Death Ride of the Panzers

by Dennis Oliver

  5.14. The scene at Aschaffenburg in northwest Bavaria after the heavy fighting which took place here in late March and early April 1945. This was one of the few German towns where the civilian population took an active part in the defense, with both local Volkssturm and Hitler Youth members attempting to halt the American advance. It is entirely possible that these tanks did not in fact take part in the battle and may have been left in this open space outside the town awaiting repair or cannibalization. A detailed US Army account of the fighting mentions the use of a single tank by the Germans and that was a captured M4 Sherman.

  5.15. The railway yards at Aschaffenburg photographed after the town's capture by units of the US Army in April 1945. These complete Panther turrets were probably destined to be converted to Pantherstellung, a static fortification made up of a concrete bunker or the purpose-built OT-Stahlunterstand, which was a metal box capable of accommodating a crew of three, topped by the turret of a tank. A special low-profile cupola was designed for the Pantherstellung turrets but photographic evidence confirms that many were standard Panther turrets and a number of installations were complete tanks, buried up to the top edge of the hull. The camouflage pattern on the nearest turret is an interesting variation on the factory-applied schemes.

  5.16. An Sdkfz 11 HKL Abschlussausführung half-track abandoned by the roadside. The German term translates literally as final version, however it was probably applied to vehicles to indicate a simplified model. These late production, cargo carrying vehicles were produced by converting Sdkfz 11/3 half-tracks, which had originally been designed to deploy poison gas.

  5.17. Photographed in April 1945 outside the Krupp- owned Grusonwerk Magdeburg-Buckau factory, south-west of Berlin, the vehicles shown here are all obsolete Pzkpfw III tanks, probably ausf F or early ausf G models, with some later features retro-fitted such as the additional mantlet armor on the tanks second from the left and at far right. At the end of the war the factory was assembling the Sturmgeschütz IV but was also involved in other projects including the development of new torpedoes. I can offer no explanation as to why the tanks shown here would have been sent to the Magdeburg plant. It is entirely possible that they were part of a scratch unit made up of older training vehicles sent to defend the plant, a common practice at this stage of the war. However, a report compiled by the headquarters of US 30th Infantry Division, which was responsible for the city's capture, makes no mention of any German armored vehicles despite describing many of the weapons employed in the town's defense in some detail.

  5.18. Shown here is the very heavily damaged interior of the workshop of Panzer- Ersatz und Ausbildungs-Abteilung 35 located at Bamberg, south-east of Schweinfurt on the river Main, after its capture. This formation was a training and replacement unit that provided tank crews for, amongst others, Panzer-Regiment 25, Panzer-Regiment 35, and Panzer-Regiment 36. The tank closest to the camera is an early Pzkpfw III fitted with a turret from a Tauchpanzer, a vehicle modified to run underwater, identified by the flange around the bottom edge of the turret. The other tanks are a Pzkpfw IV ausf G and a Panther ausf D identified by the early drum-style commander's cupola. In March 1945 many of the officers and men of this battalion were transferred to Denmark and in April the remainder were absorbed by Panzer-Ausbildungs-Verband Franken and Kampfgruppe Massenebach.

  5.18a. Although we cannot be certain this Pzkpfw V ausf D may be one of the seven such tanks of Panzer- Ersatz und Ausbildungs-Abteilung 35 attached to Kampfgruppe Massenebach during the defense of Bamberg. Commanded by Oberst Dietrich Freiherr von Massenbach this battle group also contained a number of assault guns drawn from Panzerjäger-Ersatz-Abteilung 10 and as many as nine additional Panthers of Panzerlehrgang Erlangen, both training establishments. Of note is the very rough application of Zimmerit paste on the turret, not uncommon on these early Panthers, and the prominent Balkenkreuz. This tank was manufactured sometime prior to August 1943 when the communications port on the left hand side of the turret was dropped from production.

