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Michael Wittmann - Battle of Kursk by Jason Askew. (P)
Michael Wittman at the battle of Kursk. On the first day of the attack, X-Day, 5th July 1943, eleven Tigers under SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Kling move northwards to the town of Bykovka, under instructions to break through the Soviet defences located to the south and south-east of the town. The enemy forces, which included T34s, were well placed in ambush positions to thwart the German move. Wittmann's Tiger quickly took out two of the T34s and the remaining enemy vehicles quickly retreated. It was to be a dramatic day for Wittmann and his crew - during the many sorties that were undertaken, loader Walter Koch was hit in the head with splinters and the Tiger drove over a mine, damaging one of the tracks. The injured Koch was replaced by SS-Panzerschutze Max Gaube, and the Tiger was quickly towed to safety. In spite of the small misfortunes that came its way, Wittmann's Tiger had destroyed large amounts of soviet vehicles and armour, including 8 Russian tanks.
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Tiger on the Russian Front by Jason Askew. (P)
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Race to Frankowka, Ukraine, 10th February 1944 by David Pentland.
Panthers of 2nd Battalion 23rd Panzer Regiment, Heavy Tank Regiment Bake led by captured T34s race to capture a vital bridge at Frankowka across the Gniloi Tilitsch. The daring coup de main was successful bringing the relief column one step closer to the besieged pocket at Tscherkassy.
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Holding the Line by Richard Taylor.
Skillfully led by their mercurial commander, SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann, the Tiger Tanks of s.SS-Pz. Abt. 101 blaze through a shattered French village in the days following D-Day, June, 1944. Their destination - Normandy!
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Konigstiger Ausf B by Randall Wilson.
With assault troops on board, a king tiger from Schwere Panzer Abteilung 511 leads a Jagdpanther down a morning misty road May 1945.
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Panther on the Russian Front by Jason Askew. (P)
A German Panther tank is assisted in combat by infantry on the Russian Front in 1943.
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The Road to Tscherkassy, Medwin, Ukraine, 3rd-9th February 1943 by David Pentland.
Mountain troops riding on Panther tanks of 2nd Battalion 23rd Panzer Regiment, Heavy Tank Regiment Bake in a successful attempt to outflank major soviet forces blocking the route to Tscherkassy. While the Tiger battalion launched a frontal attack on the enemy positions, the Panthers were able to attack from the rear, totally surprising the defenders.
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Panzergrenadiers by Jason Askew. (P)
Elite German Panzergrenadiers accompany a Tiger tank on the Russian Front in 1943.
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Rommel in Normandy, France, 2nd July 1944 by David Pentland.
Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, commander of Army Group B, consults with his former subordinate from North Africa, now divisional commander of the elite Panzer Lehr, General Fritz Bayerlein and the Colonel Rudolf Gerhardt of Panzer Regiment Lehr, over the imminent transfer of the division to confront the Americans at St. Lo.
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Tank vs Tank Combat on the Russian Front by Jason Askew. (P)
A German Panther tank in combat with a Russian T-34 tank.
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Taming the Tiger by Geoff Lea.
It is August 1944, barely two months since the Allies landed their first troops on the beaches of Normandy. After the failed Operation Luttich (codename given to a German counterattack during the Battle of Normandy, which took place around the American positions near Mortain from 7 August to 13 August, 1944 ) The German Panzer Divisions were in full retreat, The British and American Generals believed it to be critical to halt them before they cauld regroup. Caught in the Gap at Falaise, the battle was to be decisive. Flying throughout a continuous onslaught, rocket-firing Typhoons kept up their attacks on the trapped armoured divisions from dawn to dusk. The effect was devastating: at the end of the ten day battle the 100,000 strong German force was decimated. The battle of the Falaise Pocket marked the closing phase of the Battle of Normandy with a decisive German defeat. It is believed that between 80,000 to 100,000 German troops were caught in the encirclement of which 10,000 to 15,000 were killed, 45,000 to 50,000 taken prisoner, and around 20,000 escaped . Shown here are German Tiger I tanks under continues attack by Royal Aoir Force Typhoons.
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Operation Zitadelle by David Pentland.
Panzer v Ausf. D Panthers of SS Panther Division Das Reich make their debut during the initial stages of the German summer offensive for Kursk. This unit with others of the SS Panzer Korps made the deepest advances into the well-prepared Soviet lines. Complete success however, was to elude them when outrunning their supporting divisions at Prokhorovka they were forced to halt for six days.
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Barvenkovo by David Pentland.
Gerhard Fischer. Russia, 25th February 1943. Marder II, PzJager Battalion 5,SS Panzer Grenadier Division Wiking.
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Defence of the Reichstag, Berlin, 1st May 1945 by David Pentland.
On the 30th April, Untersharfuhrer Georg Diers and his crew of tank 314, were ordered to take up a defensive position at the Reichstag buildings. This was one of only two remaining King Tigers belonging to Heavy SS Tank Battalion 503 in Berlin. By that evening they had knocked out about 30 T34s, and the following day led a successful counterattack against the Kroll Opera House directly opposite the Reichstag. Their efforts though, merely postponed the inevitable and by the end of the day the order was given to abandon the position and prepare to break out of Berlin.
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The Balabonowka Pocket, Ukraine, 25th-30th January 1944 by David Pentland.
Mountain troops and Panther tanks of Heavy Tank Regiment Bake, push towards Oratrow to complete the encirclement of several Red Army Corps.
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Kerscher's Defence of Neuhauser Forest by David Pentland.
Oberfeldwebel Albert Kerscher, commander of 2nd company 511 Heavy Tank Battalion aided by a Panzer IV, two Hetzers, a Kingtiger and a Pak gun, successfully defended against concerted Soviet air and armoured attacks, his action buying valuable time for the evacuation of German wounded from Pilau and scoring his 100th victory in the process.
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Kampfgruppe Peiper by David Pentland.
Oberssturmbannfuhrer Jochim Peiper, commander of the armoured spearhead of 1st SS Panzer Division, in conference with some of the officers of other units under his command. Aside from men and tanks of his own division, these included King Tigers of the 501st heavy tank battalion and paratroops of 1st battalion, 9th Fallschirmjäger regiment.
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Tiger Legend - Ernst Barkmann by Jason Askew. (P)
Two portraits of legendary Tiger tank commander Ernst Barkmann, alongside an example of the much feared Tiger tank.
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Panther in the Ardennes by Jason Askew. (P)
A Panther tank is supported by elite Panzergrenadiers in the Ardennes in 1944.
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Jagdverbande Mitte, Pomerania, Germany, March 1945 by David Pentland.
In early 1945 Obersturmfuhrer Walter Girg was given command of a small unit of SS commandos whose task was to operate Russian tanks behind enemy lines. One such mission took him to the area of the enemy-encircled Kolberg garrison. The German forces there however believed Girg and his men to be Seydlitz agents (German soldiers working for the Soviet forces) and they were taken to be shot. Luckily the mistake was discovered a short time later and Girg remained in Kolberg until 18 March 1945 when the garrison was evacuated by sea.
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Afrika Korps by Jason Askew. (P)
A Sd.Kfz.222 and a Panzer IV tank during the combat in North Africa.
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Military Art and Artists 
Fischer, Gerhard
