Tigers in Normandy - list of sources

[Simon Trew 1]

Hello all,

Having received my copy of the new Maranes Editions book about 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion and the same publisher’s issue 4 of ‘Bataille de Normandie Magazine’, and having summarised the relevant content in my soon-to-be-published (I hope) source guide to the German perspective on the Normandy campaign, I thought there might be one or two people who are interested in the summer 1944 western campaign who would therefore be interested to have the following stuff.

The material below is extracted from section 3 of my chapter about German armoured forces in Normandy. I have removed a section about booty panzers and I’ve also omitted a section from near the start of the chapter which includes lots of general sources about German AFVs in Normandy (e.g. Lefèvre’s ‘Panzers in Normandy’, Bernage’s ‘The Panzers and the Battle of Normandy’, Napier etc. etc.), as well as some memoir literature (e.g. Will Fey’s ‘Armor Battles of the Waffen-SS’). I’ve stuck here to reproducing the unit-focused material and general works about Tiger tanks.

I realise there are probably a couple of errors here (although I hope not). Also, I suspect I’m missing a few things – e.g. I’ve seen on this forum part of the August combat diary for elements of 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion, but I don’t yet have a copy myself (presumably it comes from BA-MA RS 21/17 – see section 3.2.2a. below). I’d also be keen to see the second part of Bruno Renoult’s article about 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion at Mantes, if anybody has a copy (see section 3.2.3e. below). If I can locate and describe these and other missing sources in the next couple of months I will of course include them in a revised version of the chapter sections reproduced here.

Constructive criticism is always welcome, and I am aware that opinion about some of the authors whose work I describe below varies – so not everyone is likely to agree with every word I’ve written. Also, I realise that those who really, really know their Tiger stuff (I do not count myself among them) will probably not find anything new in what follows. Still, I’m not aware of a similar consolidated list of material about Tigers in Normandy. So if what follows helps anybody identify a largish portion of what is out there, and saves someone a bit of time trying to work out the extent and limits of the literature, then it will have served its purpose.

Anyway, here it is, for whatever it’s worth to those who use the forum:

Section 3. Heavy and ‘booty panzer’ tank battalions in Normandy

The Germans sent three heavy tank battalions to fight in Normandy. They were equipped with Tiger tanks of two different types. A small number of Tigers also served with Panzer-Kompanie 316 (Funklenk), which was attached to the Panzer Lehr Division (see section 4.3.4. below). Two ‘booty panzer’ battalions, equipped mostly with French tanks captured in 1940, also served in Normandy.

3.1. General works:

3.1.1. Heavy tanks:

Like works described in section 1.3.1. above [deals with Pz.IV and Pz.V], publications about Tiger tanks tend to fall into one of two categories: technical studies; and books about tactics and the achievements of units that were equipped with these vehicles.

3.1.1.1. Development and technical studies:

Jentz, Thomas and Doyle, Hilary: Tiger I Heavy Tank 1942-5 (Osprey Publishing Ltd., Oxford 1993; 48pp., illustrations). This book provides a concise guide to the development and technical specifications of the Pz.Kpfw.VI (‘Tiger’) tank. It also includes brief histories of units that were equipped with this vehicle, among them the three battalions that fought in Normandy.

Jentz, Thomas and Doyle, Hilary: Kingtiger Heavy Tank 1942-5 (Osprey Publishing Ltd., Oxford 1993; 48pp., illustrations). This book discusses the development and characteristics of the Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B (commonly known as the ‘Kingtiger’ or ‘King Tiger’). One company of the Army’s 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion was equipped with these vehicles during the Normandy campaign. The 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion also received fourteen of these vehicles in August, using them in battles around the Mantes bridgehead at the end of the month (see section 3.2.1e. below).

Jentz, Thomas and Doyle, Hilary: Germany’s Tiger Tanks: D.W. to Tiger I: Design, Production and Modifications (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen 1996; 176pp., illustrations). This volume provides a detailed description of the design and development of the ‘Tiger I’ heavy tank. It is a valuable source for technical specifications but contains almost nothing about their use of these AFVs in combat.

Jentz, Thomas and Doyle, Hilary: Germany’s Tiger Tanks: VK45.02 to Tiger II: Design, Production and Modifications (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen 1997; 169pp., illustrations). This is a detailed development history of the ‘Kingtiger’ tank. The book is packed with technical drawings and photographs (a few of the latter being of vehicles captured or destroyed in Normandy). It contains nothing, however, about the use of these vehicles during summer 1944.

Spielberger, Walter: Tiger and King Tiger Tanks and their Variants (Foulis / Haynes Publishing Group, Sparkford 1991; 228pp., illustrations). This is the English-language edition of the author’s Der Panzer-Kampfwagen Tiger und seine Abarten (Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1977). The book is a heavily illustrated development history of Tiger tanks and associated vehicles (tank destroyers, self-propelled guns etc.). It contains plenty of technical information, but nothing about their use in combat.

