503rd Heavy Tank Battalion (Germany)

503rd Heavy Tank Battalion (Germany)

The 503rd Army Heavy Panzer Battalion (German: Schwere Heerespanzerabteilung 503) was a German heavy Panzer Abteilung (a battalion-sized unit) equipped with Tiger I tanks and Panzer IIIs. In 1944, it was re-equipped with the new Tiger II. The 503rd saw action on the Eastern and Western Fronts during the Second World War. As with other German Heavy Panzer Detachments, it was normally not assigned to a single corps, but shuffled around according to war circumstances. Later the Panzerabteilung became part of the newly formed Panzerkorps "Feldherrnhalle" as the Feldherrnhalle Heavy Tank Battalion (Schwere Panzerabteilung Feldherrnhalle).