Tiger Battalion 507: Eyewitness Accounts from Hitler's Regiment

by Helmut Schneider (Editor), Robert Forczyk (Foreword by)

Overview

A personal history of a Nazi battalion’s experiences on the Eastern and Western fronts of WWII, told through the vivid accounts of the soldiers themselves.

This is the little-known story of Heavy Panzer (Tiger) Battalion 507. Helmut Schneider, himself a veteran of the battalion, sought out as many survivors of the unit as possible and gather their reminiscences. The resulting account is a treasure trove of first-hand material, including personal memories, diaries, letters, leave passes, wartime newspaper cuttings, Wehrmacht bulletins, and more than 160 photographs.

The account follows the unit from its formation in 1943 to the catastrophic events on the Eastern Front and battles on the Western Front. It describes engagements against the American 3rd Armored Division, the confusion and panic of retreat, and Soviet captivity in the closing stages of the war. Honest and unflinching, this collection of autobiographies offers a glimpse into life in Hitler’s panzer division.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784386429
Publisher:	Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal, Limited
Publication date:	07/01/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	289
Sales rank:	641,711
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Aged 19, Schneider volunteered for the Panzer Arm in March 1941. He was one of the first five men sent to the Eastern Front. He took part in the Caucasus campaigns in and joined the Heavy Panzer Battalion 507 in 1943. He next moved on to the panzer grenadiers where he was given a Wanderer bicycle, a Panzerfaust and an assault rifle and was sent to fight the US Army on the Western Front. His decorations included the Panzer Assault Badge and the Iron Cross Second Class. Robert Forczyk has a PhD in International Relations and National Security from the University of Maryland and a strong background in Asian and European military history. He retired as a lieutenant colonel from the US Army Reserves after serving as an armour officer, then as an intelligence officer. Dr. Forczyk has worked for three decades in the defense field and currently serves as a cybersecurity consultant in the Washington DC area. As a military historian, his primary interest is in combat operations in Eastern Europe from 1914 to 1945.

Table of Contents

Foreword Robert Forczyk vii

Preface xi

Note on Geographical Names xiii

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Formation and Induction, Heavy Panzer Battalion 507 6

Chapter 2 First Operations: Tarnopol-Brody-Kowel 41

Chapter 3 Arrival on the Eastern Front 52

Chapter 4 From Baranovicze to Scharfenwiese 115

Chapter 5 The Battle for the Narew Bridgeheads 169

Chapter 6 A Resting Place at Zichenau-Mielau 190

Chapter 7 The Fighting between the Narew and the Vistula 209

Chapter 8 The Partial Return to Sennelager 230

Chapter 9 The Battle of Paderborn 246

Contributors 273

Editorial Reviews

"You get a lot of tactical tips...It reads well for an English translation, so kudos to the translator Geoffrey Brooks. Enjoyed it."

Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

"The translation, editing and production quality are all excellent...Highly Recommended for fans of WW2 German armor, and for anyone interested in the operation of tanks in the field."

AMPS

"The commentaries and associated photographs on maintenance are impressive."

ARMOR Magazine

"...full of interesting anecdotes highlighting the battalion's combat experience."

WWII History Magazine

"There are 200 photographs included from private collections providing numerous great photographic details which I found very interesting as a scale modeler (e.g. the numbering styles used on the tank turrets, extra tread pieces carried on the tank facets and turrets and the use of rolls of wooden poles carried to help in swampy areas)."

IPMS/USA

"What makes this anthology special are the entries from German tank crewmen and accounts by members of workshop companies, repair, and supply stations."

ARGunners.com