  5.19. Photographed near Fernegierscheid, approximately 20 kilometers northeast of Remagen, in early April 1945 this Pzkpfw V Panther ausf G is from Panzer Regiment 15 of 11.Panzer-Division. This regiment took part in the counterattacks against the Remagen bridgehead which began on March 23. It had been reduced to a strength of thirty-three Panthers and seventeen Pzkpfw IV tanks by that time. Just visible on the spare track links is a company number rendered in small white numbers which may be 311.

  5.20. Probably photographed in the Saar region sometime in the spring of 1945, this Sdkfz 7/1 2cm Flakvierling 38 was attached to the anti-aircraft company of the Panzerjäger battalion of 256.Volksgrenadier-Division. On the side of the cab be seen the division's unit insignia above the notation 'Pzkpfw.Jg.Abt.256' with the tactical symbol identifying an anti-aircraft gun company and the company number below that.

  5.21. Commanded by Leutnant Sepp Tarlach this Jagdtiger of 1.Kompanie, schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 512 was disabled in the streets of Obernetphen near Siegen in early April 1945 by German infantrymen armed with Panzerfausts who apparently mistook it for an enemy tank. All ten of the first company's vehicles were marked from 1 to 10. The large white numbers are evident here with the letter X identifying the company. The second company used Y and it is usually assumed that 3.Kompanie numbers began with a Z, although no photographs have survived.

  5.22. The next three photographs document the surrender of 1.Kompanie, schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 512 to units of the US 99th Infantry Division on 16 April 1945 at Iserlohn, south-east of Dortmund in Germany. Equipped with the Panzerjäger Tiger ausf B, perhaps better known as the Jagdtiger, this company had taken part in the attack on the Remagen bridgehead on March 24, 1945, having only completed firing trials on their new vehicles just two weeks previously. This image shows the company's last three Jagdtigers together with a number of support vehicles drawn up on the Schillerplatz in Iserlohn.

  5.22a. Commanded by Hauptmann Albert Ernst, an experienced soldier who had been awarded the Knight's Cross as a platoon leader on the Russian Front, the company had been ordered to defend Iserlohn. However, Ernst took it upon himself to surrender both his command and the town despite the potential danger to his family, who were still living in Dresden. The German defenders were well equipped with fuel and ammunition, unusually at this stage of the war, including 128mm rounds for the main guns of the Jagdtigers. This photograph shows rifles and boxes of machine gun ammunition piled up in front of the company's transport vehicles. As can be seen here, the Jagdtiger crews wore the black Panzer uniform and the battalion was sometimes referred to in official documents of the period as Jagd-Tiger-Abteilung 512, the number following the logical sequence of army Tiger battalions.

  5.22b. A partial view of a captured US M3A1 White Scout Car which may have been used by schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 512, although it is almost certain that elements of other units were present in Iserlohn. Repainted and conspicuously marked with the white outline of the Balkenkreuz national insignia on both the front and sides, this vehicle was, in parts, badly worn and the original US Olive Drab could be seen as a decidedly darker shade.

  5.23. This Tiger II of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506 was lost on April 11, 1945 near the village of Mahmecke, where the battalion was supporting 338.Infanterie-Division north of Schmallenberg in the Ruhr pocket. After this action, the battalion was left with just eleven serviceable tanks and very little fuel and most of the crews were serving as infantrymen. On April 14, Hauptmann Jobst-Christoph von Römer, who had assumed command on February 9 when Hauptmann Heiligenstadt was captured, gathered the survivors together in the forest of Iserlohn and formally disbanded the battalion.

  5.24. The following three images depict the surrender of 11.Panzer-Division to units of US XII Corps on May 4, 1945. This photograph shows a convoy of transport vehicles passing through the village of Neumark, today know as Všeruby in the Czech Republic north-west of Pilsen, as they drive into captivity. The vehicle parked by the side of
the road is a Jagdpanzer IV/70 (V) and must have been from another unit operating in the same area as neither the division's Panzer-Regiment 15 nor Panzerjäger-Abteilung 61 were ever allocated any of these tank destroyers. The hard-edged camouflage pattern may be the scheme introduced in late 1944, where swathes of Dunkelgelb RAL 7028 and Rotbraun RAL 8017 were applied over a base coat of Dunkelgrün RAL 6003 before the vehicle left the assembly plant.