Stein, Max: “Le Könistiger ‘233’ de Saumur identifié!”, in Bataille de Normandie 1944 Magazine No.2, 2020, pp.84-95. This French-language article seeks to clarify the unit to which a Kingtiger tank currently on display at the French AFV museum at Saumur originally belonged. After a detailed and well-illustrated review of the evidence, the author concludes that the exhibit was assembled from the remains of two tanks that were knocked out during fighting in the Mantes bridgehead west of Paris during late August 1944. Specifically, the hull and running gear came from a tank that belonged to 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion, while the turret came from a Kingtiger that fought with the Army’s 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion. The material in this article is reproduced in a book about the 503rd that was published in 2021 (see section 3.2.3b. below, entry under ‘Stein, Max and Cazenave, Stephan’).

‘Tiger II’. This technical description of the Kingtiger’s principal features is based on a captured German document. It is in Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.38, issued 13 July 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/221).

‘Tiger II’. This is a technical description of a Kingtiger tank found destroyed after a battle in the village of Le Plessis-Grimoult in early August 1944. The vehicle belonged to 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion. The report contains information about the tank’s design and armament. See Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.68, issued 12 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222).

‘Tiger II’. This is another report about the vehicle destroyed in Le Plessis-Grimoult at the start of August (see above). It seeks to correct and expand upon information contained in the earlier description of the AFV’s features. See Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.86, issued 30 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222).

For an explanation of the correct translation and usage of the German term ‘Königstiger’ (given as ‘Kingtiger’ or ‘King Tiger’ here and everywhere else) see https://panzerworld.com/german-armor-myths.

3.1.1.2. Tank tactics and the achievements of German heavy tanks:

Cazenave, Stephan: “Au combat dans un Tiger I en Normandie (Part.1)”, in Bataille de Normandie 1944 Magazine Number 4, 2021, pp.70-83. This French-language article brings together material from the ‘Tigerfibel’ instruction manual issued in 1943 with personal accounts by Tiger tank crewmen to describe the function of the vehicle’s driver and wireless operator. The piece is accompanied by numerous illustrations. Despite its title, the article does not contain very much information specifically about Tiger tank operations in Normandy.

‘German Tank Tactics’. This detailed intelligence report is based on information provided by a German prisoner who belonged to 508th Heavy Tank Battalion and who was captured in Italy. His description of the tactics used by his battalion was based on his training and experience on the Eastern Front. It provides a useful reference point for comparing and contrasting the use of Tiger tanks in Normandy and on other fronts. See SHAEF Intelligence Notes Number 24 (24 August 1944), UK National Archives, WO 219/5235.

Jentz, Thomas: Germany’s Tiger Tanks: Tiger I and II – Combat Tactics (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen 1997; 176pp., maps, illustrations). As its title indicates, this book is about the way in which Tiger tanks were used in battle. It includes information about the tanks’ firepower, mobility and survivability, unit organisation and tactics, and strength reports. There are combat accounts from all fronts. Events in Normandy are covered on pp.101-11. There is a comprehensive glossary of German terms at the end of the text.

Schneider, Wolfgang: Tigers in Combat II (Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg 2005 edition; xiii + 366pp., maps, illustrations). This book contains histories of more than twenty units that were equipped with Tiger tanks during the Second World War. Information about schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 and schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102, both of which fought in Normandy, appears on pp.203-94. In addition to chronologies of each battalion’s activities in Normandy, there are numerous photos and detailed information about each unit’s losses and tank strengths during the 1944 campaign.

Schneider, Wolfgang (trans. ‘Battle Born Books and Consulting’): Tigers in Normandy (Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg 2011; vi + 377pp., maps, illustrations). This is the English-language edition of the author’s Tiger im Kampf: Die Einsätz in der Normandie (Schneider Armour Research, 2004). As its title indicates, the book focuses on the role of German heavy tanks during the Normandy campaign. Fewer than 140 Tigers and Kingtigers fought in Normandy, and this book clarifies the fate of almost all of them. Although the emphasis is on describing tactical actions (using numerous personal accounts), there is plenty of analysis, plus a willingness to challenge widely held assumptions about some well-known incidents. There are several appendices, providing orders of battle, information about tactical markings applied to vehicles, details of the numbers of tanks available to each battalion during the campaign, and a list of every Tiger and Kingtiger known to have been destroyed or abandoned between 13 June and 30 August 1944. The book is heavily illustrated with photographs and maps. The book seems to be conscientiously researched, although there are no footnotes, which makes it difficult to know from precisely which sources the author has derived information contained in his text.

Schneider, Wolfgang and Köhler, Frank (trans. Hammond, Derik): Tigers in Combat, Volume III (Helion & Company, Solihull 2016; v + 512pp., maps, illustrations). This is the English-language edition of the author’s Tiger im Kampf, Band III (Verlag Wolfgang Schneider, 2013). The contents cover the organisation of German heavy tank units, crew training and functions, battle tactics and numerous other topics. There are hundreds of illustrations to support the text. Coverage of the subject matter is about as comprehensive as anybody could reasonably expect, although descriptions of specific combat actions are limited in number and none of them relate to events in Normandy during summer 1944.

Wilbeck, Christopher: Swinging the Sledgehammer: The Combat Effectiveness of German Heavy Tank Battalions in World War II: A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree [of] Master of Military Art and Science (Fort Leavenworth 2002; 143pp., maps). This higher degree dissertation analyses the combat effectiveness of German heavy tank battalions during the Second World War, arguing that they were an asset to the German ground forces based on the kill ratio they achieved. Pages 95-100 examine the use of heavy tank battalions during the Normandy campaign.

