schwere Panzer-Abteilung 504
Panzer-Abteilung 504 (Tropen)

Origin: Wehrkreis XI (Fallingbostel)

Feldpostnummern:

Unità	Feldpostnummer	Feldpostnummer dal 12/1943
Stab	06668 A	39696 A shortly 16098 from 12/1943
Stabskompanie	06668 B	39696 B shortly 42704
1. Kompanie	06668 C	39696 C shortly 01457 from 12/1943
2. Kompanie	06668 D	39696 D shortly 19034 from 12/1943
3. Kompanie	06668 E from 02/1943	39696 E shortly 02178 from 12/1943
4. Kompanie	06668 F from 04/1943	-
5. Kompanie	06668 G from 04/1943	-
6. Kompanie	06668 H from 04/1943	-
7. Kompanie	06668 I from 04/1943	-
Pz.-Werkstatt-Kompanie	06668 E unitl 02/1943 06668 F from 02/1943 to 04/1943 06668 F from 04/1943	04333

Kommandeure:
?-13/05/1943: Major August Seidensticker

-09/1944: Major Kühn
-08?/1944: Hptm. Rabe (StabsKp.)
-08?/1944: Hptm. Wriedt (3. Kp.)
09/1944-02/05/1945: MajorNill

History:

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08-13/01/1943: Created at FALLINGBOSTEL , in Wehrkreis XI, as independent unit of the Heerestruppen on two schwere Kompanien. It was made from personnel of III. Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 4. The Panzer-Ersatz-Abteilung 500 was charged of the replacements.

17/01/1943: Was received the order to employ the unit to build the III. Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 35, but this was soon abandoned.

13/02/1943: The 2. Kompanie received the order to change name in 1./Panzer-Abteilung 505.

17/02/1943: The transfer order to of the 2./504 to the Panzer-Abteilung 505 was cancelled.

26/02/1943: Came the order to employ the unit for building the III. Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 8, but this was also abandoned in a short time. In those days come the order to transfer to SICILY.

28/02/1943: Due to the short time passed training and the retards in the delivering of vehicles and equipment, the unit did not move from FALLINGBOSTEL until the end of February 1943.

06/03/1943: The Abteilung was expanded on 3 schwere Kompanien after the reorganisation for the Tropenverwendung (employment in Tropical climates).

08/03/1943: It was transferred to PACECO , in SICILY.

03/1943: During the month the Stab and 1. Kompanie were transferred to TUNISIA with 11 Tiger and 19 Panzer III L.

12/03/1943: Other 3 Tiger joined the unit in SICILY.

15/03/1943: The commander, Major August Seidensticker, not standing to the delay in the shipping of his unit to TUNISIA, arrived there after a troubled fly on a Junkers Ju 52 full of gasoline cans.

17/03/1943: The unit was joined to the schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 under the command of Major August Seidensticker, that took the place of the preceding 501's commander, wounded and evacuated to GERMANY the day his arrival. The unit made a 400 Km transfer south to the area of MEZZOUNA-MAKNASSY , where US troops menaced to separate the Afrika Korps from the Panzer-Armee Afrika getting to the sea in the area south of SFAX.

20/03/1943: In GERMANY the constitution of the 3. Kompanie was abandoned.

22-23/03/1943: The first 5 Tiger of the unit landed at BIZERTE . Only the 1. Kompanie managed to reach NORTH AFRICA, and the 2./504 remained in SICILY at PACECO.

01/04/1943: 2 more Tigers reached the unit in TUNISIA.

13/04/1943: Due to the worsening of the situation in TUNISIA, the 2./504, in PACECO with 9 Tiger and 6 Panzer III L, was detached to Panzer-Abteilung 215. The Feldpostübersicht reports that the part of the unit in TUNISIA was expanded to 7 Kompanien. (Author: probably it was the sun of the two Tiger-Abteilungen 501 and 504).

18/05/1943: Stab, 1./504 anr the part of the Workshop Units transferred in TUNISIA surrendered at CAP BON .

26/05/1943: 2./504, still in PACECO , SICILY, was temporarily part of Panzer-Abteilung 215 as 4. Kompanie.

06/1943: During that month the 2. Kompanie received 6 other Tigers, raising the total number of Tiger tanks in SICILY to 17. It was also tansferred in the area of CALTAGIRONE .

22/06/1943: The 3./504, still in GERMANY, became the 11./Panzer-Regiment Großdeutschland passing to Panzer-Division Großdeutschland.

30/06/1943: 2./504 was formally attached to Panzer-Division Hermann Göring, arriving from NAPOLI (Naples), while the Panzer-Abteilung 215 was transferred to WESTERN SICILY with the 15. Panzergrenadier-Division.

10/07/1943: The 2. Kompanie with 17 Tiger passed under command of Fallschirm-Panzer-Division Hermann Göring. Other elements of the unit that was not transferred to TUNISIA was given to Panzer-Abteilung 215.

