hello all, for the panzer aces gb im building knispels tiger 1, would it have been early mid or late, and one last thing, what would the paint scheme be?
-Jadg
Your question is a little ambiguous. Knispel was around Tigers as early as Jan '43. What time in the unit history are you referring to? Here is some info:
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Post subject: Kurt Knispel was born in 1922 in the former Sudetenland. He had a carefree childhood and grew up to be a broad shouldered lad of medium heigh, whose dark hair was always a little too long, something he would be chided for later in life.
After completing his apprenticeship in an automobile factory in 1940 Knispel applied to join the armored forces. Predestined by build and training, he was accepted immediately.
For his basic training Knispel went to the Panzer Replacement Training Battalion at Sagan in Lower Silesia. There, like all other budding soldiers, he had to learn to march and salute, then progressed to basic weapons training. This included learning to handle the Kar 98k rifle and P 38 pistol, how to throw hand grenades and how to operate the MG 34, later followed training on the Pz I, II & IV.
On 1 October 1940 he was transferred to the 3rd Company of the 29th Panzer Regiment, 12th Panzer Div. Knispel completed his training as a loader and gunner in a Pz IV, training lasted until 11 June 1941 and consisted of courses at Sagan and Putlos.
Knispel was gunner in Pz IV under Lt. Hellman at the time of Barbarossa, where he participated in the initial assault as part of Panzergruppe 3, LVII Army Corps (later LVII Panzer Corps) commanded by General Adolf Kuntzen. Knispel saw action from Yarzevo to the gates of Stalingrad, in the North around the Leningrad-Tikhvin area and also in the Caucasus under Mackensen.
Knispel returned to Putlos at the end of January 1943 and became familiar with the new Tiger tanks, at this time, Knispel was credited with 12 kills.
From Putlos, a group of men was sent to 500th Panzer Battalion at Paderborn. This group was led by Oberfeldwebel Fedensack and included Kurt Knispel, it was to become the 1st Company of the elite 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion, and fought at Kursk as flank cover to 7th PzDiv (Armee Abteilung Kempf). Knispel saw further action during the relief attack on the Cherkassy Pocket (a.k.a. Khorsun Pocket), Vinnitsa, Jampol, Kamenets-Podolsk. The Company re-equipped with Tiger IIs and fought around Caen and the retreat from Normandy. From there back to the Russian front and action around Mezőt¨²r, Törökszentmikl¨®s, Cegl¨¦d, Kecskem¨¦t, the Gran bridgehead, Gyula, Neutra, Bab Castle(In one action, Knispel reports 24 enemy hits on his Tiger II), Laa and finally Wostitz, where he was killed in action.
With 168 (all confirmed, possibly as high as 195) kills, Kurt Knispel was by far the most successful tank soldier of the Second World War. He was an exception in the German armored forces. He fought in virtually every type of tank as loader, gunner and commander. He was awarded the Iron Cross, First Class after destroying his fiftieth enemy tank and the Tank Assault Badge in Gold after far more than 100 tank battles. When Knispel had destroyed 126 enemy tanks (with another 20 unconfirmed kills) he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. He became the only non-commissioned officer of the German tank arm to be named in the Wehrmacht communique. As commander of a Tiger and then a King Tiger Knispel destroyed another 42 enemy tanks. This raised his total to 168 enemy tanks destroyed, making him by far the world’s top “tank killer”. Although it was richly deserved, he was never awarded the Knight’s Cross although he was recommended four times. |
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Pz Abt 503 was a very active unit, and I’m sure that this Panzer ace commanded more than one Tiger in his career. If you have a more specific question it might help us help you. A particular reference pic or some other clue as to what engagement/time period you wish to model would also be helpful.
Steve
Now if you have any refs of knispels tiger 1 that would be very helpful.
Hmmm… Ok I’ll try again without so much “info”. The 503rd received Six Tiger 1’s in Feb '44 for training purposes,but they were soon issued to 9./SS Panzer.
In May of '44, six more Tiger 1’s were delivered. Only two tanks per company for training purposes.