Zetterling, Niklas: Normandy 1944: German Military Organization, Combat Power and Organizational Effectiveness (J. J. Fedorowicz Publishing, Inc., Winnipeg 2000; ix + 462pp., illustrations). Pages 177-82 and 190-2 of this book describe the orders of battle of the three Tiger tank battalions that fought in Normandy. The same material is available in slightly updated form on pp.150-5 and pp.162-4 of the 2019 edition of this book (Casemate Publishers, Havertown).

An interesting if slightly bad-tempered discussion about the causes of Tiger losses in Normandy is at viewtopic.php?f=47&t=240471. The thread describes why specific vehicles were destroyed or abandoned during the campaign, and includes many photographs.

3.1.2. Booty panzers:

……………………….

[Material not included in this post]

3.2. Specific units:

3.2.1. 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion (schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101):

This battalion was formed in late 1943 and fought as part of I SS Panzer Corps throughout the Normandy campaign. Its most famous member was SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann, who played an important role during the battle for Villers-Bocage on 13 June and who was killed near Caen on 8 August. Elements fought west of Paris at the end of the campaign. The battalion lost almost all its tanks by the end of the summer but was later rebuilt. Under a different designation, it continued to fight until the end of the war.

3.2.1a. Primary sources:

‘Report on destruction of Mk VI enemy tank’. This is a detailed British account of an engagement that took place west of Caen on 16 June 1944, during which a Tiger belonging to 101st SS Tank Battalion was destroyed, with at least two of its crew killed. The account also includes a description of the damage caused to the tank, based on inspection of the captured vehicle. The account originally appeared in British 7th Armoured Division’s Intelligence Summary (ISUM) No.10, and is reproduced in Appendix B to XXX Corps’ ISUM No.427, issued 24 June 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/336).

3.2.1b. Unit histories and order of battle:

Agte, Patrick and Wendt, Werner: Michael Wittmann and the Tiger Commanders of the Leibstandarte (J. J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc., Winnipeg 1996; viii + 568pp., maps, illustrations). This is the English-language edition of Agte’s Michael Wittmann: erfolgreichster Panzerkommandant in Zweiten Weltkrieg und die Tiger der Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (Deutsche Verlaggesellschaft, Rosenheim 1994), incorporating Wendt’s earlier Geschichte der s.Pz.Komp. LSSAH und s.SS-Pz.Abt. 101/501. The book provides a detailed history of 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion and pays special attention to the career of its most famous officer, Michael Wittmann. The first half of the book is mostly concerned with fighting on the Eastern Front, but pages 312-457 cover the battalion’s activities in Normandy. One significant (though brief) section focuses on engagements in and around Villers-Bocage during mid-June, which confirmed Wittmann’s reputation as a tank commander of the most dangerous kind. The controversies regarding the circumstances of Wittmann’s death are addressed on pp.423-31. The book is heavily illustrated, with a complete order of battle for D-Day on pp.289-94, as well as maps, photographs and facsimiles of original documents and newspaper articles.

Wood, M. and Dugdale, J.: Waffen SS Panzer Units in Normandy 1944 (Books International, Farnborough 2000; 190pp.). Page 183 of this book reproduces information extracted from German documents about 101st SS Tank Battalion’s tank strength on twelve different dates between 4 July and 2 August 1944.

3.2.1c. Interrogation reports:

There is a single interrogation report of a member of 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion in the UK National Archives. It provides interesting information about the battalion’s organisation and equipment, and the names of several of its officers. See WO 208/3637 (LF/681).

3.2.1d. Biographies, memoirs:

Kurowski, Franz: Panzer Aces – German Tank Commanders of World War II (Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg 2004 edition; 460pp., illustrations). This is a compendium of accounts of German tank commanders’ experiences during the Second World War. The author previously worked as a Nazi propagandist. Chapter 5 (pp.285-340) records the achievements of SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann, who was credited with some significant successes in Normandy and who was killed there in August.

Tout, Ken: How Modest are the Bravest! Courage from the Beaches of Normandy and Beyond (Helion & Company Ltd., Warwick 2018; 208pp., maps, illustrations). This is a book about ‘heroes’ and their characteristics, written by a British veteran who served in Normandy. It includes a chapter about SS-Hauptsturmführer Wittmann (pp.174-83).

3.2.1e. Battle accounts and other sources:

Marie, Henri: Villers-Bocage, Normandy 1944 (Editions Heimdal, Bayeux 2003 (160pp., maps, illustrations). This book describes the background to and conduct of a battle that took place in and around the town of Villers-Bocage on 13-14 June 1944. Special attention is given to the role of 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion and its most famous officer, SS-Hauptsturmführer Wittmann. The final chapter analyses the outcome of the battle. There is an appendix by a German officer and expert on tank combat who presents some surprisingly strong criticisms of Wittmann’s decision-making before and during the battle. The text throughout is presented both in French and English, and the book is well illustrated with photographs and maps.

Taylor, Daniel: Villers-Bocage – Through the Lens of the German War Photographer (Battle of Britain International Ltd., London 1999: 88pp., maps, illustrations). This book provides a detailed description of one of the most well-known engagements of the Normandy campaign, during which the famous SS tank commander, Michael Wittmann, is claimed to have played a key role in repulsing an offensive by elements of the British 7th Armoured Division. The aftermath of the battle was carefully recorded by official German war photographers and the book makes extensive use of their records, as well as images obtained from the British Imperial War Museum and other sources. The account of the action is supported by clearly-drawn maps and orders of battle. It finishes with an analysis of the significance of the German victory to their wartime propaganda and provides information about the casualties suffered by the two sides.

