from August
1944, blowing up its last Tigers on 8 [9+5.
Schwere Panzer-Ableilung .50 [ returned to the
line in December 19-13. having been re-formed
from a nucleus of 150 men from the original
battalion who had not been involved in the
Tunisian debftclc. The batlalion served on the
Vitebsk sector, where it was involved in heavy
fighting during the Russian summer offensive,
and was with Bs inJul y 1944.
For the remainder of the year it fought in
southern Poland at Sandomierz, Radom and
Kielce. On 2 [ December sPzAbt. 501 became an
integral part of General Walther Nehring's
XXIV Panzer Korps, changing its title to Korps-
TigerAbt. 424; its role was summed up by its
more unofficial title of AorpsFtutrwthr, or Corps
Fire Brigade. The baltalion was destroyed during
the Red Army's 19H i'\ew Year offensive; until
overwhelmed it formed the defensive heart of a
wandtrndtr Atsstl or ' moving pocket' in the
manner of the Old Cuard at Waterloo.
The three SS Heavy Battalions all finished
their days on the Eastern Front. Schwere SS-
PanzerAbteilung 101 went straight from the
Ardennes to Hungary, where it arrived too late
to affect the outcome. On the other hand, sSS-
PzAbt. 102 made a formidable contribution to
9th Army's d('fence of the vital Kustrin sector,
inflicting grievous loss on Zhukov's 1St Belo-
russian Front as it strove throughout April 1945
to storm the Scelow Il eights. the last natural
feature betwecn the Red Army and Berlin.
Schwcrc SS. l'anzer.Abtei lung 103's career as an
armoured unit came to an end in Danzig the
previous month, although rJ'!i1ny ofils men fought
on as infantry. Something of the ferocity of these
last battles can be gauged by the fact that be-
tween 2 February and 18 one Tiger alon('
(that of Untcrsturmfuhrer Karl Brommann of
2/ 103) destroyed 66 tanks. 4-J. guns and 16 10rrit"S.
Th., fj, rst compa .. y t o ...... acti ve On
Fra .. ce waa . / aPilAbc.!jOJ, a-=en b., r o= eralnirlfi; ahortl y
O-Oay; tbey came meo tbo= line .. aae or Ca.,... (Bund..,... rchi v)
It will be recalled that 1/54 had been lost in
Tunisia; '1/ jOh however, fought throughout the
short campaign in Sicily and succeeded in
evacuating its surviving vehicles across the Straits
of Schwere Panzcr-Abteilung 504 re-
fitted in Holland and after a shon spell on the
Eastern Front was posted to Italy in J une '944,
going into action against the 5th Army ncar
Massa tvlaritlima. The Italian landscape was
particularly suitable for the type of defensive
warfare in which the Tiger's capacity ror long
shooting could be used to its best advantage. On
'22 J unc at Parolla a single platoon commanded
by Oberfahnrieh Oskar Rohrig, a young cadet
officer, destroyed II out of 23 Shermans leading
an American attack; the German account claims
the capture of the remaining 12 after they had
been abandoned by their crews.' It is easy enough
' fahnri r h _ Olx-rfahnrich _ &nior Em,!!:n
lxot .... ttn ' alTant and commiss ioned ranks had
no cqui uknt ;n tm- and Armio. Rohrig
",as awardrd th .. Knl lI; ht', Cross.
3'
to deplore such conduct unless one has been in
a similar position oneself. British crews have also
unashamedly evacuated their vehicles j ust in
time to witness their destruction by Tigers which
remained impenetrable even at short ra nge. ' Like
shooting ducks on a pond', was t he Tiger crews'
verdict on the Shermans.
In t he autumn sllzAbt. 504 crossed the
Apennines to assist in the defence of t he Gothic
Line near Rimini . Here its strength was steadil y
eroded by the combined effects of naval gunfire,
medium art illery and the methodical British
infalllrY/tank drill. The battalion remained in
action against the British 8th Army until the
German forces in Italy surrendered on 3 :\1ay
[945
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 508 was formed in
August 1943 and was for a while associated with
trials of [he Goliath self-propelled bombs, whi ch
proved to be such a dismal failure at Anzio.
Although 3/508 was also present at Anzio from
February to Yfay 1944, it is not clear from the
records available whether it was involved in these
aborti ve att empts; the impression given is that it
fought as a conventional Tiger company, inflict-
ing loss but suffering severely from t he effects of
naval gunfire. Nor is much known of the bat-
tali on's actions during the withdrawal to
northern Italy, although in January 19+5 it
ha nded over its remaining vehicles to sPzAbl. 504
and returned to Germany.
