Bundeswehr Soldaten: 3. Panzerdivision

     Female soldiers belonging to the 3. Panzerdivision (3. PzDiv) march on parade. The Bundeswehr unit was formed on July 2, 1956 in Hamburg, Germany and was one of the largest formations to have been stood up post-World War Two. The main area of operations for the 3. PzDiv was the Norddeutsches Tiefland (North German Plain) which consisted of a region bounded by the North Sea coast and the Baltic Sea coast. The Norddeutsches Tiefland was considered one of the two major invasion routes (the other being the Fulda-Lücke or Fulda Gap) that Soviet and Warsaw Pact countries would take into Germany as the topography favored the use of armored and mechanized forces. The region was also militarily protected by several NATO nations, to include U.S., Dutch, Belgian, and British forces. The headquarters of the unit, Stab./3. PzDiv, was based at Estetal Kaserne located in Buxtehude, Germany.

     The unit is identified by the sleeve patch that consisted of two crossed horse heads on a red background. Interestingly, the insignia was similar to that used by the 216. Infanterie-Division in World War Two. The division was made up of Panzergrenadierbrigade 7 (headquartered in Hamburg), Panzerbrigade 8 (based in Lüneburg), Panzerlehrbrigade 9 (based in Munster), Artillerieregiment 3 (headquartered in Stade), and sixteen other units housed throughout the region. The women are wearing the beret badge for panzergrenadiertruppen which is a stylized Marder IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) above crossed rifles over the West German flag, all encompassed by a wreath. The green beret was worn by the combat arms of the Bundeswehr (infantry, jägertruppe, panzergrenadiers, armor, etc.). Thus, the women could have belonged to Panzergrenadierbataillon 71, 72, or 73 under Panzergrenadierbrigade 7 or Panzergrenadierbataillon 82 which was under Panzerbrigade 8.

     The typical Panzergrenadierbataillon of the late 1980s was equipped with 24 to 35 Marder (“Marten”; a type of mustelid animal) IFVs, six Panzermörser M113s (M113s converted to carry a 120mm mortar), and 12 to 23 M113 APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers). Panzergrenadierbataillon 71, a reserve unit, was reinforced with thirteen Leopard 1A5 MBTs (Main Battle Tank).

     The weapon the panzergrenadiers are carrying is the Heckler & Koch G36 which was adopted by the Bundeswehr in 1996. Development of the G36 began in 1995 in a hasty attempt to field a 5.56x54mm battle rifle after the cancellation of the radical 4.7x33mm caseless G11 rifle. The G36 is a gas operated, rotating bolt weapon which was a departure by H&K in not using their battle tested roller-lock, delayed blowback system. This was done to reduce the per unit cost of the G36 as well as simplify the operation. The weapon is fed from 30-round translucent plastic magazines which permit the firer to quickly assess remaining ammunition in the weapon. A tubular folding stock was fitted and the G36 has a integral ZF 3×4° telescopic sight graduated out to 800 meters. There is also a reflex sight on top of the telescopic sight but is only calibrated out to 100 meters. A notch sight is provided in case of sight failure and this is incorporated into the sighting bridge which doubles as a carry handle. Unloaded, the G36 weighs 7.6 pounds and this weight savings comes from the use of carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide, steel, and Nylon 66 (which is lightweight but has high mechanical strength, stability, and rigidity). Rate of fire is 750 rounds per minute with an effective range of 800 meters though the 2,788 foot per second muzzle velocity gives the round a maximum range of 2, 860 meters. The firer has two settings (aside from Sicher, or Safe) and that is Einzelfeuer (semi-automatic) and Feuerstoß (full automatic fire).

     Elements of the 3. PzDiv were deployed in 1962, 1976, and 1979 to assist local civil authorities during flooding in the region and in the case of 1979, emergency conditions created by heavy snowfalls. Some elements were also mobilized and sent to Somalia in 1993 as part of the second phase of the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). Called UNOSOM II, the major incident was the Battle of Mogadishu...best known in the U.S. as the “Black Hawk Down” incident. On September 30, 1994, the 3. PzDiv was disbanded, its last commander being Generalmajor Gerd Schultze-Rhonhof. Following the disbandment, Panzerlehrbrigade 9 was incorporated into the 1. Panzerdivision.