Taylor, Daniel: “Villers-Bocage Revisited”, in After the Battle magazine, Number 132, 2006, pp.30-41. In this article the author re-engages with some of the issues outlined in his 1999 book, Villers-Bocage – Through the Lens of the German War Photographer (see above). Close attention is devoted to trying to clarify the circumstances in which the Tiger tank commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer Wittmann was knocked out in Villers-Bocage on 13 June. The author also takes the opportunity to correct some minor factual errors contained in his earlier publication.

Deprun, Frédéric and Joualt, Yann: Villers-Bocage, autopsie d’une bataille (Editions Heimdal, Bayeux 2015: 256pp., maps, illustrations). This French-language book provides a detailed description of the battle for Villers-Bocage, which took place on 13 June 1944. The text is based on an extensive survey of primary and secondary sources and is supported with hundreds of illustrations. Effective use is made of air photographs, onto which the authors have superimposed information to help readers understand the precise movements of individual tanks and other forces involved in the battle. The text challenges previous interpretations of events by placing the actions of Michael Wittmann (often credited with almost single-handedly halting British 7th Armoured Division’s offensive) in a wider context. In this respect, discussion of the role of units belonging to the Panzer Lehr and 2nd Panzer divisions is especially important. The book includes seven appendices, which provide additional material on the forces and personalities involved in the engagement, details of related combat actions, and information about what happened to wrecked vehicles at Villers-Bocage after the battle was over.

The obsession with Michael Wittmann’s role at Villers-Bocage is nowhere better indicated than in internet sources. There are two outstanding examples in website discussion forums. See viewtopic.php?f=50&t=151479 and https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/missing ... 19786.html. Both these discussion threads contain fascinating insights into the battle, as well as material that may prompt consideration of why some historical figures and events receive so much more attention than others.

Deprun, Frédéric and Joualt, Yann: “Tiger à Evrecy 14 et 15 juin 1944: 3./s.SS.Pz-Abt 101 sous les bombes”, in Normandie 1944 Magazine, Number 12, 2014, pp.40-47. This article describes the effects of a British bombing raid on the village of Evrecy on the night of 14-15 June, during which several Tigers belonging to 101st SS Heavy Tank battalion were destroyed or damaged. Many Germans were killed in the attack. French text.

Deprun, Frédéric and Joualt, Yann: “Le Tiger de la ferme Saint-Nicolas: Chronique d’un sabordage 26 juin 1944”, in Normandie 1944 Magazine, Number 34, 2020, pp.32-55. This article describes an engagement that took place near Fontenay-le-Pesnel on 26 June 1944. During the battle, a Tiger belonging to 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion was hit by British anti-tank weapons, prompting the crew to abandon the vehicle. Before they did so, they set demolition charges that resulted in the tank’s destruction. The article investigates the incident and the subsequent recovery of the wreck by British engineers. French text.

Joualt, Yann: “Désastre à Rauray: L’anéantissement des Tiger de la s.SS-Pz.Abt.101, 26 Juin 1944”, in Normandie 1944 Magazine, Number 33, 2019, pp.56-81. This article provides a detailed account of how three Tiger tanks belonging to 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion were knocked out and captured during fighting against British forces west of Caen in late June 1944. The author also identifies several other German tanks that were destroyed during the same battle. French text.

Hart, Stephen: Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 (Osprey Publishing Ltd., Oxford 2007, 80pp., maps, illustrations). This book describes the design and technical specifications of two of the most powerful armoured fighting vehicles used during the Normandy campaign. It provides information about an engagement involving these tanks that took place on 8 August 1944, during which SS-Hauptsturmführer Wittmann was killed along with all his crew. The book addresses controversies surrounding the engagement and concludes that it was a Sherman Firefly from 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry that was responsible for Wittmann’s death.

Taylor, Les: “Michael Wittmann’s Last Battle”, in After the Battle magazine, Number 48, 1985, pp.46-53. This article, by a former British soldier who served with 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry in Normandy, describes the death of SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann on 8 August. The article is well illustrated with photographs and other illustrations. It discusses the discovery in 1982 of human remains subsequently identified as those of Wittmann and other members of his crew. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the author agrees with those who have credited men from his own regiment as being responsible for Wittmann’s death. Others, however, are less sure.

Wittmann’s last battle is also the subject of a well-informed and nicely illustrated discussion thread at viewtopic.php?f=50&t=241574. Like many exchanges of this kind, it strays into other aspects of 101st SS Heavy Tank Battalion’s engagements in Normandy. But most of it is about the events of 8 August. See also viewtopic.php?f=47&t=238847.

Another thoughtful discussion thread, which pays particular attention to features of the ground over which Wittmann’s final engagement took place, is accessible at https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/missing ... 19275.html.

‘Wittmann v Ekins: The Death of a Panzer Ace’ (Battlefield History TV / Pen & Sword digital, no date). This documentary film lasts about 1 hour 20 minutes. Most of the time is used to establish the historical background to the engagement in which Michael Wittmann was killed: only the final 20 minutes are about the events of 8 August. The most interesting sections include extracts from a videotaped interview with Joe Ekins, the British tank gunner who probably fired the shot that killed Wittmann. There is also some interesting material which was filmed at the battle’s actual location.

