Albert Ernst and Jagdpanthers?

[Lagarto]

Before Ernst converted from Nashorns to Jagdtigers, he briefly served on Jagdpanthers on the eastern front (July 1944) and got badly injured. Anyone knows which unit, from when to when, what was his rank at that time?
Thanks in advance

[Jan-Hendrik]

He was with sPzJgAbt. 519 in the West , not in the East in 1944 ...

Albert Ernst – Ritterkreuz am 2.7.44 für 55 Abschüsse - (s.Pz. Jgr. Abt. 519) - Nashorn insgesamt 75 Abschüsse

Schweren Panzerjäger - Abteilung 519

Aufgestellt am 25. August 1943 im WK III aus dem Arbeitsstab Hoppe mit 3 Kompanien.

Im September 1943 verlegt die Abteilung auf den Truppenübungsplatz nach Oldebroek in den Niederlanden. Hier wurden im Oktober die ersten Panzerjäger "NASHORN" empfangen. Im Januar 1944 erfolgte die Verlegung an die Front bei Witebsk unter die Heeresgruppe Mitte. Bis Juli 1944 gingen alle Jagdpanzer verloren, so das die Abteilung im August 1944 mit einer Kompanie mit 14 Jagdpanthern und zwei Kompanien mit 14 Sturmgeschützen sowie 3 Jagdpanthern beim Stab hier bei Mielau, WK I neu aufgestellt wurde. Am 10. Oktober 1944 wurde die Abteilung dem 1.SS-Panzerkorps unterstellt, am 7. November 1944 erfolgte die Zuteilung zur 116.Panzer-Division im Gebiet des Hürtgenwaldes. Sie war hier der Kampfgruppe Oberst Bayer unterstellt.

Anfang Dezember 1944 wurde die Abteilung dann der 246.Volksgrenadier-Division zugeteilt sie bestand am 12 Dezember 1944 aus 19 Sturmgeschützen und 9 Jagdpanthern. Am 15 März 1945 wurde die Abt. der 1. Armee unterstellt. Am 10 April 1945 waren alle Jagdpanther der Abteilung vernichtet.

Das bemerkenswerteste Panzerjäger As war der Zugführer der 1. Kompanie von der sPzJgAb.519 Leutnant Albert Ernst.
Er führte später die 1. Kompanie der sPzJgAbt. 512 (ausgerüstet mit Jagdtiger). Am 23. Dezember 1943, schoß er ca. 14 sowjetische Panzer an einem Tag ab mit nur 21 Schuß bei Witebsk. Hier bekam er seinen Namen "Der Tiger von Witebsk.

Jan-Hendrik

[Panzer Bob]

Quick Translation...

Lagarto,

In case you can't read German...

Albert Ernst – Knight's Cross on 2 July 1944 for 55 "kills" - (s.Pz. Jgr. Abt. 519) - Nashorn (in all, 75 "kills")

Schwere Panzerjäger - Abteilung 519

Activated with three line companies on 25 August 1943 in Wehrkreis III with assistence from Work Group "Hoppe"

The battalion moved to the Oldebroek Training Area (Netherlands) in September 1943. It received the first Nashorn tank destroyers there in October. In January 1944, the battalion was moved to the Eastern Front (Witebsk), allocated to Army Group Center. By July 1944, it had lost all of its tank destroyers, resulting in the battalion being reconstituted at Mielau (Wehrkreis I) with one company of 14 Jagdpanther and two companies with 14 assault guns each. The battalion headquarters had three Jagdpanther.

On 10 October 1944, the battalion was attached to the I. SS-Panzer-Korps; it was further cross-attached to the 116. Panzer-Division on 7 November 1944 (Area of operations: Hürtgen Forest). There it was attached to Kampfgruppe Oberst Bayer.

At the beginning of December 1944, the battalion was attached to the 246. Volksgrenadier-Division. On 12 December 1944, it consisted of 19 assault guns und 9 Jagdpanther. On 15 March 1945, the battalion was allocated to the 1. Armee. On 10 April 1945, all of the Jagdpanther of the battalion were destroyed.

The most notable "ace" among the tank-destroyer personnel was a platoon leader within the 1./schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 519: Leutnant Albert Ernst. He later commanded (served as acting commander, depending on whether the original writer used "führen" correctly) the 1./schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 512, which was equipped with the Jagdtiger. On 23 December 1943, he knocked out 14 Soviet tanks on one day using only 21 rounds (Witebsk). As a result, he became known as the "Tiger of Witebsk".

Hope this helps...

Bob Edwards

[Lagarto]

Thank you, Panzer Bob, no I can't read German.
I'm just reading "Panzer Aces" by Franz Kurowski (Stackpole edition). On p. 396, in the chapter dedicated to Albert Ernst, it reads:
"The unit was sent to the Eastern Front into the area southwest of Leningrad, where the Red Army launched a new offensive. Once again Albert Ernst came under the command of the 3rd Panzer army.
The Soviets had reached the Njeren near Olita. The 4th and 7th Panzer divisions were to launch an attack from the Babriskis area (ten kilometres north of Orany) to destroy these forces. 1st Leutnant Ernst and his Jagtdpanther tank destroyers were assigned to participate in the pincer attack...."
[...]
"It was early on the morning of 11 July. Albert Ernst raised his arm and the tank destroyers began to move.
-Onwards men! We can't get bogged down in this marshy ground or we'll be hammered by the Russians!
The Jagdpanther rattled onwards..."

Is this all fiction?

[Panzer Bob]

Fact or Fiction -- Dichtung und Wahrheit

Hello!
Kurowski has never been know to get all his facts straight. He is careless about unit designations occasionally and getting certain vehicle types in places and periods where they do not belong. Despite these shortcomings, he is probably the only person to have actually interviewed/corresponded with the personalities he portrays.
Unfortunately, Ernst is no longer alive, so the only way to know for sure what unit he was assigned to at what time is to look at his personnel files in the German federal archives (if they ar even there).
Regards,
Bob
Edwards