High Scorers with Panzers and Paks

[Gastolli]

Oberfeldwebel Totzek – 2,/S.Pz.Jg.Abt.512 – Jagdtiger – 6 kills
Feldwebel Arnold – 3,/S.Pz.Jg.Abt.512 – Jagdtiger 321 – 13 kills

Hm ...

Kurowski sometimes used crude names for his stories, so I'm not 100% conviced in this case, but I will took over Totzek into my own list with the remark "according to Kurowski" ...
Do you have the one or two sentences before that kill claim for Totzek? What did Kurowski write about the circumstances?

As for Fw. Otto Arnold, I'm also not sure with that 10 kills on one day (11.4.1945).
Otto Arnold came over from H.Pz.Jg.Abt. 742 to s.Pz.Abt. 501 (Tiger) in July 1944 during "Bagration" and must have had some tank kills during the heavy fighting there too. He also served with s.Pz.Abt. 424 (ex 501) in January 1945 ...

Further diggin shows me this site here, you may use Google Translate:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/missing ... 98871.html

I would like to trust the post from raoul hernandes as he claims to have spoken to some time witnesses and consulted some local archives, story seems to be correct and so Fw. Arnold did NOT have another 10 tank kills on 11.4.1945.

Oliver

[Gastolli]

Die 278. Infanterie Division in Italien 1944/45
Harry Hoppe · 1953 – Pagina 39
Oberfeldwebel Winter ( Pz . Jäg . Abt . 525 )

Hi Antonio,

o.k., the divisional history should be considered as trustworthy, most probably being based on Korps files or Divisions-Tagesbefehle or such things (the paragraph in the book sounds exactly like that).

I know that 1. Kompanie of s.H.Pz.Jg.Abt. 525 was used in the 278. ID sector in August 1944, so Ofw. Winter must have been a member of 1./525.

Unfortunately the name Winter is very common in Germany, so not easy to track down this individual ...

Oliver

[Gastolli]

Uffz.Schmidt- Schwere Panzerjäger abteilung 655- Ruská fronta 1944

Hello Antonio,

so ..., well, I would say, Nashorn "331" from s.Pz.Jg.Abt. 655 in Russia 1944 with 11 kill rings, o.k., maybe based on photographic evidence.

Uffz. Schmidt, gun commander of "331", on 5.5.1945 with Pz.Jg.Kp. 669 according to the Kaminski notes.

In my opinion it's very, very unlikely that Uffz. Schmidt was commander of "331" in 1944 already, we have to search for another gun commander of "331", maybe, as this is a Zugführer vehicle, it was Fw. Enichlmayr?

Quite a possibilty, but not more.

I leave Uffz. Schmidt out ot the tank aces list.

Oliver

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

Do you have information about Leutnant der Reserve Heinrich Korf who was born in 1915 with a number of tank kills to his credit? He was a German Cross in Gold Holder. Unit was 3./Stu.Gesch.Abt.177.
Do you have information about Oberleutnant Hans Messerschmidt who was born in 1915 with a number of tank kills to his credit? He was a German Cross in Gold Holder. Unit was 3./He.Stu.Gesch.Brig.667.

Edward L. Hsiao

[Gastolli]

Leutnant der Reserve Heinrich Korf
Oberleutnant Hans Messerschmidt

Hello Edward,

unfortunately I have no further information on these two persons, apart from their awards ...

Oliver

[alcius]

other mission impossible.
Tigerpanzer Leutnant destroyed 11 ustanks in the area of welldorf

https://zeitpunkt.nrw/ulbms/periodical/ ... efechte%22
or
https://zeitpunkt.nrw/ulbbn/periodical/ ... efechte%22

Antonio

[Gastolli]

Tigerpanzer Leutnant destroyed 11 ustanks in the area of welldorf

Hello Antonio, quite interesting

Welldorf points to s.Pz.Abt. 301 (Fkl/Tiger) and indeed this Abteilung took part in the fights there. So, unit is a known in this case, but the Leutnant ...

I have to dig a little, not sure if I can find his name as information for that time period (2 1/2 months before the end of the war) is scarce.

Newspaper refers to Operation "Grenade" which starts on 23.2.1945, the action described must have been on 24. or 25.2.1945 I think.

