Panzergrenadiers supported by a whitewashed Tiger I during a mission in the snow.
Through January and February 1944 on the Eastern Front, the winter did nothing to impede the Soviet offensives from grinding further west. Army Groups A and South still held about half the ground between the Dnieper and Bug rivers, but in a number of areas the front was buckling under the strain of repeated Soviet attacks. Army Group South was being slowly pressed westwards, its Panzers unable to strike a decisive counter-blow because of the Führer-order to stand fast on unsuitable positions. Consequently, Panzerwaffe units found themselves tied down trying in vain to hold back the Soviet drive. These battles became known as the ‘cauldron battles’ or Kesselschlachten.
By April mud finally brought an end to the almost continuous fighting in the south and there was respite for the Panzerwaffe in most areas of the front. Despite the setbacks, there grew a renewed feeling of motivation in the ranks of the Panzerwaffe. Confidence was further bolstered by the efforts of the armaments industry as more Tiger tanks came off the production lines, 301 Tigers entering service, 80 per cent of which were operational by the early summer of 1944. During this period ninety-eight Tigers were distributed among the SS-101, SS-102 and the (FKL) 316, which would soon be committed to the Normandy sector in northern France. The 504th and 508th had seventy-eight Tigers available, and these were preparing to transport to defensive action in Italy. The 503rd, following a rest and refit, saw operational duties in Russia with a full complement of forty-five Tigers between February and March 1944, before being withdrawn to Normandy.
On the Eastern Front, the 505th, 506th, 507th, 509th, 510th and the famous Panzerregiment Großdeutschland were used to support the crumbling front lines. Originally the Tiger’s intended role had been as a breakthrough weapon, but now as the situation had deteriorated, its main use was defensive, as a mobile anti-tank and infantry gun support weapon. Also they were stretched along a very thin Eastern Front, and as a result Tiger tank battalions mostly fought actions in which they were not at full strength. Tiger battalions were often ordered to prop up parts of the front with hastily constructed battle groups drawn from a motley collection of armoured formations well below strength. Great demands put upon the heavy Tiger tank battalions during the spring and summer of 1944. Constant and unpredictable action, coupled with the nightmare of not having enough supplies, perpetually beset the minds of the Tiger commanders. The Red Army, encouraged by the Germans dire situation, was mounting bolder and bolder operations.
On the Western Front the military situation soon mirrored that of the Eastern. In Northern France in June 1944 there were three Schwere Panzer Abteilungen equipped with Tiger I tanks that saw operations including a small number of Tiger Is with the Panzer Lehr Division. The 503rd was transferred to Normandy with thirtythree Tiger Is and twelve of the new Tiger II, or ‘King Tiger B’ as it was then referred to, reaching the battlefield in early July 1944. The King Tiger B was undoubtedly a formidable fighting machine whose arrival at the front was a welcome relief to the hard-pressed Panzerwaffe. Nonetheless the situation was not good. The Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101 arrived in Normandy in June and by the end of the month the 1st Kompanie had lost fifteen of its forty-five Tigers. It was pulled out in July to refit with the new Tiger II.
Alongside 101 was Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 102, transferred to Normandy with a full complement of 45 Tiger Is, reaching action in early July following a shipment delay. Fighting in France was fierce and by 20 July the battalion reported it still had forty-two Tigers of which seventeen were operational. By the end of the month it had thirty operational, but by early September all had been lost. What was left of the unit was ordered to return to the training grounds for a rest and refit with the Tiger II.
Another battalion supporting the defence was Schwere Heeres Panzer Abteilung 503. This battalion had been withdrawn from combat in late April for a rest and refit and then transferred back to the west where it received thirty-three Tiger Is and twelve Tiger IIs. It saw action on 11 July, and during its furious withdrawal through France where it bitterly contested large areas of ground, it lost most of its armour in August 1944. On 9 September it was once again pulled out of the front and ordered to rest and refit with the Tiger II.
