655 PzJgr Abt

Rchrd · Post by **Rchrd** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:00 pm

Nafziger shows this Abt with Hornisse, the Achtung Panzer site also shows Hornisse at Kursk w/ this Abt. However, Glantz makes no reference to it in his Kursk book and the Pz Campaign game K43 doesn't show it. Dr Niehorster doesn't show it any where on the Ostfront as of 28 June 42. I'll start digging in other references. Can someone help me. When was this Abt equipped with Hornets? Was it present at Kursk, and under what HQ? Would it have been available if the offensive began, say, Apr24-May 10th. Thank you all for assistance.

Christoph Awender · Post by **Christoph Awender** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 4:10 am

Hello!

This site gives a good overview:
http://orbat.com/site/sturmvogel/pzjgabt.htm

schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 655 (Panther)

15 Apr 43 formed in WK III as headquarters for Pz.Jg.-Kp. 521, 611, 670
Apr 43 12(?) Nashorns issued
May 43 10 Nashorns issued
Jul 43 8 Nashorns issued
1 Sep 43 XXVII Corps, 4th Army, Army Group Center with 40 Nashorns on hand; Pz.Jg.Kp. 521 resting near Minsk
12 Sep 43 XXVII Corps, 4th Army, Army Group Center
1 Oct 43 XXXIX Panzer Corps, 4th Army, Army Group Center
Oct 43 5 Nashorns issued
Nov 43 5 Nashorns issued
Nov 43 elements assigned to LVI Panzer Corps, 2nd Army, Army Group Center
7-24 Dec 43 1. and 2. assigned to LVI Panzer Corps, 9th Army, Army Group Center, Operation Nikolas with 15 Nashorn
Dec 43 5 Nashorns issued
Mar 44 10 Nashorns issued
2 Apr 44 companies redesignated 1., 2., 3./Pz.Jg.Abt. 655
13 Sep 44 reorganized at Mielau with two StuG companies (1., 3.) and one Jagdpanther company (2.)
Nov 44 5 Jagdpanthers issued
Dec 44 9 Jagdpanthers issued
Jan 45 10 Jagdpanthers issued
1945 3./ redesignated schwere Panzerjäger-Kompanie 669
12 Feb 45 attached to 116th Panzer Division, XXXXVII Panzer Corps, 1st Parachute Army, Army Group H
2 Mar 45 Division Bayerlein, 15th Army, Army Group B
Apr 45 11 Jagdpanthers issued
SE: May I 43, East, 1x 1-2-10 mot AT II 655; Sep I 44: withdraw
SF: Oct I 44: West arrive, 1x 1-2-10 mot AT II 655; convert to 1x 3-8 TD II 655

Rchrd · Post by **Rchrd** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 12:07 pm

Thank you Christoph. Wouldn't you know it, but I had downloaded those pages some time ago and never thought to look at them. I'll go through them now in hopes of answering some of my other questions. Thanks again.

Martin Block · Post by **Martin Block** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 4:12 pm

The first train transporting elements of s.H.Pz.Jg.Abt. 655 from Germany to the Eastern Front arrived in Mogilew on 6.5.1943. The three companies of the Abteilung (Kp. 521, 611 and 670) remained in the area and carried out extensive training and life firing exercises with their new 'Hornisse' tank destroyers. During life firing exercises it quickly turned out that those 'Hornissen' fitted with the 'Zielgerät 34' gun sight were not combat worthy. Vibrations during cross country driving and especially the shock when firing the main gun proved to much for the support of the gun sight which had to be re-adjusted after each shot. Impossible under combat conditions.
Only 13 out of 45 'Hornissen' were equipped with the 'Zielgerät 1a' which ' worked without any problems.
During the night of 21./22.6.1943 disaster struck: A well aimed Soviet air attack on the camp of 655 caused 9 dead and 18 seriously wounded. 5 'Hornissen' were completely destroyed and 5 more were damaged.
On 25.-27.6.1943 the whole Abteilung was loaded on trains. Kp. 611 and 670 were transported to Minsk where they were to await replacements for the lost guns and new gun sights. This however did not happen before the end of July.
Kp. 521 with the 13 'Zielgerät 1a' equipped 'Hornissen' was transported to the area of Pz.AOK 2. From 3.7.1943 until 27.7.1943 it was attached to XXXV. A.K. and supported 56., 36. and 262. Inf.Div. east of Orel. During this time the company claimed the destruction of 1 KV II, 19 KV I, 1 General Lee, 30 T 34, 1 T 60, 5 T 70, 1 Mark II, 1 rocket launcher on armored chassis, 1 anti-aircraft gun and 3 trucks against only 2 'Hornissen' as total write-offs. Personnel losses were 2 dead, 1 missing, 16 seriously wounded, 12 slighly wounded.
After that Kp. 521 returned to the Minsk area for refit.

So much for '655 and Kursk'.

Hope it helped

Martin Block

Rchrd · Post by **Rchrd** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 10:30 pm

Thats a great story. Is it your opinion that the one company with the correct sights would have been available for operations about the first of may? Or maybe even the last week of April?