Hello all,
I thought that since today is 16.December (marking the 65th Anniversary of the beginning of the Ardennes Offensive) it would be an appropriate time to post these.
I’d like to share with you this little set I have in my collection, a Soldbuch and Führerschein to SS-Schützen Karl Klipp who served in the 1.Kompanie, schwere-SS-Panzer-Abteilung 501. Klipp was trained on and qualified to drive the Tiger II (or “King Tiger”) and very likely served with “Kampfgruppe Peiper” during the opening stage of the Ardennes Offensive.
The Soldbuch was issued on 26.April 1944 through SS-Panzer-Ersatz-Abteilung and during the following months Klipp received Panzer training through various SS-Panzer training units. In September of 1944, Klipp was serving with SS-Panzer-Ersatz-Abteilung, stationed at Sennelager in Paderborn where s.SS.Pz.Abt.101 was being rebuilt after having been destroyed in Normandy during the summer of 1944. On/about 22.September, s.SS.Pz.Abt.101 was re-designated s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 and shortly after Klipp was assigned to its 1.Kompanie. The Abteilung was headquartered at Schloss Holte, very close to Sennelager.
Inside the Soldbuch is a gatefold gear issue insert which lists much of the gear Klipp was issued from the various units he served with. ***Worth pointing out is the hand-written entries at the top of the first section, where “Panzer” (Pz.) has been entered after Drillichjacke and Drillichhose, and “schwarz” after Tuchbluse, Tuchhose and Feldmütze (!)
On 07.November 1944, Klipp was issued various items through s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 including additional socks, long underwear and another brown shirt and also some wool gloves, a head wrap and blanket and a brush set.
The weapons issue insert pages show that on 04.June 1944 Klipp was issued a rifle and bayonet which was subsequently turned in. Kilpp was then issued a P38 pistol on 12.November 1944. At this point Klipp was already serving with s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 and it makes sense that as a Panzer crew member he would have been issued a pistol.
On 28.August 1944 Klipp was issued a class 2B Führerschein which permitted him to drive fully tracked vehicles between 16 and 30 tons. On 25.November 1944,
Klipp’s Fuhrerschein was upgraded to class 2C, which qualified him to drive fully tracked armored vehicles over 30 tons, which included – amongst others - the Tiger II. The entry is authorized and hand-signed by SS-Obersturmführer Gottfried Klein, TFK (Technischer Führer Kraftfahrwesen), s.SS Pz.Abt.501, FPN 59450 (Stab u. Einheit schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 [SS-Korps-Trupp]).
This date is rather significant because just 5 days later, s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 would be put on alert and receive its march order to move out for what - at that time - members of the Abteilung could only guess was to be a "...major offensive which was to be launched against the Americans with the maximum of men and material." (Agte) On 30.November, the 1.Kompanie entrained at Asemissen (near Schloss Holte) and spent the following few days traveling to Weilerswist, south of Cologne, arriving on 03.December. Just 10 days later (12-13 December) the Abteilung would be moving out to its assembly area and wait for further orders.
One of the most interesting details in the Soldbuch worth mentioning is the second entry on page 15. Beneath the beautiful “1./Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 501” stamp, dated 01.January 1945 and hand-signed by SS-Obersturmführer Jüregen Wessel, is the following: “In Ermangelung eines Dienstsiegels, da durch Feindeinwirkung vernichtet.” which states that there was no official stamp available because it was destroyed by enemy fire (!) also hand-signed by Wessel.
It’s impossible to know for certain if Klipp did in fact participate in the Ardennes offensive with Kampfgruppe Peiper, but short of having an Einsatztage sheet, award or wound date to confirm, all of the info and details present in the Soldbuch and Führerschein point to him having taken part in the operation with 1./s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 as a Tiger II driver.
At the start of the offensive, s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 was at full strength with a complete complement of Tiger IIs. However, just hours into the operation many of the Tigers started dropping out due mechanical issues (most of these were final drive failures). Some veteran accounts state that a few of the Tigers never even left the start point with the rest of the Abteilung, which – due to delays in the opening stages of the operation – the Tigers didn’t depart until the late afternoon/early evening of 16.December. It’s estimated that within 24 hours of the time s.SS.Pz.Abt.501’s Tigers started rolling, as many as 15 had dropped out of the march, with more breaking down and falling out over the next few days.
