Oberst Walther von Hünersdorff Discussing Strategy

Image size: 1600 x 1061 pixel. 575 KB
Date: January 1943
Place: Novo Marjewka, Soviet Union
Photographer: Helmut Ritgen

Oberst Walther von Hünersdorff (right), Kommandeur Panzer-Regiment 11 / 6.Panzer-Division - and of the division from 7 February 1943 to 14 July 1943 - holds a front-line orders group during a January 1943 attack on the Soviet position known as "Rabbit Farm". During the costly fighting between the Don and the Donets that winter Von Hünersdorff commanded Kampfgruppe (armoured battle-group) of 6. and 7. Panzer-Division and Army reserve assault artillery units. Not satisfied with their victory at Stalingrad, the Soviets plunged southwestward in an attempt to cut off Heeresgruppe A (Army Group A) in the Caucasus and collapse the entire German southern wing on the Ostfront, perhaps ending the war in early 1943. But German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein implemented a bold plan to first slow and then reverse the Soviet thrust. In two brutal battles in January at Tatsinskaya and Novo Marjewka the 6. Panzer-Division succeeded in stopping the Soviet thrust between the Don and Donets Rivers. Later, the depleted division still played a key role in the counteroffensive that re- took Kharkov in March.

Source:

Helmut Ritgen photo collection
Book "The 6th Panzer Division: 1937-45" by Oberst a.D. Helmut Ritgen

http://www.blowtorchscenarios.com/Baeke%20Battles_Der%20Mensch%20on%20the%20Ost%20Front/Baeke_Battles_Der_Mensch_In_The_East_series.htm

Oberst Richard Koll in his Panzerbefehlswagen III 'RO6'

Image size: 1600 x 1108 pixel. 561 KB
Date: October 1941
Place: Vyazma, Smolensk Oblast, Soviet Union
Photographer: Helmut Ritgen

This picture was taken in October 1941, and showing Oberst Richard Koll (7 April 1897 - 13 May 1963), commanding officer of Panzer-Regiment 11 / 6.Panzer-Division, and at that period the combined tank strength of both 6. and 7. Panzer-Division, in a confident pose in the cupola of his Panzerbefehlswagen III 'RO6' - note detail of frame aerial. At the right is the CO's signals officer (Nachrichtenoffizier), wearing earphones (kopfhörer). A pole aerial rises behind the Gefreiter standing at the left. Koll received Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) in 15 July 1941. In the last two years of the war, he was the Chief of Armed Forces Motor Transportation. This seems a bizarre posting for a highly experienced Panzer commander. According to Wolgang Paul (Brennpunkte), Koll was transffered to the desk job because of the failed Cherkassy relief attack in the early 1944. Someone had to take the blame and apparently this someone was Koll, although he did everything he could, was a 1st class panzer officer and admired by his soldiers and officers, which were dissapointed when he had to leave 1. Panzer-Division, his previous "normal" assignment. His corps commander, General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith, relieved him of command with an unflattering evaluation on February 21, 1944, with Oberbefehlshaber of 1. Panzerarmee, Generaloberst Hans Valentin Hube, concurring.

Source:

Helmut Ritgen photo collection

Book "The 6th Panzer Division: 1937-45" by Oberst a.D. Helmut Ritgen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Koll

Panzerbefehlswagen III 'RO6' of Oberst Richard Koll in a Russian Village

Image size: 1600 x 1068 pixel. 412 KB
Date: Thursday, 2 October 1941
Place: Vyazma, Smolensk Oblast, Soviet Union
Photographer: Helmut Ritgen

Panzerbefehlswagen III 'RO6' of Oberst Richard Koll (Kommandeur of Panzer-Brigade Koll) on 2 October 1941, advancing towards a bridge in a typical of Russian village. Modellers are recommended to study details of buildings and roadbed! During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, Vyazma became a battlefield between the Red Army and the Wehrmacht during the Battle of Moscow. It became the centre of a Red Army pocket after it was encircled by the 3rd and 4th Panzer armies. Vyazma was occupied by the German army between October 7, 1941 and March 12, 1943.