Renoult, Bruno and Havelange, Geneviève: La Tête de Pont de Mantes, la Bataille du Vexin – Mémorial des Combats de la Libération (self-published, Magnanville 2000; 352pp., maps, illustrations). This French-language book describes battles that took place at the Mantes bridgehead north of the River Seine from 18 to 31 August 1944. The 101st SS Heavy Tank battalion was heavily involved in this fighting from 26 August onwards. The book describes its role in some detail.

3.2.2. 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion (schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102):

This battalion was formed in late 1943 as II SS Panzer Corps’ heavy tank battalion, although it did not receive any Tiger tanks until the following April. The unit reached Normandy during July and served there mostly with II SS Panzer Corps. It lost almost all its tanks during the campaign. Later it was rebuilt and re-designated as 502nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion. It fought under this title until it was destroyed in the Battle of Berlin.

3.2.2a. Primary sources:

According to online finding aids, the following document is accessible from the Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv in Freiburg im Breisgau. I have not seen it and cannot describe its contents.

RS 21/17: Battalion combat reports, July – August 1944.

Also available from the Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv (assuming this is a different document from the one mentioned above):

‘Gefechtsbericht für Monat July 1944’ (8pp.). This German-language report about 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion’s 2nd Company is in the Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv, reference N 756-260a (Vopersal archive). The document briefly describes the company’s activities in Normandy each day during July 1944. The journal also identifies tank and other vehicle losses during the same period.

I have found a single translated document about the battalion in contemporaneous Allied intelligence sources:

‘102 [SS] Hy Tk Bn’. This captured document provides a daily vehicle strength return for 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion for the period 13-17 August 1944. It also provides information about the numbering system used by 1st Company’s tanks. See Part II to British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.79, issued 23 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222).

3.2.2b. Unit histories and order of battle:

Cazenave, Stephan and Warnick, Rüdiger: Tiger! De la schwere Kompanie/SS-Pz.Regt.2 à la s.SS-Panzerabteilung 102/502 (Editions Heimdal, Bayeux 2008; 496pp., maps, illustrations). This is a detailed, heavily illustrated French-language history of 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion. Early chapters describe the unit’s origins and service on the Eastern Front. Chapter 8 (pp.236-91) covers its expansion into a full battalion during 1943 and its preparations for action while in France and the Netherlands during early 1944. Chapter 9 (pp.292-397) provides biographical information about the battalion’s personnel, plus details of the unit’s composition in early June. This chapter describes the battalion’s movement to Normandy in June and its experiences near Caen in July. The same chapter also deals with combat actions during early August and describes the withdrawal of surviving elements across the River Seine later the same month. Throughout, the account is based on primary sources, making this one of the most detailed descriptions of a German battalion’s experiences during the Normandy campaign yet published.

Schneider, Wolfgang: Das Reich Tigers: The Tigers of the 8./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2, schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102 and schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502 (J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing, Inc., Winnipeg 2006; 404pp., maps, illustrations). This is a detailed history of Tiger tank units associated with 2nd SS Panzer Division and (later) II SS Panzer Corps. Pages 183-257 describe the formation and activities of 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion. Almost all this section is about fighting in Normandy. There are many personal accounts, some of them from other published sources and some provided directly to the author. The chapter is illustrated with several maps and many photographs. At the rear of the volume is a series of colour plates of tanks belonging to units described by the author, plus tables of organisation, strength reports and award recommendations. Some of this material casts additional light on the battalion’s activities in Normandy.

Verwicht, Alain: “Etude des unités de l’Oberbefehlshaber West, Juin-Décembre 1944 (suite): La schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung (Tiger) 102”, in Panzer Voran! Number 10, 2001, pp.2-5. This French-language article describes 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion’s condition shortly before D-Day. It reproduces an equipment list for 1 June 1944 and provides information about AFVs and other equipment used by the unit during the campaign. The article is illustrated with several photographs.

Wood, M. and Dugdale, J.: Waffen SS Panzer Units in Normandy 1944 (Books International, Farnborough 2000; 190pp.). Pages 184-7 of this book reproduce several German documents about 102nd SS Tank Battalion’s vehicle and personnel strength between 1 June and early August 1944.

3.2.2c. Interrogation reports:

‘Org of 102 [SS] 102 Hy Tk Bn’. This report is based on the interrogation of the only survivor from a Tiger tank which was destroyed during an engagement with British forces in July 1944. It describes the battalion’s organisation and its journey to the battle area. See Part II of 2nd Canadian Corps Intelligence Summary (ISUM) No.2, issued 12 July 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 179/2693 – the report originally appeared in an ISUM produced by British VIII Corps, which I have not located).

There are two interrogation reports of members of 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion in the UK National Archives. They provide useful information about the battalion’s organisation, its move to Normandy, and the characteristics of the tanks used by the unit. See WO 208/3593 (SIR 585) and WO 208/3625 (KP/275).

3.2.2d. Biographies, memoirs:

Fey, Will (trans. Henschler, H.): Armor Battles of the Waffen-SS 1943-45 (Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg 2003 edition; xix + 374pp., maps, illustrations). The contents of this work are described in section 1.2. above. The author served with 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion and quite a large part of the Normandy chapter is about his own experiences during the fighting that took place there.

