The 506th Heavy Panzer Battalion was a german heavy Panzer Abteilung equipped with Tiger I tanks until 28 July 1944. During the period from 20 August to 12 September 1944, it was re-equipped with a full complement of 45 Tiger Ausf. B tanks. Some of the first Tiger IIs delivered to the 506th were examples fitted with the early production turret. The battalion saw action on the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. As with other German heavy tank battalions, it was attached as needed to larger formations. The 506th was unique in being the only Tiger battalion to include a fourth company. German: schwere Panzerkompanie Hummel, equipped with Tiger I tanks, was consolidated with the 506th in 1944. It was also unique in that it regularly received new vehicles and replacements from other units to maintain a full complement. The unit served until the collapse of the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945, being officially disbanded by the battalion commander on 14 April. The unit performed well despite often poor conditions of deployment, officially credited with over 400 tank kills during its service with fewer than 75 combat losses.

A German heavy tank battalion was a battalion-sized World War II tank unit of the German Army (1935–1945), equipped with Tiger I, and later Tiger II, heavy tanks. Originally intended to fight on the offensive during breakthrough operations, the German late-war realities required it to be used in a defensive posture by providing heavy fire support and counter-attacking enemy armored breakthroughs, often organised into ad hoc Kampfgruppen.