The 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion (German: Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502) was a German World War II independent armoured battalion (German: Abteilung) equipped with heavy tanks. The battalion was the first unit to receive and field the Tiger I or Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. E heavy tank. It fought all of World War II on the Eastern front, and was one of the most successful German heavy tank battalions, destroying 1,400 tanks and 2,000 guns.

Formation

The 502nd was formed on 25 May 1942 at Bamberg from the 35th Panzer Training Battalion (German: Panzer-Ersatz-Abteilung 35). On 23 July Hitler ordered that the first Tiger I tanks be sent to the Leningrad Front. The 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion became the first unit to receive Tiger I tanks when on 19 and 20 August 1942 four Tiger I's were sent to the unit, which only partially equipped one company (German regulations called for a heavy tank battalion of three companies, with 45 tanks in total). On 29 August 1942 the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion arrived at the Leningrad Front, but was not immediately deployed for combat.

Operations

On 16 September 1942 the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion took the Tiger I into combat for the first time south of Lake Ladoga near Leningrad. On 22 September after crossing a causeway a Tiger became bogged down in the mud, and due to enemy fire the tank could not be recovered despite a number of attempts; on 25 November 1942 the tank was destroyed to prevent its capture by the enemy. This marked the first total loss of a Tiger I tank . On 25 September several more Tiger tanks and Panzer III tanks arrived and were used to completely equip the 1st company of 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion. In February 1943 several more Tiger I’s were issued to the unit as replacements for losses. On 1 April 1943 a second and third company were formed for the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion, and 31 Tiger I tanks shipped to the unit in mid to late May 1943, bring the battalion up to full strength. In June 1943, due to a change in the organization of heavy tank battalions, the 1st company was completely outfitted with Tiger I tanks rather than a mix of Tiger Is and Panzer IIIs.

The 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion only received a few Tiger II tanks. The last 13 Tiger IIs built were picked up directly at the factory by crews of the 3rd Company of 510th Heavy Tank Battalion and the 3rd Company of 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion on 31 March 1945 . The 502nd received eight of the Tiger IIs and took the tanks into combat on 1 April 1945.

On 5 January 1945 the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion was renamed to 511th Heavy Tank Battalion. The 511th (502nd) Heavy Tank Battalion fought on the Eastern Front until 27 April 1945 when the battalion was disbanded and surrendered to the Russians on 9 May 1945. By then the battalion had been issued 105 Tiger I and eight Tiger II tanks and destroyed 1,400 enemy tanks and 2,000 guns

Battalion commanders

Major Märker (August to November 1942)

Hauptmann Wollschläger (November 1942 to February 1943)

Major Richter (February to July 1943)

Hauptmann Schmidt (July to August 1943)

Hauptmann Lange (August to October 1943)

Major Jähde (October 1943 to March 1944)

Major Schwaner (April to August 1944)

Hauptmann von Foerster (August 1944 to April 1945)