3.2.2e. Battle accounts and other sources:

Sources that describe II SS Panzer Corps’ involvement in the Normandy campaign tend to include some information about 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion’s activities. See Chapter X, section …… [not reproduced here] for details. See also relevant entries in section 3.1.1.2. above.

A fascinating discussion thread on the Axis History Forum website can be found at
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=147849. Although the middle section describes fighting that did not involve 102nd SS Heavy Tank Battalion, contributions at the beginning and end cast some light on the problems involved in assessing what the unit achieved in battles near Vire during early August 1944.

3.2.3. 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion (schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503):

This Army heavy tank battalion was formed in 1942 and fought on the Eastern Front until spring 1944. It was then withdrawn to Germany for refitting. After receiving replacement vehicles it was sent to France, arriving near Caen in early July. It suffered very heavy equipment losses during the campaign. One company fought around the Mantes bridgehead on the north bank of the River Seine in late August. Later the battalion was rebuilt and from autumn 1944 until the end of the war it fought on the Eastern Front.

3.2.3a. Primary sources:

The unit’s war diary does not seem to have survived the war. Nor have I located any relevant documents in the Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv or (in translated form) in British or north American archives.

3.2.3b. Unit histories and order of battle:

Lochmann, Franz-Wilhelm; Von Rosen, Richard; and Rubbel, Alfred: The Combat History of German Tiger Tank Battalion 503 in World War II (Stackpole Books edition, Mechanicsburg 2008; viii + 439pp., maps, illustrations; also J. J. Fedorowicz edition, Winnipeg 2000). Most of this book concerns 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion’s experiences on the Eastern Front, but pp.253-302 describe its activities in Normandy, especially during Operation ‘Goodwood’ in mid-July. The text includes a roster of officers (pp.9-12) and lists of personnel losses (pp.427-36). The book is available in a French-language edition (Tigerabteilung 503: La schwere Panzerabteilung 503 du Front de l’Est à la Normandie: Editions Heimdal, Bayeux 2014) and a German-language edition (Erinnerungen an die Tigerabteilung 503: Die schwere Panzerabteilung 503 an den Brenpunkten der Front in Ost und West: Flechsig Verlag, 2009).

Lodieu, Didier: 45 Tiger en Normandie: La s.Panzer-Abteilung 503 (Ysec Éditions, Louviers 2002; 192pp., maps, illustrations). This French-language book describes 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion’s activities in Normandy. The author examines the role of several units with which the battalion cooperated. The book is heavily illustrated with photographs from private collections and official archives. It contains many maps. Coverage of operations, including some that are not widely known, is to a high standard, reflecting careful research and assistance from veterans who served with the unit in France.

Ruff, Volker: Der Tiger, Volume 3: Schwere Panzerabteilung 503 (self-published, Buch Dorf 2018; 128pp., illustrations). This is a photographic history of 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion. The text and photo captions are provided both in English and German. The book covers the entire war. The battalion’s activities in Normandy are described and illustrated on pp.100-15.

Schneider, Wolfgang: Tigers in Combat I (Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg 2004 edition; viii + 423pp., maps, illustrations). Pages 132-4 of this book provide a brief chronology of the battalion’s involvement in the Normandy campaign, with some information about combat actions and unit strengths throughout the summer.

Stein, Max and Cazenave, Stephan: Panzers Normandie Serie 44: Tiger de la s.Pz.Abt.503: Normandie, Vexin normand, juin – août 1944 (Maranes Editions, Bayeux 2021; 288pp., maps, illustrations). This is a French-language history of 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion’s activities during summer 1944. It is based on over twenty years of research & includes contributions by more than a dozen former members of the unit. There are over 400 photos, maps and other illustrations. After chapters that describe the origins and early history of the battalion, pp.58-185 cover the unit’s involvement in the Normandy campaign up to its withdrawal across the River Seine (with only three or four tanks). Pages 186-273 describe the reconstitution of one of the battalion’s companies and its involvement in battles west of Paris during the second half of August. For the contents of the final chapter, see section 3.1.1.1. above, entry under ‘Stein, Max: “Le Könistiger ‘233’ de Saumur identifié!”. As with other titles in the Panzers Normandie series, the last few pages of the book include full-colour illustrations of some of the tanks that 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion used (and lost) in Normandy.

3.2.3c. Interrogation reports:

‘503 Hy Tk Bn’. This report is based on the interrogation of three members of the engineer platoon belonging to 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion’s headquarters, who were captured on 18 July 1944. It is in Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.46, issued 21 July (UK National Archives, WO 171/221).

There is a single interrogation report of a member of 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion in the UK National Archives. It provides a few details about the battalion’s organisation and equipment. See WO 208/3646 (LDC/190).

3.2.3d. Biographies, memoirs:

Ritter, Dale (ed.); Polzin, Günther; and Burmester, Martin: The Tiger Project, Book Three (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen 2014; 136pp., illustrations). This book is based on contributions by two former members of 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion. Chapter 3 (pp.70-81) includes their reminiscences of the Normandy campaign. Most of the text, however, is concerned with other theatres of war and the men’s experiences as prisoners of war from 1945 to 1948.

