Das Reich Tiger Gunners

[Miles Krogfus]

Rttf. Gerhard Kaempf born July 20,1924. Combats Feb.14-Nov.27,1943 when wounded. With Pz.III L60 # 851 Ustuf. Alois Kalss till March, then Tiger #S31 of Kalss when Kaempf was promoted to Uscha. and received the EK I August 4 with 36 tanks shot. From Nov.14 he scored 10 more kills with Usha. Albert Ratter in #S22 for a total of 46.
Strm. Kurt Meyer born Feb.18,1922. Combats Feb. to Dec.20,1943 when off to leave. Tiger #821 Ostuf. Philipp Theiss by Charkow 3 shot. Rttf. April 1. July 5-7 Tiger #S11 with Komp. CO Hstuf. Herbert Zimmermann 6 shot, Mius August 8,1943 10 T34 shot in 30 minutes #S11 with Ustuf. Heinz Tensfeld. Meyer EK II, Tensfeld EK I. Uscha. October 1,1943. 10 more shot by mid November. Then Bjila-Zerkow 4 shot with Kalss in #S21. Russia total 33. Normandy 102 SS with Kalss Hill 112 Tiger #141 July 10,1944 shot 2, July 11 shot 2. Later 3 more shot in Normandy. 1945 502 SS in Tiger #101 7 shot till Hstuf. Kalss shot in head 29 April died 2 May. Grand total gunner Meyer 47 shot, Kalss 54 shot.
Strm. Karl Skerbinz. With Usha. Konrad Schweigert Tiger #812 Charkow area 7, Wjasnma 2, Bjelgorod 3 shot, then them in #S12 Mius during August 2 shot, Bjila-Zerkow 13 November 1943, 5 T34 1 T60 shot in #S12. Russia total 20 shot. Normandy 102 SS now Pz.Schtz. at Hill 112 and Falaise road with Ostuf. Klaus Peter Schwab Tiger #111 total of 6 shot. Grand total of credited shot 26 with 6 more not confirmed.
Strm. Julius Hinrichsen born March 12,1921. In Tiger #801 of Hscha. Alfred Ott on March 18,1943 Das Reich Charkow Tiger battles were concluded with them shooting 2 T34 and 1 T60. Promoted to Rttf. 1 April,1943. Many of his kills came during summer 1943 mainly in Mius combats using #S02 Oscha. Kurt Hellwig, so when Hinrichsen was wounded on October 5, he had 22 shot tanks before leaving combat.

[EugE]

Mius August 8,1943 10 T34 shot in 30 minutes #S11 with Ustuf. Heinz Tensfeld.

I doubt reliability of this information. Where do you took it?
According to the documents of 6 Army on August, 8th the parts of a SS-tank regiment 2 had been loaded on a railway transport for move it to Kharkov.

[Miles Krogfus]

Info. from gunner Meyer, and Das Reich granted EK's to him and Tensfeld, so the event happened, but its date and/or place could be different.

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

Unit diary and medal citation kill claims aren't trustworthy. Something probably happened, but the number of Soviet tanks destroyed is unknown.

[EugE]

Info. from gunner Meyer, and Das Reich granted EK's to him and Tensfeld, so the event happened, but its date and/or place could be different.

Warnik and Gasenave pointed that they were awarded after Mius Battle at least already August 4 they received congratulation from PzAbt commander.
What is about SS-Fahnenjunker Arno Friesen or Giesen?

[Miles Krogfus]

Since Skerbinz did not get 6 of his claims credited, and since I have many sketch maps of KO'd tanks and detailed, specific data on combats, it is clear that the Germans, if they bothered, could 1n 1943 and 1944 get good armor shootout details. In 1945 it was chaotic, and "look out to maybe stay alive today," so for this period I am rather wary of any Allied or German remarks by warriors (and swift boys grabbed by their shirttails when looking to snatch any red, red apples . . .)

[Miles Krogfus]

Kurt Meyer, Das Reich's best Tiger gunner, had this image taken for a 8.5 by 13.5 cm card he sent to relatives and friends. Please do not download this heretofore unpublished image elsewhere so that I continue to post at AHF more such photos and documents.

[Gastolli]

Info. from gunner Meyer, and Das Reich granted EK's to him and Tensfeld, so the event happened, but its date and/or place could be different.

Hello,
well, indeed, the date of the award usually is some days after the actual combat, could be 2 days to 2 weeks or so. Even an EK 2nd class recommendation has to use the offical channel.

In fact Kurt Meyer and Heinz Tensfeld got their EK 2 and EK 1 on August 4th 1943.
Kurt Meyer got his EK 1 on Dec. 8th, 1943, still as a Rottenführer.

So indeed the action (10 T34 claimed by Tensfeld) should have been a few days before August 4th!

Oliver

[Gastolli]

...then Tiger #S31 of Kalss when Kaempf was promoted to Uscha. and received the EK I ...

Hello,
Gerhard Kaempf got his EK 1st class on Dec. 8th 1943 only, still as a Rottenführer.

His next CO Albert Ratter had the EK 2nd class from August 20th 1943 already ...

Oliver

[Gastolli]

Strm. Karl Skerbinz. With Usha. Konrad Schweigert ...

Hello,

Karl Skerbinz got the EK 2nd class on April 20th 1944 and the EK 1st class on Sept. 14th 1944, still with the rank of Schütze.
Konrad Schweigert got the EK 1st class on Dec. 8th 1943.

Oliver

[EugE]

During battles in February-March 1943 the next gunners were heavy WIA:
SS-Pz.Oschtz. H. Dietrich
SS-Uscha. H. Kerkhoff.