Hey guys,

I'm interested in researching the Tiger 1's assigned to sPzAbt. 504 in Sicily in 43'. Ostensibly with the Hermann Goering Division I am assuming these tanks were painted dark yellow without turret numbers but with a white rhomboid followed by the number '2'. Can any of you Tiger 1 experts verify/correct this info or possibly suggest sources for photographic evidence of same?

Thanks guys - any help would be greatly appreciated,
Cody Grayland

Nobody?

Cody

[quote]Hey guys,

I'm interested in researching the Tiger 1's assigned to sPzAbt. 504 in Sicily in 43'. Ostensibly with the Hermann Goering Division
/quote]
On 1 July 1943 the Sizilien Panzergrenadier Division was reorganized into the 15 th Panzer Division.
504 was under the 215 th Panzer Battalion which was:
Staff
Staff Company
2/504 th Heavy Panzer Battalion
3 Panzer Companies ( PzMk IV )
1 Sturmgeschutz Company
1 Maintenance Platoon
The 215 th Panzer Battalion Panzer inventory were as follows on 10 July 1943
1 Panzer Staff Company
3 medium Companies
PzMk III (lg) 6
PzMk IV (lg) 46
Cmd 1

On 20 August 1943 the Division and its inventory were revised as follows
1 Panzer Staff Company
3 medium Companies
PzMk III (75) 1
PzMk IV (lg) 15

The 2 /504 HeavyPanzer Battalion was apparently detached shortly after the division was formed,

The Herman Goring division had no PzMk VI tigerduring the sicilian campaign

RIMA,

Thank you very much!

Cody

Hi Cody ..sorry just saw your post ...504 tigers seem to be just dark yellow ,but I would guess they were more a desert sand or brown color and not the dunklegelb used in europe. There seems to have been some with no numbers at all while others had solid red numbers same as the first company.
. These were tigers with the escape hatch on the side of the turret ...They also received 8 resupply tanks .These tanks had the loaders vision block and turret side mounted spare tracks. No zimmerit ,and some had track links on the front bow. 222 was the only tiger to leave Sicily...

sorry I was late to answer but I hope this helps

Rick

Rick,

Could you recommend a publication with which I could do further research? Your information is very promising.

Thank you very much,
Cody

I took this info from the Tigers in Combat I .There are also some good pictures in Tigers on the Western Front. I'm sure there are many more places to find more pictures and info around ...I'll check and see if I can find anything else.

Rick

Rick,

Would that be Tigers in Combat I by Wolfgang Schneider? If so OOP copies range from $95 to $225 on Amazon while new paperbacks are about $20 - that's more like it.

Cody

D'oh are they worth that much???? Wow! I'm glad I got them when I did...Still cost me $125.00 canadian at the time ,but they are worth it ... If you need any specifics just PM me and I'll gladly snoop around for you .

Rick

In Jentz's "Tigers at the Front," the pictures of 504 Tigers show them in what appears to be the lighter desert sand color with no signs of markings outside of one photographed with solid red turret numbers. Overall, they appeared fairly plain.

Hey guys,

I really appreciate all the help. My initial request was based on the assumption Sicilian-based Tigers of 504 were painted in dark yellow based on information in Panzer Colors. I now believe this to not be the case. So, if dark yellow is inappropriate what would you recommend from the Testors Model Master line as a reasonable approximation of the appropriate color for the Tigers of 504? Please understand my other hobby is collecting Third Reich combat helmets and experience has shown there are many many different shades of dark yellow which suggests there are many many differnet shades of sand brown as well. The point being that, now, 60 years after the records were lost there will not be an exact match but only an approximation for sand brown. Any help is more apprecaited than you know.

Another reason for the interest in Tigers of 504 is that unit did not retrofit the screwy-lookin' tread-plate front fenders. I think.

Thanks guys,
Cody

Try this for camo color chart for German armor in the ETO:
http:/www.activevr.com/afv/camouflage.html

Art