The Tiger Project: A Series Devoted to Germany’s World War II Tiger Tank Crews: Dr. Günter Polzin–Schwere Panzer (Tiger) Abteilung 503

The third book in the series covers the story of a panzer soldat from Germany’s Wehrmacht of the Second World War. Günter Polzin served his brief military career with Schwere Panzer Abteilung 503, an outfit that was equipped throughout the war with Germany’s vaunted Tiger tank. With a significant contribution from Martin Burmester, his story with Tiger-abteilung 503 is unusual, in that there has been little told from the perspective of a former member of the 2nd Company of 503. While there are several books available that cover 503, there has been limited coverage of the 2nd Company. From training to the harsh battles on the Eastern Front, on the invasion front in the West to the final battles in Hungary, and finally ending the war in captivity, both Polzin and Burmester were with 503 throughout the entire combat deployment of that unit. Combining their experiences with photographs, many previously unseen, and other, better-known photographs, a more complete picture of 503 is presented within the context of a Tiger tank veteran.

About the Author

Dale Richard Ritter was born in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1970. After spending four years on active duty as a mechanized infantryman in the 3rd and 24th Infantry Divisions of the U.S. Army, he went on to college at Pennsylvania State University. Graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education he began his career as a high school history teacher. Attending East Stroudsburg University he earned his Master’s Degree in History. It was while stationed in Germany that he developed a strong interest in the personal experiences of Germany’s Second World War veterans. That interest generated ongoing correspondence with the veterans and eventually evolved into a more focused study of and correspondence with Germany’s Tiger Panzer soldiers. He continues to teach both on the high school and the college level near his home in Alburtis, PA where he resides with his wife and three daughters.