Hi all,

I'm thinking about building a Battle of the bulge diorama. I have the Tamiya King Tiger, and I'd like to include a secondary vehicle as well, preferably the Tamiya Schwimmwagen. The Tamiya King Tiger can be built as one of three tanks from Spzabt 501 which took part in this battle. However, the Schwimmwagen is a bit of a problem. There are no decals for the Ardennes, but one of the options is for Spzabt 101, Normany, June 1944. I've done a bit of research and as far as I can tell 101 got quite an ass-kicking in Normandy, and the remainders were later reformed as, or integrated into, Spzabt 501. So I guess it would be possible to use the 'Normandy' Schwimmwagen, but I'm not entirely sure. Can any of you guys confirm this ? Or would I need other markings ?

I'm no rivet counter, but then again I don't want to build something to only be told 'this could never have happened'.

Cheers and TIA,
Michel

Hi Michel... I'm pretty sure that no one could argue with you about a schwim in the 501st.. We know they had them during the Ardennes campaign and I don't think anyone is that anal as to say that that schwim with that license plate didn't make it out of Normandy..I'm bad but not that bad ... :-) Build your schwim and have fun...

Rick

sSS PzAbt 101 was simply renumbered sSS PzAbt 501. It lost (nearly) all its Tigers in Normandy but the Unit itself survived.

Thanks for the info guys, I guess I can take the chance

Michel

Hi DocProg,

I agree with thebear about the Schwimmwagen....if I recall correctly, there were so many of them produced because of their effectiveness...nobody would actually know if 501 or for that matter other battallions have them.

Cheers

To confirm, heavy tiger battalions did have schwimmwagens in the battalion staff company. Reference KstN 1107b - Stabskompanie einer Panzerabteilung "Tiger".

KstN is basicly german for the american army TO&E.

As far as I remember, Spzabt 101,was re-equipped after Normandy and was in the BoB with Tiger IIs. As for decals for the Tiger IIs, no problem, go here:

http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~kriegsketten/AXT351001.htm

...Jim

Thanks again guys. Apparently some of you misunderstood my question : the King Tiger does come with decals for SpzAbt 501, so no problem there, I don't need any alternative decals for it. The Schwimmwagen however doesn't come with any specific Ardennes decals, but does have markings for SpzAbt 101. And from what I understood '101' was no more after Normandy, but was integrated into 501. So the actual question is, would it be possible to use a Schwimmwagen with the 101 markings in an Ardennes setting ? (i.e. wouldn't the markings have changed to those of the 501st by that time ?)

I've seen said Tamiya Schwimmwagen with the 101st markings in a couple of Ardennes dio's, so I guess it's not that much of an issue, but still I'd like to know this

Cheers,
Michel

sSS PzAbt 101 and sSS PzABbt 501 are both one and the same. All that happened is the number 101 became 501. The markings for 101 would be the same as for 501-the key symbol. Markings in Normandy woiuld be the same as in the Bulge.