German Knight's Cross Tank Drawings

Signed German tank pencil drawings by artist David Pentland

A set of 8 new pencil drawings by David Pentland, featuring Knight's Cross winning tank commanders in the German army of World War Two. These new pencil drawings have been signed by the tank commander shown in the drawing.

Alfred Rubbel

Oberstleutnant Alfred Rubbel

Joining the Panzer forces in 1940, Alfred Rubbel served first with Panzer Regiment 29 in Mittel and the with Panzer Regiment 4 in the Caucasus. He transferred to the Tiger I Panzer and from March 1943 to May 1945 served, as Tank Commander, with Heavy Panzer Division 503. He was awarded the Iron Cross I and II, and had 57 Panzer victories from 79 Panzer battles. Rubbel was a close friend of Kurt Knispel, a fellow tank commander of Pz Abt 503 and top-scoring Panzer Ace.

More...

"In the shadow of Elbrus"

Central Caucasus, August 1942. Against a background of Mount Elbrus, the Panzer IV’s of 9^th company, panzer regiment 4, 13^th Panzer division, race south from Rostov to attempt to take the oilfields of the Caucasus.

"Breaking the Gran bridgehead"

Hungary, 18th February 1945. The Soviet bridgehead across the lower river Gran threatened the important oilfields at Komorn. To deal with it, Heavy tank battalion 503 was attached to the elite “Hoch und Deutschmeister” Division. Then in conjunction with the 12^th SS “Hitlerjugend” Division to the north the operation was launched and the bridgehead successfully crushed.

Gerhard Fischer

Gerhard Fischer

German Army Panzer Tank Ace - Knights Cross. Awarded the Knights Cross.

More...

"Barenkovo"

Gerhard Fischer. Russia, 25th February 1943. Marder II, PzJager Battalion 5,SS Panzer Grenadier Division Wiking. Marder II and PzIII of 5th SS Panzer Grenadier Division Wiking during the pursuit of retreating Soviet forces south of Kharkov. Heavily outnumbered by the enemy (the division only had 5 PzIII tanks operational) Wiking and 2 equally weak divisions, 7th and 11th Panzer achieved spectacular success for Field Marshal Mansteins initial counterattack.

"Holding the Vistula"

Gerhard Fischer. Poland, 31st July 1944. Jagdpanzer IV Pz Jager Batt 5, 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking. Jagdpanzer IVs of 5th SS Panzer Panzerjager battalion Wiking employed east of Warsaw to halt the Soviet attempts to break into the besieged city.<p>Please note the size given is the paper size. The image including the border and signature is shown below.

"Lying in Wait"

Gerhard Fischer. Poland, 14th August 1944 - Jagdpanzer IV of Jagd Pz Batt 5, 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking. Jagdpanzer IVs of 5th SS Panzer Panzerjager battalion Wiking employed east of Warsaw to halt the Soviet attempts to break into the besieged city.<p>Please note the size given is the paper size. The image including the border and signature is shown below.

Albert Kerscher

Albert Kerscher

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.

More...

"Rearm and Resupply"

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.

"Retaking Tirtsu"

Albert Kerscher and Otto Carius. Narva Bridgehead, 18th March 1944 - 2nd Company, 502 Heavy Tank Battalion and Nordland Infantry. Tiger I tanks of Albert Kersher and Otto Carius, of 2nd Company, Heavy tank Battalion 502, along with only 16 Grenadiers launch a pre dawn attack on the strongpoint at Tirtsu. This small but typical operation stabilised the German frontline.

Karl Spreitzer (Ju87 Stuka)

Karl Spreitzer

Karl Spreitzer, Stuka pilot, awarded the Knights Cross as Leutnant 10(Pz) in April 1945. Karl Spreitzer as a Stuka pilot with St.G.2 building over 600 flying combat hours in Stukas. his first actions were in Norway, and the Battle of Britain, and later in the Mediterranean theatre in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Malta. and finally Russia. Sadly, Karl Spreitzer died 2nd February 2009.

More...

"Tank Hunters"

Targul Frumos, Rumania, April 1944. 10th Staffel (Panzerjager) Schlachtgeswader 2. Junkers Ju87Gs of 10th Staffel (Panzerjagers), Schlaghtgeswader 2, led by Oberst Hans Ulrich Rudel, corner a battalion of the new Soviet Josef Stalin 2 tanks on the Rumanian plains. Despite their heavy armour the tanks were vulnerable from above to the special anti tank guns of the Stukas.