1 SS 7th Pz.Komp. Operation Citadel July 6-14 1943

[Miles Krogfus]

Using 1 SS Div. and II SS Pz.Korps documents, the 7th SS Pz.Komp. Kriegstagebuch, two DK in Gold Awards and vets data, here are the results:
Komp. CO Hstuf. Ralf Tiemann #705, Kp.Truppfuher Oscha. Walter Stotz #704.
I Zug.fhr. Ostuf. Kurt Hofmann #715, Halbzugfhr. Ustuf. Alfons Weiser #718.
2 Zug.fhr. Ostuf. Herbert Sprunk #725, Halbzugfhr. Oscha. Ludwig Bergmann #728.
3 Zug.fhr. Ostuf. Wilhelm Rummler #735, Halbzugfhr. Oscha. Hans Siptrott #738.
July 6: 16 Soviet tanks shot. July 8: 22 shot, and Ustuf. Weiser shot and killed in #719 by a T34. July 12: 20 shot, including Oscha. Siptrott's zug that shot 6 circa 800 meters west of height 252.2. At day's end, the company with a grand total of 75 kill credits over seven days. July 14: Siptrott in #705 hit by an 76.2 mm AT, the funker wounded, he and the rest of the crew bailed out just before the Panzer blew, and burned out. 7th Company with 79 shot by day's end. From July 6 through the 14th, it lost 1 Panzer IV destroyed, 1 damaged and sent to Germany for a total of 2 "Totalausfalle". Also 12 in the unit's short repair for AT, mine damage and technical problems. 7 crew killed. 2 DK in Gold awards partially for Zitadelle action. Tiemann, born August 6,1918, recommended 17 Sept. OK'd 2 Oct.1943. Siptrott, born May 27,1919, recommended 20 Oct.1944, OK'd 30 Dec.1944.
Two recent books have excellent Russian unit's armor loss data that reveals that 1 SS kill claims were not overblown. See V. Zamulin "Demolishing the Myth" 2011, and C. Lawrence "Kursk, the Battle of Prokhorovka" 2015.

[pintere]

As always, great post.

[charles.sumpter]

Hate to throw a wrench, but I believe 1. SS Panzer Regiment Pz IV companies had FOUR platoons. I think there is a 'Kursk' foto out there of the rear of Panzer turret number '749.' I think there are also fotos of '547' and '548.' I will check my Restayn. Please correct if I'm wrong. Section leaders, very interesting -- I thought that billet went away in the panzer platoons, after the battle of France -- fascinating post. I would like to know: do you have such information regarding the rest of 1 SS Pz Rgt, companies/platoons, etc? Thank you.

[charles.sumpter]

Yes I found Pz IV "749" on p. 344, "547"p. 345, "527" and "526" on pp.414-415, "548" p. 416. I think 1 SS Panzer Regiment had 3 companies of 22 each Pz IV (l), and 5 additioal Pz IVs (l) in each of platoons of the HQ companies (one platoon each for II Battalion, and Regimental HQ companies, plus THREE (3) additional panzers, using the Pz IVH as a commander's tank. I think the regimental communication platoon took the numbers in the "05X" series, regimental recon platoon numbered "060 - 064?" One of my old AFV news identified "060" as belonging to the HQ company commander Stbfhr Simon Fuss. I am guessing II. battalion numbered it's communication and recon platoons the same sequence they had first deployed to Russia in Feb 1943 "55X" ?? (source: Operation "Citidel" Restayne/ Moller

[Mobius]

On the 12th to west of hill 252.2 was Oktyabrskii Sokhoz (collective) the area in between was the scene of the fierce "Prokhorovka" tank battle.
I have the C. Lawrence book.
The 6th company, led by Rudof von Ribbentrop, ran head long into two tank brigades as it went up the grade to hill 252.2.
He states that his 6th company of only 7 tanks was advancing while the 5th and 7th companies stayed behind in a tank ditch.

At the time the Russian 31st tank brigade followed by the 32nd tank brigade were sweeping over hill 252.2. Immediately to the west of these was the 170th tank brigade and to the east was the 25th tank brigade.
In and around the Oktyabriskii Sokhoz and the tank ditch were several other German units including Tigers. One of which was commanded by Michael Whittmann.

Coincidentally, in the book 'Red Army Tank Commander, by Valsiliy Bryukahov, who commanded a T-34 that day on the very same battlefield. It was his first battle and while his unit (the book doesn't give it's ID) got mixed up with the 170th brigade his tank managed to get through the tank ditch. He knocked out (claimed) one German tank before his tank was hit and its road wheels were destroyed. He bailed out and retreated back to Prokhorovka.

BTW, Google Earth has this area in high definition and street view.

[Miles Krogfus]

On July 1,1943 the 1 SS had 67 Panzer IV. Krupp built 38, Vomag 16 and Nibelungen 13. On July 10, it had 78 Pz.IV with 41 combat fit.
July 1st # for the Regiment HQ: Pz.IV 055 CO Ostbf. Georg Schonberger, with Pz.III 054 Adjutant Hst. Gerd Nuske, Pz.III 053 Ordonn. Offz. Ost. Hans Malkomes. Note that at Charkov, its Aufkl.Zug had Pz.III # 060-064 Zug CO Oscha. Karl Scharna.
July 1st II Abteilung HQ with Pz.III's 555 CO Stbf. Martin Gross, 554 Adj. Ust. Michalsky, 553 Ord.Offz. Arndt Fischer.
1 SS vets do not remember if Panzer IV # 062, 064 and 065 of the Rgt.Recon. platoon that appear in Kursk photos were added before July 1. Nor do they have exact dates for the photo appearances of 4th Zug # on 5, 6 and 7 company Pz.IV's indicating an additional platoon (or Panzers # 051 and # 067 shown in photos taken ?) As well, remember that when panzers were in repair at divisional level, # could be changed to confuse enemy reports about the current structure and amount of panzers in a German unit.
In a letter to me dated October 8,1990 6th Komp. CO Rudolf von Ribbentrop wrote that he remembered these July 1 #: 604 Oberscha. Gebauer as Kompanietruppfuhrer, 605 of his own #, 615 of Oberstrm. Walter Malchow, 625 Unterstm. Muller, on the second day of combat severely wounded and later died. "Wer die Zuge 3 und 4 fuhrte, kann ich Ihnen nicht mehr mit Sicherheit sagen."

[Miles Krogfus]

Here is a map showing the tank trench mentioned above:

[Miles Krogfus]

Ralf Tiemann gave me this photo of his #705:

[Miles Krogfus]

Berlin Document Center Photos: Ralf Tiemann (three) and one (lower right) Alfons Weiser, born December 2,1921, died in Panzer #719 July 8,1943.

[Miles Krogfus]

Another photo of Tiemann's Kursk #705 with base RAL 7028 gray oversprayed with RAL 6003 green, and a Berlin Document Center photo of Hans Malkomes (who was in Pz.III #053). LAH panzers had double outline black and white # for Citadel. 7th company had the black outline outside of the white. Then #054 of Gerd Nuske with the white outline the outside color. Note that its RAL 7028 and RAL 6003 had Dunkelgelb nach Muster (more yellow when sprayed on in the field than earlier when factory applied) as the third, lightest color.