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.

Origins of the Schwere Panzer Abteilungen.

A few days before the start of Operation Zitadelle, Tigers of sPzAbt.505 take up their positions. In the background are several SdKfz 251s, one of which is equipped with the Wuhrfrahm 40 rocket launcher.

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.

Tiger Tactics

The Tiger Kompanie advances through the steppe, leaving a trail of destroyed Russain tanks.

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.

Camouflage and Markings of the Tiger Battalions

Tiger I, sPzAbt.509, Russia, late 1943.

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.

Some data about the individual Tiger tank heavy battalions.

Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 - sPzAbt. 501

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.

Tiger 142 of sPzAbt.501 advances down a road in Tunisia. The Tiger has the unit field modifications, the lowered headlights and modified mudguards, that made the tanks of sPzAbt.501 unique.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

In January, 1945, sPzAbt 503 was renamed sPzAbt "Feldherrnhalle" and was attached to the "Feldherrnhalle" Panzer Grenadier Division. This King Tiger of sPzAbt "FHH" is seen in Budapest during the spring of 1945.

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.

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.

This Tiger of s.Pz.Abt.504 was captured by the British in North Africa. It doesn't use turret numbers, and this distinguishes it from the Tigers of s.Pz.Abt.501.

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.

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.

Tiger I, late production, sPzAbt.505, Russia, February 1944.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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 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.

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. 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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Schwere SS Panzer Kompanien (SS-PzRgt.1, 2and 3)

End of 1943, fighting in the Zihtomir sector; Tiger S33 (with S13 following behind), sKp/SS-PzRgt.2, SS-Panzer Grenadier Division Das Reich. Note the impacts from anti-tank rifle on the front plate, and the divisional sign on the right - this unit marking was used from the Kursk offensive until the Winter of 1943-44. Also visible is the Gnome on the side of the turret.

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.

SS Panzergrenadieren of SS Pz Division Totenkopf discussing a offensive action with a Tiger commander of 9.Kp/SS-PzRgt.3, before the start of operation Zitadelle, in the summer of 1943.

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.

The Tiger II nbr. 222 of SS Unterscharführer Kurt Sowa of s.SS.PzAbt.501 advances during the Battle of the Bulge, and gives the fallschirmjäger of the 1. Fallschirmjäger Abt./9. Fallschirmjäger Rgt. a lift. The 1. Fallschirmjäger Abt. was temporarily attached to Kampfgruppe Peiper . The identification of the Tiger II, its commander, and the units in the photo was kindly provided to us by Ernesto Yubi Mendoza and Juan Carlos Castilla Seba.

Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101

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.

This Tiger of 3rd Kompanie of SS-sPzAbt.101 is a mid production vehicle that has its single headlight moved to the hull top position, and is equipped with older style roadwheels and a binocular gunner's sight.

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.

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.

Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 103

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.

Hungary

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.

For more info on the Tiger Battalions see the fantastic site PANZERDIESEL .

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