hucks216 Posted October 15, 2010 Posted October 15, 2010 (edited) Another recent addition and already one of the favourites of my collections, my first grouping to a Panzer crewmember, who went on to be a Tiger & King Tiger tank commander with s.Pz.Abt 507. Taken for his small biography in the book The Combat History Of schwere Panzer Abt 507... Robert Mikuska was born on 1st October 1916 and was assigned to the 3./Pz.Rgt 4 on 1st December 1938 at Weiner-Neustadt. As a result, he was one of those "from the Old Reich." His drill sergeant at the time was Fritz Schoeck. Mikuska had participated in almost all the campaigns with him: Poland,France, Rumania & Russia. (Until August 1943 he was in the 2./Pz.Rgt 4, where he served as a radio operator in a Panzer II & Panzer III. After that he was a Tiger tank commander in the 2./s.Pz.Abt 507.) Awards: EK II / Panzerkampfabzeichen / Eastern Campaign Medal / Wound Badge In Black (head wound at Temjruk). He entered Russian captivity on 12th May 1945 with s.Pz.Abt 507. He was able to flee on 3rd July 1945 along the Hungarian-Rumanian border. He reached Vienna on foot on 17th July 1945. One month later he traveled on to Sarstedt, where he continues to live today (as of 2003). As can be seen from the following images, all his citations remain together with his soldbuch and along with those the group also consists of a photo album showing the movements of Robert Mikuska & Pz.Rgt 4 from his training to the Rumanian Campaign. There are also some loose photos showing Mikuska's Tiger - 211. There are also a couple of additional photos of Tiger 211 in Tigers In Combat Vol 1 by Wolfgang Schneider. It was s.Pz.Abt 507 that US General Rose of the 3rd Armoured Division surrendered to and was then shot... (taken from... http://www.2ndarmore...lonwheels.com/D ... ry_27.html ) After ambushing Task Force Welborn, with disastrous results for the 3rd Armored Division, the 507th Battalion CO, Major Fritz Shoeck, gave orders to withdraw to the area near Dorenhagen. It is believed that it was Koltermann's 3rd Zug (Platoon) 3rd Kompanie with orders to deploy and withdraw to Dorenhagen who confronted General Rose on the road. Attempting to escape eminent capture, Rose's jeep had passed two Tiger tanks going in the opposite direction in the dark on a narrow road when the third tank blocked his jeep. General Rose dismounted, surrendered and became a POW. The tank commander, of the third tank in road march formation who remains unidentified among the names listed above, had blocked Rose's jeep and was standing in his turret. After shouting unclear commands in German to General Rose, he aimed his M38 Schmeisser machine pistol, set on Dauerfeurer (full automatic) with the 32 round magazine, and without justification, fired repeatedly at General Rose, who had his hands raised in surrender; striking him fourteen (14) times, resulting in his instantaneous death. For the record, neither the 507th Headquarters Kompanie nor the 2nd Kompanie tanks were any where near the road location where Rose was machine gunned. Signatures on the paperwork include - Rudolf Veiel (2 Pz.Div Commanding Officer) / Fritz Schoek (2./Pz.Rgt 4 & 2./s.Pz.Abt 507 Commander and eventually s.Pz.Abt 507 Commander) / Erich Schmidt (s.Pz.Abt 507 Commander) / Heinrich Jahn. Edited October 15, 2010 by hucks216
hucks216 Posted October 15, 2010 Author Posted October 15, 2010 FINAL POST Photo Excerpts 5 - Mikuska's Tiger 211
Gordon Williamson Posted October 15, 2010 Posted October 15, 2010 Stunning set Kevin. A Tiger Soldbuch has to be just about the ultimate where Panzer stuff is concerned and the portrait photos are awesome!
hucks216 Posted October 15, 2010 Author Posted October 15, 2010 Thanks for the comment Gordon. Considering that this is the first soldbuch grouping I have obtained to a Panzer crewmember it is hard to see how I could top it with the exception of getting a similar one to a soldier awarded the PAB 25/50, and such a set would be way outside my price range.
Brian R Posted October 16, 2010 Posted October 16, 2010 (edited) Wow, Kevin. This group is even nicer than I had imagined. The change in technology here is amazing as well. It is interesting to think that the recipeint rode in a Panzer II and a King Tiger within just a few years of each other. What a contrast in fighting equipment! Edited October 16, 2010 by Brian R
DDD777 Posted October 19, 2010 Posted October 19, 2010 His colleague from 3./s.Pz.Abt 504: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=36320&st=0
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