503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion
The 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion was a German heavy Panzer Abteilung equipped with Tiger I and Panzer III tanks. In 1944, it was re-equipped with the new Tiger II. The battalion saw action on the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. As with other German heavy tank battalions, it was normally not assigned to a single corps, but shuffled around according to war circumstances. Later the battalion became part of the newly formed Panzer Corps Feldherrnhalle as the Feldherrnhalle Heavy Tank Battalion.
A Tiger I of the 503rd battalion overturned at Manneville by the bombing during Operation Goodwood.
July 1944 at Château Canteloup, Panzer VI (Tiger II, Königstiger) of the 503rd battalion.
The Tiger I was a German heavy tank of World War II that began operational duty in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun. 1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944. After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favour of the Tiger II.
Tiger I in northern France, March 1944
Model reconstruction of VK 4501 (P) Porsche prototype
Early Tiger with tall cupola
The Tiger I's armour was up to 200 mm on the gun mantlet.