Panzer Ace Otto Carius 27 May 1922 - 24 January 2015
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 7:05 pm
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)
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)
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) .