  5.24a. A Jagdpanzer IV/70 (V) and Pzkpfw IV ausf J of photographed after the surrender of May 4, 1945. This is not the same vehicle shown in the first image in this series but is probably from the same unidentified unit and is painted in the same factory-applied camouflage scheme. Both vehicles are very late production models, identified by the solid gun travel lock, the steering and brake access panels without armored air intakes on the hull front, and the small camouflage loops around the top of the superstructure. The first two road wheels are the metal versions designed to compensate for the added weight of the main gun. The vehicle's number may indicate that this tank destroyer was allocated to a Panzer battalion, but that is merely speculation without any further information. The Pzkpfw IV ausf J in the background is another Panzer-Regiment 15 tank and has the large company number on the turret Schürzen which is, however, largely illegible.

  5.24b. Taken at the same time as the previous photographs, this image depicts a late production Pzkpfw IV ausf J of Panzer-Regiment 15, 11.Panzer-Division. Note the three steel return rollers introduced in December 1944 in place of the previous four and the lack of any form of bracket which could have held the hull Schürzen. Another Pzkpfw IV of this battalion is shown in the illustration section and the black, two-digit company numbers were an identifying feature of these II.Abteilung tanks late in the war. I can, however, offer no explanation as to their exact meaning and they may have simply been numbered sequentially throughout the battalion. Accurate figures for May are not available, and probably do not exist, although it is known that the regiment reported thirteen serviceable Pzkpfw IV tanks on hand in January 1945.

  5.25. An Opel Blitz 3 ton lorry of 3.SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf photographed on May 9, 1945 as survivors of the division entered the American lines in western Czechoslovakia. Just over 1,000 men of this formation managed to escape from the Russians after attempting to defend Vienna and they were all handed back to the Soviets. The division's famous unit insignia can be seen on the right-hand side front fender and also on the side of the wooden body.

  5.26. Photographed in Norway in May 1945 this assortment of elderly Pzkpfw III tanks, including three ausf N models closest to the camera, are from Panzer-Abteilung Norwegen. This unit was originally formed from the 2nd and 3rd companies of I Abteilung, Panzer Regiment 9 of 25.Panzer-Division in September 1943 and according to the official caption to this photograph, the battalion had seventy-one tanks on hand at the time of the German surrender. All appear to be in good condition and all are coated with Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste. Post-war photographs also depict a number of Sturmgeschütz III assault guns operating with this unit in mine clearing actions.

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  1 Although the city may be better know to readers as Cologne, I have chosen to use its German name here and throughout this book. The Hohenzollern Bridge was rebuilt after the war and is today the most heavily used railway bridge in Germany, which should give some idea of its importance in 1945. Of the remaining crossings, the Bonn Bridge was destroyed during the night of March 8, as was the Kronprinz Wilhelm Bridge at Urmitz on the following morning. The Ludendorf Bridge at Remagen was, of course, captured intact.

  2 In addition to a number of the school’s instructors, the Tiger tanks were operated by crews drafted from schwere Panzer-Abteilung 424 and schwere Panzer-Abteilung 508. By April 12, all the tanks had either been lost or were inoperable.

  3 The Hitler Youth contingent is described in British accounts as the pupils of a ‘Cadet School’ located at Hanover, led by their instructors. However, most German language sources are clear that the officers were SS personnel. The ‘Cadets’ may have been the pupils of the Nationalpolitische Erziehungsanstalten located at Haselünne, to the north of the British frontline, which was the National Political Teaching Institute for the state of Hanover.

  4 The suggestion that the Panthers which led the assault on the canal bridge were equipped with infra-red sighting equipment is almost certainly incorrect. Although a number of tanks were fitted with the devices, there is no record that any were used in combat and very good evidence that they were removed to prevent their capture. The Germans also believed that British and American tanks were fitted with sights that could detect and fire on the infrared signal.