Rosen, Richard Freiherr von: Panzer Ace: The Memoirs of an Iron Cross Panzer Commander from Barbarossa to Normandy (Greenhill Books, Barnsley 2018, xvi + 390pp., maps, illustrations). This is the English-language edition of the author’s Als Panzeroffizier in Ost und West: Im Panzer III, Tiger und Königstiger in Russland, Frankreich und Ungarn (Flechsig Verlag, 2013). The book describes the author’s experiences throughout the Second World War. The opening chapters cover his early war service and experiences on the Eastern Front. Pages 227-62 describe events in Normandy from July to the end of August 1944, during which time von Rosen was an officer in 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion. The book describes several battles fought near Caen in mid-July. It also includes the author’s recollections of an Allied fighter-bomber attack on 12 August, during which he was wounded.

3.2.3e. Battle accounts and other sources:

An interesting Axis History Forum discussion thread that casts light on 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion’s losses during Operation ‘Goodwood’ (18 July 1944) can be found at viewtopic.php?f=47&t=211147. The thread is illustrated by excellent air photographs and maps and also provides information about losses suffered by 21st Panzer Division during the same battle. See also viewtopic.php?f=47&t=189728, which tackles the same subject.

Bernage, Georges: “Sherman contre Tiger II le lieutenant Gorman a-t-il menti?”, in Normandie 1944 Magazine, Number 14, 2015, pp.36-41. This is an illustrated account of a well-known incident that occurred during Operation ‘Goodwood’, when a British Sherman tank allegedly rammed and disabled a Kingtiger belonging to 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion. French text.

Further analysis of the ‘Gorman vs. Kingtiger’ incident described immediately above is at viewtopic.php?f=47&t=144696. This discussion thread is illustrated by numerous photographs.

Jacquet, Stéphane: “Opération Matador, 7 août 1944: Objectif Le Plessis-Grimoult”, in Normandie 1944 Magazine, Number 05, 2013, pp.54-69. This is an account of a battle that occurred in a French village towards the end of the Normandy campaign, with close attention paid to the destruction of a Kingtiger that belonged to 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion. French text.

Renoult, Bruno and Havelange, Geneviève: La Tête de Pont de Mantes, la Bataille du Vexin – Mémorial des Combats de la Libération (self-published, Magnanville 2000; 352pp., maps, illustrations). This French-language book describes battles that took place at the Mantes bridgehead north of the River Seine from 18 to 31 August 1944. A company from 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion was involved in this fighting. The book describes its role in some detail.

Renoult, Bruno: “’Tigres à Mantes’ (1): L’engagement de la 3./s.Panzer-Abteilung 503 au nord-ouest de Paris (20-30 août 1944)”, in 39/45 Magazine, Number 313, July-August 2013, pp.30-40. This article describes fighting that took place at the Mantes bridgehead west of Paris at the end of the Normandy campaign. It focuses on activities by elements of 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion between 21 and 25 August 1944. French text.

………………………………

4.3.4. 316th Funklenk Company (Panzer-Kompanie 316 (Funklenk)):

This Borgward IV unit was attached to the Panzer Lehr Division during the Normandy campaign.

4.3.4.1. Primary sources:

‘130 Pz Lehr Div’. This brief report confirms the existence of a funklenk company in the Panzer Lehr Division and notes that one of its Borgward IV vehicles has already been captured. See Part II of British XXX Corps’ Intelligence Summary No.429, issued 26 June 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/336).

4.3.4.2. Secondary sources:

Irrgang, Astrid: Leutnant der Wehrmacht: Peter Stölten in seinen Feldpostbriefen – Vom richtigen Leben im Falschen (Rombach Verlag, Freiburg 2007; 345pp.). Unfortunately, I was unable to see a copy of this book before completing this bibliography. According to Nicholas Stargardt’s The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939-45 (The Bodley Head, London 2015, pp.426-9), it is about a young German officer who served with 316th Panzer Company (Funklenk) in Normandy. Stölten was injured in a motorcycle accident in July 1944, but correspondence quoted in Stargardt’s book describes some of his experiences during the previous month.

Santin, Eric: “Été 1944: les Tiger de Châteaudun”, in 39/45 Magazine, Number 157-8, July-August 1999, pp.2-15. This article describes the fate of five Kingtiger tanks belonging to 316th Panzer Company (Funklenk), which were encountered by US forces in and around the town of Châteaudun on 16 August 1944, during the breakout from Normandy. French text.

Schneider, Wolfgang: Tigers in Combat I (Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg 2004 edition; viii + 423pp., maps, illustrations). Pages 397-400 of this book provide a brief chronology of the company’s involvement in the Normandy campaign, with some information about combat actions and unit strengths throughout the summer.

[FalkeEins]

" I’d also be keen to see the second part of Bruno Renoult’s article about 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion at Mantes, if anybody has a copy (see section 3.2.3e. below .."

so would I but so far nothing has appeared since the first part was published in no. 313

[Michael Kenny]

Don't know about the Mantes magazine articles but there were two books on the matter not just the one. Is the last version a combined volume I & II? The combined page count of I (248) & II (338) is 580+ (248+336)

[Simon Trew 1]

Hmm, good question Michael. I'm sorry, but the books about August 1944 are at work and I'm not. From memory, I'm pretty sure I don't have (and have never seen) 'La Tete de Pont.' I definitely have one of the other two books (maybe both of them - they have the same cover photo and that's left me unsure) but I need to check. So I will get back to you when I've done so.