In France the first Tigers to meet the Allies
belonged to sSS- P:t Abt. 101, the Corps Tiger
Banalion of I SS Pa nzer Kor ps. On 13 June the
British 7th Armoured Di vision was engaged in a
wide ri ght hook which, if successful , would not
only lever the defenders of Caen out of their
positions but would also isolate the Panz.er LdlT
Division. Shortly after dawn the leading British
brigade, 22nd Armoured, approached Villers
Socage and its advance guard- ' A' &luadron,
4th County of London Yeomanry, and ' A'
Company, 151 Bn . The Rifle Brigade passed
through the village and halted at the roadside
beyond. The tanks, carriers and half-tracks were
then closed up nose-to-Iail 10 allow sufficient
room for t he rel ief point units to pass.
The rood climbed to the summit of Hill 213,
where the whole course of events was watched by
3'
the commander of 2/101. Obcrsturmruhrer
Michael Wittmann. Aged 30, Wittmann was
already credited wi th the des truction of 119
Russian tanks; he had been awarded the Knights'
Cross on 14 J anuary 1944, gaining the Oak-
IC:lves onl y 16 days later, both whil e serving with
13/SS- PR ' I..sSAH'. On the morning of 13 June
his ~ o 2 Company mustered only six Tigers, of
which onl y four were in a fit sta te to fight , the
battalion havi ng JUSt complcted a difficult road
march from Beauvais. Nea rby was No [ Com-
pany, also reduced to a handful ofvehiclcs.
Willmann realized tha t the British had halted
in such a manner as to trap themselves if
allacked, since the narrow road left no room for
turning. His Tiger lurched out of its position and
onto a track running parallel with the road, the
first round smashing into a half-track with such
force that it was thrown, blazing, across the
highway. The great machine lumbered the length
of the colu mn, its gun belching flame and each
round claiming another victim. Then Willmann
directed his dri ver onto the road itself and into
the village. A Cromwell fired at point-blank
range, without result , and then erupted in flames
and smoke as the SS's I'eturn round tore through
it. The Tiger rolled on, devouring everything in
its path, including the Yeomanry's RHQ Troop
and several OP Shermans. Another Cromwell
reversed into a side road, hoping to send a shot
into the German's t hinner rear armour, but
Willmann was expecting something of the kind
and had his turret traversed ready to blow his
opponent apart. He then turned orr the main
street and returned to Hill 213 across country.
Virtuall y a lone, he had stopped 7th Armoured
Division in its tr<l cks: from start to finish the
action had taken a mere five minutes.
Less well known is the immedia te sequel.
During the afternoon 2/ 10 1 and elements of' 2.
Panzer-Di vision ent ered Villers-Bocage, to be
savagel y assailed on all sides. ' A troop of Crom-
well tanks of the CLY, commanded by Lieu-
tenant Conon. edged its way towards the centre
of the town. Turning into the ma in street the
crew of the leading tank, commanded by
Corporal Horne, saw a Pz Kpfw IV 20 yards
away, while behind were two alert Tiger tanks,
the foremost of which started to swing its gun to
engage them. Trooper \Vood, the gunner, quickly
shot up the PzKpfw I V, which into flames,
and the driver, Trooper Grimshaw, reversed the
tank into a side street with commendable
celerity.
'The German tank men dismounted to peep
round the wall at the British tank, and a game
of hide-and-seck began. Armour-piercing shells
were fired at our tank through the intermediate
buildings. The crew noted the words "Justice el
Paix" on a baltered building with mixed feelings.
'Arter a time the Huns seemed to consider that
our tank had been knocked out, and one of the
started up. As the hull appeared at the end
of the street, Trooper Wood fired one shot which
put the tank out of control and it crashed into a
building. One Tiger tank remained \0 be dealt
with.
'I n the meantime the troop commander,
Lieutenant Colton, had entered a house over-
looking the Tiger. Seeing that the tank was shut
down and that there was no sign of activity, he
assumed thal lhe crew had bailed out. Hc
collected some petrol, poured it over the tank,
and was about to set it alight when, to his
surprise, the tank moved 01T. Once again,
Corporal Horne was on the alert and dealt with it
in the same way as it crossed the end of his street.
'By this lime fierce battles were going on all
over the town and men of Ihe Queen's Royal
Regiment had arrived to play their part with
6pdr. anti-tank guns. About five o'clock in the
afternoon it was realized that the opposition was
too strong and a withdrawal was made to a high
feature west of the bauered tOWIl.
1J
The day's fighting cost 7th Armoured Division
'25 tanks, 14 half-tracks and '4 carriers, the
majority lost during the morning. The afternoon
allack saw three written 01T, a further
three immobilized (including Wittmann's) and
several or '2nd Panzer's tanks knocked out.
Willmann was awarded the Swords to his
Knights' Cross on the recommendation of
General Bayerlein of the Po".t." LLhr, and was
immediately promoted. lIe declined an appoint-
ment to an officers' tactical school, and was
killed on 8 August in a bailie with a troop of
'Club 30 Corp! in t: uropc, '946.