On the Eastern Front the position was grimmer still for the German war machine. While the Panzerwaffe fought for survival in France, in Russia the Red Army opened up a new offensive on 22 June, the third anniversary of the Soviet invasion, launched against Army Group Centre, known as Operation Bagration. The three German armies opposing them had thirty-seven divisions, weakly supported by armour, against 166 divisions supported by 2,700 tanks and 1,300 assault guns. At the end of the first week the three German armies had lost between them nearly 200,000 men and 900 tanks; 9th Army and the 3rd Panzer Army were almost annihilated. The remnants of the shattered armies trudged back west to try to rest and refit what was left of its Panzer units and build new defensive lines. But any plans to regain the initiative on the Eastern Front were doomed forever.
As for the heavy Tiger tank battalions that were embroiled in the Russian Bagration offensive, they too had been severely mauled. Schwere Heeres Panzer Abteilung 501 and the 505 played key roles in defensive operations. The 505th was placed in the 5th Panzer Division. This division was sent direct from the Ukraine by rail to help block the advancing Russian forces on the Moscow–Minsk highway. It was reinforced with some Pz.Kpfw.IIIs, 55 Pz.Kpfw.IVs, 70 Panthers, and 29 Tiger Is belonging to the 505th. The main objective of the 505th was to hold the Berezina river line and allow withdrawing units of the Fourth Army to retreat to safety. When the 5th Panzer Division arrived there was utter confusion in the area. Littered along the roads going west over the Berezina bridges there were countless burning vehicles and abandoned equipment. Troops were demoralised, exhausted and often without weapons. Stocks of supplies were almost non-existent and many soldiers had not eaten in days.
During the withdrawal operation, to keep the main railways lines open for evacuation to the north of Minsk the 5th Panzer Division concentrated its main armour consisting of Schwere Heeres Panzer Abteilung 505 and Panzer 31st Regiment. The 505th bore the brunt of many of the attacks, but scored well against the advancing Russian armour. In just six days of combat it had knocked out no less than 295 Soviet tanks of which 128 were destroyed by Tiger tanks.
Over the next few days the division’s formidable tank strength was reduced from its original seventy Panthers, fifty-five Pz.Kpfw.IVs and twenty Tigers of the 505th, to just twelve Panthers, six Pz.Kpfw.IVs and two or three Tigers. Luckily for the tank crews a number of the knocked-out Panzers could be successfully salvaged from the battlefield by one of the independent maintenance companies and taken to a nearby workshop to be repaired to fight another day.
As for the 505th, it was all but destroyed, and its remnants pulled out of the front and sent back to Germany to be refitted with the Tiger II.
Desperation gripped the battered and bruised front lines and troops were now becoming more than ever reliant on the Tigers and Panthers for defence. Since 1942 the Tiger had dominated the battlefield on the Eastern Front, and although in 1944 there were never enough available for the defensive battles, they still played a key role. Again and again these armoured monsters demonstrated their awesome killing power playing a prominent roles alongside their heavy battalions against numerically superior Soviet armoured forces. But with the tide turned against the German army they were overstretched and being slowly destroyed, and there were hardly any replacements.
Panzergrenadiers supported by a whitewashed Tiger I during a mission in the snow.
Tigers often were compelled to support infantry attacks due to the lack of weapons and consequently many were lost. In this photograph a Tiger I can be seen advancing in support of Panzergrenadiers during winter operations in Russia.
During winter operations on the Eastern Front a Tiger I can be seen on the move. The vehicle has a full application of winter whitewash camouflage and Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste applied. Barbed wire has also been attached to the side to fend off enemy infantry.
Out in the snow and Tiger tanks are being replenished with ammunition. The crew can clearly be seen transferring rounds for the KwK36 L/56 main gun into the Tiger tank.
Panzergrenadiers clad in their winter whites take up position in the snow while two Tiger tanks can be seen moving in their familiar sweeping formation across the arctic wasteland of Russia.
A column of Tiger Is bound for the front can be seen rolling along an icy road. By early 1944 the Panzerwaffe were being pressed westwards.
An Sd.kfz.10/4 halftrack mounting the familiar quadruple flak gun pointing skyward. By 1944 air attacks against German armoured columns became so severe that heavy Tiger tank units were often compelled to move only at night.
