101. schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung

This unit was formed 22 October 1943 from a Tiger battalion that was intended for the I. SS-Panzer Corps.1 It was initially located at Mailly-le-Camp.2 Later elements from Waffen-SS Tiger companies on the eastern front were included in the battalion. On 16 April the battalion had 19 Tiger I, but 17-20 April another 26 were sent by rail to the battalion. No further tanks were sent to the battalion until 28 July when five Tiger II were sent, followed by another nine Tiger II 31 July - 1 August.3 It seems doubtful that these saw any action with the unit. Probably they were sent to Mailly-le-Camp, where surplus crews from the battalion would arrive, and train with the new vehicles to rejoin the battalion later.4

On 1 June 1944 the battalion had 37 operational Tigers and eight in workshops and it was located near Beauvais.5

The first action for the battalion was the well-known fight around Villers-Bocage. The casualties 13 - 16 June amounted to 16 killed in action and 22 wounded.6 Nine Tigers were lost until 16 June.7

The battalion remained subordinated to I. SS-Panzer Korps the battle in Normandy. Until 5 July 15 Tigers were lost.8

During the end of July and the beginning of August the battalion was included in Kampfgruppe Wünsche. This was an ad hoc formation which also consisted of the 12. SS-Pz.Rgt. (except II. Abteilung), III./26 SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. (the armoured infantry battalion of 12. SS-Pz.Div.) and I./SS-Pz.Rgt. 1.9

The battalion had at least 25 Tigers on 1 August but probably most of them were lost during the Falaise battle and the subsequent retreats.

Tank strength:

Date

Number of operational tanks

Tanks in Short-Term Repair

Tanks in Long-Term Repair

1 June10

37

8

0

16 June 11

15

15

6

1 July 12

11

19

?

4 July 13

0

25

?

6 July 14

0

25

5

7 July 15

5

?

?

8 July 16

20

?

?

9 July 17

18

9

?

10 July 18

15

13

?

11 July 19

13

15

?

15 July 20

17

8

?

16 July 21

16

?

?

17 July 22

1

6

?

21 July 23

6

?

?

22 July 24

7

18

?

24 July 25

13

11

?

25 July 26

13

?

?

27 July 27

13

11

?

28 July 28

20

4

?

29 July 29

21

4

?

30 July 30

20

?

?

31 July31

19

?

?

1 August 32

20

5

?

2 August33

19

?

?

3 August34

20

?

?

4 August 35

20

?

?

9 August 36

8

?

?


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 Notes:

1

Georg. Tessin, Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS (Mittler u. Sohn, Frankfurt am Main (vol 1-5), Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück (vol 6-14) 1966-75), entry for units with number 101).

2

Ibid.

3

See Vertailung der Panzer Fahrzeuge, Band ab Mai 1943, BA-MA RH 10/349.

4

If this assumption is true it would be a procedure analogous to 503. s.Pz.Abt.

5

I. SS-Pz.Korps monthly reports to the Inspector-General of Panzer Troops, BA-MA RH 10/309.

6

H. Meyer, Kriegsgeschichte der 12. SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend", vol I (Munin Verlag, Osnabrück 1982) p 132.

7

H.Gr. B Ia Nr. 3725/44 g.K. 17.6.44, BA-MA RH 19 IX/2.

8

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr.268/44 geh. v. 9.7, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 8.7, BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

9

H. Meyer, Kriegsgeschichte der 12. SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend", vol I (Munin Verlag, Osnabrück 1982) p. 287.

10

I. SS-Pz.Korps monthly reports to the Inspector-General of Panzer Troops, BA-MA RH 10/309.

11

H.Gr. B Ia Nr. 3725/44 g.K. 17.6.44, BA-MA RH 19 IX/2.

12

I. SS-Pz.Korps monthly reports to the Inspector-General of Panzer Troops, BA-MA RH 10/309.

13

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 197/44 geh. von 7.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung, BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

14

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 217/44 geh. von 7.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 6.7., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

15

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 258/44 geh. von 8.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 7.7., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

16

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr.268/44 geh. v. 9.7, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 8.7, BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

17

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 306/44 geh. von 10.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 9.7., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

18

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 287/44 geh. von 11.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 10.7., T313, R420, F8713880.

19

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 361/44 geh. von 12.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 11.7., T313, R420, F8713889.

20

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 388/44 g.Kdos 16.7.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 15.7, T313, R420, F8713921.

21

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 424/44 geh. von 17.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 16.7., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

22

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 479/44 geheim von 18.7.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 17.7.44, BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

23

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 517/44 geh. von 21.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 21.7., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

24

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 535/44 geh. von 23.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 22.7., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

25

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 557/44 geh. von 25.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 24.7., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

26

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 572/44 geh. von 26.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 25.7., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

27

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 605/44 geh. von 27.7.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 28.7., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

28

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 633/44 g.Kdos, 29.7.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 28.7, T313, R420, F8714036.

29

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 647/44 g.Kdos, 30.7.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 29.7, T313, R420, F8714042.

30

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 665/44 g.Kdos, 31.7.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 30.7, T313, R420, F8714049.

31

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 678/44 geh. von 1.8.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 31.7., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

32

I. SS-Pz.Korps monthly reports to the Inspector-General of Panzer Troops, BA-MA RH 10/309.

33

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 725/44 g.Kdos. 3.8.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 2.8, T313, R420, F8714075.

34

Pz.Gr. West Ia, Nr. 734/44 geh. von 4.8.1944., Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 3.8., BA-MA RH 21-5/50.

35

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 758/44 g.Kdos. 5.8.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 4.8, T313, R420, F8714097.

36

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 853/44 g.Kdos, 10.8.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 9.8, T313, R420, F87141177. Note that the battalion was subordinated to 12. SS-Pz.Div. and the strength is found among the figures for that division.