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Albert Kerscher
| Albert Kerscher (deceased) German Army - Knights Cross with Oak Leaves. Oberfeldwebel Albert Kerscher was, like Otto Carius, a panzer ace from schwere Panzer Abteilung 502. He achieved his 100th kill in defending the Neuhauser Forest near Pillau, East Prussia in April 1945. On 22nd July 1944, 1st Lieutenant Otto Carius with his company of eight Tigers advanced towards the village on Malinava (northern suburb of Dunaburg) in order to halt the Russian advance. Carius and Kerscher took a Kubelwagen in order to check if the village was already in Russian hands. They discovered that Malinava had already been taken by the enemy. Carius recognised that the Russian tanks in the village were only advance troops waiting for the main force to arrive. He decided to recapture the village before the arrival of more Russian tanks. Carius returned to his company for briefing and explained his plan to take the village. He decided to attack the village with only two Tigers because there was only one road leading to the village and it meant very risky business. Six Tigers remained in the reserve while the Tigers of Carius and Kerscher moved towards the village of Malinava. Speed was the essence of the plan to take the Russians by surprise and immobilise their tanks. When they were about to enter the village, they could see two T-34/85 tanks rotating their turrets in their direction. Immediately Kerscher, following Carius at about 150 metres, fired two shots in rapid succession, and destroyed the two enemy tanks. This was the first time that Carius had encountered one of the latest JS-1 heavy tanks. The silhouette of the new heavy Russian tank was somewhat similar to that of the Tiger II, and Carius got confused at first but after a little hesitation, ordered his crew to fire at once, and the JS-1 burst into flames. Afterwards they realised that the entire battle was over in about twenty minutes. In such a short time, the two Tigers of Carius and Kerscher had knocked out 17 Russian tanks including the new JS-1. The Russians were taken by surprise and their quick and accurate perception of the situation were the main factors that led the two Tigers to victory. The achievement of Carius and Kerscher at Malinava is on the same level as the famous action of Michael Wittmann at Villers Bocage. He ended the war with a total score of 107. Albert Kerscher passed away on 12th June 2011. |
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| Text for the above items : |
The Rearguard by David Pentland. Preussisch Stargard, East Prussia, February 1945. Following the departure of the platoon's two other vehicles, after expending all their ammunition, the single Jagdpanther of Oberfeldwebel Hermann Bix remained to cover the withdrawal of all supporting infantry in the area. Hidden behind a muck heap, with only twenty armour piercing and five high explosive shells remaining he made the attacking Soviet Shermans pay a heavy price, destroying sixteen of their number before he too fell back out of ammunition. |
Rearm and Resupply by David Pentland. Albert Kerscher and Otto Carius. Kinderheim, Narva Bridgehead 17th March 1944, 2nd Kompany, 502 Heavy Tank Battalion. Tiger I tanks of Albert Kersher and Otto Carius, of 2nd Company. Heavy tank Battalion 502, pull back to their headquarters at The Kinderheim to reload ammunition and refuel for the next engagement. |
Armoured Reconnaissance by David Pentland. Kursk, July 1943. Sdkfz234 and 222 Armoured cars of 2nd SS Das Reich division track enemy movements on the flanks of the advancing Panzer divisions. |
The Shepherd by David Pentland. Orville, Normandy, 20th August 1944. Within days of the death of his friend and commander Obfw. Fendesack, Feldwebel Kurt Knipsel climbed into the last remaining Tiger II of 1st Company 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion as a tank commander. While leading the unit's retreat to the Seine he more than once saved it by knocking out allied tanks at extreme visual range. On the 28th the column reached Pontiose, and safety. |
The Ambush, North of Malinava Latvia, 22nd July 1944 by David Pentland. Six Tiger I tanks including Albert Kersher and Lt. Otto Carius, of 2nd Company. Heavy tank Battalion 502, prepare to take up ambush positions for the soon to arrive soviet tank brigade. In the ensuing encounter, the Tigers destroyed the entire column of 28 Josef Stalin IIs. |
Barkmann by David Pentland. Ernst Barkmann of the Das Reich 2nd SS Panzer Division holds his position near St. Lo, Normandy, 26th July 1944 against an American armoured breakthrough. |
