Need help with Tiger 1 Kursk

[Ghost Tanker]

Have you checked out Alan Hamby's site, the first tank on this page http://www.alanhamby.com/late.shtml seems to be what you want.

Well spotted Jonger! that is indeed the sort of tiger i was looking for. Nice clear photo too. Looks like 312 could be a candidate. Thanks

[ausf]

There's hundreds of pics in this book and I found a bunch of 505 Tigers.

Mostly, they are non-zim, barbed wire covered, two tone camo (some three) with the numbers (114, 232) in white on the turret between the vision port and lifting lug. There's spare tracks on the turret and no visible knight.

There were some reserves brought in with three tone camo and red and white numbering (231)

So far it's the Bison on the glacis, not the knight on the turret.

I'll look for more, but these are all 505 in Operation Citadel with dates and locations.

[Ghost Tanker]

I'll look for more, but these are all 505 in Operation Citadel with dates and locations.

Thanks very much ausf. I'm kinda decided now on doing a 505 tiger. looks like i'll be dropping the knight in favour of the bison if i want an earlier version though.

[ausf]

No problem at all.

I used to manufacturer unit shirts, so I have amassed a small library of obscure German armor books. Here was my early 505 design (oddly enough I just realized I'm wearing an old one right now):

1707a.jpg (25.27 KiB) Viewed 3210 times

[Dietrich]

Hi ausf,
With reference to the 505th and where they served, under the picture on the 'Charging Knight' with a green tabbard, the item that I cut and pasted goes on to say in very small writing that the Unit stayed on the Eastern Front until the end of the war. So I am sorry to say that they do not appear to have served on the Western Front.
How about changing to the 503rd Division..??..They fought on the Eastern Front AND in Normandy, and managed to be a highly thought of unit. The units tactical symbol was of the tigers head, which can be seen on the right hand side of the page in this link to Wiki....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/503rd_heav ... Germany%29
Alb.

[ausf]

I have 'Operation Citadel Volume 2 the North' by Restayn and Moller. It sells for over $150 used if you can find it. Volume 2, the South, which is on my shelf, sells for anywhere from $500 and up depending on the condition. I have to believe that they were exhaustively researched as are most JJ Fedorowicz titles are.

I'm no expert on the topic and I certainly haven't used this book for more than a photo reference, but it's full of photos of 505 Tigers and includes battle action reports and inventory that includes dates and times of both Russian and German units. Among them all throughout is the 505 with it's 31 operational Tigers. There is a damage report from Sauvant after Hill 223, including a parts list needed, addressed from the 505 Command post, 7 July 1943.

Again, I haven't read it cover to cover and only took it out to help here, but I have to believe they were involved in Citadel.

I don't mean that to challenge you in any way, I'm just passing on what's in front of me. I have the Schneider books too, I enjoy them all.

[Dug]

Mark Healy's book Zitadelle states (page 160) "Heavy tank battalion 505 had been allocated to Ninth Army (northern attack) but on the start date of the offensive only the first and second companies were on hand, with the 3rd company of the battalion arriving at the front from its training ground at Fallingbostel in Germany early on the morning of 8 July." So 505 were certainly there. unfortunately the illustrations are all of waffen SS vehicles. I'll try and look up markings from other sources.
Regards
Dug

[Ghost Tanker]

Thanks for all the help everyone. Your wealth of knowledge is nothing short of excellent.

On the subject of the 505th part in Operation Citadel. I have to agree with Ausf and Dug (sorry Eastern Front) but I've read a huge amount about the 505 in the last week and both maps, and personal testimony from survivors state that 505 were attached to the 9th army during citadel and if my sources are correct, were in-fact one of the first groups to engage the soviets. As for their overall successes in the operation, i can't say (still need to read up on that), but it would definitely seem they were there.

I think rather than stick on a particular battalion and try to make it fit,I will find a photo that grabs the imagination and then try to research that particular tank and go from there. Thanks again to everyone though, your sources, pictures and information has helped inspire me a great deal. I'll be sure to post an image of my finished tank when she's done.

[buckeye36]

Have you tried the Tiger in Focus site, they have a large amount of Tiger photos divided up by units.
http://www.tiif.de/index.php?sid=3c2635 ... 7a116027e4

[Ghost Tanker]

Have you tried the Tiger in Focus site, they have a large amount of Tiger photos divided up by units.
http://www.tiif.de/index.php?sid=3c2635 ... 7a116027e4

Holy hell, it's like a tiger's bible! thanks very much buckeye. I didn't think there was such a thing as "too much choice" but it seems I was wrong

Lot's to see on this site and it will help me brush up on my German. (I don't trust translate lol)