INTRODUCTION

how the term "tank ace" actually came about

how kill scores were counted in the German military

from overall statistics to individual tallies

HEINZ GUDERIAN

one of the founding fathers of the German Panzerwaffe

Generaloberst and Inspector of Armoured Troops

17 June 1888 – 14 May 1954

KURT KNISPEL

Feldwebel from Sudeten Salesov

the highest-scoring tank ace in all of history

20 September 1921 – 28 April 1945

MICHAEL WITTMANN

SS-Hauptsturmführer

member of the 101st Heavy Tank Battalion of the Waffen-SS

22 April 1914 – 8 August 1944

OTTO CARIUS

Oberleutnant in the German Wehrmacht

member of the 502nd Heavy Tiger Tank Battalion

27 May 1922 – 24 January 2015

ERNST BARKMANN

SS-Oberscharführer

member of the Waffen-SS division Das Reich

25 August 1919 – 27 June 2009

JOACHIM PEIPER

SS-Obersturmbannführer

member of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler division

30 January 1915 – 17 July 1976

INTRODUCTION

how the term "tank ace" came about

how kill scores were counted

from overall statistics to individual tallies

HEINZ GUDERIAN

architect of the German Panzerwaffe

Inspector of Armoured Troops

17 June 1888 – 14 May 1954

KURT KNISPEL

Feldwebel from Sudeten Salesov

the greatest tank ace of all time

20 September 1921 – 28 April 1945

MICHAEL WITTMANN

SS-Hauptsturmführer

member of the 101st Heavy Tank Battalion

22 April 1914 – 8 August 1944

OTTO CARIUS

Oberleutnant in the German Wehrmacht

member of the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion

27 May 1922 – 24 January 2015

ERNST BARKMANN

SS-Oberscharführer

member of the Waffen-SS division Das Reich

25 August 1919 – 27 June 2009

JOACHIM PEIPER

SS-Obersturmbannführer

member of the Leibstandarte SS division

30 January 1915 – 17 July 1976