The Erma Maschinenpistole: Soldiering into World War Two

     A Waffen-SS officer, cigarette in his mouth, smiles for the camera from his dugout. Where he is isn't known but given the extent of both the foxhole he is reclining in and the prone fighting position dug near it, it may be a defensive line location in which he and his men had the time to make more substantial fighting positions. The sticks driven into the ground near his head were likely for securing his camouflage zeltbahn (shelter quarter) to as a means to provide a more complete covering for his position since it appears that he has simply flipped half of it back. That he is an officer can be determined by the round belt buckle (Koppelschloss) that holds the black leather belt (koppel) around his waist as well as the white braid on the feldmütze (field cap) on his head.

     The photograph is of interest because of the weapon sitting next to his stahlhelm (steel helmet), the latter fitted with a camouflage cover. The weapon is a EMP, which stood for Erma Maschinenpistole, and this was a pre-World War Two weapon built by the Erma-Werke. The EMP, which was sometimes also called the MPE (Maschinenpistole Erma), was derived from the VMP1930 that was designed by Heinrich Vollmer. Vollmer had originally sold small numbers of the VMP1930 to Bulgaria under his own company, Vollmer Werk. However, financial difficulties forced Vollmer to liquidate and Erma-Werke bought all of his intellectual properties, including the VMP1930. Vollmer himself became the chief weapon designer for Erma-Werke.

     The VMP1930 was modified by adding a cooling jacket around the barrel and the name was changed to the EMP. Erma-Werke started to produce the weapon in 1932 and offered customization to customer specifications. Despite this, there were generally three common models. The first had a 11.8” barrel, a tangent rear sight, and a bayonet lug. The second had a shorter, 9.8” barrel, no bayonet lug, and either a tangent or flip-L rear sight. The third make did away with the characteristic front grip and instead, used a grooved stock. Customers, in addition to Bulgaria, included Mexico, Spain, and Yugoslavia. It was not until 1933 that the German Heer (Army) submitted a purchase order for the EMP. In addition to the Heer, the EMP was also obtained and issued to the SS as well as German Polizei (Police) forces. In all, some 10,000 EMP weapons were built when production ceased in 1938 to make way for producing the Maschinenpistole 38 (MP 38). By 1942, the EMP had disappeared from the ranks of the Heer, replaced by the MP 38 and its successor, the MP 40. However, the SS, Waffen-SS, and Polizei continued to use the EMP throughout the war. Interestingly, some 3,250 former Spanish EMP weapons ended up in French hands after being confiscated from Spanish Republican fighters who fled from Spain following the Republican defeat in the Spanish Civil War. Unfortunately, there were only 1,540 usable magazines and so between 700 to 800 EMP weapons were actually able to be issued and the majority of these were provided to the 638 Infanterie-Regiment, better known as the Légion des Volontaires Français Contre le Bolchévisme (LVF), a combat unit made up of French volunteers that fought for Germany on the Eastern Front. After the LVF was disbanded in September 1944, some of the former LVF members transferred into the Waffen-Grenadier-Brigade der SS Charlemange (Franzönische Nr. 1) and took their EMP weapons with them.

     The EMP had a overall length of 35.5”, had a weight of a little over 9 pounds, and used a blowback action. Weapons used by Germany were chambered for 9mm Parabellum. Internally, the weapon used a telescoping mainspring casing designed by Vollmer. This same casing would be used in the MP 38. A simple tubular receiver carried the bolt and casing. The weapon used a side-mounted feed which accepted 25- or 32-round detachable box magazines. The magazine well had a slight forward angle to improve ammunition feed. To set the EMP on safe, the bolt handle was pulled back and secured into a slot on the receiver. In the photograph, the officer has his EMP on safe based on the position of the bolt handle. Muzzle velocity was 1,250 feet per second with a cyclic rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute. The effective range was 150 meters with a maximum range of 250 meters. Without being able to see the rest of the officer's EMP, it is difficult to say for sure what model it is but chances are good it is the second model.