  APPENDIX

  Glossary

  Many German words or expressions, particularly those related to the military, are difficult to translate directly into English and throughout this book I have chosen to use the original form were I felt it was appropriate. The terms listed below are commonly encountered in most works on the German Army of the 1939-1945 period and although some are not used in the period covered by this book I have included them here for the reader who may want to carry out their own research or further reading. I have avoided any anglicized spellings with the exception of the scharfes S which is rendered as ß and is common in older German language publications. For example Großdeutschland, is written here as Grossdeutschland.

  Abteilung. In civilian usage this word usually refers a department but its military meaning is a detachment or a battalion. In Panzer, Kavallerie and Artillerie regiments the battalions were referred to as Abteilungen. Units titled Armee-Abteilung and Korps-Abteilung were much larger formations, most of which were raised to meet the fluid conditions of the Russian front.

  Abwehr. Generally referring to a defensive action or weapon. Sometimes abbreviated to Abw. The German military intelligence service was also known as the Abwehr.

  Abzeichen. A badge or sign. Unit signs painted onto vehicles or signposts were known as Truppenkennzeichen.

  Alarmeinheiten. This term, which translates as Alarm Unit, was commonly used to denote an ad hoc formation, usually assembled from rear area or training units to respond to local emergencies. Panzer-Kompanie Hummel, formed to aid the defense of Arnhem, was one such unit.

  Allgemeines Heeresamt. The General Army Directorate which administered the various Inspectorates such as the Inspekteur der Panzertruppen. Abbreviated to AHA.

  Alter Art. Older version or model.

  Arko. An abbreviation of Artilleriekommandeur or Artillery Commander. These were usually the commands of corps or army level artillery units.

  Armee. An organizational formation made up of two or more Korps units such as Armeekorps, Gebirgs-Armeekorps or Panzerkorps. Also referred to as an Armeeoberkommando, or AOK, it was usually commanded by a Generaloberst.

  Armee-Abteilung. See Abteilung.

  Armeegruppe. A formation made up of two or more Armies and usually intended as a more temporary arrangement than a Heeresgruppe. By the late war period the term had become somewhat more elastic and could refer to an Armee sized formation or the equivalent of a Korps. See also Heeresgruppe.

  Armeekorps. A corps, usually containing two or more divisions in addition to attached independent units and formations, such as Sturmgeschütz or heavy tank battalions, reserves, and organic artillery and signals units. Usually commanded by a General.

  Armeeoberkommando. See Armee.

  Ausbildungs. Education, or in the military context, training. For example, Panzer-Ausbildungs-Verband Böhmen, a unit raised from training establishments for the defense of Prague.

  Ausführung. A model designation, as in PzKpfw IV ausführung J. Usually abbreviated to ausf.

  Balkenkreuz. The familiar straight-armed cross used by all branches of the Wehrmacht as a national recognition marking. It evolved from the simplified markings applied to military aircraft from early 1918.

  Bataillon. A battalion usually made up of three or four companies. The term was
used in the infantry and engineer branches while a battalion of an artillery, cavalry or tank was referred to as an Abteilung, as was a signals battalion. Certain independent formations were also referred to as Bataillonen. See also Abteilung

  Batterie. An artillery unit of about company size. An Artillerie-Abteilung was made up of three or four Artillerie-Batterien.

  Baupionier. Construction engineers.

  Befehlshaber. A commander, usually with authority over a considerable area such as the Militärbefehlshaber in Belgien und Nordfrankreich, the military commander of Belgium and northern France. See also Oberbefehlshaber West.

  Befehlspanzer. Command tank, sometimes Befehlspanzerwagen is used.

  Begleit. An escort. For example, Führer-Begleit-Batallion, Hitler’s escort battalion.

  Beobachtungs. Observation. For example, Panzerbeobachtungswagen IV, an armored observation vehicle built based on a Panzer IV tank.

  Berge. Recovery. Most Panzer battalions had a number recovery vehicles that were conversions built on the chassis of the tanks they were intended to tow, for example the Bergepanther.

  Beute-Panzer. A Captured tank. Literally a booty tank.

  Bezirkskommando. A district command.

  Bodenständige. Meaning grounded or static, this term was used to describe a formation with limited mobility, in effect a garrison unit. In June 1944 approximately half the divisions defending the Normandy area were classed as Bodenständige.