Which unit had Tiger II Porscheturm ?

[Kelvin]

Hi, I would like to know which unit were equipped with Tiger II Porscheturm ( First 50 units of Tiger II) ? Anyone could provide data on that ?

[Ironmachine]

Hope this helps:

There were 50 Tiger IIs that mounted the Porsche turret.
The first unit to be issued them was Pz.Kp. 316(Fkl) and they received 5 on 14 March 1944 at Lake Neuseidler, Austria. They were chassis numbers 280001-280005. Three of these were lost in Chateaudun, France in August 1944 and one was lost near Toury, France and another near Varize, France just to the east of Chateaudun also in August 1944.
The 1st Company of sPzAbt. 503 was issued 12 of them on 12 June 1944 at Ohrdruf, Germany. The unit went to fight in Normandy and 7 were lost in July 1944 and 5 in August 1944.
The 3rd Company of sPzAbt. 503, after losing their Tiger Is in Normandy was sent to Mailly le Camp in France, east of Paris , to be refitted with the Tiger II. At Mailly le Camp they received 12 Porsche turreted Tiger IIs and 2 Henschel turreted Tiger IIs on 31 July and 2 August 1944. While at Mailly le Camp two of the Porsche turreted Tiger II experienced mechanical problems and were left behind at Mailly le Camp when the rest of the unit headed for action north of the Seine River and to the west of Paris in mid-August 1944.
The two Porsche turreted Tiger IIs were shipped back to Germany from Mailly le Camp to Paderborn, Germany being shipped on 26 August 1944 and arriving on 3 September 1944.
After 3./sPzAbt. 503 fought in the withdrawal through France to Belgium they were sent to Paderborn for refitting where the entire battalion was issued 45 Tiger IIs with the Henschel turret and the two Porsche turreted Tiger IIs that they had left behind in Mailly le Camp. From Paderborn they were sent to fight in Hungary. One Porsche turreted Tiger IIs was numbered 314 and carried the name Anneliese. It was lost in March 1945 fighting in the east in Hungary. The fate of the other Porsche turret Tiger II is unknown.
My research at this point appears that 15 Porsche turreted Tiger IIs were sent to the Heeres Waffenamt and 6 when to Pz-Ers.-Abt. 500 to account for the total issue of 50.
PzKp. 316(Fkl)=5
1./sPzAbt. 503=12
3./sPzAbt. 503=12
Heeres Waffenamt=15
Pz-Ers-Abt. 500=6
There is one particular photo floating around that shows some Porsche turreted Tiger IIs on rail cars and the caption notes these were being shipped to sPzAbt. 506 to support actions at Arnhem in Holland in September 1944. This is quite possible, they could be coming from Heeres Waffenamt or Pz-Ers-Abt. 500, but I am still skeptical until I find additional documentation. Photo captions have a way of being in error many times.
At any extent only two Tiger IIs with the Porsche turret fought in the east and in Hungary.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207/th ... che+Turret

[Kelvin]

Thank, Ironmachine, very helpful : )