Oliver

PS (quote for date 25.02.1945 from: https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/US ... ogy-5.html):
In U.S. Ninth Army's XVI Corps area, 35th Div begins crossing the Roer at Linnich to join in offensive. XIII Corps presses northward toward Erkelenz. 84th Div's 335th Inf, reinf, takes Houverath; 334th clears Hetzerath and Granterath. 405th Inf, 102d Div, after 3d Bn clears Ralshoven, drops back to protect div's right flank and is replaced by 406th; 407th Inf takes Loevenich; 406th clears Katzem and a number of villages. CCB, 5th Armd Div, crosses the Roer and assembles S of Hottorf. In XIX Corps' 29th Div zone, RCT 330 captures Pattern, Mersch, and Muentz; 116th secures Welldorf and from there continues to Guesten, sending elements N that seize Serrest; 175th Inf is pinched out. 30th Div's 119th Inf takes Hollen and Rodingen; 117th clears Steinstrass and opens assault on Lich.

[alcius]

Thanks Oliver, at least you found the department.
I have another one.
A Sturmgesschutz Leutnant that destroyed 6 enemy tanks, for its 44 kills.
I don't think it's a KC or a GCG, but more likely an Ehrenblatt or a Wehrmachtbericht citation.

Die Heimat am Mittag (11/09/1943) 213
ttps://zeitpunkt.nrw/ulbbn/periodical/zoom/1267022?query=%22sturmgeschutz%22

Antonio

[Gastolli]

A Sturmgesschutz Leutnant that destroyed 6 enemy tanks, for its 44 kills.

That, I would say, sounds easy, as I'm pretty sure it's Lt.d.R. Beise from Stug.Abt. 904.

We have him with 42 tank kills already in the list as AOK 2 claimed him to have 6 kills on 1.9.1943, including his 42nd kill.

Stug.Abt. 904 is the unit operating around Sewsk those days at the end of August, early September 1943.

If he had 42 tank kills or 44 tank kills (maybe his score when the newspaper published his article) is not that imporant in this case, I'm sure it's Walter Beise, who was born in Züllichow, which indeed is located in Pommern

Oliver

[alcius]

Thanks, Still another (I keep putting them) Sturmgeschutz Leutnant with 21 kills

Bielefelder General-Anzeiger
Westfälische neueste Nachrichten. 1935-1945 43 (1943) 279 (27.11.1943)
https://zeitpunkt.nrw/ulbms/periodical/ ... er%20ab%22
Antonio

[Gastolli]

Sturmgeschutz Leutnant with 21 kills

That's easy Antonio,

it's Lt.d.R. Kretschmer from 3./s.Pz.Jg.Abt. 653 (Ferdinand), who himself got the Ritterkreuz for that action ...

Of course ..., his total score must have been much higher. He joined the Sturmartillerie with Stug.Abt. 192 in the summer of 1942, the unit was equipped with the Ferdinand during "Zitadelle" Kretschmer got the EK 1st class and after his Ritterkreuz action continued to serve with the 653 unit, which finally was equipped with Jagdtiger.

Oliver

[alcius]

Thanks Oliver, it went wrong again, I thought I had found new panzeraces, too bad.

I wanted to go back to the site "Tanková-esa-všech-válek", until a few months ago you could see it, now you need Facebook.
They put up photos or drawings of vehicles with kill rings, of every war and of every nation.
One of the latest is this:
Hans Werner Woltensdorf (znič.39 tanků) SS Panzerjäger abteilung Das Reich-Divize SS Das Reich-Rusko 1943.

I think he leaned on some book on the SS-Panzerjager Abteilung 2 "Das Reich", as he had previously also put drawings on various Marder with the following kill rings:
Marder “22” - Ustuf. Steffen - 7 kills
Marder "11" - Ustuf. Claudius Rupp - 13 kills
Marder “23” - Oscha. Mössner - 11 kills

Antonio

[Gastolli]

Hello Antonio,
this is my weak side: Waffen-SS units. Thank you for those names, I have added them to the list!
Oliver

[alcius]

OK Oliver

I still have some
Feldwebel Kutzner - 10 panzer kills

https://zeitpunkt.nrw/ulbbn/periodical/ ... kutzner%22

In den schweren Angriffen der letzten fünf Tage hat hier die Jägerabteilung Meder 24 feindliche Panzer, zwei Panzer-Spähwagen und ein Pak-Geschütz vernichtet. Zehn der Panzer schoß Feldwebel Kutzner, ein gebürtiger Berliner ab.

I think it refers to the Panzerjägerabteilung Meder - PZ.JG.ABT.33. , perhaps.

Antonio

[alcius]

Just another

https://zeitpunkt.nrw/ulbbn/periodical/ ... ledigte%22

Der dieser Abteilung angehörende Oberleutnant Kmauth schoß seit Beginn der Sommerkämpfe bis jetzt 68 Panzer, weitere 48 ein selbst als Richtschütze tätiger Unteroffizier ab,

I think he refers to Leutnant Hans Joachim Scholz, who is credited with 48 kills on numerous sites.

Antonio