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508th heavy tank battalion (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The 508th Heavy Tank Battalion , was a heavy tank battalion of the German Army during World War II
, equipped with Tiger I
heavy tanks. It fought at Anzio
and later defended German-held Northern Italy
opposing the Allies
during the Italian Campaign
. It fought in Italy until it surrendered at the end of the war in May 1945.
Moving to the Front.
In early February 1944 the battalion was sent to oppose Allied landings
at Anzio
. Transportation by rail ended at Ficulle
in Italy, far from the enemy beachhead
. Because Allied air superiority made further rail transport difficult, the battalion drove the remaining distance, via Rome
. One Tiger caught fire on route and was destroyed in an explosion. Sixty percent of the Tigers suffered mechanical breakdown on the 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) journey through the narrow, winding, mountainous roads. By 14 February, the first company deployed piecemeal in the Anzio region near Aprilia (known as The Factory), as the second company arrived in Rome.
Attacking the beachhead.
On 15 February the battalion was attached to the 26th Panzer Division. A single platoon attempted to push toward the beachhead the next day, but muddy conditions foiled the operation.
On 19 February the second company reached Aprilia, and the attached 313rd Funklenk Company was officially renamed as the third company of the battalion. The next day, the 653rd heavy anti-tank battalion, equipped with Elefant
tank destroyers, was attached to the 508th.
Between 21 and 24 February, the battalion claimed twenty US tanks; seventeen while using small elements to support several unsuccessful attempts to reduce the beachhead from Aprilia, and three M4 Sherman
s which had penetrated German lines. In late February, two Shermans were captured; their turrets were removed and they were converted into recovery vehicles, greatly improving the ability of the battalion to recover damaged Tigers.
On 29 February the second company was part of the final attack towards the beachhead, from Cisterna. Its advance was restricted to roads surrounded by marshy areas, and the attack stalled due to strong resistance. Eight Tigers were disabled by anti tank fire from the American 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion
, accurate naval artillery fire, and mines. All were recovered under enemy fire over the next five days, but four were later written off as beyond repair. After combat on 1 March the 508th was attached to the 69th Panzer Regiment, with only twelve Tigers operational. Eight Tiger Is absorbed from Tiger-Gruppe Schwebbach (formerly Schwere Panzer Kompanie Meyer) brought the battalion back up to full strength.
The battalion withdrew to Rome, staying there from 5 to 16 March, then, slightly over strength in tanks due to replacements, returned to the Aprilia—Campoleone—Cisterna area, where they resisted expansion of the beachhead. Unusually, Tigers were occasionally used in indirect fire
roles. The Borgward IV demolition carriers had mobility problems in the muddy and mountainous conditions.
Allied breakout
In late May, the Allies broke out from the Monte Cassino and the Anzio regions as Operation Diadem
bore fruit. On 23 May the 508th claimed 15 Shermans destroyed during a German counter-attack against advancing Allied forces near Cisterna, for the loss of a single Tiger. The next day they started to withdraw to Rome; two tanks were lost to mechanical failure, seven more were destroyed by their crews in Cori due to lack of fuel, eleven more near Giulianello from breakdown, and another one near Valmontone
on 25 May. This was a total loss of twenty-two Tigers in three days, with only one from combat. The battalion commander, Major Hudel, was recalled to the Führer Headquarters and sacked.
The remaining operational tanks were all placed in the first company, which then attempted to defend the Velletri
area during 26–27 May, then withdrew near to Rome. Tank strength dropped from a high of 49 on 25 April, to 11 operational on 31 May. The spare crews were used as anti-tank teams.
By 3 June 1944, a general fighting withdrawal to the Trasimene Line
began as the Allies pressed northward, taking Rome the next day. Thirteen Tigers were lost moving towards Poggibonsi
on 13 June, mostly destroyed by their crews. Two more were lost in action against five enemy tanks near Chiusdino
on 27 June. On 4 July one Tiger fell into a cellar near Colle di Val d'Elsa
; it was destroyed as unrecoverable. Six Shermans were destroyed near Tavarnelle
on 8 July.
Despite complaints by battalion command, orders from Army Group were to widely disperse the Tigers in defense. Often, single tanks were involved in combat, which caused severe command, control and logistic problems.
The 508th moved to San Casciano
by 23 July. On 24 July a tank fell through a bridge and burned. The next day an enemy attack was repelled, but another Tiger fell through a cellar and was destroyed. On 29 July seven Shermans were knocked out for the cost of two Tigers. One Tiger was captured on 30 July near Galluzzo
.
On 1 August 1944, only fourteen Tigers were operational out of a total of twenty-eight available; all surviving second company tanks were assigned to the third company. The 508th reached the vicinity of Pisa
on 14 August. A week later, Hauptmann Stelter was made battalion commander. In early September the first company moved across to Savignano
in eastern Italy, eleven tanks were lost to mechanical problems during the road march. The personnel of the second company, which had no tanks, returned to Paderborn
in Germany.