Kauptrnann Walcer Scherff or wu awarded the
Rittf!rkre''''' 0" Febno.ary ."'''' while ... rvinS in Rus .. "'.
DuriDfl the Nornoandy amp";p he co .... nanded the
banalion'" ,.Kompanie, which was wiped oul on ,_
"ep ..... ,e _cuion .. : "", P .... ,e 1>2. (ECPA)
British Shermans at least partly equipped with
17pdr. FireOies.
Arriving in :'ol'ormandy in early july, sSS-
PzAbl. 10'2 (the II SS Korps Tiger battalion )
went into action immediately on the vital Odon
sector. On lojuly at !\Ialtot 1/ 10'2 destroyed 12
oul of 14 Churchills belonging to 9th Royal Tank
Regiment, but elsewhere Hill 11'2, the linchpin
of the German defence, fell to a determined
British attack. It wassSS-pzAbt. 102 which led II
SS Korps' in a series of night
attacks which succeeded in recapturing half of
the hill, which became the most bitterly con-
tested feature in The Germans held
their ground with the British with massed
artillery fire; so bad was the latter that Tiger
crewmen on standby were often unable to dis-
mount for the most urgent personal reasons,
nature's calls being answered with the aid of an
empty shell case. The battalion left the Odon
valley at the end of july, moving west to the
American sector and the eventual shambles of
the Falaise pocket. During the campaign III
33
---
'ahoolin in' ,he;r n.,w Koni sstis.,r!!l;note ,he
b.,avy muul., hi."" of ,b., '88. T h., two ,anks on Ib., rigbt
b.y., ,b.,ir I "n", lodot:d in ., I.,yal ion while p nn.,ry in.
structor", di"'<:UlIa ,b., rH"I'a of ,brir s booling wi,b Ih.,
cr.,w . (B .... de"'.n;b;y)
it destroyed 227 tanks and 28 anti
tank guns.
Schwere Panzer.Abteilung 503 came into the
line cast of Caen on 11 July. At first only No 1
Company was fully equipp('d with Bs, but
as refitting continued the issu(' became general.
On 18 July 3 Company was cauglll in the
bomb carpet which opcn<."<l Operation 'Good-
wood' and was all but destroyed, although later
in the day Nos I and 2 Companies arrived in time
to repulse the British attack on Bollrgellbus
Ridge. 3/503 re-equipped at :\Iailly-k-Camp but
did not return to Normandy. losing its last Tigers
in a vain attempt to hold the line of the Seine at
Amiens. In September the battalion was re-
equipped yet again before leaving for the
Eastern Front.
Thanks to Il iller's nowithdrawal order, which
kept them within range of the Allied naval guns,
the effects of massed artilkry quite unlike any-
thing experienced in the East and the incessant
activities of ground-attack aircraft, all the Tiger
battalions which fought in Normandy were
slowly battered to destruction, although many of
their personnel managed to escape-.
As previously mentioned, spzAbt. 506 left the
I:::astern Front for refitting in l()H. The
battalion's first actions in the \rest w('rc a direct
response to lhe Allied airborne opera lions at
Arnhem and Nijmegen, and it was then employed
against the Americans a t Geilenkirchen and
Aachen, becoming a rour-company battalion by
31
absorbing the independent Heavy Tank Com.
pany ' Ilummel ' in December. (l\ number of
independent Heavy Companies \\ere planned for
the local 'Fire role, but of these only
sPzKp ' Hummd', named after its first com-
mander, was given substance.)
Tog-Nher \ .. ith sSS I>z.\bt. 101. sPz. \bl. 506
took part in ti l(' ArdelllH'S onCnsi\'l'. That Ti gers
were <It all confirmed Germany's acutc
shortage of tanks. since they wert' quitc un-
suitable for the lyP{' of dt't'p-
penetration operation that was planned. In the
film Batllt oJIIi, tlie cinematic equivalent of
ObcrsturmbannfLilirer J oachim Peipn ('xpn'ssed
delight at the prospect of his ballkgroup being
led by Konigstigers. In reality l\'iper spoke out
against the whole COllet'pt of the Heavy Bat-
lalions. suggesting instt'ad that t'aeh Panzer
division should haw own Tiger company
which would provide a firm base around which
the lighter tanks could l'xl'fcise their more
n('xible tactics. Again, h(' was too experienced an
officer to permit his lint' of advance along the
narrow. tortuous .\ rdenn('S roads to be blocked
by broken-do\\ n Tigers. For the most part, tht'
Ileav), Battalions trundled along behind the more
mobile l>zKpf\\ IVs and Panthers, huge
quanlili('S of pctrol that could have becn put to
good use elsewherc.
The end was ine,-iwble ('\-'('1\ before the failure
of this last great Gt'rman ofJ'emive. During the
rcw remaining months of the war sPzAbt. 506
was swallowed in th(' Ruhr pocket. The last
TigTrs to sern' 011 the \Vestrrn Front were
mann('d by crews rrom sPzAbl. 508, the in
complete sPzAbl. jll, and the personnel of
{r<lining ('Stabli .. hll1{'nLs.