Pather Tank - Fight for Kowel, Poland, March / April 1944 by Jason Askew. (P) Although in the process of regrouping after their escape from the Cherkassy Pocket, Panthers and Panzer Grenadiers of the crack 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking are part of the relief force hastily assembled and thrown in to free the strategically important city of Kowel in the Pripet Marshes. By April 10th the Soviet encirclement of the city was broken and Wiking were pulled out of the line to continue refitting. |
Wittmann at Villers Bocage, Normandy, 0900 hrs, June 13th 1944 by David Pentland. While other Tigers of his command struck northwest and decimated the tanks and half tracks of the Sharpshooters and Rifle Brigade parked along the road towards point 213 and Caen, Haupsturmfuhrer Michel Wittmann attacked on his own to the south east. Driving his panzer into the village of Villers Bocage. he proceeded to destroy the Stuart and Cromwell tanks of Viscount Arthur Cranleys 4th County of London Yeomanry the Sharpshooters RHQ. Although subsequently immobilized in the village center, the battle between the British 7th Armoured Division Desert Rats and Wittmanns 101st Heavy Tank Battalion continued for a full day, and blunted the British threat to the German line. |
Kerscher's Defence of Neuhauser Forest by David Pentland. Oberfeldwebel Albert Kerscher, commander of 2nd company 511 Heavy Tank Battalion aided by a Panzer IV, two Hetzers, a Kingtiger and a Pak gun, successfully defended against concerted Soviet air and armoured attacks, his action buying valuable time for the evacuation of German wounded from Pilau and scoring his 100th victory in the process. |
Tiger I by Jason Askew. (P) The Tiger tank was one of the most fearsome tanks in the German WW2 armoury. With firepower that could destroy most enemies at long range and armour that could withstand all but the closest of attacks, the Tiger is rightfully regarded as one of the most effective fighting machines of the war. |
Feldwebel Johann Muller - Tigers to the Front by David Pentland. Lake Ladoga, Leningrad 13th January 1943. Feldwebel Muller of 1st Company, Heavy Tank battalion 502, was mentioned in dispatches for his actions in the Second Battle of Lake Ladoga. During the Soviet offensive he accounted for some 25 enemy tanks and by the end of the war he had destroyed 50. |
Pather Tanks at Kursk by Jason Askew. (P) No text for this item |
Panther on the Russian Front by Jason Askew. (P) A German Panther tank is assisted in combat by infantry on the Russian Front in 1943. |
Strike For Gela, Sicily, 11th June 1943 by David Pentland. Tiger I tanks of 2 Kompanie/ Schwere Panzer Abteilung 504, attached to Panzer Division Herman Goring, launch their attack on the main US 7th Army landing beach at Gela, on the first day of Operation Husky. Despite the fact that the Herman Goring troops were untried in battle it was only the devastating effect of allied naval gunfire that stopped them reaching and probably destroying the beach head. |
Typhoon's End by David Pentland. Volokolamsk, Moscow, December 1941. Panzer III's and Panzergrenadiers of the 11th Panzer Division press on towards Moscow in the final stages of Operation Typhoon. Ultimately doomed to failure by the freezing weather and tenacious Soviet defence, this proved to be the high water mark of the Axis advance on the Soviet capital. |
Kampfgruppe Carius by David Pentland. Near Lake Ricu, 12th - 16th July 1944. |
Panther in the Ardennes by Jason Askew. (P) A Panther tank is supported by elite Panzergrenadiers in the Ardennes in 1944. |
Eastern Front Tiger by Jason Askew. (P) The Tiger tank was one of the most fearsome tanks in the German WW2 armoury. With firepower that could destroy most enemies at long range and armour that could withstand all but the closest of attacks, the Tiger is rightfully regarded as one of the most effective fighting machines of the war. Please note this drawing has a small crease in the lower left border which goes into the image about 2cm. See the photo provided. |
Tank vs Tank Combat on the Russian Front by Jason Askew. (P) A German Panther tank in combat with a Russian T-34 tank. |
Retaking Tirtsu by David Pentland. Albert Kerscher and Otto Carius. Narva Bridgehead, 18th March 1944 - 2nd Company, 502 Heavy Tank Battalion and Nordland Infantry. |
Counter Attack at Villers Bocage by David Pentland. A handful of Tigers from 2nd Kompanie SS Schwere Panzer Abteilung 101 halted the advance of the British 7th Armoured Division, The Desert Rats, outside the little Norman village of Villers Bocage. Prowling through the streets of the village, the solitary tank of Hauptsturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann knocked out most of the 4th County of London Yeomanry's regimental HQ Stuart and Cromwell tanks, before falling victim to a 6pdr anti-tank gun. Wittmann survived the battle but was killed a month later on August 8th 1944. |
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