I have relied on official unit histories and after action reports, and the statements and records of men who took part in the battles as the main sources of information on s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 and its battles in the Ardennes.  U.S. unit after action reports, combat logs, and unit diaries from the National Archives proved valuable.  Primary German sources are harder to find, as most records of the 1. SS-Panzerkorps units were destroyed at the end of the war.  The most useful German accounts were taken from U.S. Army interviews made after the war (the ETHINT series in the National Archives), Die Leibstandarte IV/2 by Ralf Tiemann (the most authoritative German history of the LSSAH and associated units), and veterans' statements.  Some of the latter are found in Patrick Agte's Michael Wittmann, the unofficial unit history of s. SS-Pz.Abt. 101/501.  Der Freiwillige (“The Volunteer”) was the monthly journal of the Hilfsgemeinschaften der Soldaten der ehemaligen Waffen-SS (Aid Associations of Soldiers of the Former Waffen-SS) starting in 1956.  Its editors publish many soldier accounts, some of which were related again by Ralf Tiemann in his historical books of the 1st SS-Panzer Division.  An often-overlooked source of German accounts is Massacre a Malmedy? Ardennes: 17 décembre 1944 by Gerd Cuppens.  Cuppens, a Belgian historian, conducted extensive interviews with several German veterans in the 1980s, and accompanied a group of 1st SS-Panzer Division veterans on a tour of the Ardennes in 1985.  The veterans’ accounts he published, particularly that of Rolf Ehrhardt, are more detailed than those in Tiemann’s books.  Jentz and Doyle’s Germany's Tiger Tanks.  VK45.02 to Tiger II: Design, Production & Modifications is the most complete source of technical information on the Tiger II.    

Published Works

Agte, Patrick

     Michael Wittmann: erfolgreichster Panzerkommandant in Zweiten Weltkrieg und die Tiger der Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (Michael Wittmann: most successful tank commander in the Second World War and the Tigers of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler). Rosenheim, Germany: Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft, 1994.  Translated by David Johnston under the title Michael Wittmann and the Tiger Commanders of the Leibstandarte (Winnipeg, Canada: J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc., 1996).

Bibliothèque Communale de Stavelot (Stavelot Public Library)

     Stavelot 40/45: Catalogue de l’exposition. Stavelot, Belgium: J Chauveheid, 1984.

Culver, Bruce

     "APG Tiger II Circle Cross Solution." AFV News 29, no. 1 (January-April 1994): 17.

Cuppens, Gerd J. Gust

     Massacre a Malmedy?  Ardennes: 17 décembre 1944.  Bayeux, France: Editions Heimdal, 1989.

Eversmeyer, G.

     “Der gezauste Reichsrottenführer.” Der Freiwillige 27, no. 10 (October 1981): 17.

Fontaine, Serge

     “The Fights of 18 December 1944 in Stavelot.” Privately printed, Stavelot, 1991.

Giles, Janice Holt

     The Damned Engineers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1970.

Grégoire, Gérard

     Feu-Fire-Feuer-Vuur. Stavelot, Belgium: J. Chauveheid, 1986.

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     Les Panzer de Peiper face à l'U.S. Army. Stavelot, Belgium: J. Chauveheid, n.d.

Haugh, David R., ed.

     TD: A Brief History of the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion.  San Jose, CA: Recon Publishing, 1972.

Information on the Malmedy Case to be Heard at Camp Dachau, Germany 2 May 1946. N.p.: Headquarters European Aviation Engineer Command, 1946.

Kane, Steven P.

     The 1st SS Panzer Division in the Battle of the Bulge. Weapons and Warfare Quarterly Special, no. 2. Bennington, Vt.: International Graphics Corporation 1982.

Jentz, Thomas L.

     Germany's Tiger Tanks. Tiger I and II: Combat Tactics.  Atglen, Pa.: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1997.

Jentz, Thomas L. and Hilary L. Doyle

     Germany's Tiger Tanks. VK45.02 to Tiger II: Design, Production and Modifications. Atglen, Pa.: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1997.