Hitler ol1ce commented that each Tig('r bat-
talion was worth a Panzer division to him,
although Ihe form('r could never perform the
duties of the latt('r, nor was it evcr intended that
tiH'Y should. The influence or tht' I kavy Bat
tali ons was purdy local; they won thei r battles
but they never altered the course of a campaign.
For all thai, the Tiger in both its lorms remains
all(' of the world's mmt It'gendar} weapon
syst{'ms.
..
Further views of the me K" ..... Thc:H lank" kay" the
Ponch" turrH, which identifie-s them amons tbe IiniI
,.. KOrU!l:5t;sen to be built. (Buntlnaremy)
The Plates
AI: Tigtr E, l/sPvlhl. 502; Leningrad front,
winl" '.942/43
This whick is finished in standard Panzer grey
with roughly applied whitewash snow camou-
nage, and the tank number < 123' in yellow on the
turret sides. 502's insignia was a mammoth
(detail inset) and this may have been painted on
the frOIll plate close to the driver's visor; certainly
this area has been Jcrt grty dtlibcratcly, and our
source photograph shows while markings which
give a strong impr{"SSion of the insignia. i\ rubber
lyre from a roadwiwc\ is stowed on tlw hull side.
Slightly laler photographs of 502 show Lculnant
\ky<-'r's Tiger with an all .white turret and upper
hull but grey roadwh('ds and lower hull, the
overall (n(ct being extreme!) smart; no turret
numb('r was carried by :\!eyer's vehicle.
:-...... -
A2: Tig" E, r{sP<;Abl. 501; Tunisia, tariy 1943
This detail was taken from a limited-vicw photo-
graph contained in the contemporary British
intelligence file on the Tiger. The vehicle is light
sand yell o\\ and the white turret number '7' is
probably the only Olle carried. The placing of the
baualion's stalking tiger insignia is most unusual,
as is thaI of the name Xorbti. I nset is a detail
vi('w ofsPzAbl. 5 0 1 ' ~ in<;ignia.
35
A3: Tiger E, l /s PzAhl. 504; Tunisia, spring '943
The overall olive green finish of this vehicle
confirms its late arrival in Africa and therefore
indi cates a lank belonging to 504 rather than 50 1,
whos(' vehicles W('fe the more common sand
yellow. The turret is marked 142 in red trimmed
with white. The vehicle is fitted with the Feifcl
air filler system.
BI: Tiga E, 8/sPz Kp ( Tiger), 2. SS-Pan<.tr-
Cwwdi" Division' Dar Reich'; Russia,
.11 arch 1943
' Oa5 Reich's' Tiger company was formed in
December 1942 and first wt'nt into action in
February 19+3. The photograph on which our
painting is based was probabl y taken ncar
Bclgorod, and the all-whil(' colour scheme and
runic divi sional sign (dC' lail inst"t) have enabled
us to dale it fairly accu ratel y. The vehicl e
number '332' is painted in black on the turret
sides: in Tiger battalions tIl(' normal numbering
sequence company/ troop/ tank seems to have
On .. of AIK .. n .... ,; 503'- Ki",; Ti,; ...... _b ... doned by. Fre:o.da
road!l.id ... Th ...... jor di ... d __ tase oftbe PorKh .. turret _s
tb .. rouaded fro .. t, which could d"Oect s bon do_ ...... rd
thro",;h tb .. roof of tbe drivi,,! companm .... t. (RAe T .....
MuftUm)
been rather less than uni versal. The fitting of
S-mine dischargcrs, as shown, was never very
popular; the weapon was too indiscriminate in its
effect, and not suffi cientl y 'soldier-proor to
prevent accidents.
82: Tiger E, lurrd delail, unil unknown; Russia,
1943
The vehicl e was finished in factory yellow ochre
and light.ly spra yed with brown camouflage
pain!. On the turret side is t he ve hicl e number
'334' in red outlined in whit( and in rront of t.llis
is an unusual placing of a large national cross;
both number and cross a rc repeated on the rear
bin.
83: Tiga E, 8/sP<. Kp (Tiger), 3. SS-Pall<.er-
Grenadier Division ' TOltllkopf'; Kursk, summer
1943
German tank crews were issued with tins of green
and brown camouflage paste which could be
diluted and applied to their vehicles as the
situation demanded. In this case a continuous
brown wavy line has been painted over the ochre
finish. The turret number ' II I', in black outlined
in white, is repeated on the rear bin. Not all of
Kompanic 8's Tigers carried the division's black
threc-bar sign, but we have traced olle cxample
in which the insignia has been painted on the
frOll t plate, close to the hull machinc-gun (detail
inset). Ingenious usc has been made of a torn
side skirt to stow a jerrican.