Two photographs showing a halted Kübelwagen on a muddy road. These staff, utility, reconnaissance cars were to be found in heavy Tiger tank battalions.
Two photographs taken in Vinnitsa on the Eastern Front in early 1944 showing Tigers belonging to the I SS Panzer Korps. This heavy Waffen-SS battalion was created on 19 July 1943 as a part of the I SS Panzer Korps, by forming two new heavy tank companies consisting of Tiger I tanks and incorporating the 13th (Heavy) Company of the 1st SS Panzer Regiment. It was attached to 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte. In late 1943 the 1st and 2nd company of the battalion was sent to Russia while the remainder stayed in the west.
A number of Sd.Kfz.251 halftrack personnel carriers and late variant Pz.Kpfw.IVs can be seen during operations on the Eastern Front in the winter of 1944. The halftrack, especially the Sd.Kfz.251, was a versatile vehicle which could travel across some of the most rugged terrain. While these halftracks were primarily used to transport infantry personnel to the forward edge of the battlefield they were often tasked for reconnaissance missions because of their speed and useful firepower.
Clad in their winter whites the crew of a 3.7cm FlaK36 mounted on an Sd.Kfz.6/2 are preparing a defensive position during winter operations on the Eastern Front. These flak guns were used against both ground and aerial targets and were found in some Tiger tank battalions.
Four photographs showing the Sd.Kfz.2, or what the Germans called the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 or Kettenkrad. Initially this vehicle was a motorcycle tractor for airborne units or Fallschirmjäger, but later served in Heeres and Panzerwaffe units, notably heavy Tiger tank battalions. There were two variants of the vehicle, Sd.Kfz.2/1 and Sd.Kfz.2/2. Both were used with a trailer and had field communication gear mounted behind the driver. It was primarily tasked with laying communication cable from a special mounted wire spool. However, it was versatile and could be used for a variety of other tasks such as pulling heavy loads and carrying troops. Later in the war the Kettenkrads also appeared in reconnaissance patrols and independent scout detachments, and were used especially where roads were almost impassable due to mud or dense forests.
A number of support vehicles halted in the snow with a stationary motorcyclist. During the early part of the war, a great number of motorcyclists rode into battle and dismounted to fight. However, it soon became apparent that they were very vulnerable to small arms fire and booby traps, and some units began relegating them from front line duties to communication and reconnaissance duties, at which they excelled, especially in the heavy Tiger tank battalions.
A Tiger I belonging to Schwere Panzer Abteilung 507 near Tarnopol after the relief operation in mid-April 1944. The infantry on the march through the city are more than likely elements of the 9th SS Panzer-Division ‘Hohenstauffen’ and a number of ad hoc units assembled together.
Crossing a shallow river is a column of vehicles including an Sd.Kfz.251 halftrack and a support truck.
Five photographs showing an independent Tiger tank battalion maintenance team undertaking repairs to a Tiger. Much was owed to the specialist maintenance companies that kept these tanks in fighting condition. The photographs show the large portal crane which was used to remove the heavy turret, or the engine, for repairs.
After removing the turret, the mechanics were able to place it on wooden blocks or a purpose-built wooden horse.
A platoon of Tiger Is advancing across a field in formation towards the front. This was a typical tactical advance by the independent Tiger tank battalions going into action. Sweeping the front in formation was the most effective way of defeating an enemy.
Two photographs showing a late variant Pz.Kpfw.IV during operations in Russia in the early summer of 1944. For additional reinforcements it became common practice for Tiger tank battalions to receive Pz.Kpfw.IVs.
An interesting photograph showing a late model Tiger I from Schwere Panzer Abteilung 506 in a spot of trouble. It appears that the wooden bridge has collapsed under the weight of the Tiger and the tank has become stuck.
In early May 1944 in Kolomea, Hungarian tank crewmen are being trained to operate the Pz.Kpfw.IV, StuG.III and Tiger I. The Tiger belongs to Schwere Panzer Abteilung 503. After crew training the unit handed over ten tanks to the Hungarian army.