In my experience, most of Renoult's books are not easy to find. I managed eventually to get all five of the books about events in the Paris area, but they were not cheap. I've looked for other titles (among them the ones you mention) on Abebooks often enough, but they're usually either not there at all, or they are priced some way beyond my budget. But I like his work and consider it well worth getting, if possible.

Apologies for the imprecise reply.

Simon

[FalkeEins]

I'm not sure Renoult's 'Tete de Pont de Mantes' is actually worth looking for tbh. I have a copy. It is full of 'local colour' to put it politely (read chaotically organised) I'm assuming Schneider's "Tigers in Normandy" reprises most of the 'interesting' text and photos - the original large-format German edition, "Tiger im Kampf - die Einsätze in der Normandie " certainly does. Of course Mantes is a long way from Normandy - I believe a certain French author was rather peeved about that...

[Michael Kenny]

I'm assuming Schneider's "Tigers in Normandy" reprises most of the 'interesting' text and photos - the original German edition, "Tiger im Kampf - die Einsätze in der Normandie " certainly does.

The English and German books are identical in text/photos but I think it is the weakest of his 'Tiger' books and tellingly JJF did not do the translation. It looks like he simply downloaded his 'new' photos from the internet and he lets his emotions get the better of him when he tries to discredit the Cagny TII ramming incident. It is very much a book of its time-2004.

[FalkeEins]

"It looks like he simply downloaded his 'new' photos from the internet"

..some of the nicer images are full page on a large format book (German edition is a much larger size than the English-language book). I don't think he would have got them from the internet .. but as per my previous post (last sentence)

[Michael Kenny]

I have both books and the photos are low quality in both. Schneider certainly got one of his 'new' photos from the internet. The photo of the Tiger in a wood-pile. (pg 227, German. pg 285 English translation) is one I found in an obscure small general history of WW2 and I posted it on ML a long time back. I contacted the Photo Library that was credited and they told me they no longer had it in their collection. I have never seen it in any other Tiger book since so it must be a download. The Tiger in Villers (pg 43 German, pg 44 English) I found in Getty Images and I posted that on ML but cropped out the Getty watermark in the bottom third of the photo. Schneider's version is the same crop.
Also the Tiger in Marle photo in the German book (pg 219) is clearly a scan from a book because the gutter still runs right through the middle of the pic. In the English book (pg 273) some effort has been made to make it less obtrusive.

[FalkeEins]

thanks for those references Michael - yes, I can see a liitle more now!

Do you have the new Stein/Cazanave 503rd volume and it is worth a purchase for those who have Lodieu/Renoult/Schneider?

[Michael Kenny]

Do you have the new Stein/Cazanave 503rd volume and it is worth a purchase for those who have Lodieu/Renoult/Schneider?

It is full of information but I have not really gone through it yet. A lot more personal accounts/Unit details than previous books but the version of the Gorman ramming incident he uses is Schneider's 'Gorman made it' but with knobs on. The 'La parte du Tiger II '101', la controverse' (pg 131-136) account is best ignored.

The author is a member here but his most recent post is 6 years ago. His last visit was in Nov 2021.

[Simon Trew 1]

Michael, you asked on 30 December about Renoult's three volumes about fighting at the Mantes bridgehead. I checked, and I have the one furthest right of your three illustrations. It covers events from 18-31 August, plus an 'after the battle' section (pp.303-38). From that, I would conclude that the terms of reference are probably the same as the two other volumes combined. Total page length is 352pp. As usual with the author's books, there is quite a lot about air operations in the text and illustrations. And plenty of stuff about Tigers.

Without seeing either of the other texts, it is impossible for me to comment on how the material contained in the two books was edited for inclusion in the volume that I have. Assuming the page count adds up to 580+, as you say, quite a lot must have been cut (unless physical page size in the two-volume edition is much smaller). But whether the sacrifices were made mainly in terms of illustrations or words, I cannot say.

Simon

[Simon Trew 1]

FWIW, I think the Maranes book on the 503rd is well worth getting. I notice that their earlier volumes on other German tank units that fought in Normandy have either sold out or will probably do so soon enough (from memory, I think they have a limit on their print run of 500 copies). I tend to buy Maranes stuff as soon as it appears (if my budget allows), not only because the overall quality (paper quality, full colour reproduction of illustrations, general content quality) seems high, but also because - as we all know - it can be frustrating to see a book that cost 50 Euros at one time escalate to several hundred Euros for a second-hand copy a few years later.

[FalkeEins]

yes thanks guys. I have all of the Cazanave/Maranes vols ..except this one. TBH I don't see how there will be much - if anything - that is 'new'. However if photo reproduction is good or considerably better then I guess a purchase becomes necessary..

[Michael Kenny]

I don't see how there will be much - if anything - that is 'new'.

No 'new' photos but a lot of assigning of turret numbers to wrecks -which is always a risky exercise.
This Tiger is captioned as GOODWOOD wreck

but current research places it as an early August wreck east of Falaise. Until quite recently I would have (and did) place it at Manneville but closer examination of the source film indicates otherwise.

[FalkeEins]

thanks Michael! I guess though your definition of 'new' might differ from mine