Source:

Helmut Ritgen photo collection

Book "The 6th Panzer Division: 1937-45" by Oberst a.D. Helmut Ritgen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vyazma

PzBefw.III of Oberst Richard Koll at the Battle of Vyazma

Image size: 1600 x 1402 pixel. 362 KB
Date: Thursday, 2 October 1941
Place: Vyazma, Smolensk Oblast, Soviet Union
Photographer: Helmut Ritgen

Photographed by Helmut Ritgen on 2 October 1941, during the breakthrough by Panzer-Brigade Koll north of Vyazma : the brigade commander's Panzerbefehlswagen III, with the white turret code 'RO6', on a typical Russian dirt road or 'rollbahn'. In front of it, a column of Phänomen Granit 25H ambulances; to the right, Soviet prisoners; and in the background, smoke rising from an oil dump bombed by German stukas. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, Vyazma became a battlefield between the Red Army and the Wehrmacht during the Battle of Moscow. It became the centre of a Red Army pocket after it was encircled by the 3rd and 4th Panzer armies. Vyazma was occupied by the German army between October 7, 1941 and March 12, 1943.

Source:

Helmut Ritgen photo collection
Book "The 6th Panzer Division: 1937-45" by Oberst a.D. Helmut Ritgen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vyazma

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N of Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501

Image size: 1600 x 961 pixel. 482 KB
Date: Friday, 1 January 1943
Place: Tunisia
Photographer: Unknown

The commander of a Panzerkampfwagen III ausf N medium tank stands on his turret to locate targets. After Operation Torch landed 225,000 Allied soldiers in North Africa, the Germans and Italians built up their forces. During November 1942 transports brought to the ports of Tunis and Bizerte 176 tanks, 131 artillery pieces, 1,152 vehicles, and 13,000 tons of supplies. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 (Heavy Tank Battalion 501) arrived in Tunisia between November 23, 1942 and early January 1943. To assist their Tiger Is with reconnaissance and anti-infantry duties, the Panzer III ausf Ns (Sturmpanzer IIIs) were sent along. Their 75mm short-barreled guns were excellent infantry support weapons, and their speed and reliability rendered effective assistance to the high-maintenance Tigers. By Christmas Day 1942 twelve Tiger Is and sixteen Panzer IIIs were in Tunisia, and after the occupation of Southern France and the rest of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 arrived, the twenty Tiger Is were slowly whittled down by offensive operations. By March 10, 1943 only six of the heavy tanks and twelve of the mediums were operational. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 and 504 were merged on March 17. On May 12, the remaining units surrendered to the Allies. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 was reformed by elements that were flown out before the collapse and fought on the Eastern Front. Date and location estimated. 

Source:

http://www.tiif.de/print.php?threadid=440

Panzerkampfwagen III in Libya

Image size: 1600 x 1217 pixel. 455 KB
Date: Saturday, 1 March 1941
Place: Libya
Photographer: Unknown

Panzerkampfwagen III ausf H stops to check Allied positions or make a navigation reference. In October of 1940, the Panzer III ausf H entered production, with the battle experience in France and North Africa influencing the design. 308 were produced by MAN, Alkett, Henschel, Wegmann, MNH and MIAG until April of 1941. Ausf H featured a newly designed turret to mount a 50mm gun with a single 30mm armored rear plate. Additional armor plates were added to defeat the Soviet 45mm, American 37mm and British 2-pounder (40mm) anti-tank guns. The Panzer III formed the bulk of German armor during the Western Desert Campaign (June 10, 1940 - July 27, 1942). Most were ausf G, but the ausf H with a more powerful 50mm gun and mechanical reliability was better suited to desert fighting. Date estimated. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii126

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N Unloaded in North Africa

Image size: 1157 x 1600 pixel. 770 KB
Date: Monday, 23 November 1942
Place: Bizerte, Wilāyat Binzart, Tunisia
Photographer: Unknown

Panzerkampfwagen III ausf N medium tanks are unloaded form a transport. After Operation Torch landed 225,000 Allied soldiers in North Africa, the Germans and Italians built up their forces. During November 1942 transports brought to the ports of Tunis and Bizerte 176 tanks, 131 artillery pieces, 1,152 vehicles, and 13,000 tons of supplies. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 (Heavy Tank Battalion 501) arrived in Tunisia between November 23, 1942 and early January 1943. To assist their Tiger Is with reconnaissance and anti-infantry duties, the Panzer III ausf Ns (Sturmpanzer IIIs) were sent along. Their 75mm short-barreled guns were excellent infantry support weapons, and their speed and reliability rendered effective assistance to the high-maintenance Tigers. By Christmas Day 1942 12 Tiger Is and 16 Panzer IIIs were in Tunisia, and after the occupation of Southern France and the rest of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 arrived, the twenty Tiger Is were slowly whittled down by offensive operations. By March 10, 1943 only six of the heavy tanks and twelve of the mediums are operational. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 and 504 were merged on March 17. On May 12, the remaining units surrendered to the Allies. Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 was reformed by elements that were flown out before the collapse and fought on the Eastern Front. Date and location estimated. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii125

