Tiger Tanks

The Panzerkampfwagen VIE, commonly known as the "Tiger I", was an armoured fighting vehicle born out of combat experience on the Russian Front.  It's thick frontal armour and 8.8cm main armament made it a most feared adversary.  Most Tigers were employed in special heavy tank battalions (schwere panzer abteilungen or s.Pz.Abt) but Grossdeutschland was one of but a few elite units to have its own organic Tigers.  GD's first Tigers were early production models, with characteristic rubber-rimmed roadwheels and tropical air cleaners, but in 1944 newer Tigers with steel rimmed roadwheels, a lower cast cupola, and zimmerit (anti-magnetic paste) began to become available to GD.

Panzer Battalion GD

While still designated a motorized infantry division in early 1943, GD had Tigers assigned to its Panzer Abteilung (tank battalion), as the 13th Company of the battalion.  Hauptmann Wallroth commanded this company from 13 Jan 1943 to 15 August 1943.

In February 1943, 9 Tiger Is were delivered to the battalion, and none were lost between then and Kursk (even during the fighting around Kharkov).  They were painted in dark (panzer) grey with white outlined turret numbers. These Tigers along with 10 PzKpfw IIIs) came from No. 3 Company, Panzer Regiment 203.

On 3 Mar 1943, only 6 of the 9 Tigers were operational. 

Tank Numbers - 13. Company Panzer Battalion GD March 1943

The period 7 - 19 March 1943 was described in Germany's Tiger Tanks by Thomas Jentz.  During this period GD's Tigers saw action in the Poltawa-Belgorad area, beginning at 0615 on 7 March.  There was reason to be optimistic; Tiger crews reported first round hits at ranges of 600 to 1000 metres with frontal penetration of T-34 tanks, with these penetrations even resulting in the destruction of the engine at the rear of the tank.  It was found that few T-34s were made to burn when hit from the front, but in 4 of 5 instances of shots from the same ranges striking the hull side of the T-34, towards the rear, or actually hitting the rear of the tank itself, the fuel tanks were made to explode.  A report indicated that " Even at ranges of 1500 meters and longer, during favorable weather, it is possible to succeed in penetrating the T-34 with minimal expenditure of ammunition."

Another report by GD Tigers told of a scout patrol by two Tigers encountering 20 Russian tanks to their front, with other tanks attacking from their rear.  Both Tigers were hit at least 10 times by Russian armour piercing shells mostly of 76.2 mm size, at ranges of 500 - 1000 metres.  No penetrations were achieved on the Tigers, and even hits on the Tiger's running gear that tore away suspension arms did not prove to be immobilizing.  The two Tigers managed to knock out 10 enemy tanks within fifteen minutes.

During March, the Tigers knocked out over 40 Russian vehicles without suffering a single combat loss.  On 31 March, only 1 Tiger was operational.  Repairs were made in April, however.

On 13 May 1943, 6 more Tiger Is were delivered to Grossdeutschland, giving them a total of 15, organized into four platoons as follows: 

Tank Numbers - 13. Company Panzer Battalion GD May 1943

On 30 June 1943 12 of these were operational, and on 1 July 14 of the 15 were operational.  None were lost during the Kursk fighting in the next weeks, which began at 0400 on 7 July 1943.  In the first week, the Tiger company advanced 20 miles with the rest of the Division GD and destroyed almost 60 Russian tanks for the loss of just six Tigers. On 18 July 1943, GD transferred to Army Group Centre, seeing action again on 25 July.  The Tiger saw limited action between then and 14 August 1943 when it was redesignated and assigned to the new III Battalion of the newly expanded Panzer Regiment GD.

III Battalion, Panzer Regiment Grossdeutschland

The Panzer Battalion GD was expanded to a Regiment in June 1943, as the Division was reorganized from a motorized infantry division to a panzergrenadier division.   In August the former 13th Company of the Panzer Battalion was now redesignated the 9th Company, to fit in to the new Regimental organization, and two more heavy tank companies were added, to form the III Battalion of the new Regiment.

III Battalion Commanders
Major Gomille	Jun 43 -  Apr 44
Oberstleutnant Baumungk	Apr 44 - 9 Aug 44 (wounded)
Hauptmann Bock	9 Aug 44 - Apr 45

The III Battalion comprised three tank companies:

No. 9 Company - formed from the old 13 Company of the Panzer Battalion GD
No. 10 Company - formed from the 3rd Company of s.Pz.Abt. 501
No. 11 Company - formed from the 3rd Company of s.Pz.Abt. 504

Supporting elements of the battalion included:

Headquarters Company: signals platoon in three armoured vehicles, medium-wave radio squad, reconnaissance platoon with 3 medium and 4 light armoured personnel carriers, amd Pioneer platoon with 2 APCs and 4 trucks.   Also present were a FlaK platoon with three self propelled quadruple mount 20mm guns, a scout platoon with 4 Schwimmwagens, 4 motorcycle-sidecar combinations and 2 solo motorcycles.

