II.ϟϟ-Panzerkorps on the Southern Flank of the Kursk Salient

Pz.Kpfw. Tiger S23 of SS-Pz.Gren.Div. Das Reich

SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich

SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich

Reports and combat records of SS-Obergruppenführer Paul Hausser's II.SS-Panzerkorps show, first of all, that Hausser's corps began with far fewer tanks than previously believed and, more important, that they suffered only moderate losses. The number of Waffen-SS tanks actually involved in the battle has been variously reported as high as 600 by some authorities, however, on July 4 1943, the day before Operation Citadel was launched, Hausser's three SS divisions possessed a total of 327 tanks between them, plus a number of command tanks. The SS Corps used temporary divisional markings instituted for the Battle of Kursk. This was to confuse the Soviets with unit identification. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich used two vertical bars with a footer in place of the Wolfsangel insignia (until the fall 1943). The Totenkopf used three bars without a footer in place of the Totenkopf insignia. The Leibstandarte SS were assigned a marking of two and a half bar with a footer in place of the Dietrich insignia but was never used. Credit: the author George M. Nipe. Top image: Das Reich Tiger S23 moves forward followed by a column of Tigers in the vicinity of Yakhontov near Belgorod. Photo taken most likely by SS-Kriegsberichter Hermann Grönert or possible by SS-Kriegsberichter Friedrich Zschäckel during the early phase of Zitadelle in July 1943. Note that this is not the same photograph as the more classic photo-shoot of Tiger S23 taken moments before by Zschäckel. The houses behind seem to suggest the photo is taken on slightly higher ground. Middle image: four panzergrenadiers are visible in the background of this photo (mid-left) taken on the same slope as the previous photo. It appears to be Zschäckel standing to the left of the group taking the iconic photo of the Austrian SS-Oberscharführer Paul Egger's Tiger S13 climbing the slope. Photo by SS-Kriegsberichter Hermann Grönert. Bottom image: Tiger of the Das Reich passes Soviet prisoners of war while it moves forward at Kursk to consolidate the positions on the exposed Russian steppe. Footage from Die Deutsche Wochenschau.