schwere Panzer-Abteilung 504
Panzer-Abteilung 504 (Tropen)

Origin: Wehrkreis XI (Fallingbostel)

Feldpostnummern:

Unità	Feldpostnummer
Stab	06668 A
Stabskompanie	06668 B
1. Kompanie	06668 C
2. Kompanie	06668 D
3. Kompanie	06668 E from 02/1943
4. Kompanie	06668 F from 04/1943
5. Kompanie	06668 G from 04/1943
6. Kompanie	06668 H from 04/1943
7. Kompanie	06668 I from 04/1943
Pz.-Werkstatt-Kompanie	06668 E unitl 02/1943 06668 F from 02/1943 to 04/1943 06668 F from 04/1943

Kommandeure:
?-13/05/1943: Major August Seidensticker

History:

08-13/01/1943: Created at FALLINGBOSTEL , in Wehrkreis XI, as independent unit of the Heerestruppen on two schwere Kompanien. It was made from personnel of III. Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 4. The Panzer-Ersatz-Abteilung 500 was charged of the replacements.

17/01/1943: Was received the order to employ the unit to build the III. Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 35, but this was soon abandoned.

13/02/1943: The 2. Kompanie received the order to change name in 1./Panzer-Abteilung 505.

17/02/1943: The transfer order to of the 2./504 to the Panzer-Abteilung 505 was cancelled.

26/02/1943: Came the order to employ the unit for building the III. Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 8, but this was also abandoned in a short time. In those days come the order to transfer to SICILY.

28/02/1943: Due to the short time passed training and the retards in the delivering of vehicles and equipment, the unit did not move from FALLINGBOSTEL until the end of February 1943.

06/03/1943: The Abteilung was expanded on 3 schwere Kompanien after the reorganisation for the Tropenverwendung (employment in Tropical climates).

