The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II

German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 was equipped with the heaviest tank destroying vehicles of the German armed forces. Initially activated as an assault gun battalion and redesignated in April 1943, the 653 received its first Ferdinand heavy tank destroyers (later modified and renamed Elephants) in May 1943 and went into action on the Eastern Front a month later. In 1944, the unit converted to the even more massive Jagdtiger. The seventy-five-ton, heavily armored Jagdtiger was the behemoth of the battlefield and boasted a 128mm gun-as opposed to the Ferdinand's 88-with a range of more than thirteen miles, making it deadly despite its limited mobility. Outfitted with these lethal giants, the 653 saw service in Russia, Italy, Austria, and Germany.

The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II includes hundreds of photos, many never published before, of Germany's rarely seen tank destroyers, including the Ferdinand, Elephant, and Jagdtiger. Color illustrations focus on unit markings, numbering, and camouflage, and the accompanying text chronicles the unit's combat operations as well as personal accounts from the men who rode in these mechanical monsters.

"1139927498"
The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II

German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 was equipped with the heaviest tank destroying vehicles of the German armed forces. Initially activated as an assault gun battalion and redesignated in April 1943, the 653 received its first Ferdinand heavy tank destroyers (later modified and renamed Elephants) in May 1943 and went into action on the Eastern Front a month later. In 1944, the unit converted to the even more massive Jagdtiger. The seventy-five-ton, heavily armored Jagdtiger was the behemoth of the battlefield and boasted a 128mm gun-as opposed to the Ferdinand's 88-with a range of more than thirteen miles, making it deadly despite its limited mobility. Outfitted with these lethal giants, the 653 saw service in Russia, Italy, Austria, and Germany.

The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II includes hundreds of photos, many never published before, of Germany's rarely seen tank destroyers, including the Ferdinand, Elephant, and Jagdtiger. Color illustrations focus on unit markings, numbering, and camouflage, and the accompanying text chronicles the unit's combat operations as well as personal accounts from the men who rode in these mechanical monsters.

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The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II

The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II

by Karlheinz Münch
The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II

The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II

by Karlheinz Münch

eBook2022 Edition (2022 Edition)

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Overview

German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 was equipped with the heaviest tank destroying vehicles of the German armed forces. Initially activated as an assault gun battalion and redesignated in April 1943, the 653 received its first Ferdinand heavy tank destroyers (later modified and renamed Elephants) in May 1943 and went into action on the Eastern Front a month later. In 1944, the unit converted to the even more massive Jagdtiger. The seventy-five-ton, heavily armored Jagdtiger was the behemoth of the battlefield and boasted a 128mm gun-as opposed to the Ferdinand's 88-with a range of more than thirteen miles, making it deadly despite its limited mobility. Outfitted with these lethal giants, the 653 saw service in Russia, Italy, Austria, and Germany.

The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II includes hundreds of photos, many never published before, of Germany's rarely seen tank destroyers, including the Ferdinand, Elephant, and Jagdtiger. Color illustrations focus on unit markings, numbering, and camouflage, and the accompanying text chronicles the unit's combat operations as well as personal accounts from the men who rode in these mechanical monsters.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780811769259
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date: 03/15/2022
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 384
File size: 53 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Karlheinz Munch, a veteran of the modern German Army, also wrote a history of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 654.

Table of Contents

Preface vi

Author's Acknowledgements viii

Publishers' Acknowledgements xv

Editor's Note xvi

Translator's Note xvii

Establishment and Operational Deployment of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 197 (November 1940 to January 1943) 1

Formation and Employment of schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 (April 1943 to December 1943) 4

Overhaul of the Ferdinande at St. Valentin, Austria (January to March 1944) 171

Operations in Italy by the 1./schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 (February to August 1944) 175

Operations in the Soviet Union, 2. and 3./schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 (April to October 1944) 211

Movements and Combat Operations of the 2./schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 and schwere Panzerjäger-Kompanie 614 (September 1944 to May 1945) 221

Training, Reorganization and Operations of schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 with the Jagdtiger Tank Destroyer, 1944-1945 271

Appendix 361

Bibliography 363

About the Author and Artist 366

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