Jentz, Thomas L., Hilary Doyle and Peter Sarson

     Kingtiger Heavy Tank 1942-1945. Osprey Military New Vanguard Book no. 1. London: Reed Consumer Books, Ltd., 1997.

Kleine, Egon and Volkmar Kühn

     Tiger: Die Geschichte einer legendären Waffe, 1942-45.  Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag, 1987. Translated by David Johnston under the title Tiger: the History of a Legendary Weapon (Winnipeg, Canada: J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing, 1989).

Larkum, Trevor

     Preserved German Tanks 2: Panzer V Panther to Leopard 2. Northampton, England: Armour Archive, 1995.

Lemons, Charles R.

     "America's King Tiger." Wheels & Tracks 49 (October 1994): 36-40.

MacDonald, Charles B.

     A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge. New York: William Morrow & Co., 1985.

Merkblatt: Schießanleitung und Schulschießübungen für den Panzerkampfwagen Tiger (Pamphlet: firing instructions and training firing exercises for the Tiger tank). N.p.: German Army High Command Headquarters, 7 January 1944.

Mulligan, Joe

     "The Tiger II Tanks at APG and Munster." AFV News 10, no. 3 (May 1975): 6-7.

Pallud, Jean Paul

     Battle of the Bulge Then and Now. London: Battle of Britain Prints International Limited, 1984.

Parker, Danny S.

     Battle of the Bulge: Hitler's Ardennes Offensive, 1944-1945. Philadelphia: Combined Books, 1991.

Pawlas, Karl R.

     “Die 8,8-cm-Kampfwagenkanone 43 L/71 für den ‘Königstiger.’” Waffen Revue 110 (3rd quarter 1998): 3-36.

Reynolds, Michael

     The Devil's Adjutant: Jochen Peiper, Panzer Leader. New York: Sarpedon, 1995.

Rubel, LTC George Kenneth

     Daredevil Tankers: The Story of the 740th Tank Battalion. Privately printed, [1945?].

Scheibert, Horst

     The King Tiger Tank. West Chester, Pa.: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1989.

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     Tiger I and Tiger II. Atglen, Pa.: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1994.

Schneider, Wolfgang

     Der Koenigstiger 2. Band. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas Verlag, 1988.

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     Tigers in Combat II.  Winnipeg, Canada: J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc., 1998.  (See note below on this source.)

Schulz, Karl-Heinz

     “Die 1. SS-Panzer-Division ‘LAH’ im Einsatz in der Ardennen-Offensive 1944.” Parts 1, 2, and 4. Der Freiwillige 11 no. 1 (January 1965): 11-15; no. 2 (February 1965): 13-19; no. 4 (April 1965): 16-19.

Spearhead in the West.  Frankfurt am Main: Kunst und Wervedruck, 1945.

Steuard, James

     "German Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II Heavy Tanks."  AFV-G2 5 no. 1 (December 1974): 26-33.

Tiemann, Ralf

     Die Leibstandarte IV/2. Osnabrück, Germany: Munin-Verlag GmbH, 1987. Translated by Frederick Steinhardt under the title The Leibstandarte Volume IV/2 (Winnipeg, Canada: J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc., 1998).

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     Chronicle of the 7. Panzerkompanie 1. SS-Panzerdivision “Leibstandarte.” Atglen, Pa.: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1998.

___

     “Der Endkampf der Panzergruppe Peiper in den Ardennen – 25.12.1944” (The final battle of Armored Group Peiper in the Ardennes). Der Freiwillige 31 no. 12 (December 1985): 29-32.

Walden, Geoff

     "Tiger II at Patton Museum." AFV News 28 no. 3 (September-December 1993): 12-13.

Wortmann, Karl

     “Parole: ‘Frohe Weihnachten.’” (Password: “Merry Christmas”). Der Freiwillige 24 no. 12 (December 1978): 4-6.

“Zur Divisions-Geschichte der 1. SS-Panzerdivision” (Toward the division history of the 1st SS Panzer Division). Der Freiwillige 32 no. 1 (January 1986): 26-27.