CI: Tiger E, '3/sP<.Kp (Tigtr), J. SS- Pan(p-
Grtnaditr Diuision ' Ltibstandarlt'; Kursk,
summer '943
In t his case the basic ochre colour scheme has
been oversprayed with areas of brown on the
turret , hull front and back, leaving soft t.xlges; the
hard-edged brown hatchings on the hull sides
have, however, been appli ed with a brush.
Markings arc limited to a slllall '6 13' on thc
turret side, and the national cross on the hull; no
frontal markings arc visible on Ollr source photo-
graph. It is unusual to see the qui ck-recognition
largc swastika fl own from the radio aeri al rather
than spread over lhe rear decking.
C2:: Tigtr F., 8/sP('Kp (Tiger), 2. SS- Panzer-
erenadi,r Division' Das Reich'; Kursk, summer
'943
This vehicle provides an interes ting contrast wi th
lhal shown in 1)late 81. The ochre finish has been
oversprayt.xI with large diagona l areas of brown.
This company used turret numbers in sequence
wi th the prefix 'S' for Schwere, HQ tanks being
marked e.g. SOl. Also on the turret side is the
Kompanie 8 'i mp', who appears regularly in
The nenst:bel turret , hems ft.I.( .... nled with ... Ii s hl b.ck.
ward. lilt , pre_Died no .. ucb "hot ...... p". NOie boo"" (or
.. pll ..... Irlld< t ..... " on Ih" lurrl!t of thil ""hid". (RAe Tan"
MUII"um)
'943 photographs of this unit (detail inset ). The
original runic divisional insignia has been reo
placed by the white double-bar emblem used by
' Oas Reich' at Kursk. The national cross on the
hull side is trimmed very narrowl y in white. The
crew's helmets are slung from a wi re alongside
the hull.
D.: Tiger E, ' lsSS- Pz Abt. 101 ; Morgny, Frana,
JUrI'1944
The vehicle has a coat of factory.appli ed
Zimmtrit overpaintcd with yellow ochre, following
which a heavy green and brown camouflage has
been applied . The vehicle number ' 131 ' appears
on the lurrel side. The ins ignia of I. SS Panzer
Korps 'uihstllrlllartt' (detail inset right ) appears
on the fronl and rear plates in squares which have
been left free of Zimmtril. Also inset are the old
markings used by Heavy Tank Companies; use
of these was now rare, bu t two vehicles of this
unit which were knocked out at Villers-Socage
carried them on the left end or their rront and
right end of their rear plates, opposite t he Corps
insignia. Both had resilient steel wheels, so
neither can have been t h i ~ particular vehicle, but
there is no reason why it should not have been so
marked.
37
D2: J';, 3/sP.{Abt. 503; Normandy, July '944
Known to have been commanded by Hauptmann
Walter ScherlT, this vehicle has an almost
identical camouOage scheme to that illustrated in
Plate 0 I, supplemented by heavy foliage for the
final approach march into position. The turret
number '301' indicates the company com
mander's tank, and is repeated on the rear hin,
apparently in black trimmed with white, al
though we arc working from a highcontrast
night photograph. This vehicle, like that in 01,
has the improved cupola fitted to later versions of
the :\1odcl E; note the resilient steel wheels.
EI: Tiger B (Porsche tumt) , 3/sP-tAbt. 503;
,\/ailly/(-Camp, July /944
After being nil but wiped out during Operation
'Coodwood' 3/503 refitted with Porsche turret
King Tigers at i\lailly.leCamp. In this instance
the tank's basic ochre has been almost covered
with olive green with a pattern of vertical brown
streaks. On most :\10dd Bs the national cross was
painted centrally on the turret side, but here it
appears well forward on the hull. 3/503 lost
several more vehicles when attacked from the air
while returning to the front, its last Tigers being
destroyed ncar Amiens.
E2: Dttail oj Jhnsc/lelturrtt Tiger R, 2/sP-tAbt.
505; Army Group Cmtre, Em/ern Front, autumn
'944
Abteilung 505 took great pride in their charging
knight insignia, leaving a large rectangle clear of
Zimmerit on the turret side so that it could be
painted on; the device was also painted on the
turrets of lhe battalion's Model Es before it was
equipped with Konigstigers, sometimes in black,
sometimes in brown. Another distinctive marking
of 50S'S was the system of vehicle numbering
using the inner and outer sleeves of the gun
barrel, the company number generally being
closest to the mantlet. On this particular turret
large areas of the ochre finish have been sprayed
with green and brown.
E3: D(tail oj l1enscheltumt Tiger B, 2/sP;:,Abt.