This is what i have found about there unit history

25 May 1942 Formed in Bamberg (WK XIII) with one company
19-20 August 1942 4 Tigers arrive for 1./, many maintenance problems
23 August 1942 Stabskompanie and 1./ sent to Eastern Front with 4 Tigers and several PzKpfw IIIs
29 August 1942 Arrival in Mga, near Leningrad, 3 Tigers break down almost immediately due to transmission failure
16-18 September 1942 3 more Tigers arrive
22 September 1942 Baptism of fire. 1 Tiger bogged down and later destroyed [Jentz 2: initial combat 29 August 1942]
30 September 1942 9 Tigers, 7 PzKpfw III Ausf L and 18 Ausf N operational
26 October 1942 2 more Tigers arrive
October-November 1942 2./ established at Paderborn from elements of Panzer-Regimenter 1 and 35
21-28 December 1942 9 Tigers arrive for 2./
29 December 1942 2./ ordered to Eastern Front-Army Group Don
5-6 January 1943 Arrival of 2./ with 9 Tiger I's and 10 PzKpfw III Ausf. N
12-18 January 1943 1./ surrounded in Schlusselburg, 5 Tigers lost in breakout attempt
20 January 1943 1 Tiger, 2 PzKpfw III Ausf Ns operational
31 January 1943 1 Tiger is lost in action
5 February 1943 3 Tigers arrive for 1./, total of 5 on hand
20 February 1943 4 Tigers arrive for 1./
22 February 1943 2./ redesignated 3./s.PzKpfw.Abt 503 [Jentz 2: claims 10 February; Schneider contradictory with both 22 January and 22 February given]
31 March 1943 2 Tigers are lost, destroyed by crew
1 April 1943 Rebuilt in Sennelager; 2./ reformed from 4./Panzer-Regiment 4 and 3./ formed from 8./Panzer-Regiment 3
19-26 May 1943 2./ and 3./ receive 31 Tigers
6 June 1943 1./ receives 7 Tigers, 14 Tigers on hand
30 June 1943 1./ has 11 Tigers, 1 PzKpfw III Ausf. N and 3 PzKpfw III (lang) operational
early July 1943 Battalion complete with 45 Tiger I's with Army Group North
10 July 1943 36 Tiger I's, 1 PzKpfw III Ausf. N, 3 PzKpfw III (lang) operational
23 July 1943 1 Tiger is lost in action
5 August 1943 1 Tiger is lost in action
20 September 1943 1 Tiger is lost, written off as unserviceable
10 November 1943 4 Tigers are lost in action
30 November 1943 12 Tigers operational of 37 on hand
2 December 1943 1 Tiger is lost, destroyed by crew
10 January 1944 3 Tigers are lost, 1 lost in action, 2 written off as unserviceable
20 January 1944 3 Tigers are lost in action
21 January 1944 11 Tigers are lost in action or captured
20-21 January 1944 22 Tigers delivered, 41 on hand
12 February 1944 13 Tigers arrive
29 February 1944 17 Tigers arrive, 71 on hand
30 March 1944 1 Tiger is lost in action
31 March 1944 1 Tiger is lost in action
1 April 1944 29 of 67 Tigers operational
7 April 1944 2 Tigers are lost in action
19 April 1944 1 Tiger is lost, destroyed by crew
20 April 1944 3 Tigers are lost, 2 lost in action, 1 destroyed by crew
22 April 1944 1 Tiger is lost, destroyed by crew
1 May 1944 25 of 63 Tigers operational
1 June 1944 5 Tigers are lost, written off as unserviceable (stripped for parts)
24 June 1944 2 Tigers are lost in action
27 June 1944 2 Tigers are lost, destroyed by crew (by other Tigers)
2-6 July 1944 Transferred to Dünaburg (DAugustvapils), 22 of 52 Tigers operational
3 July 1944 2 Tigers are lost in action
10 July 1944 2 Tigers are lost in action
11 July 1944 2 Tigers are lost in action
16 July 1944 3 Tigers are lost in action
20 July 1944 2 Tigers are lost in action
24 July 1944 1 Tiger is lost in action
26 July 1944 5 Tigers are lost, 3 lost in action, 2 written off as unserviceable
1 August 1944 12 of 37 Tigers operational
6 August 1944 1 Tiger is lost, destroyed by crew
7 August 1944 2 Tigers are lost in action
9 August 1944 1 Tiger is lost in action
11 August 1944 1 Tiger is lost in action
12 August 1944 3 Tigers are lost in action
13 August 1944 1 Tiger is lost in action
22 August 1944 1 Tiger is lost in action
25 August 1944 Abt. claims destruction of 156 tanks and assault guns and 175 AT guns since 24 June
14 September 1944 6 Tigers are lost in action
4 October 1944 Ordered to prepare for redeployment back to Germany for re-equipment with Tiger IIs
9 October 1944 1./ and 2./ reach Memel before the Russians pocket Army Group North, but 3./ is trapped in the Kurland Pocket with 8 Tigers where it is attached to s.Pz.Abt. 510
12 November 1944 1 Tiger written off as unserviceable. 3./ transfers 6 remaining Tigers to s.Pz.Abt. 510 and moves to Libau for tranport to Germany
16 December 1944 2 Tigers received from s.Pz.Abt. Grossdeutschland
17 December 1944 3./ arrives in Sennelager
5 January 1945 Redesignated schwere Panzer-Abteilung 511 [Tessin: 31 January 1945]
10 January 1945 1 Tiger is lost, destroyed by crew
21 January 1945 Elements shipped to Pillau
27 January 1945 1 Tiger is lost in action
9 February 1945 1 Tiger is lost in action
11 February 1945 3 Tigers are lost, 1 lost in action, 2 destroyed by crew
13 February 1945 All 10 remaining Tigers given to 2./ and 1./ re-equipped with Hetzers
31 March 1945 3./ receives with 8 Tiger IIs
8 April 1945 1 Tiger is lost in action
16 April 1945 2 Tigers are lost, 1 lost in action , 1 destroyed by crew
19 April 1945 3./ disbanded after minor combat
22 April 1945 2 Tigers are lost, 1 destroyed by crew, 1 lost in action
27 April 1945 1 Tiger is lost, destroyed by crew