Panzerkampfwagen III Crews at Rest and Playing Cards

Image size: 966 x 1600 pixel. 494 KB
Date: Wednesday, 9 April 1941
Place: Greece
Photographer: Unknown

The crews of a group of german panzers benefit from a pause during the advance to resume the never-ending card game, interrupted so many times. They were came from the 12. Armee commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Siegmund Wilhelm List during Operation Marita. Threatened by the possibility of the British entering Romania and cutting off his oil supply, and honoring the pleas for help by Benito Mussolini who had made little progress against the Greeks on the Albanian Front, Germany invaded Greece through Yugoslavia in April 1941. The invasion of Greece was the first operation in which panzer divisions and motorized infantry units were employed in distinctly alpine terrain. Despite the difficulties that were encountered the commitment of armor to spearhead an attack through mountains proved to be sound tactics. The two major successes during the first phase of the campaign—the early seizure of Skoplje by the 9. Panzer-Division (April 7, 1941) and the quick capture of Salonika (April 9) by the 2. Panzer-Division could not have been accomplished without armored divisions. The Greek command was paralyzed by the initial upsets, which were caused in some measure by "tank fright" of the rank and file soldier, as had been the case during the French campaign. The speedy capitulation of the Greek Second Army was the direct result of the sudden appearance of German tanks in the vicinity of Salonika. Unlike a few months later, when Russian prisoners of war died in captivity, the Germans disarmed the Greek soldiers and released the majority. 

Source:
Signal Magazine, June 1941 

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii124

http://ww2colorphotos.webs.com/balkans.htm

1. Panzerarmee Advances on the Caucasus Mountains

Image size: 1600 x 883 pixel. 425 KB
Date: Sunday, 9 August 1942
Place: Kuban, Azerbaijan, Soviet Union
Photographer: Unknown

Panzerkampfwagen III of Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South) advances through the Kuban Steppe on the Caucasus Mountains during Operation Blue (Unternehmen Blau/Fall Blau). The Panzer III is from the 6. Kompanie, 3. Zug and is tank number 3, going by its turret number '633'; there're a couple of symbols on the right rear mudgard- the one on the right might be that of the 1. Panzer-Division. Original caption from Signal magazine: "tank 633 spots a Russian anti-tank emplacement and at once opens fire". Intending to secure the oil fields in Baku in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Reichchancellor Adolf Hitler ordered Heeresgruppe Süd to complete the operation quickly and was frequently frustrated with their progress. Only ten percent of the Red Army was in the south; the limited number of prisoners convinced Hitler that the Soviets were running out of manpower. 1. Panzerarmee under Generalfeldmarschall Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist (August 8, 1881 - November 13, 1954) attacked Rostov, which fell on July 28, 1942. Learning from their mistakes, the Red Army withdrew without losing large formations in encirclements. On August 9, 1. Panzerarmee reached the foothills of the Caucausian mountains, having advanced more than 300 miles. The 6. Armee was stalled in taking the city of Stalingrad, rendering these gains negligible for the Germans. On August 21 a Nazi flag was installed on Mount Elbrus, the highest point of Caucasus. Hitler comments that his Army's ambition should be to defeat the Russians rather than conquer mountains. By September the Sixth Army is engaged in protracted urban street fighting in Stalingrad. 

Source:

Signal Magazine, November 1942
http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/history-research-3-reich-ww2/pic-of-german-tank-21411/

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii122

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.N During a Lull in Combat

Image size: 1600 x 1060 pixel. 688 KB
Date: Wednesday, 1 July 1942
Place: Soviet Union
Photographer: Unknown

Panzerkampfwagen III ausf N during a lull in combat. Note additional track links, bogey wheel, and supply packs strung on the front. The commander's cupola is open and you can see the two pieces of the hatch. The ausf N was also known as Sturmpanzer III (assault tank) because it mounted a 75mm short barrelled gun, the same one fitted into the early Panzer IV tanks. This was intended as an infantry support vehicle, to engage and destroy soldiers before they could attack heavy tanks. They were assigned to Tiger battalions and to assault infantry. It could also be used to reduce static fortifications. The ausf N was built on damaged Panzer III chassis returned for maintenance. Lighter armor than previous versions was fitted to compensate for the additional weight of the heavier gun. According to John Winner, this is a Panzer III of the 1.Kompanie/schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 in Tunisia. Behind it you can see another Pz. III and one of the unit's Tigers.