After a day of rest in Bologna
on 14 September, the third company moved via Imola
, Faenza
, and Forlì
to Cesena
by 30 September, positioned to oppose the impending northwards thrust of the British Adriatic front of Allied Operation Olive.
On 1 October, fifteen Tigers were operational, ten in the first company, three in the third; both were then attached to LXXVI Panzer Corps
. Later in the month, the German lines were pushed back to Northern Italy. On 20 October, the demolition carriers were sent back to Germany.
On 1 November, fourteen tanks were operational. By the end of the month, the personnel previously of the Funklenk company were sent back to Germany, disbanding the third company. Only ten operational tanks of the fifteen available in the first company remained in Italy, initially resting in Ospitale. By the end of December some replacement crews arrived. After returning to the front, the company saw action in Faenza on 1 January 1945, then south of Solarolo
on 3 January. Throughout January and early February the tanks were frequently used in the artillery role.
The remaining personnel who were not transferred rested in Pontebba
on 21 February, then returned through Austria to Germany. They started training for the Tiger II
on 17 March, but were given a single Tiger I and six Panther tank
s on 27 March, and formed a small Kampfgruppe
. The second company, still without tanks, were used as infantry. These forces fought near Husen on 29–30 March, Paderborn
and Scherfelde on 1–2 April, then Hofgeismar
and Polle
on 5 April before withdrawing to Berlin, which surrendered in early May 1945.
Over its lifetime, the battalion claimed to have knocked out more than 100 enemy tanks; 59 percent of its own 78 losses were from crews destroying their vehicles, while only 19 percent were destroyed by the enemy.
German Cross
in Gold
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, equipped with Tiger I
Tiger I
Tiger I is the common name of a German heavy tank developed in 1942 and used in World War II. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, often shortened to Tiger. It was an answer to the unexpectedly formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of...
heavy tanks. It fought at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
and later defended German-held Northern Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
opposing the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
during the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
. It fought in Italy until it surrendered at the end of the war in May 1945.
Formation
The battalion was partially formed on 11 May 1943 in France using personnel from a battalion of the 29th Panzer Regiment. The third company was attached from the 313rd Panzer Company (Funklenk) – a Tiger company equipped with Borgward B IV remotely controlled demolition vehicles. By 24 January 1944, the battalion was at full strength with 45 Tigers Is under the command of Major Hudel.| Battalion command 3 x Tiger I |
||||||||
| 1st company command 2 x Tiger I |
2nd company command 2 x Tiger I |
3rd company command 2 x Tiger I 8 x Borgward IV |
||||||
| 1st platoon 4 x Tiger I |
2nd platoon 4 x Tiger I |
3rd platoon 4 x Tiger I |
1st platoon 4 x Tiger I |
2nd platoon 4 x Tiger I |
3rd platoon 4 x Tiger I |
1st platoon 4 x Tiger I 9 x Borgward IV |
2nd platoon 4 x Tiger I 9 x Borgward IV |
3rd platoon 4 x Tiger I 9 x Borgward IV |
Anzio
In early February 1944 the battalion was sent to oppose Allied landings
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
. Transportation by rail ended at Ficulle
Ficulle
Ficulle is a comune in the Province of Terni in the Italian region Umbria, located about 40 km southwest of Perugia and about 60 km northwest of Terni...
in Italy, far from the enemy beachhead
Beachhead
Beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Bridgehead and Lodgement...
. Because Allied air superiority made further rail transport difficult, the battalion drove the remaining distance, via Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. One Tiger caught fire on route and was destroyed in an explosion. Sixty percent of the Tigers suffered mechanical breakdown on the 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) journey through the narrow, winding, mountainous roads. By 14 February, the first company deployed piecemeal in the Anzio region near Aprilia (known as The Factory), as the second company arrived in Rome.
Attacking the beachhead.
On 15 February the battalion was attached to the 26th Panzer Division. A single platoon attempted to push toward the beachhead the next day, but muddy conditions foiled the operation.
On 19 February the second company reached Aprilia, and the attached 313rd Funklenk Company was officially renamed as the third company of the battalion. The next day, the 653rd heavy anti-tank battalion, equipped with Elefant
Elefant
The Elefant was a "schwerer Panzerjäger" of the German Wehrmacht used in small numbers in World War II. It was built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche. In 1944, after modification of the existing vehicles, they were renamed Elefant...
tank destroyers, was attached to the 508th.
Between 21 and 24 February, the battalion claimed twenty US tanks; seventeen while using small elements to support several unsuccessful attempts to reduce the beachhead from Aprilia, and three M4 Sherman
M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
s which had penetrated German lines. In late February, two Shermans were captured; their turrets were removed and they were converted into recovery vehicles, greatly improving the ability of the battalion to recover damaged Tigers.
