Heer 503RD PANZER DIVISION

[bigjarofwasps]

Hi Guys,

Can anyone tell me anything about this Division.

I`m not very up to speed with my German tank formations. Am I right in thinking that different units had diffent styles of paint designs for their vehicles?

I know these are only models, but I`ve been told this is the design for the 503rd, is this true?

[Laurence Strong]

Hi

I think you are talking about sPz-Abt. 503 (Heavy Panzer Battalion 503).

Here's a little history about the Bn:

Held open Rostov gap for retreat Caucaus forces, winter '42-'43. On S axis Kursk offensive, 7.43. fighting withdrawl over Dneiper, winter '43. To "Pz.Regt.Bake", 1.-3.44. Refitted with King Tigers, France: into action against the British E of Caen, 7.44. Inflicted heavy losses British attack Bourgeubus Ridge, but heavy casualties from air attack, 18.7.44. Heavy losses at Amiens. Reffited 9.44: to Hungary 10.44: defensive fighting -5.45.

As to the color it looks like a Czech Brown, but that was used frequently at the end of the war as paint stocks ran out or were disrupted. As to the application, I don't know if there were unit norms I do know that they were applied in the field by spray painter, brushes, and what ever else came to hand, and dilution of the paint probably varied from tank to tank.

Hope this helps. I will post some more in the AM.

Nice model by the way

Edited March 18, 2006 by Laurence Strong

[bigjarofwasps]

Many thanks Laurence, thats very interesting & a great help. Thanks again. Anything else you come across would also be of great interest.

[bigjarofwasps]

I was all set to buy a copy of this book, which seemed to hold the key, until I saw the price that is!!!!

Don`t even go there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Laurence Strong]

Hi

Do I call you "Big", "jar of", or "wasps" .

Here's a little more about the battalion. It has been plagerised in total from squadron/signals publications Panzer Colors III.

Sorry about taking so long getting back to you, I will post some photo's in the next day or so.

"sPzAbt. 503 was formed in mid - 1942 and first saw action in southern Russia, during the

Don campaign and the withdrawal from Stalingrad. During this period, the Tiger's of

sPzAbt. 503 were overall Dark Yellow. The three digit turret numbers followed the

standard system, and were painted in White with a fine Black outline. For the CITADEL

offensive at Kursk, sPzAbt. 503 Tigers were repainted with spray camouflage. The turret

numbers were painted with Red centers and White borders. sPzAbt. 503 was an Army

Group South (Heeresgruppe Sud) independent unit and represented half of all the Tiger I

tanks that participated in the Kursk offensive.

In late 1943, sPzAbt. 503 was made part of Panzer Regiment "Bake", a special battle

group which fought in several fierce engagements in the Dneiper sector near Cherkassy.

During this period, sPzAbt. 503 again changed it's turret numbering system, to a single

digit, probably denoting the company. The number was Red with a fairly wide White

border. This may have resulted from the transfer to PzRgt. "Bake". The sPzAbt. 503

remained in PzRgt. "Bake" until April 1944, then was withdrawn and sent to the West for

refitting.

In mid - 1944 sPzAbt. 503 was in France in preparation for the expected Allied landings

on the European continent. The battalion staff and 1st company had been re-equipped

with Tiger II B's, but the 2nd and 3rd companies retained the Tiger I E. All these vehicles

had a near textbook application of the three color camouflage system. Turret numbers

once again followed the standard system (company, platoon, vehicle), and were Red with

White borders. Many tanks in the battalion carried heavy foliage camouflage because of

the danger of Allied air attacks. sPzAbt. 503 fought through the Normandy campaign. The

3rd company was caught in a bombing attack in July 1944 and all it's Tigers were

damaged or destroyed. It was re-equipped with new Tiger II B's in August. By the end of

September sPzAbt. 503 was completely equipt with 45 new Tiger ausf B's and transferred

to Hungary and committed to the defense of Budapest. In January 1945 sPzAbt. 503 was

renamed sPzAbt. Feldherrenhalle and attached to PzGdrDiv. Feldherrenhalle. This

division was eventually annihilated in the defense of Budapest. Out of 50,000 troops in

the city only a few hundred were able to escape."

I recogni

[bigjarofwasps]

Many thanks Lawrence thats very interesting

Have you any idea what the unit symbol was? Other than Tiger 1 & 2 `s did they have any other forms of armour? Did they have their own infantry support or would that come from elsewhere?

Any idea, how many tanks in all would have formed the Regiment?

[bigjarofwasps]

Am I right in thinking, that the Regiment would break down as follows.......

Staff Company ???? Tanks

1st Company 4 Platoons each with 4 King Tigers (16 in Total)

2nd Company 4 Plattons each with 4 Tigers (16 in Total)

Ditto 3rd Company

[Laurence Strong]

Actually it's a Battalion, I know us Commonwealth types think along the lines of Regiments

Here's the TO&E for an independent Heavy Panzer Bn, it's from "Handbook on German Military Forces" US War Dept Tech Manual 15 March 1945 TM-E 30-451

As for infantry, at best they might have had an integral Pioneer Plt, as they were Army or Corps level units any infantry would come from the units they were sent to support.

Only 3 Plt's to a Pz Coy 3X4 + 2 HQ = 14

[bigjarofwasps]

Cheers Laurence, thats great. Many thanks.

14 Kiger Tigers thats a hell of a fighting force!!!! And thats without the Tiger 1`s!!!!!

[Laurence Strong]

Here's the unit enblems for the Heer sPzAbt's. yeah I would not want to face those with a Piat or a 2" bazzoka. They would have had TigerI's till relpaced with Tiger II's

[Laurence Strong]

Here's the battalion layout in block form from the Tech manual, as you can see they had some recce and pio troops

[bigjarofwasps]

Thanks again Larry.

Am I right in thinking that the 503 would have other types of Panzers within it, or would such tanks as the Panther, Jager Panther & Elefant be with other Regiments?

[bigjarofwasps]

Check out this beast..........

Specification

Crew : 6

Engine power : 600 hp

Combat weight :70,000 kg (154,350 lb)

Max speed : road 37 km/h (22.98 mph)

Length : 10.65 m (34.94 ft)

Range : 170 km (105.57 miles)

Width : 3.63 M (11.91 ft)

Main gun : 128 mm(5.04 in)

Height : 2.95 m (9.68 ft)

Armour : 40 mm (1.58 in) to 250 mm (9.85 in)

The Jagdtiger was based on the Tiger II which already had a powerful 88 mm(3.47 in)gun. But the Jagdtiger went one better it was armed with a 128 mm(5.04 in)gun 55 calibre long by far the most powerful anti-tank weapon used in action during World War II.It could destroy any Allied tank it hit from far beyond the effective range of most Allied guns.

The Jagdtiger was a massive 70 tonne(77.1 US tons)vehicle with its limited-traverse gun mounted in a large fixed turret were sloping plates manufactured in one piece with the sides of the hull.Retaining the Tiger II engine it was underpowered but it was to prove a superb defensive weapon platform.Despite the top priority given to the Jagdtiger production it suffered from the same difficulties as the Tiger II - Allied bombing and raw material shortages.

Production began in July 1944 but by the time the War ended only 77 Jagdtigers had been delivered just sufficient to equip two special Panzer battalions.One battalion was used during the Ardennes offensive and later saw combat in Holland.The other fought in the East taking part in the desperate defence of Budapest in 1945.Few Jagdtiger survived the war for many were destroyed by their own crews to prevent them being captured intact.One of the few surviving examples is on display at Bovington tank museum.