High Scorers with Panzers and Paks

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

Gefreiter Werner Wrangel in one night of December 1942,had destroyed 17 Soviet tanks with a anti-tank gun and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class,the First Class, and the Knight's Cross on Feb. 8,1943! He was from 1/Panzer-Jäger-Abt. 160.
Source is from Wikipedia. But I believe there were other websites that tell the amazing story of the anti-tank gunner.

Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

Oberfähnrich Wolfgang Hartelt of the Panzer-Regiment of the Division HG had gotten at least 18 Soviet tanks with his Panther tank within a few days before being wounded in action. Hartelt received the Knight's Cross on March 27,1945. Source is from "The History Of The Fallschirm-Panzerkorps 'Hermann Göring'" by Franz Kurowski.

Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

So far we don't know any names of effective tank killers using anti-tank guns that belong to the Kriegsmarine. I would have thought the gunners who use to serve aboard surface ships and U-boats that were use for ground combat in 1945 would make good anti-tank men. I haven't forgotten about the Kriegsmarine coastal gunners that used 88mm and over against tanks in East Prussia during the last months of WWII.
I think there were plenty of excellent tank killers in the Wehrmacht using anti-tank guns mounted on armored personal carriers and had won the Knight's Cross. The only one that I could name right now is Kaspar Sporck,a Dutchman who served with the Waffen-SS. He won the Knight's Cross after knocking out over ten Soviet tanks.

Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao

[Michael Kenny]

Extreme caution should be used when these late war tank kills are claimed. See this post http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 0#p1278660
and you will discover how the loss of 4 tanks led to 3 KC awards for the destruction of 22.

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

Like Kurt Knispel and a few other high scoring tank killers,Konrad Weinert should have gotten the Knight's Cross. I had a hunch that Weinert after his death was nominated posthumously for the Knight's Cross. 59 kills over enemy tanks was a lot for Konrad Weinert as panzer commander. What happened to his nomination remains unknown. Weinert had gotten his German Cross in Gold posthumously. By the way,there were a number of brave German soldiers of WWII that were awarded both the German Cross in Gold and the Knight's Cross posthumously.

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

Lt. Kasper Geoggler,in Jagdtiger No. 331 of Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 commanded the third Kampfgruppe from 3/653. Geoggler had nerves of steel,and was very keen to prove himself. He was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 10 May 1943 whilst fighting on the Eastern Front. He had already had several kills to his credit withe his Jagdtiger.
Geoggler had three Jagdtigers including his own placed into a good position north of Neustadt with a commmanding view of the approach roads to the town. From camouflage postions, the three Jagdtigers engaged in U.S. tank column; the first and last vehicles were shot up followed by the rest. The Shermans and M10 tank destroyer returned fire. Two Jagdtigers, Geoggler's and another, No. 323 were hit ten times between them. they withdrew into Neustadt. 25 U.S. tanks were claimed destroyed,none of the Jagdtiger crew suffered any serious injuries,and the thick sloping-armor had done its job. Source is from "Jagdtiger,The Most Powerful Armoured Fighting Vehicle of World War II-Operational History" by Andrew Devey. Page 227.
That action took place on March 22,1945. I think the action which was made by Kasper Geoggler should have gotten him the Knight's Cross. I don't know what Geoggler's total of kills over enemy tanks were. If you have anymore information of this Jagdtiger ace,please send them to this topic.

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

[Marcus]

This thread was featured on our Facebook page recently.

/Marcus

[Gastolli]

... Gefreiter Werner Wrangel in one night of December 1942,had destroyed 17 Soviet tanks with a anti-tank gun and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class,the First Class,and the Knight's Cross on Feb.8,1943! He was from 1/Panzer-Jager-Abt.160.
...

It was the night 3./4.12.1942 and he was credited with destroying 10 out of 17 attacking sowjet tanks. Unit should be Pz.Jg.Abt. 183.

He died as an Feldwebel and Sturmgeschütz-Kommandant on 24.03.1945 with Pz.Jg.Abt. 38.

Oliver

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Dear Sir,

Makes me wonder how many kills over enemy tanks that Werner Wrangel had when he was a assault gun commander. I'm sure that Feldwebel Werner Wrangel did pretty well killing enemy tanks with his assault gun before he was killed in action.

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

[munkitkat]

George, please forget these numbers!! They are just the copy of the old fiction numbers about the action at Villers Bocage. Allied documents show a completely different side.

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

SS-Obersturmfuhrer Johann Weerts, had 39 tank kills by the the time he was recommend for the German Cross in Gold in November of 1944. He was the leader of the 4./SS-Panzer-Regiment of the the 5. SS-Panzer Division "Wiking". He was awarded the German Cross in Gold on February 8,1945. He commanded an assault gun. His final tank kill score before the end of WWII was unknown. His fate unknown. From "German Cross in Gold Holder of the SS and Police,Vol.8" Pages 305 to 307.

Sincerely,
Edward L. Hsiao

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

Do you have any information about the kill scores over enemy tanks by three German Cross in Gold holders named Horst-Werner Cusow of schwere Panzer-Abt. 503,Walter Klaus of schwere Panzer-Abt. 509, and Hans-Jochen Pech of schwere Panzer-Abt. 509?

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

[Jan-Hendrik]

Unterscharführer Erich Rossner ("Das Reich") - 13 kills(soviet tanks)/50-mm PAK
KC:25.08.1941/Unterscharführer,Geschützführer 2./SS-PzJägAbt "Reich"
Source:Mattson, Gregory SS-The realm. The History of the Second SS division, 1939-1945

per Yerger, GCiG Vol.5, 294, Rossner was awarded the RK for destroying 17 tanks within 3 month during the first month's of barbarossa.

Jan-Hendrik

[Jan-Hendrik]

Leutnant Peter, Führer 2./Pz.-Jg.-Abt. 1544
erzielte seinen 50.Panzerabschuss

Source

Jan-Hendrik

[Gastolli]

Hallo Jan-Hendrik,

nun, ich sehe da "... 30. Panzerabschuss", ist aber auch nicht schlecht

Leutnant d.Res. Horst Peter, Deutsches Kreuz in Gold am 9.3.1945.

Oliver