On 29 February the second company was part of the final attack towards the beachhead, from Cisterna. Its advance was restricted to roads surrounded by marshy areas, and the attack stalled due to strong resistance. Eight Tigers were disabled by anti tank fire from the American 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion
601st Tank Destroyer Battalion
The 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion was a battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War. It was the first of the newly formed tank destroyer battalions to see combat, and the only one to fight as a "pure" tank destroyer force...
, accurate naval artillery fire, and mines. All were recovered under enemy fire over the next five days, but four were later written off as beyond repair. After combat on 1 March the 508th was attached to the 69th Panzer Regiment, with only twelve Tigers operational. Eight Tiger Is absorbed from Tiger-Gruppe Schwebbach (formerly Schwere Panzer Kompanie Meyer) brought the battalion back up to full strength.
The battalion withdrew to Rome, staying there from 5 to 16 March, then, slightly over strength in tanks due to replacements, returned to the Aprilia—Campoleone—Cisterna area, where they resisted expansion of the beachhead. Unusually, Tigers were occasionally used in indirect fire
Indirect fire
Indirect fire means aiming and firing a projectile in a high trajectory without relying on a direct line of sight between the gun and its target, as in the case of direct fire...
roles. The Borgward IV demolition carriers had mobility problems in the muddy and mountainous conditions.
Allied breakout
Operation Diadem
Operation Diadem, also referred to as the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino was an offensive operation undertaken by the Allies in May 1944, as part of the Italian Campaign. It was launched at 2300 Hours on 11 May 1944 to break the German defenses on the western half of the Winter Line and open up...
bore fruit. On 23 May the 508th claimed 15 Shermans destroyed during a German counter-attack against advancing Allied forces near Cisterna, for the loss of a single Tiger. The next day they started to withdraw to Rome; two tanks were lost to mechanical failure, seven more were destroyed by their crews in Cori due to lack of fuel, eleven more near Giulianello from breakdown, and another one near Valmontone
Valmontone
Valmontone is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 45 km southeast of Rome.-Geography:...
on 25 May. This was a total loss of twenty-two Tigers in three days, with only one from combat. The battalion commander, Major Hudel, was recalled to the Führer Headquarters and sacked.
The remaining operational tanks were all placed in the first company, which then attempted to defend the Velletri
Velletri
Velletri is an Italian town of 53,298 inhabitants. It is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Lazio - Italy. It is bounded by other communes of Rocca di Papa, Lariano, Cisterna di Latina, Artena, Aprilia, Nemi, Genzano di Roma, Lanuvio...
area during 26–27 May, then withdrew near to Rome. Tank strength dropped from a high of 49 on 25 April, to 11 operational on 31 May. The spare crews were used as anti-tank teams.
German withdrawal
Trasimene Line
The Trasimene Line was a German defensive line during the Italian Campaign of World War II. It was also sometimes known as the Albert Line...
began as the Allies pressed northward, taking Rome the next day. Thirteen Tigers were lost moving towards Poggibonsi
Poggibonsi
Poggibonsi is a town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy. It is the main centre of the Valdelsa Valley.-History:The area around Poggibonsi was already settled in the Neolithic age, although the first traces of civilisation dates from Etruscan-Roman age, attested by a series of necropolises and...
on 13 June, mostly destroyed by their crews. Two more were lost in action against five enemy tanks near Chiusdino
Chiusdino
Chiusdino is a comune in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 70 km south of Florence and about 30 km southwest of Siena...
on 27 June. On 4 July one Tiger fell into a cellar near Colle di Val d'Elsa
Colle di Val d'Elsa
Colle di Val d'Elsa or Colle Val d'Elsa is a town and comune in Tuscany, Italy, in the province of Siena.It has a population of c. 20,000...
; it was destroyed as unrecoverable. Six Shermans were destroyed near Tavarnelle
Tavarnelle Val di Pesa
Tavarnelle Val di Pesa is a comune in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 25 km south of Florence.-Main sights:...
on 8 July.
Despite complaints by battalion command, orders from Army Group were to widely disperse the Tigers in defense. Often, single tanks were involved in combat, which caused severe command, control and logistic problems.
The 508th moved to San Casciano
San Casciano in Val di Pesa
San Casciano in Val di Pesa is a comune in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 15 km southwest of Florence....
by 23 July. On 24 July a tank fell through a bridge and burned. The next day an enemy attack was repelled, but another Tiger fell through a cellar and was destroyed. On 29 July seven Shermans were knocked out for the cost of two Tigers. One Tiger was captured on 30 July near Galluzzo
Galluzzo
Galluzzo is a suburb of Florence, Italy, located in the southern extremity of the Florentine commune. It is known for the celebrated Carthusian monastery, the Galluzzo or Florence Charterhouse , which was founded in 1342 by Niccolò Acciaioli.- History :- The autonomous commune :Galluzzo was an...
