Jagdtiger "102": Demolition Outside Rittershoffen

     By 1900 hours on March 16, 1945, the 3e Division d'Infanterie Algérienne (3rd. Algerian Infantry Division; 3e DIA) had wrested control of the towns of Oberhoffen and Schirrhein from the Germans and solidified their positions. In the vicinity was Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 (Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion 653; s.Pz.Jg.Ab.653) who was preparing to evacuate damaged Jagdtigers by trains out of Soultz with their destination being the repair works in Bellheim. All three of the battalion's companies, 1./653, 2./653, and 3./653, were converging at Soultz with the hopes that the two trains positioned at Soultz could be loaded up and then dispatched under the cover of darkness. As work got underway with loading the Jagdtigers onto the rail cars, it was decided that a kampfgruppe (battle group) remain behind to provide a covering force to ensure the trains departed for Bellheim without incident. Put in charge of the kampfgruppe was Oberleutnant Werner Haberland, the commander of 1./653. The unit was made up of the remaining Jagdtigers from 1./653 and 2./653, seven Jagdtigers in all, plus those of 3./653 which was at its full strength of nine Jagdtigers. The kampfgruppe moved out and took up a position in the forest near Biblisheim and it did not have to wait very long before elements of the U.S. 36th. Infantry Division ran into the Jagdtigers during their push towards Gunstett. Haberland's Jagdtigers were able to punish the advancing U.S. troops enough to stall their advance. During the night, the 257th. Volksgrenadier Division launched an attack against the 3e DIA but failed to beat the Algerian troops. However, the trains departed from Soultz unimpaired and so their job done, Haberland had the kampfgruppe withdraw towards Wissembourg.

     Along the way, Jagdtiger “102” broke down near the town of Rittershoffen. It was decided that “102” could not be repaired nor taken with the kampfgruppe and so demolition charges were set and the Jagdtiger was blown up. The detonation blew a portion of the roof off the vehicle as well as blasted the gun mantlet clean off. The photograph here, though, depicts the remains of “102” after the end of the war. It was in the process of being scrapped in situ and one can see the Maybach HL 230 P30 engine has been completely removed along with the tracks, much of the rear hull and superstructure has been cut away along with a portion of the 128mm PaK 44 L/55 gun. The photograph does show the large breech block to good effect. Of note, some publications caption the post-WW2 photographs of “102” as evidence of the destruction caused by the demolition charges but this would be incorrect.

     As for s.Pz.Jg.Ab.653, by mid-March 1945, the unit's commander, Major Rudolph Grillinberger, issued a report to the Oberkommando des Heeres (Army High Command) which stated he had eighteen operational Jagdtigers with sixteen total needing repair, all of which had been dispatched by rail to Bellheim. Thus, the war was not yet over for s.Pz.Jg.Ab.653.