Panzer Aces GB January 2007 to May 31, 2008

After discussing this in the Armor forums there seems to be a lot of interest in a very deep Panzer Aces Group build.  I think most of us are chomping at the bit to get started, so if you're ready, feel free to start now.    I'll be updating this post frequently over the next couple of weeks as we shape and mold it into something I think you'll all really enjoy.

We're going to focus on "Panzer Aces" (and will do something similar but with an Allied slant later in 2007).  I'm hoping this GB will go much deeper than the usualy GB as we focus in on very specific tanks, men and units.  We will need to rely upon each other and others and it should be very enjoyable to those of you who not only enjoy the subject matter but also love the research that goes along with our model building. 

I'm looking at doing a 1/35 Nashorn commanded by Alber Ernst and will probably do his JagdTiger as well if I can get enough information. 

Again, this first page will change a lot over the next couple of weeks so be sure to check it often.  When I make a significant change or addition, I will also point it on in a new post so you won't have to keep checking this page to see what changed.   

I've started up a list of Suggested reading and reference books so if you know any good ones, let me know and I add them.  

If you're interested in joining or would like to help out post away my friends. 

Special thanks to Hermesminiatures for contributing his extensive research and knowledge on this subject matter. 

Pretty much anything goes in this GB, feel free to build straight out of the box, or aftermarket goodies, PE, kitbashing.  The key is to make a specific tank crewed by a Panzer Ace, that is about the only real rule to speak of.

Build Dates:

January 2007 to May 31, 2008

Roster:

espins1                 Dragon 1/35 JagdTiger 519th Schwere Panzer Abteilung - Albert Ernst
Hermesminiatures  Jagdpanther - Hauptmann Freidrich Luders
Hermasminiatures  JagdTiger - Otto Carius
Gun Tech               Dragon 1/35 Sdkfz 251 Ausf C w/3.7cm Pak SS - Obersturmfuhrer Werner Wolff
SgtBrown               Tamiya 1/35 Tiger I Mid production -Oberleutnant - Otto Carius
The Postman         Tiger II - Karl Mobius
Redd-34                Tiger I early Leningrad Offensive - Johannes Hans Bolter
Plastic_Cross          Dragon 1/35 Hornisse -Albert Ernst
Comet                   Dragon 234/2 Puma - Gerd Bremer
Comet                   Dragon 1/35 JagdPanther - Harmann Bix
Lethal19                Panther Ausf. A Karl Nicolussi 5th SS Wiking
psychoblue23         Dragon 1/35 Panther Ausf. D - TBD
bufflehead             Dragon 1/35 King Tiger (H) - Leutnant Freiherr von Rosen #300
bobbaily                Tamiya 1/48 Tiger I Early Kerscher
Mius43                  Either Panther Ausf. D or Panther Ausf. G - deciding
Jmcmenamin         King Tiger Henschel - Jochen Peiper
Assurgeant            Tiger I mid or late
osjohnm                Tamiya 1/35 Tiger I mid #217 Otto Carrius
saddler                 Dragon 1/72 Tiger I late #134 Will Fey
jagdpanther302     Tiger 1 mid - Kurt Knispel
dupes                   King Tiger Henschel Sturmbannfuhrer Kurt Hartrampf, Bn Cdr, 502 SSPz.Abt 102(502)
Duke Maddog        Panther A 1/72 LAH - Hans Malkommes  Completed
chewybr                 AFV 1/35 Tiger 1 Late - Michael Wittman 007

GB Badge  (Thank you Hermesminiatures )

 

Recommended Reading

"Panzer Aces: German Tank Commanders in World War II" by Franz Kurowski, David Johnston More info

"Panzer Aces II: Battle Stories of German Tank Commanders in World War II" by Franz Kurowski, David Johnston More info

"Tigers in the Mud: The Combat Career of German Panzer Commander OttoCarius" by Otto Carius and R.J. Edwards more info 

Michael Wittman and others with LAH
Michael Wittman and the Waffen SS Tiger Commanders of the Liebstandarte in WWII Vol. 1 by Patrick Agte; Stackpole Books

Michael Wittman and the Waffen SS Tiger Commanders of the Liebstandarte in WWII Vol. 2 by Patrick Agte; Stackpole Books

Online references for the Aces

List of Panzer Aces and recipients of the Tank Destruction Badge
http://www.hotlinecy.com/NeatStuff/PanzerAces.pdf  

Another Panzer Aces link
http://www.alanhamby.com/aces.html

Ernst Barkmann
http://www.geocities.com/alkantolga/panzerace/ernst.htm
http://www.geocities.com/desertfox1891/pzpanther/pzpanther-inaction.html

Rudolf von Ribbentrop
http://www.angelfire.com/goth/bobtank/ribbentrop.html

Info about the 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion
http://www.panzerace.net/english/pz_oob.asp?page=5
http://www.answers.com/topic/101st-ss-heavy-panzer-detachment
http://web.telia.com/~u18313395/normandy/gerob/ghqpz/101pzabt.html

Two Panzer Aces are talked about here from Grossdeutschland (Panthers)
http://members.shaw.ca/grossdeutschland/panthers.htm

Reference Material
I have included hyperlinks for some of the books to Amazon and Squadron and other review sites, not that I'm endorsing any site, but just for ease of finding the books, and reading reviews about them so you can make informed decisions. 