503; Budap(st, tarfy '945
Once again, the ochre-painted Zimmeril has been
oversprayed with areas of green and brown, but
88mtn KwK 36 Ammunition
pzGr 39
(APCBC:
I'rCr 40
(AI'CR)
II EAT
HF:
,\fU'{''{'11
I'e/oeily
fl luc
26
57
3
000
rq68
(Percussion fuse) 26g0
HE
(Time fuse)
IVtighf,
Round
( Ib,)
33-75
3
2
. 00
3 r. 75
II'tight,
Pro/tetil,
( Ib,)
2075
16.00
1675
20.06
r..IOSI commonly Slowed were PzGr 39, PlGr
40, HEAT and HE. (percussion fuse), identi
fied by their respective colourcoded projcc.
tiles. black with white c:tp. black, grey and
yellow; additionally the PzCr 39 case was
markc.'(1 '8.8cm Flak 18' and the HE (per
cussion casc 'S.Scm 398 T. liE (time
fuse) was in short supply, but there is reason
to believe that it was used by Tigcrs in
Normandy to airburst over the turrets of
Allied tanks at cxtremc range.
At shorter ranges APCR (Armour Piercing
Composite Rigid) ammunition, relying on a
high density core to achieve penetration,
produced better results than APcnC
(Armour Piercing Capped Ballistic Cap)
because of its higher muzzle velocity. How-
ever, the lighter projectile r{:sultf'cI in a sharp
in performance above 1,000 yards,
whereas the APCBC projectile was capable of
penetrating Somlll plate set back at 30 at
2,000 yards.
here the turret carries more conventional mark-
ings, the vehicle number '233' being painted
centrally and ahead of the national cross and
repeated on the turret rear escape hatch. For
extra protection spare track links have been
suspended from hooks fore and aft.
I
.t: TilW IJ, 503; J/unf!,ory, winter
'944/45
Alt hough painted overall in \\ hiIC snow camou-
flage, this vehicle has a small arca or the gun left
in its original colou r scheme '10 that the name
'Annclicse' is clearly visible. The vehicle number
'3[4' is in white outlined in red, but is partly
obscured by whitewash. T he national cross has
been painted centrall y on the turret side.
F (top) : Intm'or, TiW' E turret, showing loader's
positioll find adiaetll! ammunition bi,lJ.
Sec key on p. 25.
F (bottom) : E tImet, showing
gunne,'s /)0511ion as SUfi by loader.
For clarity part of the brccch has been ('ut away
and t he shield from the roof has been omitted.
Sec key on p. 25.
G (top) : Intenor, Tiga F: turret, shou'in,t: (om-
W .. U_lo.nown b .. , II H-t..Jly d et ailed phoCoV-ph s howin!!;
U"'DM:h,,) Ti!l;<!r B, probabl y of s P:lAbt .,S03. beUo8 s prayed
with brown a nd a unouOa8"' pa ... , by iu .,.. ..... in a
rear ...... durill.8 the NO ..... . lI.dy campa in. Thi5, and th ..
" .. hid .. inunar:ula, e a ppearan un .... that i, i .. a brand
ne ... d .. l iv .. ry. (Bund .... archi,, )
G (bottom) : Interior, TilW E, SIIOWillf{ driver's
positiOlllookilll!,Jorword.
See key on p. 25.
HI: Tiger n, .5PZAbl. 506: Aachen, fate '.944
This vehicle is shown in lhe 'ambush' colour
scheml' in which ochre, green and brown have
been applicd to resemble the sun-dappled leaf
paltern of wooded country. The addition of
vehicle numbers, insignia, etc., would have been
incompatible with such a scheme.
fu: Turret eSUlpe IUI/ch marAin!!" company COnl-
nUlflder's T(t:er 11. 3/sPv lht. 505
mander's position as sun by loader. H3: Battalion inn,t:lllo, .!Pz. lbt. 506
Again the shield is omitted. See key on p. 25, and
photograph elSl'whert: in this book. H.t : BattaflOn inngnia, sPzAbt. 508
39
I
\
I
f
,
"
n
h
II
I
A
' I
h
tI
"
E
A
k,
Z
P'
tu
C(
'0
of
us
b,
do
I.
wi
E:
o
ov
H5: Turut detail, Tiger F.; Easttrn Front, winter
194
2
143
Beneath the carelessly applied whitewash the
name ' Dorothcc' remains visible on the gun. The
unit could be spzAbt. 502 but is more likely to be
503, which had a long tradition of naming ilS
tanks arter girls.
H6: Battalion insignia, sP,{Ahl. 504
H7: Turrtt numbm'ng style, Tiger E, 507,
Russia
r.rbtafeln
A. , ();c .'a.1x """h brnu,n lu d,oc. It'' mi' Crobt.
.... t .... nu Ab,<ilunltSlticben .... a.