11/07/1943: 2./504 was employed with Fallschirm-Panzer-Division Hermann Göring between the landing beachheads of 1st US Division and 45th US Division in the GELA-VITTORIA area. They fought against the 505th Airborne Regiment at BIAZZO RIDGE (Biazza Ridge) .

07-08/1943: 2./504 fought against the 8th British Army retreating along the road GERBINI, BELPASSO, NICOLOSI, TRECASTAGNI, PISANO e ALÌ MARINA .

17/08/1943: The last operating Tiger, number 222, was ferried across the STRETTO DI MESSINA. The unit lost all the other Tigers in SICILY.

22/08/1943: After some days, Tiger 222 had to be abandoned too, due to a mechanical breakdown in the winding roads of CALABRIA.

09/1943: The 185 survivors of the Sicilian Campaign gathered at CASSINO .

18/11/1943: At WEZEP , in HOLLAND, the surviors of the old 504th joined the members of Panzer-Abteilung 18 of the disbanded 18. Panzer-Division to create a new Panzer-Abteilung 504. During his reconstitution the unit was under the orders of LVIII. Reserve-Panzerkorps of the Oberbefehlshaber West.

28/02-21/04/1944: 45 Tiger reached the unit.

10/03/1944: Panzer-Kompanie (Fkl) 314 was incorporated as 3./504.

30/04-04/05/1944: The unit was trasnferred in FRANCE, in the area of TOURS to complete his training. In those days hed some exercises with the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen.

03/06/1944: Came the order of transferring to ITALY.

09-14/06/1944: The unit arrived in TOSCANA , where a Bergepanther was lost for an aerial attack.

22/06/1944: First attack of the 1./504 in the MONTEPESCALI area along the AURELIA HIGHWAY.

23/06/1944: During an ambush in the area of PEROLLA , the Oberfähnrich Röhrig destroyed 23 US tanks that had broken through the geman lines in GIUNCARICO . 11 was destroyed with the fire of the 4 Tiger from Röhrig's Zug (Platoon) and the other 12 was burned form the Germans after the crews abandoned them. Röhrig received the Ritterkreuz fot this action, only soldier in the unit to receive this high decoration.

01/07/1944: Of the 18 Tigers still in charge 8 were still operable. The unit was employed in the defense of CECINA against the 34th US Infantry Division Red Bull, where it lost the Tiger commanded from Leutnant Keitel. In this period the 3. Kompanie was attached to 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Reichsführer-SS", while the rest of the unit fought under the rests of the 162. (turkmenische) Infanterie-Division.

22/06/-31/07/1944: Of the 27 Tigers lost during the hasty retreats between GROSSETO and LIVORNO (Leghorn) , ony two were lost for enemy action, instead of the effort of the Bergezug (recovery platoon) under Leutnant Karl Goldschmidt.

14/08/1944: The 1. Kompanie gave her vehicles to the other two and was transferred to VIENNA (Wien) to train on the Tiger II. In TOSCANA the unit was under the 10. Armee.

08/1944: The unit was retired from the frontline and took a rest area by PARMA . Some Tigers under Leutnant Clemens was taken from Armeegruppe Ligurien (without telling the Abteilungs commander) and sent to GENOVA (Genoa) were was expected an allied landing. After some days passed in railroad tunnels in GENOVA the Tigers came back to thier unit.

09/1944: The Abteilung was transferred in the RIMINI area, where in was in action first with the 3. Kompanie of Hauptmann Wriedt near SAN MARINO and in SAN FORTUNATO.

12/1944: After some retreat in Autumn the area was stabilised between LUGO DI ROMAGNA and MASSA LOMBARDA .

12/02/1945: The 15 Tigers of the 508. schwere Panzer-Abteilung (transferring to GERMANY), were took in charge.

15/03/1945: 32 Tiger I were reported operational.

12/04/1945: In the area of MASSA LOMBARDA the unit, in line among orchards that hampered the sight of the turret crew, had many losses due to New Zealander Infantry and Tanks. This day began the retreat to northwest against the pressure of the 8th British Army units. Some Tigers under Oberleutnant von Wedelstaedt fought around ARGENTA .

13-26/04/1945: All the Tigers south of the River PO were lost between BONDENO and FINALE EMILIA . The members of the unit gathered at the Ferntroßdorf (rear base) of SAN PIETRO IN GU , east of VICENZA, to organize the retreat to the north. Here were still 2 Tigers, ferried north of the River PO months before for important repairs.

28/04/1945: The last Tiger was lost when it broke through a water reservoir in the courtyard of a Villa somewhere in VENETO.

02/05/1945: The unit received the capitulation order in the Walley of AGORDO , where it was blocked from partisan units trying to go to the BRENNER PASS. Here his members were given to US troops.

Bibliografia:

	www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de		Internet, 2006
Schneider, Wolfgang	Tiger in Combat Vol. 1	Fedorowicz Publishing	Winnipeg, Mb, CA 1998
Jentz	Tiger	Schiffer
Jentz	Panzer Truppen	Schiffer
Federico Peyrani	Material form members of 504th	still unpublished!