N	Date	Place	Event	Enemy Unit	Friendly Unit	Operation	Tiger	Subunit	Witness
1	27/02/43	D - Paberborn	Order to transfer to TUNISIA received					All	All
2	06/03/43	I - Trapani	End of transfer 1. kp					All	All
3	08/03/43	I - Paceco	End of transfer 2. kp					All	All
4	08/03/43	I - Paceco	Waiting to transfer to TUNIS					Stabs, 1. Kp	?
5	12/03/43	I - Paceco	3 more Tigers arrive in SICILY					2. Kp	?
6	12/03/43	I - Paceco	2. Kp remains in SICILY				9?	2. Kp	Various
7	15/04/43	Tu -	Around the half of the month the commander, Major August Seidensticker, not standing to the delay in the shipping of his unit to TUNISIA, landed there after a troubled fly on a Junkers Ju 52 full of gasoline cans. The Commander of 501 is wounded.
8	17/03/43	Tu - ?	11 Tigers of 501. sPzAbt are subjected to Seidensticker				11	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
9	17/03/43	Tu - Tunisi?	Order Received to transfer to SFAX-MAKNASSY area. The unit was joined to the schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 under the command of Major August Seidensticker, who took the place of the preceding 501's commander, wounded and evacuated to GERMANY the day his arrival. The unit made a 400 Km transfer south to the area of MEZZOUNA-MAKNASSY , where US troops menaced to separate Afrika Korps from Panzer-Armee Afrika getting to the sea in the area south of SFAX.				11	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
10	19/03/43	Tu - Sfax-Maknassy	12 Tiger arrive in combat area				11	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
11	20/03/43	Tu - Sfax-Maknassy	6 Tiger employed in defense	9th (US) AD - 35 carri distrutti			11	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
12	22/03/43	Tu - Biserta	4 Tiger land in BIZERTE				15	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
13	23/03/43	Tu - Biserta	1 more Tiger lands in BIZERTE. Only the 1. Kompanie managed to reach NORTH AFRICA, and the 2./504 remained in SICILY at PACECO.				16	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
14	24/03/43	Tu - N of Maknassy - Q322	Enemy attack is repelled				16	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
15	25/03/43	Tu - N of Maknassy - Q322	Enemy attacks are repelled				16	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
16	29/03/43	Tu - O of Kairouan	Assigend to HG (end of month)		HG		16	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
17	30/03/43	Tu - Medjez el Bab, Biserta	Fighting (end of month)				16	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
18	30/03/43	Tu - Medjez el Bab, Biserta	1 lightly damaged Tiger is destroyed from the crew				15	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
19	01/04/43	Tu - ?	6 Tiger ready to fight				15	Stabs, 1. Kp
20	01/04/43	Tu - ?	Hautmann's Platoon is assigend to II./8 of 15.PD		II./8 PzRgt - 15 PD		15		Hautmann
21	01/04/43	Tu - Tunisi	2 Tiger land in BIZERTE				17	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
22	03/04/43	Tu - ?	One Panzer-Kompanie is received from HG		HG (?)		17	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
23	05/04/43	Tu - ?	6 Tiger employed with 5. PzArmee				17	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
24	05/04/43	Tu - ?	7 Tiger employed with DAK				17	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
25	06/04/43	Tu - 15km west La Skhirra	Counterattacks agaisnt far superior forces fail				17	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
26	07/04/43	Tu - near Enfidaville	Reatrding actions				17	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
27	16/04/43	Tu - Biserta	Last Tiger lands				18	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
28	13/04/43	Tu -	The Feldpostübersicht reports that the part of the unit in TUNISIA was expanded to 7 Kompanien. (Federico Peyrani: Probably it was the sum of the two Tiger-Abteilungen 501 and 504).
29	19/04/43	Tu - west of Goumbellat Djebel Djaffa	KG Witt (2 Tiger) attacks DJEBEL DJAFFA without success		III./5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD	Fliederblüte	18	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
30	19/04/43	Tu - west of Goumbellat Djebel Djaffa	Loss of Tiger 131		III./5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD	Fliederblüte	17	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
31	20/04/43	Tu - west of Goumbellat Djebel Djaffa	Attack along the road to MEDJEZ EL BAB, at the fork to KROUCHET		12./5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD	Fliederblüte	17	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
32	20/04/43	Tu - west of Goumbellat Djebel Djaffa	1 Tiger is lost (and other tanks)		12./5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD	Fliederblüte	16	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
33	20/04/43	Tu - west of Goumbellat Djebel Djaffa	In the evening retreat on the previous day's positions		12./5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD	Fliederblüte	16	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
34	21/04/43	Tu - 6km E Medjez el Bab, Goumbellat, Q107	Employed in defense	9th (Br) AD - 40 enemy tanks destroyed	5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD + HG	Fliederblüte?	16	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
35	21/04/43	Tu - 6km E Medjez el Bab, Goumbellat, Q107	Tiger 712 (ex 501?) of Hpt. Schroeter is abandoned	48th RTR (Churchill)	5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD + HG	Fliederblüte?	15	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
36	21/04/43	Tu - 6km E Medjez el Bab, Goumbellat, Q107	Another Tiger is lost and a PzIII	48th RTR (Churchill)	5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD + HG	Fliederblüte?	14	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
37	23/04/43	Tu - Q107	Quote 107 is lost to the allied forces
38	25/04/43	Tu - Q107	Tigers support an attack of FSJ Rgt 5		5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD		14	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
39	26/04/43	Tu - south of Medjerda	6-8 Tiger repulse an attack north of the unit's positions	20 enemy tanks destroyed	10. PD		14	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
40	26/04/43	Tu - south of Medjerda	Seidensticke is decorated for the action		10. PD		14	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
41	28/04/43	Tu - Kaktusfarm, SE Medjez el Bab	9 tanks with KG Irkens of 5 FSJ Rgt - some enemy tanks are destroyed		5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD		14	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
42	29/04/43	Tu - Kaktusfarm, SE Medjez el Bab	Renewed attack on the KAKTUSFARM - 2 Tigers lost and 4 other tanks		5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD		12	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
43	30/04/43	Tu - Ksartyr-Pont du Fas	41 enemy tanks have been destroyed at the end of the month				12	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
44	01/05/43	Tu - Ksartyr-Pont du Fas?	4 Tigers ready to fight		5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD		12	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
45	03/05/43	Tu - Defence of Medjez el Bab	All Tigers in KG Irkens		5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD		12	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
46	05/05/43	Tu - Defence of Medjez el Bab	All Tigers in KG Irkens		5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD		12	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
47	06/05/43	Tu - Tunisi, Salt Lakes	Begins final allied offensive - KG Irkens counterattacks	90 enemy tanks destroyed	5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD		12	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
48	06/05/43	Tu - Tunisi, Salt Lakes	Loss of Hpt. Hautmann's Tiger		5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD		11	Stabs, 1. Kp	Hautmann
49	07/05/43	Tu - El Alia Airport	Fighting for the Airport		5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD (?)		11	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
50	10/05/43	Tu - El Alia Airport (?)	5 Tigers lost		5 FSJ Rgt - 2? FSJD (?)		6	Stabs, 1. Kp	?
51	12/05/43	Tu - Cap Bon Peninsula	All the remaining tanks are lost, crews surrender				0	Stabs, 1. Kp	?

Bibliografia:

	www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de		Internet, 2006
Schneider, Wolfgang	Tiger in Combat Vol. 1	Fedorowicz Publishing	Winnipeg, Mb, CA 1998
Jentz	Tiger	Schiffer
Jentz	Panzer Truppen	Schiffer
Federico Peyrani	Material form members of 504th	still unpublished!