A Tiger I belonging to Schwere Panzer Abteilung 503 has expertly concealed itself between a tree and a house. Note the national flag draped near the cupola for aerial recognition.
A tank crew of Abteilung 503 converse next to their Tiger during operations in Normandy in July 1944. The 503 was an independent battalion-sized unit assigned to a single corps. The s.Pz.Abt.503 saw extensive fighting in Normandy and by August was almost destroyed during Operation Goodwood.
Tiger 323 from the 3./s.SS Panzer Abteilung 101 makes its way to the front in Normandy on 7 June 1944, with SS-Hauptscharführer Barkhausen in the commander’s cupola.
Tiger 221 from SS Panzer Abteilung 101 can be seen negotiating a road in northern France. The Leibstandarte (LSSAH) SS Panzer Corps had been re-formed in early July 1944 to incorporate the 12th SS Panzer-Division ‘Hitlerjugend’. The LSSAH had been in a holding position north of the River Seine before the Normandy invasion to counter a possible landing in the Pas de Calais area; the first units did not arrive in the Normandy sector until the night of 27/28 June, with the whole division taking another week to arrive.
A Volkswagen Kübelwagen is stationary on the side of the road with troops conversing. On the road support vehicles are burning, more than likely attacked by enemy aircraft. In northern France the Germans found movement by road during the day perilous as columns of vehicles were exposed to constant air attacks. This led to units moving mainly at night or through woods.
A Tiger tank rolling along a road in Normandy. Despite the reversal on the western and eastern fronts, these vehicles continued to represent a formidable foe.
An abandoned Tiger I inside a French town in the summer of 1944. American soldiers can be seen looking at the vehicle along with members of the French resistance.
A well camouflaged Sd.Kfz.10/5 has halted on a road during the campaign in France in the summer of 1944. It mounts the 2cm Flak 38. Passing the vehicle is a Sd.Kz.251 halftrack personnel carrier.
Two photographs showing knocked-out Tiger tanks in the Falaise Pocket. The Battle of the Falaise Pocket ended the Battle of Normandy with a decisive German defeat with more than forty German divisions destroyed. Hundreds of German tanks and armoured vehicles were lost at Falaise, with surviving units retreating through France over the Seine to avoid complete annihilation.
Two photographs taken in sequence showing Pz.Kpfw.IVs operating in a field and a German infantry defensive position during the Russian summer offensive, Operation Bagration. It was Schwere Panzer Abteilungen 501 and 505 that played key roles in the defence operations. The 505th was placed in the 5th Panzer Division and sent direct from the Ukraine by rail to help block the advancing Russian forces on the Moscow–Minsk highway. It was reinforced with a number of Pz.Kpfw.IIIs, fifty-five Pz.Kpfw.IVs, seventy Panthers, and twenty-nine Tiger Is.
A late model Tiger I fitted with steel wheels during operations in Lithuania in late August 1944. The troops hitching a lift are men of the 21st Luftwaffe Field Division. This Tiger belongs to Schwere Panzer Abteilung 510 which was formed in mid-1944 and saw extensive action in the Baltic States and East Prussia.
On the Eastern Front in the summer of 1944 is a late production Tiger I belonging to Schwere Panzer Abteilung 507. Note the logs to the side of the tank.
During operations in Russia the crew of a Tiger I prepares to camouflage their vehicle with foliage to conceal it from aerial and ground surveillance. This tank belongs to Schwere Panzer Abteilung 506. This battalion saw action at Lemburg, Tarna and Krivoi-Rog in the Ukraine until the summer of 1944. Due to severe losses it was withdrawn from battle and sent to Germany in August 1944 where it was refitted with Tiger IIs.
Tigers from Schwere Panzer Abteilung 509 advancing through a forested area in late 1944. This battalion was in Army Group Centre from the summer of 1944 and following the Russian Bagration offensive its units were pushed back into Poland where the battalion lost sixteen Tigers near Kielce. In December the battalion was attached to IV SS Panzer Corps which was preparing to relieve the encircled garrison of Budapest.