| SS Heavy Panzer Battalion 101 | |
|---|---|
| Active | 19 July 1943 – May 1945 |
| Country | Nazi Germany |
| Allegiance | Adolf Hitler |
| Branch | Waffen SS |
| Size | Battalion |
| Part of | 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" I SS Panzer Corps |
| Equipment | Tiger I, Tiger II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
SS-Obersturmbannführer Heinz von Westernhagen |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
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SS Heavy Panzer Battalion 101 (in German Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101, commonly abbreviated as s.SS-Pz. Abt. 101 was one of Waffen-SS's elite armored units, acting as a fire brigade and a crack assault unit on all fronts. With the introduction of new Tiger II - "King Tiger" tanks in late 1944, it was redesignated Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 501.
It was created on July 19, 1943 as a part of the I. SS-Panzerkorps, by forming two new heavy tank companies consisting of Tiger I tanks and incorporating the "13th (Heavy) Company" of 1st SS Panzer Regiment. It was attached to 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" and sent to Italy on August 23, 1943 where it stayed until mid-October. The 1st and 2nd company were then sent to the Eastern Front while the rest of the unit stayed in the West.
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With the anticipated Allied invasion of Western Europe approaching, elements of the battalion in the East were ordered to the West in April 1944. On June 1, 1944, the battalion was located near Beauvais, north-west of Paris, of its 45 Tigers, 37 were operational and eight more in repair. With D-Day landings on June 6 it was ordered to Normandy where it arrived despite heavy aerial bombardment on June 12. After weeks of heavy fighting, most famously at the Battle of Villers-Bocage, by July 5 the battalion had lost 15 of its 45 Tigers.
At this time units surplus crews were pulled back from the front and started being outfitted with the new Tiger II tanks. By August 7 the remainder of the division left in Normandy numbered 25 Tigers of which 21 were still operational.
On 8 August 1944, three of their seven Tigers committed to a counter-attack near Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil were knocked out by British Fireflies and Michael Wittman was killed.
The battalion lost virtually all its remaining Tigers during the heavy fighting at the Falaise pocket and subsequent German retreat from France.
On September 9, the remains of the unit were ordered to rest and completely refit with the new Tiger II's, with this change on September 22, 1944, it was redesignated Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 501.
On March 15, 1945 it reported a strength of 32 tanks, of which 8 were operational.[1]
Over its history, the 101 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion lost 107 tanks for 500 enemy tanks destroyed - a kill ratio of 4.67 [2]
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