Tiger 308, schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502

Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Nr. 308 of 3./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 near Dünaburg (Dauganpils), Latvia.

 

 

Colourised by Jiří Macháček

 

 

 

     On 1 July 1944 the Abteilung is attached to XXXVIII.Armee-Korps. They arrived by transport train from Ostrow to Dünaburg from 2 to 4 July and moves out to an assembly area on the southern bank of the Düna River in the area of Peski and Laucesa, 8 kilometers south of Dünaburg. (I suspect that is where this photo is taken). The assembly took place from 4 to 6 July.

 

     On 8 July the Abteilung received orders to move south along the Dünaburg-Sarasi road to Deguziai. There they were to join up with the 205.Infanterie-Division for a relief operation to free trapped units near Pilkoniai. Due to the heat and the excessive distance the Abteilung had to march (50 Kilometers) only 5 Tigers from 2.Kompanie and 3 Tigers from 3.Kompanie are operational, out of an initial 22 operational Tigers.

 

 

 

Russian soldier posing near Tiger 308, August 1944

 

     From 10 July to 27 July the Abteilung is in almost constant combat around Dünaburg. Tiger 308 is lost before the end of August.