Company Commanders Late July 1943
9 Company	Leutnant Folke
10 Company	Hauptmann von Villebois
11 Company	Oberleutnant Bayer

At full strength, the Tiger battalion would possess 45 Tigers, as shown in the diagram below.

Tank Numbers - III Battalion, Panzer Regiment GD September 1943

On 14-15 August 1943, 36 Tigers were on hand in the three companies.

The new Tiger battalion joined the Division at the front in mid August, but on 31 August the battalion commander, Major Gomille, was not happy with the workshop support and other services that were being provided to his unit.   In a report written 31 August, he outlined the condition of the battalion.

The headquarters had 3 Tiger Command vehicles.
The reconnaissance platoon had 7 halftracks without weapons.
The 9th Company (formerly 13th Company of the Panzer Battalion GD) had no operational Tigers.
The 10th Company was complete, less one Tiger still in Germany.
The 11th Company had lost four Tigers and most of the maintenance groups equipment during a long road march.
The entire headquarters company was missing as well as the Workshop company (less one platoon), as well as all vehicles for the regimental staff.

The trains in which the new battalion had been transported had offloaded at Nisch Ssirowatka in the middle of August forcing the battalion to march over 110 kilometres to their positions two kilometres southeast of Jassenowole.  Ten Tigers had fallen out of the march because of mechanical problems both large and small.

Despite the condition of the battalion, orders were to go into action near Belsk (30 kilometres southwest of Akhtyrka) the next morning, to stop Russian forces who had attacked across the Vorskla.  The Tiger battalion had no supply or repair services, no Recovery Platoon (Bergezug) and no spare parts for repairs.  Elements of the battalion Reconnaissance Platoon scouted the terrain on the night of 14 August, and the battalion left their assembly areas at 1830 hours, ordered to hold Grun.  But Grun had been taken by the enemy, who was reconnoitering northwards.   The Battalion moved to Persche Trawnja, five kilometres northwest of Grun, and prepared to attack as ordered on the 15th.

The Tiger battalion joined a Kampfgruppe along with a company of Panther tanks, reconnaissance troops and assault guns from the GD Division.  At 0630 hours, with the Tigers in the lead, the group set off for Grun, ordered to break through to Belsk and destroy the enemy that had broken through.  One kilometre north of Grun, the battalion received heavy anti tank fire from a ridge east of the north side of the village, and the leading Tiger struck a mine, though only superficial damage was caused.  The battalion was ordered to attack, turned left, and moved onto the ridge line, finding two deep ravines across their path of advance.   The 10th Company stopped to provide covering fire while 11 Company pressed the attack over both ravines, receiving fire from anti tank guns and self propelled guns.   A lengthy fight ensued before the enemy positions were quieted. Hauptmann von Villebois, commanding 10 Company, was seriously wounded when his Tiger was hit some eight times by 122 mm shells from the Soviet assault guns.  Nonetheless, the battalion reached the cemetery in Belsk, and passed through part of the village before advancing to the south of Grun against little opposition. Six operational Tigers were left, including two command vehicles.  Five had been hit by enemy fire, one was lost to mines, and seven Tigers suffered mechanical failures (either engine, transmission or gun).  However, the battalion continued to advance, clearing the enemy out of the north edge of Budy without loss.  Replenishment of fuel and ammunition followed, and at 1900 the battalion once more moved towards Belsk with only three Tigers still operational.   The middle of Belsk was reached at 0100 where additional Soviet anti tank guns and mines were cleared.

This first combat action of the battalion caused the following casualties:  One man killed, one officer seriously wounded, and three officers and three men with less serious wounds.  The battalion was able to claim 21 Russian guns (anti tank, anti-aircraft, and artillery pieces) as well as nine armoured vehicles.

On 16 August, the battalion marches from Belsk to Grun, to a forest southwest of Akhtyrka.  The next day, 10 Tigers were up and running.

further attacks on 18 August 1943 caused further casuaties; attacking Boich-Osero at 0830, eight Tigers hit wooden box mines in a thick minefield supplemented with heavy shells (possibly 21 cm in size) to increase the effectiveness of the mines.  Some vehicles hit more than one mine simultaneously; the regular anti-tank mines caused superficial damage, but those laid with the larger shells causes major damage to tracks and suspension.   Five Tigers suffered light damage in this field; the other three were immobilized.  The battalion saw no further action that day on account of the damage.  Only one man was wounded, however, due to a bomb fragment, and the battalion still accounted for five enemy anti-tank guns.

Just four Tigers were left operational.

On 19 August 1943, these four operational Tigers joined with the Panzer Regiment for an attack on Parchornowka; one was knocked out by an assault gun, and the enemy put up a stubborn resistance with anti-tank guns and tanks of T-34 and KV-1 type.  The days' losses included three men dead and one wounded, with one Tiger heavily damaged and two other Tigers with damaged guns.  However, the Tigers accounted for 12 heavy and six light anti-tank guns destroyed.  

