102nd SS Heavy Panzer Battalion

The 102nd SS Heavy-Panzer Battalion 102 (German: Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102) was a heavy-tank battalion of the Waffen SS during World War II.

It fought as part of the II SS Panzer Corps during the Battle of Normandy and was nearly destroyed. Renamed as 502nd SS Heavy-Panzer Battalion, (German: Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502) the unit was destroyed by the Russians in the Halbe Pocket in Spring 1945.

Formation
In April 1943, the Waffen-SS ordered the creation of a series of Heavy Panzer Battalions &mdash; equipped with the new Tiger I tanks &mdash; for use in offensive actions on the Eastern Front. Each of the heavy tank battalions would be attached to a Corps of the Waffen SS. Upon formation, the 102nd was attached to the II SS Panzer Corps. Originally, each heavy tank battalion was composed of a single company of Tiger I's, attached to each respective SS Panzer Division in the Panzerkorps. By July 1943, the predecessor of the 102nd &mdash; SS Panzer Regiment 2 of the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" &mdash; was equipped with 14 Tiger I's.

Normandy
The battalion was sent to Normandy after the D Day landings, and took part in the fighting for Point 112. The Battalion was almost completely destroyed during the fighting in Normandy and in September 1944, was pulled back to Germany to reform. Stationed in Sennelager. the Battalion was renamed the 502 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion.

The Eastern Front (1945)
Renamed as Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502 and equipped with Tiger II Tanks (Königstiger), the Battalion took part in the defense against the Russians at the Oder-Front. During the Russian offensive to take Berlin, the Battalion was forced to retreat and was surrounded in the Halbe-Pocket where the Battalion was nearly destroyed. Only a few men could escape into American captivity.

Commanding officers
The 102nd SS Heavy Panzer Battalion was commandet by the following SS officers:
 * SS-Sturmbannführer Anton Laackmann (January, 1944 - March, 1944)
 * SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Weiss (March, 1944 - 18. August, 1944)
 * SS-Sturmbannführer Kurt Hartrampf (August, 1944 - May, 1945)

Notable crew

 * Paul Egger, 113 kills
 * Will Fey, 73 kills
 * Martin Schroif, 161 kills
 * Joachim Scholl, 42 kills

The following men were also awarded the Knight's Cross when serving with the battalion.


 * Paul Egger
 * Kurt Hartrampf
 * Alois Kalss

Combat History
The 102nd SS Heavy Panzer Battalion over its history lost 76 tanks destroyed 600 enemy tanks a kill ratio of 6.89.

In popular culture

 * The Swedish black metal band Marduk have a song "502" (on their album Panzer Division Marduk) which is about the battalion.