SS-Hauptsturmführer Friedrich Hannes: 12. Kompanie, III. Bataillon, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 9 "Germania"

     Somewhere on the Eastern Front, SS-Hauptsturmführer Friedrich Hannes checks to see how well a M24 Stielhandgranate (stick hand grenade) fits into the muzzle of the 76.2mm ZiS-3 gun utilized on the Soviet SU-76 (Samokhodnaya Ustanovka-76) assault gun. Hannes, whose rank was equivalent to a Captain in the U.S. Army, was the commander of 12. Kompanie, III. Bataillon, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 9 "Germania", of the 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking”. Born on August 27, 1913, Hannes would eventually join the Waffen-SS and his membership number was 297 080. His promotion to SS-Hauptsturmführer occurred on June 21, 1944 and he would later be awarded the Deutsches Kreuz im Gold (German Cross in Gold) for his acts of bravery and combat prowess while company commander on October 9, 1944.

     The technique of using a stick grenade and shoving it down the gun barrel of an enemy tank or tank destroyer was taught to infantrymen as a means to attack enemy armor. The intent was to detonate the grenade inside the gun tube and hope the explosion caused enough damage to render the gun inoperable. A skilled “panzerknacker” (“Tank Breaker”) used the M24 stick grenade in other ways to achieve kills against enemy armor. One such way consisted of removing the wooden shaft from six grenades and using wire to secure the warheads around a seventh grenade, creating what was called a Geballte Ladung or bundled charge. The explosive power of seven grenades was able to render tanks immobile by blowing off tracks, damaging running gear, or causing engine damage if placed on the thinly armored rear deck of tanks. Even a single M24 stick grenade had the possibility of inflicting engine damage with a good placement. Another method of using the M24 consisted of lashing one grenade to a einheitskanister (a 20 liter metal fuel can...better known as a “Jerry Can”) which was ¾ full of fuel and throwing the can up onto the engine deck of an enemy tank. The resulting explosion was enough to cripple a tank. It was standard procedure for truck drivers to maintain one of these improvised anti-tank devices on their vehicles in case enemy armor broke through into rear echelon areas. The Eierhandgranate 39 (Egg Grenade Model 1939) could also be utilized to create a Geballte Ladung as well as be thrown down a gun barrel. Since it was egg shaped and depending on the elevation of the enemy tank's gun, it had the potential to roll down and detonate near the breech and if the “panzerknacker” was lucky, a round was already loaded or the grenade rolled out into the fighting compartment when the breech was opened, exploding inside the tank.

     Of course, to utilize any of the methods above required the infantryman to be very close to the target, even next to it. In an urban combat zone, tank hunters have more cover and opportunity to get close enough to utilize grenades. While still risky, more so if infantry were supporting the tanks, the odds were a bit more in favor of the tank hunter. In more open terrain, without some form of cover, attacking a tank at such close range was not likely to succeed. However, there was a variant of the M24 stick grenade, the Nebelhandgranate 39 (Nb.Hgr.39), or Smoke Hand Grenade Model 1939, and “panzerknackers” found a way to use them effectively to help them assault a tank. A six foot length of rope or cord connected two smoke grenades together. In one hand, one grenade was held facing upwards and the other facing downwards. Upon throwing, centrifugal force pulled the grenades apart, extending the rope. The target was the gun barrel of the enemy tank. The rope would catch on the barrel and wrap around it and by this time, the smoke commenced to issuing from the grenades and obscured the vision of the tank's driver and the hull machine-gunner (if the tank had one) as well as made it difficult for the commander in the turret to utilize his vision blocks to see what was happening. This allowed the “panzerknacker” to have a better chance to get up to the tank and effect an attack using explosive hand grenades or other close combat methods.