\hmmu', v"n dtln _Iaub., d_ '" nelxn de.n &h,.;hJ i .. o:kt r.h ...... n
d,.,..m Panur gemah war. h I U"gtwohnhcbe d ..
icbens u"d """ individudl." I'anzc",alll(ni. A31 I'kn. d;"". Ei"hc",
ID Af.ika .p.un all d;., d ... ,\b, J'I' tin,,,,r.n, ""' n of\ grun cnlncn.n
Btl Di. Tunnnu"'II"eril"rU"II IUd" d .... R.ih ..... IOIR' d ....
fruh .. en I'ill'" t:i""." .... d 55 Divi.;., ..... " !leach .. Eill.dll.i, rn:b .. : drr
\b.kicrullflen linD d .. hirl, ..... n RUlnl'fplai'e. Il<ad". di< IIngt-
...... IIlk .... Art <kt d .. Hohe"ok...,u ... auf <kn Tu....-i'." lind
. B3' EintRe P.n .... diOK' Komp;oni. Itu,!; .... du .p<' .... d...,,-
""",fige Oivi'I(ID ... id ... n, dM fll' dcn KUllk .',ld.1I1 I ... "u .. , Wllrtk, auf dtm
,,,.dfTen Rlllnp( neben dem Ma""h",.ng."""
C., IkKh,. d ... un,enchiodhd .. A .... h"'. de. T nung lIn ., u.m und
Rumpf .in .. ,I;"pn,h,. das ......... handgtmah 0 ... >.u' ,-.kennu,.
dutch ",I, ,I;<:",,Jmhch naeh auf dem h,"' .... n I)"':k 8<1e!I1 lind
",d" wi<' h,e " d., ,\",.ml( lxf .. ttg1. Ca , Di.", "'omp."i. "um.nc.i.".
all. Pan in. ml( <km V" .... lChen 'S' fut SC .... ' ..,' 0.,
",obok]' " ,n
DII I)"" 7.ch.n d .. I SS ... .. , ..:II\ am h"ken fond.
vontere.n und hilll"',n RUII\l'fplatl= .. 'n'!)cn all
... d ...... d ... .. Mh ... ......
k"m1"'n ...... lCben ' .. .. 'Cl['. l,nk D2 ' 0,....- lind ,orht.gth.llde
... hahtn den ".nu"u.m lind nach !km leuten Typ 0,.,
"I det P>n"" ,on llat'l"mann Wall S<hc.ff.
E" t;n,,,,,,,,hnlich.,. t('nkr'eeh. '1 amunk""hrml de. "blkh.n d",
tar"'n, unod d.,. lIoh .... kreu..... 1::0 , I) ..
R",.n.i.be" und die Plnicru"K d .... Numm"n Gnch",d'lIIfWll..,n
t:iB.nIICit de. Ah"ilung u"d .l1o<h .. "." .IIf .be.d.n n', d,m
Tlgt. t: und d<:m K"nl!(Sti, , '9H E.3' TYI'_ch. 1'1 i"unll <ks
AbulC .... ns &m Tu.", <ko Kon'lUII.", 141 Di. _ ... Tarnf.,1lt dcd, &11.
\Ia.k;"",,,,.n, au.' l\."",,, 'Ao ... h .... a .. fde.n ...
, (oben), I"".na",;.h, des t: 1'1I.mn, rech .. an die I'.,.;,ion , ....
(U .. ,,,,,, ) I;nk, in Ri<'hIUl'g I''';';"n dn
Schlitzen .. hauend. S ..... 1';"'1 '" .",1 Sprach. auf Se,t. I.u. KIa.he"
habtn ,,-i. d ... iKme Srhulzpbn d;"1ItIm Oach htrunter hi"" _ada .... "
G (abe .. ), Il,. P(10111011 d .. KQI"mandeull, "on d .. I'",i,ion d .. GcKh",,-
lade .. a ... ... h.n lind ... iet1.run\ wu.de di. Schull!'I.". ,wl",h.n d,m
Sltz "nd d c...:bu,.b.nd .. ".wl,....,n. (U.I""' ) I),.. "OII'I(HI dn
hh .... S;"h. Ti,el in .ngt S.,..ach. &ufSei,. 25-
It" F b!u .. mm ..... l.II,,"g, '''" "';t d., IOml.nd".<hfl .. ,."d."
Waldbnd.cltaf' .u .. mmen,"bl.ndcn; "" .. ",I ...... i .. "'."',, k.i". Ab id""
darullt'gtmah. "2 II , Si.be Titel in .ngl. Spra<:be. d ... 1m AIIRe"",in'D
Rlbo,a\14I1'nd oind
I"
H8: .t./u.{.zle brake paiuted to memble tiger's jawj
Abt. 500, Pad"born 1943
H9: BaUafion insignia, 507
Known to have appeared on left upper rear pi al
of some of this unit's vehicles.