Unpublished Material

Bundesarchiv, Military Branch, Freiburg

“Personalübersicht s. SS Panzerabteilung 501 während der Ardennenoffensive” (Personnel Overview of s. SS Panzerabteilung 501 during the Ardennes Offensive).  No date.  (A position listing of s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 personnel by company.)

Edie, Bill (CCB, 3rd Armored Division). Letter to author, 25 June 1996.

Death of a Panther, produced by Fort Knox Television, 30 minutes.  Includes color and black and white film taken at APG c. August 1944 through c. August 1945 transferred to videocassette.  Film Archives of the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor, Fort Knox. 

Deckers, Benno.  La Gleize, Belgium.  Emails to author, 2004-2005 and interview by author, 15 June 2005.

George, Glenn D. (740th Tank Battalion). Telephone interview by Harry Miller. Tape recording. 1993.  Transcript in author’s possession.

Grégoire, Gérard. Interview by author. December 1944 Museum, La Gleize, Belgium, 21 June 1998.

Kiesselbach, Wilhelm (nephew of Heinz and Rolf von Westernhagen).  Emails to author, 2004.

Lemons, Charles (Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor).  Emails to author, 1999-2000; and interview by author, 5 April 2000.

Meyer, Leroy (740th Tank Battalion). Telephone interview by Harry Miller. Tape recording. 1993. Transcript in author’s possession.

Miller, Harry F. (740th Tank Battalion). Letter to author, 29 May 1996.

Palfey, A.J. (TF Lovelady, 3rd Armored Division). "The Trap that Doomed Kampfgruppe Peiper." Manuscript dated 26 October 1992 in author’s possession.

National Archives Building, Washington, DC

     After Action Report, Company “A” 825th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 17-31 December 1944.

     After Battle Report No. VII, 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1-31 December 1944, dated 3 January 1945.

     ETHINT 10 and 11: 1 SS Pz Regt (11-24 Dec 44), Interview with Obst (W-SS) Joachim Peiper, September 7, 1945.

     ETHINT 21: Interview with Fritz Krämer.

     U.S. v. Valentin Bersin, et al. Record Group 153.  Peiper’s testimony during the Malmedy Massacre trial at Dachau, June 1946.

National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD; Motion Picture, Sound and Video Unit.  “Die Deutsche Wochenschau #2 1945,” 242-MID-3136 (from RG 242 National Archives Collection of Foreign Records Seized).  Film taken by SS-Kriegsberichter of s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 tanks moving through the German town of Tondorf, probably on 16 December 1944. The Tondorf sequence was shown in Germany on 4 January 1945 as part of a newsreel (Die Deutsche Wochenschau, German Weekly Show) covering the offensive.  The film was captured by American forces at the end of the war.

National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD; Motion Picture, Sound and Video Unit.  "The Enemy Strikes," produced by Army Pictorial Service, Signal Corps, 111-MIM-1130 (from RG 111 Army Signal Corps Collection).     Film taken by SS-Kriegsberichter of s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 tanks moving through several areas in the Ardennes, including 222 at Kaiserbaracke.  The film was captured by American forces.

Wendt, Werner (s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501). Manuscript of experiences in the Ardennes Offensive in the author’s possession; letters to author 11 October 1995, 6 November 1995, and 31 March 1997; telephone conversation with author 29 March 1997.

Yust, Jr., Charles H., letter to Geoffrey Walden, 18 August 1986.

Internet Sites and Forums

WWII German AFV Discussion Forum, http://www.missing-lynx.com

Achtung Panzer Discussion Forum, http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com

Axis History Forum, http://forum.axishistory.com

3^rd Armored Division WWII Web site, http://home.earthlink.net/~crcorbin/

30^th Infantry Division “Old Hickory” Web site, http://www.oldhickory30th.com

Panzer-Archiv (discussion forum in the German language), http://forum.panzer-archiv.de/index.php

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A note on Tigers in Combat II by Wolfgang Schneider – this book has very detailed statements regarding what happened to the tanks of s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 during the Ardennes, what the turret number paint colors were, etc.  Schneider does not cite any specific references for his information.  There are so many demonstrable errors in the text and photo captions (see list below) that I feel this book is an unreliable source of details on s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 in the Ardennes.