Including repairs done to other tanks, the Tiger battalion had 5 Tigers operational by evening.

On 20 August 1943, three of these Tigers went down due to mechanical breakdowns, two of them with transmission and electrical generator problems.  While the unit moved south to link up with SS Division Totenkopf, five enemy tanks were knocked out by the two remaining runners.

In an engagement on 22 August 1943, a local counterattack saw a single Tiger destroy six heavy anti-tank guns and many anti-tank rifles.

On 23 August 1943, the Tiger battalion commander took over a kampfgruppe consisting of almost all of the remaining operational tanks in the Panzer Regiment GD as a whole - two Tigers, nine Panthers, three PzKpfw IV (long 7.5 cm gun), three PzKpfw IV (short barreled 7.5 cm guns), three PzKpfw III, three flamethrowing tanks and one command vehicle.  The group was used to repulse enemy armoured incursions along the front of the Grenadier Regiment GD near Michailowka, 12 kilometres southwest of Akthyrka.   One Tiger received a gun hit, but 25 enemy tanks and 7 enemy guns were knocked out.

On 24 August 1943, the divison moved west to defensive positions, with all operational tanks of the Panzer Regiment GD held in reserve, with all non-operational tanks moved further west in anticipation of a general withdrawal.   This left just two Tigers with the battalion commander; strong enemy penetration of the Grenadier Regiment's lines were stopped, with four enemy tanks destroyed.  These last two remaining Tigers fought throughout the night of 25-26 August.  Further action on the 26th saw one Tiger break down due to engine and transmisson failure, and another receive hits in the suspension, gunsight and gun in a fight which saw the Tiger destroy two T-34s.

On 26 August 1943, 6 new Tigers arrived, bringing the total held by the Regiment to 41.

On 20 October 1943, 23 Tigers were on hand.   This number fell to 13 by 16 Nov 1943.  By 21 Dec 1943, the number of operational Tigers was 7.

On 6 Mar 1944, 6 new Tigers were received bringing the total on hand to 19.  On 20 April 1944 6 more were delivered, bringing the total to 20.  On 6 May, 8 more (with 4 transferring to SS Division Totenkopf) leaving 24 on hand, and on 18 May 6 more again (with 2 going to Totenkopf again) leaving 28 on strength.

On 1 June 1944, 6 more Tigers were delivered, giving GD a total of 34, with 19 operational.  After shipping to Gumbinnen in East Prussia in June, 2 Tigers were destroyed by fighter-bomber attack while the crews were changing their tracks (presumably removing the transit tracks that Tiger had fitted when moving by rail, to the wider combat tracks that were shipped with them).

A period of refitting in June and July followed, with combat following again in August. On 6 August 1944, 4 Tigers were lost to IS-2 tanks.   On 17 August 1944, 12 more were delivered, leaving a total of 41.  These were apparently the last new Tigers delivered to the battalion.

Tank Numbers - III Battalion, Panzer Regiment GD August 1944

On 1 October 1944, 11 of GD's 33 Tigers were operational.  On 1 November 1944, 8 of 15 Tigers were operational, and a period of refitting followed for November and December. 

Heavy Tank Battalion Grossdeutschland

On 13 December 1944, the III Battalion of the Panzer Regiment was redesignated Heavy Tank Battalion Grossdeutschland (schwere Panzer Abteilung GD).  The companies were renumbered 1, 2 and 3 Company.  The 1st Company received new Tiger II Ausf B "King Tigers".

On 16 December 1944, 4 more Tigers were delivered, but 2 were transferred to s.Pz.Abt 502, leaving GD with 17. These Tigers were factory rebuilds; the previous month a GD Tiger (C42) had been transferred to s.Pz.Abt 502 also.

On 1 February 1945, only 4 of GD's 11 Tigers were operational.  The entire battalion was absorbed into the GD Division's tank battlegroup, with excess tank crews going to Paderborn to train on the Tiger II heavy tanks. This battlegroup consisted of a command platoon with one Tiger and two PzKpfw IVs, a Heavy Company with the remaining Tigers (and apparently a Brummbär), and a Medium Company with 5 Panthers, 1 PzKpfw IV, and a battery of assault guns composed of two Sturmgeschützen and two Jagdpanzer IVs. 

On 19 March 1945, GD's last Tigers were destroyed in East Prussia during combat in the Balga pocket.

The last Tiger crews in Paderborn were used as infantry in April 1945, and never fought in tanks.  No Tiger IIs were ever received by GD tank crewmen.

The GD Tiger unit, from its inception as the 13th company, through its expansion to regimental status and to its eventual destruction in March 1945, had the highest confirmed tally of enemy kills for any Army Tiger unit, with 1036 tanks and armoured fighting vehicles claimed, and over 300 enemy guns.