High Scorers with Panzers and Paks

[Gastolli]

I have information on Lieutenant Fritz Adrario's German Cross in Gold.

Hello Antonio,

ah, nice snippets indeed I must admit that I wasn't aware his DKiG unit was a Pak unit!

But yes, the 4.(schwere) Kompanie of Radf.-Btl. 402 for sure had a Pak-Zug, of which Lt. Adrario was the Zugführer. And of course, as always with Zugführer of gezogene Pak (towed Pak), it's the unit's succes. Usually the Zugführer was NOT an gun commander (Geschützführer). That changed just later with Jagdpanzer or Sturmgeschütz equipped Panzerjäger-Kompanien.

But: the sentence "befand er sich selber am Spitzengeschütz, dem es gelang, fünf feindliche Panzer abzuschießen" would lead me to crediting him with 5 tank kills as obviously in this case he commanded this single Pak!

And, all of that was in the East, not in the West. The newspaper just mentions that he distinguished himself in the West (he got the EK2 there on 27.6.1940). The EK1 followed early during "Barbarossa" on 27.6.1941, and afterwards he had further actions leading to his DKiG, including this 5 tank kills while employed as part of a Vorausabteilung.

I would like to mention that even in Poland 1939 he was employed as an Oberjäger with 16.(Pz.Abw.)/Geb.Jäg.Rgt. 98.

Oliver

[alcius]

Thanks Oliver for the additions

Clarification on the Oscha. Gussnerlach, mentioned in numerous sites, of the 4./SS-Pz:Rgt.9, who in 2 days (15 and 16 January 1945) with his Panther destroyed 13 enemy tanks and 2 armored cars.
It's actually the Oscha. Herbert Gassner, and for his victories he was awarded the EK1, as shown in this newspaper clipping.

gassner.png

Antonio

[Gastolli]

Oscha. Herbert Gassner

Good

And you can see that he at that point had a total of 15 confirmed tank kills to his credit!

Oliver

[alcius]

I found Leutnant Rudolf Fraßl
With his panzerjager zug he destroyed 13 enemy tanks, I don't know how many personally.
I don't know the department, and if it had pak or self-propelled

frassl.png

Antonio

[Gastolli]

Hello Antonio,

ah, o.k., that was easy using the fold3 death cards. I can't login there, but even the thumbnails are good enough to see the unit, or if that doesn't work, you can break down the unit using additional search fields ...

Anyway, this was the 1./s.H.Pz.Jg.Abt. 662, equipped with 8,8 cm towed Pak guns.

So, that to say, Zugführer from towed Pak units usually didn't command single Pak guns, this is a unit success, not the personal record for Lt. Fraßl. I can't rule out that he also was commanding one of his guns, but I don't know ...

Oliver

[alcius]

Thanks Oliver

Two SS-German Cross in Gold
From Jochen Peiper: Commander, Panzerregiment Leibstandarte
Patrick Agte 1999 ‎Page 178

July 12, 1943
The commanders of the 5th and 7th Panzer - Kompanien and the 13th Tiger - Kompanie also had considerable success . SS- Unterscharführer Hans Siptrott of the 7. Kompanie destroyed six T-34's and SS - Unterscharführer Theo Jensen of the 5. Kompanie destroyed 12 T-34's.
Uscha. Jensen on 15 July 1943 destroyed another 7 T-34.
I don't know the number of their victories.

Antonio

[Gastolli]

SS- Unterscharführer Hans Siptrott of the 7. Kompanie destroyed six T-34's and SS - Unterscharführer Theo Jensen of the 5. Kompanie destroyed 12 T-34's. Uscha. Jensen on 15 July 1943 destroyed another 7 T-34.

Hello Antonio,

oh, Waffen-SS, not my prefered field of research - as the whole world is looking for information on that units

But, of course, I have the books, also the book on Peiper, but I haven't read it yet and I don't have time to read it

I just can see the numbers for 12.7.1943 for both of them, but not the 7 additional tanks for Jensen on 15.7.1943?

Anyway, I can add some information on both of them, but I'm not sure on the source to be true, old notes from me, but both obviously from the recommendations for the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. I can't recall the books to be true!?

Siptrott, Hans / total of 36 tank kills
15.03.43 selbst abgeschossen worden, dann 2 Pak 7,62, mehrere MG
08.07.43= 22 Pz durch die Kompanie
12.07.43= 6 T34 durch seinen Zug
18.11.43= 2 Pak 7,62, 3 Pz.Bü.
19.11.43 nachts = 3 T34
23.11.43= 2 Pak
- insgesamt 36 Pz bis Kriegsende, 12 x selbst abgeschossen worden

The last information defenitely from an book, I think it's a book or booklet on Hans Siptrott directly, but I can't find it in my racks, it was some years ago ..., and so the 36 tank kills of course are his own claim. But I'm sure it's "offical", as official as it can be, you know.

