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A German Tiger I crew in conference in the field, Russia, Jul-Aug 1943

Caption     A German Tiger I crew in conference in the field, Russia, Jul-Aug 1943 ww2dbase
Photographer   
Source    ww2dbaseGerman Federal Archives
Identification Code   Bild 101III-Merz-025-18
More on...   
PzKpfw VI Ausf. E 'Tiger I'   Main article  Photos  
Added By C. Peter Chen

This photograph has been scaled down; full resolution photograph is available here (800 by 521 pixels).

Licensing  Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany License (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE).

See Bild 101III-Merz-025-18 on Wikimedia Commons

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
16 Feb 2011 02:04:43 PM

PANZER GRENADIERS:

Looks like a field briefing to me.
Tiger commander coordinates his movement with Panzergrenadiers.

Panzergrenadier, the German term for motorized or mechanized infantry. Before that
they were called Panzerschutzen, the term Panzergrenadier wasn't adopted until 1942.
They rode along w/the Panzers in SdKfz.251 half-tracks, some troops were equipped with trucks. The PzGren. protected he tanks flanks and were used for reconnaissance.

Today the German/Bundeswehr continues to use
the Panzergrenadier in its Armored forces.
2. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
16 Feb 2011 05:39:53 PM

"Wir werden Sieger-durch unsren Tigers"

"WELL BE VICTORIOUS-THANKS TO OUR TIGERS"
3. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
18 Feb 2011 02:19:55 PM

Field briefing sPzAbt.503 supporting the
3rd SS Panzergrenadier, Division "Totenkopf"
Battle of Kursk.
4. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
20 Feb 2011 10:36:12 AM

ARMORED SOLDIERS:

Panzergrenadiers were the assualt troops of
the German panzer divisions. Noted for their
speed, mobility and firepower, they operated
with the panzers.

TO&E: TABLE OF ORGANIZATION AND EQUIPMENT

Headquators, heavy weapons, tank destroyer,
motorcycle,signal,infantry,medical,supply engineer,artillery and maintenance.
The PzGren. protected the flanks of the panzers, advanced forward to hold ground and clear.

DID YOU KNOW...

Today some armies have mechanized infantry
the Russians have its motorized troops, the
Americans have the Armored Infantry Company.

Units in Vietnam, like the 11th Armored Cav.
had a mix of self-propelled artillery, tanks and engineers working with the armored infantry.
Personally it was an experience being part of field operations in Vietnam its been over forty years, and I still remember those days
it was beyond normal human lifetime experience.

Suggested Reading:

Panzer Tactics: German Small-Unit Tactics
By Wolfgang Schneider
Stackpole Books
jjfpub.mb.ca

Deutsche Soldaten:
Equipment Uniforms and Personal Effects of the German Soldier 1939-1945
Aqustin Saiz
5. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
12 Mar 2011 10:26:21 PM

3rd SS Totenkopf was one of thirty eight field divisions of the Waffen SS.
3rd SS Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf
troops fought fanatically, and suffered very heavy losses. Photo shows SS Panzergrenadier-Regiment 6, Theodor Eicke.
The Waffen SS, was the Military Arm of the Nazi party.
6. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
12 Apr 2011 03:39:36 PM

The Waffen-SS was the Military arm of the Nazi party. This force evolved into a second army, next to the Wehrmacht it was equipped
and armed better than most army formations.

Promotions in the Waffen-SS were based on the
soldiers commitment, effectiveness and his
political reliability, not class or education
Later during the war, the Waffen-SS took in
foreign volunteers to fill in the ranks and replace the losses.
At the end of the war 60% of the Waffen-SS
members were non-German, foreign volunteers
this force also had its own uniforms, that
were similar to the army, but had its own system of rank, for officers and enlisted men.

Field uniforms had reversable smocks and
helmet covers both had printed camouflage patterns of brown/green for (spring) and brown/brown for (autumn). Units were later issued camouflage uniforms, to replace the field gray of the army.
Today most armies issue camouflage pattern uniforms to all its troops.

The Waffen-SS soldier carried a identity disc
or dog tag, with his name, serial number and blood type on the disc was stamped SS.
7. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
14 Apr 2011 03:09:15 PM

During World War II the Waffen-SS grew to
38 divisions, losses were heavy during the Russian campaign. Das Reich lost over half of
its strenght and was decimated during the
Soviet offensive.
The Der Fuhrer Regiment started with 2,000
men at the start of the campaign and was reduced to 35 men! it was wiped out as a fighting force long before that, replacements
filled the ranks many SS units on paper would
appear at normal or half strenght, but were reduced to a few hundred men or less.
The SS troops fought to the death and didn't give ground to the Russians.

