Tigers in the Ardennes: The 501st Heavy SS Tank Battalion in the Battle of the Bulge

by Gregory A. Walden

Overview

In this book, U.S. Army officer and military historian Gregory Walden provides the most detailed look at the actions of a single German battalion in the Battle of the Bulge to date. Tigers in the Ardennes is the product of years of research in archives, conversations with German and American veterans, and detailed examination of terrain in the Ardennes battlefields. The author’s experience as a tank unit commander provides unique insight into the tactical difficulties of armor movements through the Ardennes, especially considering the technical aspects of the Tiger II tanks. The book includes over 100 images, many of them photographs of the Tiger II tanks never before published, plus detailed maps showing the routes used by the 501st Heavy SS Tank Battalion during the battle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780764347900
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
Publication date:	12/28/2014
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Greg Walden is a retired U.S. Army officer. He served in Armor branch and spent three tours of duty in Germany during the Cold War. While there he visited the Ardennes area many times to research armor battles.

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

Acknowledgments 10

Introduction 13

Chapter 1 The King Tiger and other Vehicles of s.SS-Pz.Abt.501 14

Chapter 2 The Battalion and its Soldiers on the Eve of the Ardennes Offensive 20

Chapter 3 Watch on the Rhine 27

Chapter 4 "A Wild Hunt" 31

Chapter 5 "I'm Not Tired of Living" 43

Chapter 6 "Our Trump Card had Failed" 51

Chapter 7 What Happened to the Tanks after the Battle? 65

Chapter 8 Tiger Tanks of s.SS-Pz Abt.501 Engaged in the Ardennes Offensive 95

Appendix Comparative Table of Waffen-SS Ranks to U.S. Army Ranks 125

Endnotes 126

Selected Bibliography 132

Index 140