Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 - sPzAbt. 501/424Following the Allied landings in northwest Africa, Germany quickly sent troops to Tunisia to block access to Lybia and deprive the Allies of bases within easy striking distance of Italy. One of those units was the schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, which was one of the two Tiger units that had been promised to Rommel and prepared for tropical deployment.
Originally, sPzAbt 501 was to have been outfitted with the Porsche-Tigers, but due to the delays and subsequent cancellation of Porsche-Tiger production, the sPzAbt 501 was issued normal Henschel-Tigers.
The 501st had been outfitted with 20 Tigers and 25 PzKpfw III Ausf N. All 20 Tigers safely made the crossing to Tunisia, the first three Tigers of 1. Kompanie being unloaded at Bizerta on 23 November 1942. The last two Tigers did not arrive until 24 January 1943, the second kompanie being diverted due to the occupation of southern France and therefore delayed in reaching Tunisia. The sPzAbt 501 surrendered in Tunisia, on 12 May 1943 but was reformed from the surviving remnants in September, receiving 45 Tigers from the ordnance depot in October and November.
Sent to the Eastern Front in November, sPzAbt 501 did not receive any new production replacements until six Tigers were sent in June 1944. Decimated by the Russian summer offensive, sPzAbt 501 was pulled out in early July 1944, reformed and refitted with the Tiger II.
Issued 45 Tiger II, the 501st was ordered to join Heeres Gruppe Nordukraine (army group) on 6 August. This resulted in the first combat action involving the Tiger II on the Eastern Front.
On 12 August 1944 schwere PzAbt 501 fighting in the Soviets' Baranov bridgehead over the Vistula River. In this action, a single Soviet T-34/85 under the command of Guards Lieutenant Os'kin from the 53rd Guards Tank Brigade knocked out three Tiger IIs by firing into their sides from an ambush position. For this feat he was made Hero of the Soviet Union.
The 501st was overwhelmed during the Russian winter offensive and ordered to be disbanded and used to create the sPzJgAbt 512 by orders dated 11 February 1945.
The Schwere Panzer Abteilung 424 was formed in December 1944 from Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501. The redesignation took effect on the 21st December 1944. The unit kept it’s remaining operational Tigers, while receiving 11 additional Tiger Is from the Schwere Panzer Abteilung 509. The unit strength on 30th December 1944 was 18 operational Tiger II and 54 Tiger I, while 2 were in need of repair (although some sources claim that it’s Tiger strenght was 28 Tiger II or even 45 Tiger II with 11 additional Tigers II coming from the sPzAbt. 509).
The Abteilung was attached to XXIV Panzerkorps. The unit itself participated in one big engagement when it fought against the Russian 61st Guards Tank Brigade of 10th Guards Tank Corps (4th Tank Army) for the town of Lisow on 13th January 1945. The German XXIV Panzerkorps made it’s counter attack with the 424 advancing towards the town of Lisow.
The town itself was at that time already occupied by the 61st Guards Tank Brigade (with approximately 65 T-34/85, a few JS-2 from the 72nd Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, and ZIS-3 anti-tank cannons). This was the single largest encounter during WWII between King Tigers and JS-2's.
When the Abteilung entered the town it found itself opposed by numerous well prepared anti-tank positions and tanks, which decimated it’s ranks.
The 1st company advanced on the left, the 3rd company on the right and the 2nd company followed. During the push several tanks were bogged down in the swamps beside the road. On the South edge of Lisow, Tiger #111 (commanded by Leutnant Oberbracht) lost both tracks but destroyed 20 tanks. The 2nd company knocked out 7 T-34s.
But even with these successes the 424th was destroyed. It was disbanded in February 1945 and it’s remnants were used to form the Schwere Panzer Jäger Abteilung 512.
Websites containing Tiger InformationTiger I and Tiger II Unit Information:http://www.chsk.com/steppenwolf/tigers.htmhttp://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=2160http://www.achtungpanzer.com/articles/tigertam.htmhttp://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz5.htmhttp://www-d0.fnal.gov/~turcot/Armour/tiger.htmhttp://www.homepurchaseprogram.com/504th.htmlhttp://64.26.50.215/armorsite/tigers-02.htmhttp://www.ss501panzer.com/menandunit.htm
