ϟϟ-Panzergrenadier-Division „Wiking“

SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking during Zitadelle

SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 Wiking on the march

SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking was moved to the Kharkov Oblast under command of SS-Brigadeführer Herbert Otto Gille in late June 1943 where it, along with 23.Panzer-Division was to form the reserve force for Feldmarschall Erich von Manstein's Army Group during Operation Citadel. While the operation was in effect the Wiking Division was engaged against several Soviet formations that attacked towards Kharkov. The newly added Estonian SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Bataillon Narwa acquitted themselves well throughout the action, destroying around 100 Soviet tanks over several days. Wiking remained fully capable of fighting and destroyed various enemy tank formations during the operation. When Citadel was cancelled, the division was still involved in halting Soviet attacks. Top image: according to some sources, crewmen of a Wiking Panther loading 7.5 cm ammunition in a hurried, haphazard manner during Citadel. There are few records of non-combat casualties from the Eastern Front but most tank ammunition is base-activating and can be set off by static electricity. A various type of shells can be seen including the PzGr. 39 and the HI.39. Credit: OTL Marwan. Bottom image: the photo, taken on a later occasion, shows an SS-Panzergrenadier from the Wiking photographed while speaking through Feldfernsprecher 33. The Panthers in the background numbered II011 and II014 belonged to the 2nd Battalion's reconnaissance platoon of SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 Wiking. According to the author Dennis Oliver, Panther II011 was commanded by SS-Untersturmführer and Zugführer Dr. Manfred Renz. Commons: Bundesarchiv.