Bataillonsführer Ernst Tiburzy: Volkssturm-Bataillon 25/82

     On December 26, 1911, in Drosdowen, East Prussia, Ernst Tiburzy was born. Very little is known of Tiburzy's early life and in fact, even much of his early military career also remains unknown. Tiburzy, who survived World War Two, did not speak much of his service and on the extremely rare occasions he attended German veteran reunions, when asked why he went to so few, he said they were reminders of days best left forgotten. What can be pieced together is that Tiburzy was originally a member of the Sturmabteilung (SA; Storm Detachment) which was the paramilitary wing of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP; National Socialist German Workers' Party). The SA played a major role in the rise to power of the NSDAP, often using intimidation tactics and outright brute force against opposing political rivals. During the Nacht der Langen Messer (Night of the Long Knives) in 1934, the SA was turned upon by the NSDAP and SA men and leadership were executed between June 30 and July 2 which was spun by the NSDAP as preventing a coup. In reality, it was to ensure that the now Chancellor Adolf Hitler would retain his power. The SA, while it remained in existence, never regained any measure of power. That Tiburzy was a member of the SA came from a newspaper report dated April 3, 1945 that described his actions that won him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross). In the article, his rank was said to be that of SA-Sturmbannführer which was the equivalent to a U.S. Army Major.

     Tiburzy, however, did not remain active in the SA and was certainly not in it in 1945 because by 1939, most of the SA membership was called up for military service and Tiburzy was no exception. He entered the German Heer (Army) but exactly when isn't known nor is the unit(s) he served with known. What can be said is that he did serve on the Eastern Front in an infantry unit and suffered significant injuries to the point that he was no longer able to serve in the Heer. It was during this time period that Tiburzy was awarded the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd. Class), the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (Iron Cross 1st. Class), the Verwundetenabzeichen 3. Klasse (Wound Badge in Gold (3rd. Class)), and the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen (Infantry Assault Badge). Some believe that following his convalescence, Tiburzy entered into the Regierung des Deutschen Reiches (Government of the Third Reich) in one of the many ministries, specifically the Reichsministerium für die Besetzten Ostgebiete (RMBO; Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories), and this is due to Tiburzy wearing the fur lined Einheitsfeldmütze (field cap) favored by RMBO officials, to include the large government official regulation adler (eagle) on the front of the Einheitsfeldmütze. What rank he may have held in the RMBO is unknown nor is his length of service in the RMBO known. At some time in late 1944 or even at the start of 1945, Tiburzy either was called up to serve in the Volkssturm (the national militia) or he himself enlisted. This was because the Volkssturm was made up of men 16 to 60 who were not currently in military service, had non-essential employment, were unfit, overage or even underage, and even men still recovering from war wounds. In addition, men who could not serve in the military services due to permanent injuries sustained while in service were also accepted into the Volkssturm. Thus, Tiburzy was eligible to become a part of this militia but more importantly, he was an experienced and decorated soldier who was needed to train and lead men that, for the most part, had no training at all. Because of his previous rank and service, Tiburzy was given the Volkssturm rank of Bataillonsführer and assigned to Volkssturm-Bataillon 25/82. The unit was part of the forces commanded by General Otto Lasch in the city of Königsberg which, beginning in late January to April 9, 1945, battled elements of the Russian 3rd. Belorussian Front. Initially, the Germans managed to stabilize the area around the city which allowed civilians and wounded to be evacuated and supplies to get to the city's defenders. But on April 2, 1945, the Russians commenced a four day bombardment of the city and its defenses and on April 6, 1945, the Russian 39th., 43rd., and 50th. Armies plus the 208th. Rifle Division and the 11th. Guards Army moved off their start lines to take Königsberg. Tiburzy was in the thick of the fighting and early in February, he led a contingent of Volkssturm to retake a defensive trench that Russian infantry had managed to occupy. Using grenades, he and his men managed to dislodge the Russians and Tiburzy himself destroyed two T-34 medium tanks using Panzerfaust during the assault. Some 48 hours later, another Volkssturm defensive position was overrun by Russian infantry supported by tanks. Tiburzy, on his own initiative, led Volkssturm-Bataillon 25/82 in a counterattack that threw back the Russians from their gains and the Volkssturm were able to reestablish the defensive position. During the combat, Tiburzy added another three T-34 tanks to his kill tally, again using Panzerfaust. For these actions, Tiburzy was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on February 10, 1945 and he became one of only four Volkssturm men to earn such an esteemed decoration.

