SS Panzer Battalion 501: Tigers in the Ardennes
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The Peiper Kampfgruppe was the spearhead of the 6th Panzer Army. Most often mentioned for its actions on Ardennes soil, today the Gepanzerte Kampfgruppe "Peiper" remains an object of interest for its actions during the engagements between Stavelot and La Gleize, as well as the engagement of its Tiger II against the American armored units.
Although the unit had exceptional crews, including some of the most emblematic aces of the Panzerwaffe, and benefited from the element of surprise, it suffered a bitter failure in the Ardennes. How could a vehicle considered to be among the most powerful of the conflict suffer almost 100 percent losses? In hindsight, can we speak of a tactical failure?
This study, carried out by a duo of Ardennes authors experienced in this episode of the Second World War, meets the dual objective of reconstructing the facts and explaining why, in the end, the Tiger tank battalion N°501 (schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 501) was able to survive the Battle of the Bulge. It includes a summary of their confrontations, a history of the unit, as well as a tank-by-tank analysis of the causes of destruction. In total, the authors found sixteen different examples, and the machines lost one by one in the Ardennes make it possible to follow the unit's course throughout the conflict.
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Hugues Wenkin, a historian and engineer, has been collaborating with the most important French historical publishers since 2006. Author of numerous monographs and historical studies on mechanised warfare, his works are always based on in-depth archival research. He makes it a point of honor to systematically confront his tactical analyzes with a return to the battlefield, while his factual, contrarian approach allows him to see the issues addressed in a new light. As a senior adviser to the editors of the Mook 1944 publications, he renews the genre through a scientific approach and the reinterrogation of primary sources. Hugues is currently preparing a PhD about the Phoney War in Belgium, while his book on V Weapons won a prestigious award from the French army.
Author of several books on the Battle of the Bulge, Christian Dujardin is a well-known local historian in the Ardennes. As a field specialist, he trains local guides at the request of the official Belgian tourism services, and is a scientific advisor for the Bastogne War Museum.