Errors and Discrepancies in s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 Sections of Tigers In Combat II

Page 1 (Preface) – “former Oberscharführer Horst Wendt” must refer to Werner Wendt.  The photo caption on page 277 refers to Werner Wendt, and the gentleman in the lower photo appears to be Werner Wendt.

Page 7 (Schwere Panzerabteilung SS 101 501 Camouflage and Markings, second to last paragraph) – Schneider says that 1. Kompanie had black numbers outlined in white.  I know of no period evidence or veterans’ statements to that effect.  The only period evidence for the colors of any SS-501 turret numbers is the fact that 332 was filmed and photographed in color when it arrived at APG in the summer of 1945, and it had blue-outlined-in-yellow numbers. 

Page 7 (Schwere Panzerabteilung SS 101 501 Camouflage and Markings, last paragraph) – I know of no evidence for saying the 11 tanks transferred from s. Pz.Abt. 509 received yellow turret numbers.  It’s more likely that some or all of them went to the 3. Kompanie and got blue-outlined-in-yellow numbers.  The chassis serial number of 332 is 280243, indicating that it was built in September 1944, and it was probably one of the 11 tanks from s.509.

Page 263 (18.12.44) – “Due to technical damage, TIGER ‘332’ has to be abandoned on the TROIS POINTS  (sic) – LA GLEIZE road at the junction to COO.”  The generally accepted account is that this tank was captured by elements of the 740th Tank Battalion on 25.12.44, although it’s hard to explain what 332 was doing there on 25.12.44.  It apparently had no serious mechanical damage when it was found.

Page 264 (19.12.44) – “Tank 104 immobilized before LA GLEIZE…”  Other sources state that the tank which threw track in the sharp curve before La Gleize was a 3. Kompanie tank.

      (24.12.44) – “…2 further TIGERs are abandoned (‘204’ & ‘231)…”  Where was 231?  The diary has accounted for all the tanks left in La Gleize (204, 211, 213, 334, the one in the curve before La Gleize) except for the one abandoned in the Chemin Vielle-Voie; it had no turret number but was probably a 1. Kompanie tank, and may have been 104.

      (24.12.44) – “… on the road to GUE at Point K22 as is (sic) ‘104’…”  Gué is not a location, but the French word for ford (as in ford a stream).

Page 265 (25.12.44) – “One of these two tanks was hit by a bomb from a P-38 near the Antoine farm at the PETIT SPAI bridge.”  The only tank left near the Petit Spai bridge was Wendt’s 133.  This passage evidently refers to the report quoted on page 233 of Michael Reynolds’ The Devil’s Adjutant, which is almost certainly referring to 133.

Page 301 – Nr. 105 got stuck in a house in the Rue Haut Rivage in Stavelot, not the Rue St-Emilon. 

Page 303 (upper left photo) – Nr. 008 was abandoned at the Antoine farm west of Stavelot, not at Born as the caption states.

Page 305 – Nr. 332 was captured at Coo-Biester, which isn’t near Bourgomont.  332 is on display at the Patton Museum, not the Panzermuseum at Munster.

Pages 314-315 – Hantusch’s Nr. 211 was abandoned on the Werimont farm, not where this tank is shown.  The book earlier says that this tank (which is at point K22 in a sharp curve before the road goes uphill to enter La Gleize) was Nr. 104.  This is not the same tank which ended up in the Chemin Vielle-Voie and was used by 82d Airborne soldiers for bazooka practice; why would anyone (local Belgians or US Army) go to the trouble of dragging a disabled 69-ton tank up a steep hill for almost two kilometers and through three sharp curves for bazooka training, when there were plenty of tanks lying around in La Gleize?  Also note the comparison of the paint scheme on the rear plates, which clearly is different on the two tanks.   

All text copyright 2005-2008 Gregory A. Walden. All rights reserved; material from this website may only be republished with the author’s permission.