Panzer Ace Otto Carius 27 May 1922 - 24 January 2015

[Coen]

Panzer Ace Otto Carius
27 May 1922 - 24 January 2015

My dedication builds that I've done for Herr Carius.

Otto Carius (27 May 1922 – 24 January 2015) was a German tank ace within the German Army who fought during World War II and was credited with destroying more than 150 tanks. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves were awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Carius had been drafted twice before, but sent home as "Not fit for service at present underweight!". But in May 1940, Carius was finally drafted into the 104th Infantry Replacement Battalion. Following training, he volunteered for the Panzer Corps. Carius learned the fundamentals of tank warfare at Putlos in Holstein as a member of the 7th Panzer Replacement Battalion.
His unit was integrated into the newly formed 21st Panzer Regiment and in June 1941 was sent to East Prussia. He experienced his first battle as a loader in a Panzer 38(t) during Operation Barbarossa in late June 1941. It was during this operation that Carius suffered wounds from a round that struck his tank.
In 1943, Carius transferred to the schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (502 heavy tank battalion). This unit fought at the Leningrad front and then in the area of Narva, Estonia (Battle of Narva) and was subordinated to Strachwitz Battle Group, under the command of Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz. Carius was severely wounded on 24 July 1944 while reconnoitring a village on a motorcycle ahead of his tanks. Until that day, he was unofficially running the 2nd company of 502nd; however, he officially became the commander of 2nd company on the same day he was shot through the leg, arm, 4 bullets in the back and one through the neck. He subsequently became the commander of a Jagdtiger company of the 512th Heavy Antitank Battalion (schwere Panzerjägerabteilung) in the West at the beginning of 1945. On 8 March 1945, without finishing its training, 2nd company was directed to the front line near Siegburg. It then took part in the defense of the River Rhine and eventually surrendered to the US Army on 15 April 1945.

After the war he started a pharmacy shop called Tiger Apotheke[1] in Herschweiler-Pettersheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, named after the Tiger tank. He also wrote a book about his own experience in the war, entitled Tigers in the Mud.[2]
Carius died on 24 January 2015 at the age of 92.


Awards and achievements

Wound Badge in Black (8 July 1941)
Eastern Front Medal (20 August 1941)
Iron Cross 2nd Class (15 September 1942)
Iron Cross 1st Class (23 November 1943)
Wound Badge in Silver (15 December 1943)
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Knight's Cross on 4 May 1944 as Leutnant of the Reserves and platoon leader in the 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502
535th Oak Leaves on 27 July 1944 as Leutnant of the Reserves and leader of the 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502
Panzer Badge in Silver
2nd Grade (15 July 1944)
3rd Grade (1 September 1944)
Wound Badge in Gold (11 September 1944)

[PaulAyrey]

Great models Mike, superb collection tracking the machines of the tank ace. To a high standard too. Wonderful!

[Opapapa]

May he rest in peace. Oh man, these are wonderful!!! You're the master. I'm slowly getting myself into armor modeling and I really enjoy these historical "series" (um, I don't know the right word...) that you've built! I like to read history a lot and you've got me inspired to find out more about these tank aces.

Olli

[HamilkarBarkas]

Good man! It is sad to see the war generation passing away. They have my respect.

One last salute to a former soldier, as it is custom in our country:

[youtube]kyBiQaVyLMM[/youtube]

[ForbesHutton]

Sad news. He had 70 years more than many who fought in that war, it seems he had the most of them.

[chief5437]

Hmmmm, not sure how I feel about this being on 'International' scale modeller.

[HamilkarBarkas]

Hmmmm, not sure how I feel about this being on 'International' scale modeller.

comon.

[rodrant]

Very nice builds and a very nice subject , admire how we can go through all the vehicles used by this German Tank Ace , and also almost a German WW2 evolution of the vehicles ! And all this is History , It would be an interesting subject as well do something like this but dedicated to Kurt Knispel , a fascinating Tank Ace History as well .

Congratulations Again !

[AchtungPanzer]

Nice models Mike and interesting subject...Otto Carius was not bad ...but for me Number "One" was Kurst Knispel. He died 28 IV 1945. At the time of death he was 24 years o.- (my avatar) .

[HamilkarBarkas]

[Coen]

Very nice builds and a very nice subject , admire how we can go through all the vehicles used by this German Tank Ace , and also almost a German WW2 evolution of the vehicles ! And all this is History , It would be an interesting subject as well do something like this but dedicated to Kurt Knispel , a fascinating Tank Ace History as well .

Congratulations Again !

Nice models Mike and interesting subject...Otto Carius was not bad ...but for me Number "One" was Kurst Knispel. He died 28 IV 1945. At the time of death he was 24 years o.- (my avatar) .

About three weeks ago I started a dedication build of Kurt's Tiger II from Normandy. It's a buddy build with Jonas Coleman (Warwarneverchanges), he is building Kurt's panzer IV.
[youtube]ZbFraoYIlY4[/youtube]

[AchtungPanzer]

Thanx Mike

[ForbesHutton]

I love this picture!

It looks like the medal is tucked away someplace that he has to dig it out, but the models are on display. I wonder how many of the models are the "Otto Carius Tiger" from Tamiya.

[gustavlekstal]

Great work! Really enjoyed enjoyed them.
It's also 70 years since the liberation of auschwich and there is a poem I always think of that was written by a hero German during ww2 that didn't followed the flock marching or saluting just because they got a fancy uniform and they played some Wagner.

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

By Martin Niemöller

[Coen]

Great work! Really enjoyed enjoyed them.
It's also 70 years since the liberation of auschwich and there is a poem I always think of that was written by a hero German during ww2 that didn't followed the flock marching or saluting just because they got a fancy uniform and they played some Wagner.

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

By Martin Niemöller

That was brilliant.