.
Eastern Italy
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
on 14 August. A week later, Hauptmann Stelter was made battalion commander. In early September the first company moved across to Savignano
Savignano sul Rubicone
Savignano sul Rubicone is a comune in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 90 km southeast of Bologna and about 30 km southeast of Forlì....
in eastern Italy, eleven tanks were lost to mechanical problems during the road march. The personnel of the second company, which had no tanks, returned to Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
in Germany.
After a day of rest in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
on 14 September, the third company moved via Imola
Imola
thumb|250px|The Cathedral of Imola.Imola is a town and comune in the province of Bologna, located on the Santerno river, in the Emilia-Romagna region of north-central Italy...
, Faenza
Faenza
Faenza is an Italian city and comune, in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated 50 km southeast of Bologna.Faenza is noted for its manufacture of majolica ware glazed earthenware pottery, known from the name of the town as "faience"....
, and Forlì
Forlì
Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the right of the Montone river, and is an important agricultural centre...
to Cesena
Cesena
Cesena is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, south of Ravenna and west of Rimini, on the Savio River, co-chief of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. It is at the foot of the Apennines, and about 15 km from the Adriatic Sea.-History:Cesena was originally an Umbrian...
by 30 September, positioned to oppose the impending northwards thrust of the British Adriatic front of Allied Operation Olive.
LXXVI Panzer Corps (Germany)
The LXXVI Panzer Corps was a panzer corps of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Corps was commanded by General Traugott Herr during the Italian Campaign.-Order of battle:In 1943 the corps included:...
. Later in the month, the German lines were pushed back to Northern Italy. On 20 October, the demolition carriers were sent back to Germany.
On 1 November, fourteen tanks were operational. By the end of the month, the personnel previously of the Funklenk company were sent back to Germany, disbanding the third company. Only ten operational tanks of the fifteen available in the first company remained in Italy, initially resting in Ospitale. By the end of December some replacement crews arrived. After returning to the front, the company saw action in Faenza on 1 January 1945, then south of Solarolo
Solarolo
Solarolo is a comune in the Province of Ravenna in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, located about 40 km southeast of Bologna and about 30 km west of Ravenna...
on 3 January. Throughout January and early February the tanks were frequently used in the artillery role.
Destruction
On 12 February 1945, the last fifteen Tigers were transferred to the 504th Heavy Tank Battalion, which continued to fight in Italy; it lost all of its tanks by late April and surrendered 3 May.The remaining personnel who were not transferred rested in Pontebba
Pontebba
Pontebba is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is located about 100 km northwest of Trieste and about 50 km north of Udine, on the border with Austria...
on 21 February, then returned through Austria to Germany. They started training for the Tiger II
Tiger II
Tiger II is the common name of a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B,Panzerkampfwagen – abbr: Pz. or Pz.Kfw. Ausführung – abbr: Ausf. .The full titles Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf...
on 17 March, but were given a single Tiger I and six Panther tank
Panther tank
Panther is the common name of a medium tank fielded by Nazi Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. It was intended as a counter to the T-34, and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV; while never replacing the latter, it served alongside it as...
s on 27 March, and formed a small Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
. The second company, still without tanks, were used as infantry. These forces fought near Husen on 29–30 March, Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
and Scherfelde on 1–2 April, then Hofgeismar
Hofgeismar
Hofgeismar is a town in the district of Kassel, in northern Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km north of Kassel on the German Framework Road.-External links:*...
and Polle
Polle
Polle is a municipality in the district of Holzminden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Weser, approx. 8 km northwest of Holzminden....
on 5 April before withdrawing to Berlin, which surrendered in early May 1945.
Over its lifetime, the battalion claimed to have knocked out more than 100 enemy tanks; 59 percent of its own 78 losses were from crews destroying their vehicles, while only 19 percent were destroyed by the enemy.
Commanders
- Major Hudel (January 1944 – May 1944) (dismissed)
- Hauptmann Stelter (August 1944 – May 1945)
Medals
Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft- Obergefreiter Heinrich Lippek, 5 June 1944, 2nd company.
German Cross
German Cross
The German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold
- Oberfähnrich Fritz Franke, 28 February 1945, 1st company
- Oberleutnant Karl-Heinz Kallfelz, 1 May 1945, 2nd company
- Leutnant Kurt Mayer 15 December 1944, 1st company
- Oberleutnant Heinz-Dieter Schilbach, 28 November 1944, 1st company
- Oberleutnant Kurt Stein 25 August 1944
- Hauptmann Joachim Stelter, 8 November 1944