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii121

Panzerkampfwagen III During the Soviet Winter

Image size: 787 x 1600 pixel. 503 KB
Date: January 1942
Place: Soviet Union
Photographer: Unknown

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.H tanks of 11. Panzer-Division enter a Soviet village. The 11. Panzer-Division fought in Operation Barbarossa from June 22, 1941 to June 1944, then the division was transferred to France. It suffered heavy losses in both the Eastern and Western Fronts and was rebuilt several times with personnel and equipment from other units. 11th Panzer surrendered to the Americans in April 1945. Note the equipment covered by tarps and the extra track on the Panzer III ("21") in the background. Behind the front tank we can see the Ghost emblem of the Division. Crews would live out of their vehicle. The Panzer III in the foreground has a Swastika flag strapped on the turret for identification by German aircraft. Soon fighting would ground to a halt as both the Germans and the Soviets would seek to survive the Russian winters. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii120

Panzerkampfwagen III Negotiating a River Crossing

Image size: 1600 x 1328 pixel. 543 KB
Date: June 1941
Place: River Bug, Patulin, Polesie Voivodeship, Poland
Photographer: Unknown

Panzerbefehlswagen (Command Tank) III Ausf H(U) Tauchfahrig (Submersible Motor Vehicle), also known as Tauchpanzer or U-Panzer (Submersible Diving Tank, Underwater Tank), negotiating a river crossing in central Europe during World War II. This tank has main armament of a 50mm L/42 main gun. The tank belongs to 18. Panzer-Division and the photograph was probably taken during the crossing of the River Bug at Patulin in June 1941. During the preparation for invasion of England, Operation Seelöwe (Sealion), Panzer IIIs and IVs were converted into submersible tanks. All openings were sealed, commander's cupola, gun mantlet and machine gun mount covered with rubber sheeting, turret ring protected by inflatable rubber ring. Exhausts were fitted with valves that let the exhaust leave but kept water out. Air was supplied via a flexible 60-foot (18-meter) hose held on the surface by a buoy. Maximum safe depth was about 50 feet (15 meters), maximum underwater speed about 3 miles per hour (4.8 kilometers per hour). From June to October of 1940, 160 Panzer III Ausf F/G/H and 8 Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf E along with 42 Panzer IV Ausf Ds were converted into Tauchpanzers. Since Operation Sealion was cancelled, Tauchpanzer IIIs and IVs were used during Operation Barbarossa, in service with Panzer-Regiment 6/3.Panzer-Division, and Panzer-Regiment 18/18.Panzer-Division (which crossed river Bug at Patulin). These vehicles used a rigid air supply hose and could ford water up to 13 feet (4 meters). This photo is probably staged, taken before the invasion of Russia.

Source:

Book "A Photo History of Tanks in Two World Wars" by George Forty, page 80

http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/044596

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii119

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf G and Ausf H in Bulgaria

Image size: 1600 x 1115 pixel. 350 KB
Date: Saturday, 5 April 1941
Place: Sofia, Bulgaria
Photographer: Unknown

Panzerkampfwagen III ausf G followed by an ausf H model moves through the city the day before the German invasion of the Balkans. The ausf G version was upgraded in mid-production with a 50mm gun. Earlier versions were retrofitted with the 50mm. The ausf H added better armor to defeat the British 2-pounder (40mm), the American 37mm and the Russian 45mm antitank guns. The pzkpfw III was reliable, relatively fast, and arguably the best tank of the first half of the war. The Invasion of Yugoslavia (code-name Directive 25 or Operation 25), also known as the April War (Croatian: Travanjski rat, Serbian/Bosnian: Aprilski rat, Slovene/Macedonian: Aprilska vojna) or the Balkan campaign (German: Balkanfeldzug), was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The invasion ended with the unconditional surrender of the Royal Yugoslav Army on 17 April 1941, annexation and occupation of the region by the Axis powers and the creation of the Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, or NDH).

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Yugoslavia

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii118

Red Army Soldiers Ride Panzer III

Image size: 1600 x 1032 pixel. 819 KB
Date: September 1941
Place: Bryansk, Bryansk Oblast, Soviet Union
Photographer: Lee

