The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-tank Unit 653 in World War II

Contains hundreds of photographs of tank destroyers
• Unit markings, numbering and camouflage illustrated in colour
• Gives first-hand accounts of the men who rode in these mechanical monsters

German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 was equipped with the heaviest tank-destroying vehicles of the German armed forces. Initially conceived as an assault-gun battalion but redesignated in April 1943, the 653 received its first Ferdinand heavy tank destroyers (later modified and renamed Elephants) in May 1943, and went into action on the Eastern Front a month later.

In 1944, the unit converted to the massive Jagdtiger. The seventy-five-ton, heavily armoured Jagdtiger was the behemoth of the battlefield. It boasted a 128mm gun with a range of more than thirteen miles, making the Jagdtiger a highly effective tank killer, despite its limited mobility. Outfitted with these lethal giants, the 653 saw service in Russia, Italy, Austria and Germany.

Karlheinz Münch is a veteran of the modern German Army and has also authored a history of 654 anti-tank unit, The Combat History of Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung 654.

Karlheinz Munch
Paperback 400 pages 400 b/w photos 2005