     The photograph of Tiburzy is one of his most well known. He is known to have suffered an injury to his right eye as he appeared in the very last Die Deutsche Wochenschau (The German Weekly Review) newsreel, No. 755, wearing an eye patch. He is wearing the RMBO Einheitsfeldmütze as discussed above. His feldbluse is likely that worn by RMBO officers which typically had a collar that matched the color of the wool and was devoid of shoulder boards. His Bataillonsführer rank is denoted by the black collar tabs with four silver pips. Interestingly, the rank of SA-Sturmbannführer was identical except the collar tab color was red rather than black. Perhaps the reporter for the newspaper article mistook his Volkssturm rank for that of the SA. Still, his former membership in the SA is shown by his wearing two Die Dienstauszeichnung der NSDAP (NSDAP Long Service Award) ribbons, one for 10 years of service and the other for 15 years of service. Assuming Tiburzy joined the SA when he turned 18 in 1929, from February 1925 to January 1933, the time served in the NSDAP was doubled in regards to the award. Thus, by 1935, he would have had ten years and by 1940, another five years. The third ribbon, closest to the buttons, is for the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse. Around his throat is the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes while on his feldbluse pocket is his Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse, Verwundetenabzeichen, and Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen. The other award is the SA-Sportabzeichen für Kriegsverletzte (SA Sports Badge for War Wounded) which was a special version of the SA-Sportabzeichen. Only those with a validated disability could earn the SA-Sportabzeichen für Kriegsverletzte whose scored events typically excluded the physical fitness (Leibesübungen) tests of the regular SA-Sportabzeichen and had modified basic exercises (Grundübungen) and field exercises (Geländesport). Not visible in the photograph, Tiburzy wore the Volkssturm armband around the lower left sleeve of his feldbluse. Incidentally, the armband was the only uniform item within the Volkssturm that was standard across all Volkssturm units.

     What happened to Tiburzy following the fall of Königsberg isn't known nor what happened to him following the defeat of Germany. He did survive the conflict as mentioned earlier though what he did in civilian life isn't told nor if he served any time as a POW. He died in Papenburg, Germany on November 14, 2004 at the age of 92.

 

The British FV4004 Conway: Not Good Enough

     When Soviet IS-3 heavy tanks belonging to the 71st. Guards Heavy Tank Regiment appeared before Western eyes on September 7, 1945, rolling down the Charlottenburger Straße in Berlin to celebrate the Allied victory over Germany, it would send a ripple of panic through the U.S. and Britain. With its pointed and well sloped front hull boasting 200mm thick armor and its low, rounded turret fitted with the heavy hitting 122mm D-25 gun, the “Shchuka” (“Pike” as the Soviets nicknamed the IS-3) became the boogieman that haunted the dreams of tank designers and tank crews. The IS-3 was the catalyst for two heavy tanks designed to beat it. The first was the U.S. M103 heavy tank which entered service in 1957 and the second was the British FV214 Conqueror which saw service starting in 1955. For the British, the delays in getting the FV214 into operational service saw the experimentation with heavy guns on existing tank chassis in order to put something into the field that both had the range and the hitting power to defeat the IS-3. One of these designs was the FV4004 Conway.