Taken from Greg Walden’s excellent site, http://www.ss501panzer.com/
Around 25/30 December the 1./s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 turned over its remaining Tigers to the 2. And 3. Kompanies and departed the combat zone, heading back to Oerlinghausen to rest and refit. Shorlty after receiving 6 new Tigers in Sennelager on 06.January, a detachment from the 1.Kompanie, headed up by Obersturmführer Wessel, was reunited with the rest of the Abteilung and transported to Breslau and shortly after, Hungary and would spend the remainder of the war fighting in the east, eventually surrendering to the Americans. The part of the 1.Kompanie that remained in Germany remained relatively inactive between Feb. - March, but participated in some last-ditch battles against advancing American forces around Schloss Holte before being sent east to Austria in April where they rejoined the rest of the Abteilung right before the surrender. Without more info to go on, it’s impossible to tell which section of the 1.Kompanie Klipp served with due to the lack of entries in his Soldbuch. Because there's nothing entered after the 01.Jan.1945 entry on page 15 (the next entry is dated 30.November 1945 when Klipp received pay, page 20) my guess is that he probably stayed behind with the detachment at Schloss Holte. He could very well have gone on to fight in Hungary and Austria but never had the Einsatztage/awards entered/issued.....but again, it's just speculation on my part.
There is a US Army POW capture number (31G/6331624) entered twice, once at the bottom of pate 01 and a second time in the Feldtruppenteil section (C.c.) on page 04. The POW camp listed is Kriegsgefangenlager Mittenwald, about 25 Kilometers east/south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The location of the camp fits in with several accounts from other 501 veterans which state that many of their comrades who went into captivity spent time in various POW camps throughout Austria and southern Germany. Klipp was eventually released from Kriegsgefangenlager Mittenwald and interned at a camp in Fléron, France from which he was released on 05.October 1947.
All in all, it's a great Soldbuch to a SS Tiger crew member and I am extremely happy to have it in my collection (just having that "1./s.SS.Pz.Abt.501" unit entry on page 04, and Wessel's signature gets my heart pumping!) Thanks to Ian Jewison, Henner Lindlar and Greg Walden for their help with the acquisition and research on this one. I used the following books from my personal library to research the Soldbuch and Führerschein:
Michael Wittmann and the Tiger Commanders of the LSSAH, Agte
Jochen Peiper, Commander Panzerregiment Leibstandarte, Agte
Battle of the Bulge: Then and now, Jean Paul Pallud
Greg Waldens site, http://www.ss501panzer.com/ was also of tremendous help!
Hope you enjoy the scans...
Rob
I thought that since today is 16.December (marking the 65th Anniversary of the beginning of the Ardennes Offensive) it would be an appropriate time to post these.
I’d like to share with you this little set I have in my collection, a Soldbuch and Führerschein to SS-Schützen Karl Klipp who served in the 1.Kompanie, schwere-SS-Panzer-Abteilung 501. Klipp was trained on and qualified to drive the Tiger II (or “King Tiger”) and very likely served with “Kampfgruppe Peiper” during the opening stage of the Ardennes Offensive.
The Soldbuch was issued on 26.April 1944 through SS-Panzer-Ersatz-Abteilung and during the following months Klipp received Panzer training through various SS-Panzer training units. In September of 1944, Klipp was serving with SS-Panzer-Ersatz-Abteilung, stationed at Sennelager in Paderborn where s.SS.Pz.Abt.101 was being rebuilt after having been destroyed in Normandy during the summer of 1944. On/about 22.September, s.SS.Pz.Abt.101 was re-designated s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 and shortly after Klipp was assigned to its 1.Kompanie. The Abteilung was headquartered at Schloss Holte, very close to Sennelager.
Inside the Soldbuch is a gatefold gear issue insert which lists much of the gear Klipp was issued from the various units he served with. ***Worth pointing out is the hand-written entries at the top of the first section, where “Panzer” (Pz.) has been entered after Drillichjacke and Drillichhose, and “schwarz” after Tuchbluse, Tuchhose and Feldmütze (!)
On 07.November 1944, Klipp was issued various items through s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 including additional socks, long underwear and another brown shirt and also some wool gloves, a head wrap and blanket and a brush set.
The weapons issue insert pages show that on 04.June 1944 Klipp was issued a rifle and bayonet which was subsequently turned in. Kilpp was then issued a P38 pistol on 12.November 1944. At this point Klipp was already serving with s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 and it makes sense that as a Panzer crew member he would have been issued a pistol.
On 28.August 1944 Klipp was issued a class 2B Führerschein which permitted him to drive fully tracked vehicles between 16 and 30 tons. On 25.November 1944,
Klipp’s Fuhrerschein was upgraded to class 2C, which qualified him to drive fully tracked armored vehicles over 30 tons, which included – amongst others - the Tiger II. The entry is authorized and hand-signed by SS-Obersturmführer Gottfried Klein, TFK (Technischer Führer Kraftfahrwesen), s.SS Pz.Abt.501, FPN 59450 (Stab u. Einheit schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 [SS-Korps-Trupp]).
This date is rather significant because just 5 days later, s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 would be put on alert and receive its march order to move out for what - at that time - members of the Abteilung could only guess was to be a "...major offensive which was to be launched against the Americans with the maximum of men and material." (Agte) On 30.November, the 1.Kompanie entrained at Asemissen (near Schloss Holte) and spent the following few days traveling to Weilerswist, south of Cologne, arriving on 03.December. Just 10 days later (12-13 December) the Abteilung would be moving out to its assembly area and wait for further orders.