By August of '44…four more plus the other six are handed over to Pz Abtlng. Funklenk (301).
By September, the 503rd was training for the Tiger II.
So, what I am trying to say is that Knispel didn’t see any combat in a Tiger 1 while he was with the 503rd. Even though, he may have seen Tiger 1 action during Kursk as part of the “special detachment” (from Paderborn Pz Abtlng. 500) -this is not well documented as to what role he played in the Kursk battle concerning Tiger Tanks.That is why I can’t answer your question. Most of Knispels victories were amassed as a gunner/commander in the East on PzIV’s. There is some documentation that he commanded a 503rd Tiger II. There are at least 42 kills attributed to him in a Tiger II. Are you sure that this isn’t what you are after?
Steve
Thank you for your help crocket.
Not exactly what you’re looking for jagdpanther but, here’s a pic of Kurt Knispell in the turret of his TigerII while on parade at Sennelager in 1944.
Interesting info…what unit was he with while in Mk IV’s?
From the onset of Barbarossa…12th Panzer division ( 1st Battalion 29th Regiment, gunner…PzIV). Return to Germany in May '42. On to the Caucasus in August, now folded into the 13th Pz division, whose III Battalion was the former 1/29th. Now equipped with the long 75mm Pz IV’s. Fought in the Rostov battles, and returned to Germany in November '42. Assigned to Panzer Gunnery school @ Putloz on 10 January '43 to begin training in the new Tiger 1. Still an Unteroffizier and a tank gunner.
The Paderborn Pz Abtlng 500 (which eventually became 1st company 503rd). Knipsel was a Tiger gunner with this company and folded into 7th Panzer for operation Citadel. His TC was feldwebel Rippl. In 12 days of Citadel Rippl and Knipsel had destroyed 27 enemy tanks. Knipsel was now a “name” in the 3rd Panzer Battalion, 7th Panzer Division. Reformed, the 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion retreated through Kiev and was not relieved until Spring of '44, whereby, still as a tank gunner, Knispel received the German Cross in Gold, amassing 102 confirmed kills.
May '44…back to Germany (Ohrdurf) to receive the Tiger II’s. On July 11th, Knipsel went into action as gunner on Platoon Commander fedensack’s tank.He destroyed two British tanks on this day in the Tiger II. By 14 August the Battalion was being decimated by Typhoon fighter bombers. Knipsel finally took command of the last operational Tiger and helped clear the way for the Battalion retreat, by now amassing over 126 confirmed kills…still no Knights Cross.
In October 44…back to the East in Tiger II’s, by December, the battalion was now incorporated into Feldherrnhalle Panzer Corps.Knipsel commanded one of the last five Tigers in operation by April '45. On 29 April '45, he destroyed his last (168th) enemy tank. The following day he was overwhelmed by Soviet Armor and killed in Action.
Steve
Cool info…refs on panzer aces in tanks other than Tigers and Panthers are hard to come by…any idea what tactical numbers Kurt’s Tiger IIs were while with the 503rd?
Best guess is since Knipsel was the best gunner in the Battalion, and as mentioned ,started on the platoon commanders tank - 100 - maybe?
After the unit became decimated ??? lost to history.
I visited www.panzer-archiv.de , they have a separate forum for sPzAbt. 503 and a separate thread dedicated to Fw. Kurt Knispel.
Unfortunately there is not much firm info in there. A lot of nagin going on though…
After scrolling through the text it seems that the koncensus is that Fw. Knispel was deadly wounded in Fw. Skodas Tiger II after that Skoda was killed in action.
The last known turret number that Skoda had (March 45) was 332.
Basically the turret numbers where no longer significant to a commander at this stage.
It seems that only the unit commander, Hptm. Scherf, took his turret number 300 with him when the tank was swopped for repair, when it comes to the other commanders they just drove away in what happend to be available at the repair unit.
If the wagon was imobilized in the filed the high ranking commanders would just take command over an other vehicle and kick out the loader. The previoues commander was made gunner and the gunner loader.
The driver and Radio operator usually stayed with the vehicle (Fahrgestell).
Best Regards
Svenne