TO CARRY OUT THE FUHRER'S AIMS:

The Waffen-SS made up 10% of the regular German army, it has been estimated between
180-253,000 were killed, 400,000 wounded and
173,000 listed as missing during WWII.
Many SS units were annihilated with records
being destroyed, so we'll never really know the number of losses suffered.

Tough in battle, fearless, ruthless in the
execution of orders and dedicated to victory
at all costs.
Waffen-SS suffered high casuality rates by the end of 1943, over 150,000 Waffen-SS
troops had been killed, wounded or missing.
In the final last months of the war, over
40,000 Luftwaffe and 5,000 Naval personnel
were transferred into the Waffen-SS, these
troops were not trained infantry and suffered
heavy losses.

Following WWII many former Wehrmacht soldiers
and a few former SS troops found employment
in foreign armies, many of these men served
their whole adult life in uniform and combat
and knew nothing else. Many found work in South America and the Middle East and some served in the French Foreign Legion, its possible a few fought in Indo-China and just
maybe at Dien Bein Phu in 1954.


Suggested Reading:

The Waffen-SS
By Gordon Williamson
Osprey Publishing
Men-At-Arms
ISBN 9781841765891

Street Without Joy
By Bernard B. Fall
Stackpole Books
ISBN-10 0811717003
ISBN-13: 978-0811717007

Note*

I don't believe in National Socialism, my
objective is the history of World War II
8. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
15 Apr 2011 12:48:05 PM

In the 1970s I met a man who served in the
French Foreign Legion. He was born in Hungary when, World War II started, he was drafted into the Hungarian army, captured by the Russians, what saved him, he was able to understand both German and Russian and was used as an interpreter.

THE LEGION WAS HIS HOME:

At the end of WWII he found himself in Austria when he got a chance, he slipped to the American lines, and became a displaced person.
With no money, job or home he found his way to France. With little options, he enlisted into the French Foreign Legion, and worked in
the supply system.
Sent to Indo-China and was stationed in Saigon when the French left he returned to France served out the rest of his enlistment
after discharge he went to Canada.

ONCE A LEGIONNAIRE, ALWAYS A LEGIONNAIRE:

Once again he found himself without enough money, no job or home went to the French Consulate they contacted the Legion he received money, found him a job and a place to live, the Legion even paid him what back pay he was owed, and made sure he started to receive his pension.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I never heard of the US Armed Forces ever doing that for an ex-GI, when your discharged,your just another ex-GI out of a job. If anyone has information about this, I would like to hear about it.

In the early 1960s he moved to California and became an American citizen.
Years ago I lost most of my collection of books and related material in a fire, so I had to start my collection again, lost were names and addresses of the men I had met, who served in Foreign armies, but I've always remembered their stories.
9. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
31 Jul 2011 11:13:11 AM

THE SERGEANT IS THE BACKBONE OF ANY ARMY:

Many times I took part in field briefings, at
the end of the briefing the other NCOs were leaving the tent, one 2nd Lt. would ask to speak with me, taking me aside he said, Sergeant could you give me some instruction on the operation, assembly and disassembly of the fifty caliber machine gun..no problem Sir.
10. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
6 Dec 2014 02:01:43 PM

FIELD BRIEFING: ABOVE FILE PHOTO

SS Panzergrenadiers of SS Division Totenkopf hold
field briefing, with Tiger Commander in upper left of photo. Tiger was part of 9.Kp/SS.Pz.Rgt 3.
Operation Zitadelle, summer of 1943
11. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
23 Oct 2016 07:34:30 PM

DOING THE FUHRER'S WILL:

The SS was the military arm of the Nazi Party and were deeply indoctrinated with the aims of National Socialism.
SS-troops fought ferociously throughout WWII in Europe.
The SS-Divisions were an army unto themselves and were never apart of the Wehrmacht.
As the war continued, many times, SS-units received the best equipment and supplies over the Army.

UNIFORM OF THE DAY: FIELD BRIEFING

SS-troops were issued camouflage smocks that were reversible w/trousers, visor field caps and helmet covers that were reversible.

Besides camouflaged uniforms most troops early in the war were issued the Jackboot, However, with shortages of supplies of leather marching boots by 1943 troops were issued low ankle-boots w/canvas gaiters that became almost universal, that were issued to new recruits from 1941 on. The troops felt they weren't the symbol of German Militarism...

Officers and NCO's wore the field-gray peaked cap (Schirmmutze) many of them, removed the wire stiffener from the cap, to give it that crusher look.

INFORMATION IS FOR HISTORICAL REFERENCE ONLY. I DO NOT SUPPORT NATIONAL SOCIALISM, FASCISM OR COMMUNISM IN ANY WAY...

I thank the editor/ww2db for his continued support and allowing me to share my knowledge of WWII...


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