One of the most interesting details in the Soldbuch worth mentioning is the second entry on page 15. Beneath the beautiful “1./Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 501” stamp, dated 01.January 1945 and hand-signed by SS-Obersturmführer Jüregen Wessel, is the following: “In Ermangelung eines Dienstsiegels, da durch Feindeinwirkung vernichtet.” which states that there was no official stamp available because it was destroyed by enemy fire (!) also hand-signed by Wessel.
It’s impossible to know for certain if Klipp did in fact participate in the Ardennes offensive with Kampfgruppe Peiper, but short of having an Einsatztage sheet, award or wound date to confirm, all of the info and details present in the Soldbuch and Führerschein point to him having taken part in the operation with 1./s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 as a Tiger II driver.
At the start of the offensive, s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 was at full strength with a complete complement of Tiger IIs. However, just hours into the operation many of the Tigers started dropping out due mechanical issues (most of these were final drive failures). Some veteran accounts state that a few of the Tigers never even left the start point with the rest of the Abteilung, which – due to delays in the opening stages of the operation – the Tigers didn’t depart until the late afternoon/early evening of 16.December. It’s estimated that within 24 hours of the time s.SS.Pz.Abt.501’s Tigers started rolling, as many as 15 had dropped out of the march, with more breaking down and falling out over the next few days.
Taken from Greg Walden’s excellent site, http://www.ss501panzer.com/
“The number of tanks fielded by s.SS-Pz.Abt. 501 for the Ardennes Offensive has been a matter of debate. Records and veteran accounts indicate that the battalion received its full complement of 45 Königstigers between 3 October and 3 December 1944. How many of these actually participated in the attack is unknown. According to a former 1. Kompanie tank commander, some did not leave the assembly area. (2) The battalion was plagued with maintenance problems and breakdowns, even early in the advance. The Army Group B situation map for 17 December 1944 shows 30 Tigers present with the 1. SS-Panzerdivision. At least 20 can be positively identified from photographic evidence or veterans’ accounts. It is probable that the battalion was up to full strength or nearly so by 16 December, but that only around 30-35 of the Tigers actually participated as a unit in the initial advance of Kampfgruppe Peiper. Others were readied or repaired later and fed into the battle as available, but did not catch up with the main body.”
Around 25/30 December the 1./s.SS.Pz.Abt.501 turned over its remaining Tigers to the 2. And 3. Kompanies and departed the combat zone, heading back to Oerlinghausen to rest and refit. Shorlty after receiving 6 new Tigers in Sennelager on 06.January, a detachment from the 1.Kompanie, headed up by Obersturmführer Wessel, was reunited with the rest of the Abteilung and transported to Breslau and shortly after, Hungary and would spend the remainder of the war fighting in the east, eventually surrendering to the Americans. The part of the 1.Kompanie that remained in Germany remained relatively inactive between Feb. - March, but participated in some last-ditch battles against advancing American forces around Schloss Holte before being sent east to Austria in April where they rejoined the rest of the Abteilung right before the surrender. Without more info to go on, it’s impossible to tell which section of the 1.Kompanie Klipp served with due to the lack of entries in his Soldbuch. Because there's nothing entered after the 01.Jan.1945 entry on page 15 (the next entry is dated 30.November 1945 when Klipp received pay, page 20) my guess is that he probably stayed behind with the detachment at Schloss Holte. He could very well have gone on to fight in Hungary and Austria but never had the Einsatztage/awards entered/issued.....but again, it's just speculation on my part.
There is a US Army POW capture number (31G/6331624) entered twice, once at the bottom of pate 01 and a second time in the Feldtruppenteil section (C.c.) on page 04. The POW camp listed is Kriegsgefangenlager Mittenwald, about 25 Kilometers east/south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The location of the camp fits in with several accounts from other 501 veterans which state that many of their comrades who went into captivity spent time in various POW camps throughout Austria and southern Germany. Klipp was eventually released from Kriegsgefangenlager Mittenwald and interned at a camp in Fléron, France from which he was released on 05.October 1947.
All in all, it's a great Soldbuch to a SS Tiger crew member and I am extremely happy to have it in my collection (just having that "1./s.SS.Pz.Abt.501" unit entry on page 04, and Wessel's signature gets my heart pumping!) Thanks to Ian Jewison, Henner Lindlar and Greg Walden for their help with the acquisition and research on this one. I used the following books from my personal library to research the Soldbuch and Führerschein:
Michael Wittmann and the Tiger Commanders of the LSSAH, Agte
Jochen Peiper, Commander Panzerregiment Leibstandarte, Agte
Battle of the Bulge: Then and now, Jean Paul Pallud
Greg Waldens site, http://www.ss501panzer.com/ was also of tremendous help!
Hope you enjoy the scans...
Rob
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