Red Army soldiers ride Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.J in a liberated village. The tank belonged to the 18. Panzer-Division of the Wehrmacht and was captured by Soviet soldiers in Bryansk Front in September 1941. From 1941 to 1943, Russians captured large numbers of PzKpfw III, Sturmgeschutz III (known to them as ArtSturm) and PzKpfw IV. Some were pressed into temporary service, used as Trojan Horses or as bait until they broke down or ran out of ammunition. Most were captured after they were out of fuel and ammunition, so supplies at the front were low. Some were converted to assault guns designated SU-76i and SG-122A (SU(Samokhodnaja Ustanovka, "self-propelled gun"; i for inostranny, "foreign"; and Samochodnaya Gaubitza, "assault gun"). Some 201 SU-76is were produced from March to November of 1943 at Factory #37 in Sverdlovsk. SU-76i had its debut in July of 1943 at Kursk and served in both tank and light mechanized gun regiments of the Red Army. Germans encountered first examples of SU-76i (from 177th Tank Regiment of the 64th Mechanised Brigade) in October of 1943. Some were recaptured by the Germans as Stug 76mm and pressed into service against their former users. The Department of Weaponry of the Red Army, ordered in late 1944: "It is suggested to the Red Army to use such German tanks as StuG III and Pz IV due to their relability and availability of spare parts. The new German Panther and Tiger can be used until they broken down without trying to repair them. They have bad engines, transmission and suspension." 

Source:

http://albumwar2.com/component/content/article/35-gallery/6450-captured-german-tank-pzkpfw-iii-ausfj-in-liberated-russian-village-2

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii117

Panzer-Regiment 201 Receives its First German Tanks

Image size: 1600 x 1984 pixel. 196 KB
Date: Tuesday, 23 December 1941
Place: Paris, France
Photographer: Unknown

Panzer-Regiment 201 receives its first German tanks, a Panzerbefehlswagen III. The panzer with turmnummer (turret number) "R01" is the Regiment commanders tank. Pictured from left to right: Unteroffizier Schuh, Oberfunkmeister Schündel, Unteroffizier Meyer, Oberst Heinz-Joachim Werner-Ehrenfeucht (Regimentskommandeur), and Oberleutnant Hans-Jürgen Burmester (the regiment signals officer and the commander of the headquarters company). Panzer-Regiment 201 formed on 16 December 1940 with two Abteilung (detachment), each with three Beute-Panzerkompanie. The regiment was assigned to Panzer-Brigade 100 on 1 March 1941. II. Abteilung, with 4. and 6.Kompanie, renamed Panzer-Abteilung 211 on 7 March 1941. II. Abteilung reformed from renamed Panzer-Abteilung 301 on 22 March 1941. 7. schwere-Kompanie formed on 1 April 1941 and then transferred to Panzer-Abteilung (F) 102 on 4 June 1941. New 7.Kompanie formed on 1 August 1941. The regiment was assigned to 23. Panzer-Division on 11 December 1941. Converted from French to German tanks on 23 December 1941. III. Abteilung formed on 2 February 1942 and then disbanded on 5 March 1943. II. Abteilung converted to Panthers in April 1943. Regiment was renamed as Panzer-Regiment 23 on 16 August 1943. Hans-Jürgen Burmester (11 June 1916 - 22 September 1998) would be a highly successful panzer ace and commander. He received Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes in 2 September 1944 as Hauptmann and Kommandeur of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 509/17.Armee /Heeresgruppe Nordukraine (the recommendation Submitted on August 21st 1944, preliminary document and decoration on September 7th 1944 to AOK 17). He was captured by American troops in 1945. He joined the Bundeswehr in 1956, retiring in 1974.

Source:
Book "The combat history of the 23rd Panzer Division in World War II " (page 28) by Ernst Rebentisch
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151165295643457&set=o.303273499761263&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf , courtesy of John Winner

Oberstleutnant Erich Freiherr von Seckendorff Observes The Battlefield

Image size: 1344 x 1600 pixel. 451 KB
Date: July 1941
Place: Iamkino Station, near Leningrad, Russia
Photographer: Unknown

Oberstleutnant Erich Freiherr von Seckendorff (21 June 1897 - 23 September 1944), the Commander of  Schützen-Regiment 114/6.Panzer-Division/XXXXI.Armeekorps/4.Panzergruppe/Heeresgruppe Nord, observes the battlefield using scherenfernrohr (scissor-scope) from the top of Panzerkampfwagen III command tank bearing the turret number '1107'. Erich Erwin Heinrich August Veit Freiherr von Seckendorff received Ritterkreuz in 4 September 1940 as an Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur of Kradschützen-Bataillon 6. He was killed in action in Lagarde, France, in 23 September 1944 as Kommandeur of Panzer-Brigade 113, buried in Bad Winsdheim-Obernzenn (Germany), and then posthumously promoted to Generalmajor. His wife is Anna Matilda Keller (married 2 December 1944) and the couple have one son, Meinhard Erich Peter Freiherr von Seckendorff (born 6 July 1944).

Source:
Helmut Ritgen photo collection
Book "The 6th Panzer Division: 1937-45" by Oberst a.D. Helmut Ritgen