Squadron/Signal Publications:
Panther in Action #11
Sturmgeschutz III in Action #14
Sdkfz 251 in Action #21
Tiger in Action #27
Pzkfw III in Action #24
Pzkfw IV in Action #12

Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. G Walk Around #2

Tigers in Combat, Vol. 1 by Wolfgang Schneider.  Excellent book covering Wermacht Tiger I and Tiger II units with hundreds of photos.  Highly recommended!

Tigers in Combat, Vol. 2 by Wolfgang Schneider.  Excellent continuation from vol. 1 covering Waffen SS and named Tiger I and Tiger II units with hundreds of photos.  Highly recommended!

AJ Press Elefant Ferdinand vol. 1 

Schiffer Elefant - JagdTiger - SturmTiger by Wolfgang Schneider

Tanks in Detail Panzer IV: PzKpfw Ausf A-J

Jagdtiger, The Most Powerful Armoured Fighting Vehicle of World War II - Volume I - Technical History - by Andrew Devey

Jagdtiger, The Most Powerful Armoured Fighting Vehicle of World War II - Volume II - Operational History - by Andrew Devey

Tigers at the Front by Thomas L. Jentz; Schiffer Publishing; ISBN 0-7643-0914-5 This book contains "in action" photos of Tigers on all fronts and has quite a few of the early Porsche Turret Tiger II. There are also field maintenance photos - turret removed, rear deck removed, etc.

Germany's Panther Tank - The Quest for Combat Supremacy" This is the best reference book on the Panther I've come across by far.  It's comprehensive and includes all original research from original source documents and records, this avoiding the perpetuation of many of the common myths and mis-information regarding the Panther.

Nuts and Bolts #14 Nashorn - The best Nashorn reference book out there.  Covers anything and everything about the Nashorn and the units that used them.  Highly recommended.

 

Online Resources

Link to a Model Panzer Gallery that might be helpful:
http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/gallery_german.htm

Tiger Reference Sites:

http://www.alanhamby.com/tiger.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_I
http://www.tiger-tank.com/
http://www.worldwar2aces.com/tiger-tank/tiger-tank.htm
http://www.panzerace.net/english/index.asp
http://www.tiger-tank.com/secure/journal.htm

Panther Reference Sites:

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz4.htm 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panther_tank
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/2833/heer/tank/pzv/pzv.html

Sturmgeschutz III Reference Sites:

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/stug.htm 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StuG_III

King Tiger Reference Sites:

http://www.worldwar2aces.com/ 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_II
http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz5.htm

JagdTiger Reference Sites:

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz12.htm 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdtiger
http://www.wwiivehicles.com/germany/tank_hunters/jagdtiger.html
http://www.battletanks.com/jadtiger.htm
http://www.nahverteidigungswaffe.de/index2.htm

Ferdinand / Elefant Reference Sites:

http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/4635/tanks/elefant/elefant.htm 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elefant

Hornisse / Nashorn Reference Sites:

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz2.htm 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashorn 
http://www.answers.com/topic/nashorn

PzKpfw IV Reference Sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer_IV 
http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz3.htm 
http://www.wargamer.com/Hosted/Panzer/panzer4a.htm 
http://www.wwiivehicles.com/germany/tanks_medium/pzkpfw_iv.html 
http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/2833/heer/tank/pziv/pziv.html

PzKpfw III Reference Sites:

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz8.htm 
http://www.wargamer.com/Hosted/Panzer/panzer3a.htm 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer_III 
http://www.wwiivehicles.com/germany/tanks_medium/pzkpfw_iii.html

Jagdpanther Reference Sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdpanther 
http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz15.htm 
http://www.wargamer.com/Hosted/Panzer/jagdp.htm 
http://www.panzerworld.net/jagdpantheriwm.html 
http://www.battletanks.com/jagdpanther.htm 
http://ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/1997/05/stuff_eng_detail_jpanther.htm
http://www.jagdtiger.de/index2.htm

 

German Bundes Archives (in german)

http://www.bundesarchiv.de/aktuelles/aus_dem_archiv/galerie/index.html

My Aberdeen Photo Gallery
This is a link to the photos I took in the summer of 2006 at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds.  Those of you building Elefants might be interested in the series of photos at the bottom of the page. http://www.espins.info/aberdeen.htm