Jensen, Theodor / at least 23 tank kills
Febr./March 43= 2 T34, Schlittenkolonne mit Pz IV als Spitzenwagen der Kp. bei Charkow
Febr./March 43= 3 T34, 4 s.Pak alleine vor Kp. fahrend, dann selbst abgeschossen, schwere Verbrennungen
Febr./March 43= 3 Pak, Charkow, in Straßenkämpfen ausgezeichnet
05.07.43 Durchbruch nach Teterewino
06.07.43= 3 T34 bei Spähtrupp, alleine fahrend
12.07.43= 12 T34 am Panzergraben Prochorowka
Dec. 43= 5 s.Pak, 17 LKW bei Angriff auf Nachschublinie, selbst abgeschossen, Verbrennungen
23.12.43= 1 T34, 3 Pak, nach eigenem Abschuß dann infanteristisch weiter gekämpft
Febr. 44 einmal 3 Pak, später mit seinem Zug ein Inf.Btl. zerschlagen
July 44= 2 M4, 2 Karetten, 2 s.Pak
25.07.44 Wagen abgeschossen, gefallen


Oliver

[copiloto]

Hi Oliver.
Wouldn't you have the awarding dates for the EK 1 & EK 2 for Jensen?

Regards

[alcius]

Thanks Oliver, great
If you have any other?

For Jensen's 7 T34s I found them here;
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=120613&start=525
Member list of LSSAH
Oscha. Theodor Jensen
#536 Post by Moniroth You-Bell » 14 Oct 2012, 07:16 am
B:27.12.20 Oldesloe/Schleswig
DK:6.1.45 Oscha,5./SS-PzRgt.1
Murdered by Canadian officer:25.7.44
nTroteval, Nomandy,France
Destroyed 7-T34 15.7.43 Uscha 5./SS-PzRgt.1
rottf. LSSAH 2.41
SS:363199 Oscha:

I know Peiper's book has recommendations for the German Cross in Gold, but the English version costs too much for my pocket.
I look forward to finding a cheap used one.
For now, I'm content to find some information in Google Books, or on the Web, as in this Topic Axistory quest.
The Ron Klages Panzer & other vehicles Section
In addition to the best known ones there are Ernst Otto 8 kills, Thomas Amselgruber +13 kills, Wolfgang Dr. Rabe and Hans Malkomes 24 kills

Antonio

[carius]

s.Pz.Abt.503

aces1.png

aces2.png

[Gastolli]

For Jensen's 7 T34s I found them here;
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=120613&start=525
Member list of LSSAH
Oscha. Theodor Jensen #536 Post by Moniroth You-Bell » 14 Oct 2012, 07:16 am
... Destroyed 7-T34 15.7.43 Uscha 5./SS-PzRgt.1

Hello Antonio,

hm ..., I don't know, the book on Peiper doesn't show up with much for 15.7.1943, I'm sure it contains any avaiable material from recommendations for higher awards for LSSAH soldiers.

I wouldn't trust that "source" in my opinion ...

Oliver

[Gastolli]

In addition to the best known ones there are Ernst Otto 8 kills, Thomas Amselgruber +13 kills, Wolfgang Dr. Rabe and Hans Malkomes 24 kills

Hi Antonio,

I have no additional info on Ernst Otto,

just confirm the tank kills for Amselgruber and Malkomes (but these are their minimum numbers of course),

and don't think that Dr. Rabe as the Abteilungsarzt has any tank kills to his credit?

Oliver

[Gastolli]

s.Pz.Abt.503
aces1.pngaces2.png

Hello Carius,

thanks for these, I saw them too at Ebay now, I like the pics showing the personnel of this Abteilung.

We can see 10 kill rings at least, but that's no surprise as s.Pz.Abt. 503 was one of the most successful in that category.

Oliver

[alcius]

Thanks Oliver
As for Jensen, I'll keep the 7 kills on hold.
For Dr. Rabe, he sure has some victories, but I'm unaware of them.

I also found these of the SS-Pz.Rgt.1:
Oscha. Roman Clotten - 7./SS-Pz.Rgt. 1 - 7 kills at 20/03/45
Ostuf. Hans Stübing - 2.(S)/SS-Pz.Rgt. 1 - 4 T34 and 1 T70 at 7/11/1943
Ostuf. Walter Malchow - 6./SS-Pz.Rgt. 1 - 7 T34 at 7/12/43

rottf. Walter Beran
EKI:15.3.44 - 3./SS-PzRgt.1 – 6 T-34 at 3/2/44
https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno ... ch&seite=3
Erlafthal-Bote 13. Mai 1944
From what I understand, he was the panzer commander in that fight.

I have one last curiosity concerning the KC Oscha.Hans Reimling.
From Tracesofwar they write to me that he received the KC for destroying 25 medium paks and 8 light paks; but from numerous newspaper articles (I am attaching an example) I understand that he destroyed 25 enemy tanks and 8 paks.
Which is the truth.

reimling.png

Antonio

[Gastolli]

For Dr. Rabe, he sure has some victories, but I'm unaware of them.

Hi Antonio,

why do you think, that Dr. Rabe had some tank kills? He was the Abteilungs-Arzt, usually working with an SPW or such ...

The only Doctor I know with personal tank kills was Stabsarzt Dr. med. Hans-Joachim Schulz-Merkel who lead I./Pz.Rgt. 35 temporarly on 22.7.1943 and it's said he had a personal score of 10 tanks that day. But he and his fellow doctors were no "tankers" in the pure sense of the word.

I really doubt any tank kills for Dr. Rabe of s.SS-Pz.Abt. 101, but we'll see once the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold recommendation for him is published somethere ...

Oliver