HI0: Delail oj Tiger E gun with name {lliidegard
unit unknown
HII: Turret numbering Tig" F., 2/sP.;: Ai
504, Italy
Notes sur les plancheI' en couleur
AI ' '-" .oulcu, lIandard e".o", u.ili ...... ,'f'(" UII (""'o"n,
bl.t>(' flto. ... hl !"' ....... u. I.'ul<'lla", a,ai. un mammo,,,h pour In"gnc .,1
p<'n", qu. celuH' .,all I,f ",. tt char pm dll kl""l .... <k v ......
1>,10)", Out I. d.,-anl d. I. ",,_. PI...:. ",hab." ... II. d.
I'ob"ol"",f ... ""m du c ..... A31 Lei cha .. unM ... ,,'1'0
Afriq .... "prl:s d<: jOl, pem ... n ,'ert
B. , I ... nu ..... ro ... K< de II tou""n. n u"."" JI'U I'ordre ""rmal da .. 1eo">1
""'lk d .. 1'i,en <in d,vl..., .. So". No,e.l. M.all de ma.qucolII
.trlh .. M la Call"'. !hl '10'(' I'ul"".';"" ",,,,hte d.
'UI "'" oolfo(I 'U' I'a .. iohe d. I. ' .. 8" SlI' drvan
la cai_.lI crill dr II mi, .,,,lIeu,,,, oert.ins chan de ce"ewmpagnlt po".
.pleial de la di"ilion, romP""" de .,.,,;. rita, employ.' Ion d.
d. K"unk
C r.Olez Ie diffl..,n, du .a" ... "ftag<' .u. b "",,,lie, el lu' I. c.ioo
u .... partie au p; .... Io:t.. e' I'.u'"' it la main I.., d .. ........ ,
par rav;.I"'" ... I ..... i, h.b"u.llcm .... ' it pl., .li. Ie r
, plu,o, it 1'1"'."'" C<Jm"", dao. I .. mpk ell C
(O'''I',agn;'' rlumirotli, rh'l"c cha. d ... l'Ot1lrr "".rmll, .vee It I' .... fix,
po", St/uL", . I", 'Iu'in' IIa" l'iDOJI\ .... de la wmpo.gn,..
D. , I.'im,!!". d" Ic. Corp- SS Pa" ... (.n ca"OII.he, it d .... I.: 'ur la ,a,
d,. pla'!u,," av,,,, .1 amh. de la ra ..... . A I'u' .... mi'i droll. d. en pl.,
<hall po. talcnl ou,,; Ie ',,"UK 'ymbol. d. la con'I'"II"1< d.,. c
Iou.d. 'cn canou.:h it It.llch. DlII Ie char p .... ki.,,', or
coupolo: d'un plUI ,"".n.," I .. rou .... n .c ..... compte" Vooci Ie elta
"ott" Scherff
E" U, ... racoo ""'i'<' d'util,,,,, la ,roil coule" .. hahi,,,dl.,. danl
bandn w-rtlC&let;rt pooinon la croo. nallOl
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OSPREY VANGUARD
A series of books describing key units and wcapons systems of
20th cen tury warfare, prepared by leading military experts
for the enthusiast and mod ell er, and illustrating authemi c details
of a rmour and supporting vehic:les, camouflage, markings,
un iforms, insignia and ,,'capons.
Avec a nDot at io n li e n li u.r leli pl.neh ell en coul", ur
Mil AufzekhnunS"'D a uf d e uuc:h u ber die Fa rblaf",ln
I . Briti s h 7th Armoured Divis ion
Panzer-Gr enadier Divis ion ' Grossdeutsc hland'
3. US 1 S t Infantry Divi sion
4. Fallschirmpa nze rdivi s ion ' Hermann Goring'
5. US 10I s t Airborne Divi sion
6. The Lee/Gra nt T anks in Briti sh Service
7. 2nd SS P a nze r Divis ion ' Das Reic h'
8. US I s t Ma r i n e Divis ion
9. Briti s h Gu a rds Armoured Divis ion
10. AlJjed T a nk Destroyer s
II. US 2nd Armored Di vis ion
12. Sturma rtille rie a nd Pa nze rjager
13. The ChurchiJI Tank
.4. The T-:w T a nk
15. The She rman Ta nk in Briti s h Se rvice
16. The Panze rkampfwa ge n III
17 The Stuart Light Tank Series
18. The Panzerkampfwagen IV
19 Armour of the Middle East Wars 1948-,8
2 0 . The Tige r Tanks
BRYJ\:\ PER RI :T r \\:\s born ill [93-1 a nd educated at Livcrpool College.
Il l' scncd in the Royal Armourcd Corps, in the J 7th/ 21 st I.anccrs,
Westminstcr Dragoons, Imd Royal Tank Regiment, and was awarded the
' I erritorial Deeoration. l ie is now a professional author, and has published
numerous al1(l a nic/cs on all aspcClS ofarmour("d wa rfa re from the
First Worl d Wa r to the present da ). Ik yan I)crrct! is married, a nd lives in
Lancashire.
0 115045 389 5
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