     The chassis to be used was that of the Centurion Mk.3 main battle tank and outside of the turret, the remainder of the Conway was exactly the same as the Centurion. The weapon to be used was the L1 120mm rifled gun and because the breech of the L1 was so massive, a completely new turret had to be built as the standard Centurion turret could not mount it. The turret itself was tall, a necessity to fit both the breech and allow the gun crew to operate, and was not thickly armored. By consequence, the turret, while larger and with a heavy gun, did not impose much of weight increase and so the mobility of the Conway remained good with a top speed of 21.5mph as provided by its Rolls-Royce Meteor engine. The ammunition for the L1 usually consisted of Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) and High-Explosive Squash-Head (HESH). The ammunition was in two parts, the projectile and the brass propellant case. For the APDS round, the projectile was 21.4lbs. while the case was 60.9lbs. The HESH ammunition was 35.3lbs. and 41.5lbs. respectively. Because of the size of the complete rounds, the ammunition the Conway could carry was very limited. The APDS round could penetrate 390mm of flat steel armor at 1,000 yards or up to 120mm of armor at a 55 degree slope. The HESH round, on the other hand, could cause spalling on armor up to 120mm thick at a 60 degree slope at any range and this made it effective in long range tank duels in which the HESH round would not be as vulnerable to the sloping of the IS-3's armor.

     A single prototype of the Conway was completed in either 1949 or 1950 and was tested. However, by 1951, it was decided to discontinue work on the Conway. It isn't known the exact reasons as to why but it could be speculated that the limited ammunition capacity and the high profile of the Conway were not conductive to a tank destroyer. Another concern was that the APDS round could not reliably knock out the IS-3 at range leaving only the HESH ammunition which, while more capable at longer ranges, also did not guaranty target destruction. This is evidenced by the FV4005 “Centaur” project which essentially took up where the Conway left off, the new design meant to utilize the even larger L4 183mm gun which was thought to be the “one shot, one kill” weapon the British needed.

     Today, the Conway survives and is on display at the Tank Museum at Bovington in Dorset, England. Following the cancellation of the Conway in 1951, only the turret remained so the Conway at the museum is the original turret and gun but on a different Centurion Mk.3 chassis.

 

Jagdtiger "131": Signpost in Schwetzingen

One of the many photographs of Jagdtiger "131". Author's Collection.

     On March 26, 1945, U.S. forces crossed the Rhine River at Germersheim, 24 miles from Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung 653's (s.Pz.Jg.Abt.653) encampment where mechanics worked to repair and refit the unit’s Jagdtigers. On March 30, U.S. Army Air Force fighters and bombers subjected the town of Schwetzingen to an aerial bombardment in preparation for an attack by U.S. infantry and armor. Once the bombardment lifted, troops commenced to advancing into the town. s.Pz.Jg.Abt.653 was ordered to deploy Jagdtigers to assist in the defense and dispatched three Jagdtigers for the effort. Unfortunately, disaster was waiting. The gruppe (group) was led by Leutnant Knippenberg in Jagdtiger “115” and as he attempted to maneuver his vehicle into a firing position, it became bogged down in a field. Unable to extract it, Knippenberg had his crew blow “115” up. 

     “131” entered Schwetzingen and was moving down Heidelberg Road when from a side street (Mannheim Road), a U.S. M4 Sherman spotted the Jagdtiger and fired, hitting the left side of “131” and jamming the track. This caused the Jagdtiger to suddenly veer into what was left of the corner home of the Krebs family. The M4 quickly fired again, striking the Jagdtiger in the weaker side armor (which was 80mm compared to 150mm to 250mm at the front) just above the track. One crewman was killed immediately after the second hit with another severely wounded then “131” began to burn. The surviving crew abandoned the Jagdtiger but the wounded soldier would later die of his injuries. 

     The third Jagdtiger retreated from Schwetzingen, headed towards the town of Eppelheim along the E5 Autobahn. While at speed, the Jagdtiger threw a track (meaning, it came off the running gear). With the rapid advance of the U.S. troops, there was no time to either put the track back on or attempt to move the Jagdtiger into some sort of firing position so it was blown up by the crew.

     The burned out “131” would become the subject of many photographs as well as becoming a sign post to direct U.S. troops. The hole created by the second round from the Sherman can be seen in the fender to the right of the soldier getting his picture taken.