Tuesday 5 June 2018

Otto Carius | Timeline

Otto Carius (27 May 1922 – 24 January 2015) was one of the leading german tank aces in the army of the Wehrmacht during World War II. Carius served mostly in the Eastern Front as a tank commander and briefly in the west during the battle of Remagen, as a Tank destroyer commander. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and credited with 150+ enemy tanks destroyed.

May 27, 1922 - Zweibrücken, Palatinate - Otto Carius is born
March 1(?), 1940 - Zweibrücken - Receives his Preparatory School Diploma
May 25, 1940 - Posen - Carius volunteers to join the 104th Infantry Replacement Battalion He arrives by train in Posen just a few days after the invasion of France =(START)
August(?) 1(?), 1940 - Darmstadt - Transfered to Darmstadt
September(?) 1(?), 1940 - Vaihingen, near Stuttgart - Carius reports to the 7th Panzer Replacement Battalion
October 5, 1940 - Vaihingen - The 21st Panzer Regiment is formed in Vaihingen (Carius is a loader)
June 1, 1941 - Ohrdruf - The 21st Panzer Regiment is integrated into the 20th Panzer Division for joint exercises with Infantry
June 15(?), 1941 - Putlos (E. of Kiel) - Training with submergible tanks. The men get combat rations but still feel that England is their destiny
June 21, 1941 - S. of Kalvarija, Lithuania - The division moves to the border, in the woods south of Karvarija
June 22, 1941 - Alytus Airfield - Reaches Alytus after a 120km road march
June 23, 1941 - Alytus | Neman River - Carius helps at a battle in Alytus, when the russians reorganize after the initial shock. Crossing of the Neman
June 24, 1941 - Vilnius - City Taken
July 3, 1941 - W. of Ulla (W. of Vitebsk) - The 20th Panzer Division reaches the Daugava River, near Ulla
July 8, 1941 - Ulla (W. of Vitebsk) - Carius's tank is knocked out by a 47mm anti-tank round, after crossing the Daugava River on a pontoon bridge. The crew bails out, but Carius is wounded in the face and looses a couple of teeth. The radio operator looses an arm
July 9, 1941 - Vitebsk - Carius rejoins his unit as it enters into Vitebsk
July 12, 1941 - Demodov - Moving towards Yartsevo, on the Smolensk-Moscow Highway
July 14, 1941 - Dukhovshchina - Moving towards Yartsevo, on the Smolensk-Moscow Highway
July 16, 1941 - Yartsevo (Smolensk-Moscow Highway) - The 20th Panzer Division reaches Yartsevo
July 17, 1941 - Yartsevo - Defensive fighting
July 27, 1941 - Yelnya (SE Smolensk/Glinka) - Defensive fighting
August 1, 1941 - Yelnya - Promoted to Unteroffizier
August 2, 1941 - Yelnya - Carius is awarded the Wound Badge in black for being wounded on July 8th
August 4, 1941 - Yelnya - Marching orders back to Wünsdorf, via Erlangen
August 6, 1941 - Wünsdorf, near Berlin - Officer candidate course
February 2, 1942 - Wünsdorf - Carius fails the officer candidate course
February 15, 1942 - Gagarin (Gshatsk), NE. of Vyazma - Carius returns to the front to see his regiment nearly decimated
March 1, 1942 - Gagarin (Gshatsk) - defensive fighting until June around winter positions on Gshatsk and East of Vyazma
June 1(?), 1942 -  Sychyovka, between Vyazma and Rzhev - Transfered to the area of Sychyovka, between Vyazma and Rzhev
August(?) 1(?), 1942 - Sukhinichi-Kozelsk-Belyov Area, North of Orel - Transfered to the area North of Orel
August 7, 1942 - Sukhinichi - German Army takes Sukhinichi
August 20, 1942 - Sukhinichi-Kozelsk-Belyov Area, North of Orel - Carius is promoted to Lieutenant and awarded the Medal for the Winter Campaign in the East 1941/1942
September 15, 1942 - Sukhinichi-Kozelsk-Belyov Area - Otto Carius is awarded the Iron Cross Second Class
November 14, 1942 - Promoted to Leutnant der Reserve
November 25, 1942 - Ssergeizewo - Help needed: which city is this today?
December(?) 1(?), 1942(?) - Belyayeva, W. of Orel - Last unsucessful assault to Belyayeva
December 2, 1942 - Gorushka - SE Leningrad - "pipeline" to Moscow
December 9, 1942 - Gorushka(?) - Wounded in the hand by small arms fire
December 12, 1942 - Vitebsk - Nevel road - Carius moves out - Vitebsk-Nevel Road
December 31, 1942 - Ploskaya - W-NW Smolensk
January 1(?), 1943 - Belyayeva, W. of Orel - Telegram - Carius is transferred to the 500th Replacement Battalion
March(?) 1(?), 1943 - Paderborn - Carius arrives in Paderborn, home of the 500th Replacement and training Battalion
April 1, 1943 - Putlos (E. of Kiel) - Telegram: Carius is assigned to 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion (Unit formed exclusively from Eastern Front Panzer Veterans to train of the New Panzer VI Tiger). Orders to report to HQ to train with new tanks
April 5, 1943 - Ploermel (Brittany, France) - Secretive Trials with Tiger I
June 2, 1943 - Metz - Train trip from Ploermel to Metz. Carius telegraphs to his family
June 3(?), 1943 - Homburg on the Saar - Carius's mother and relatives meet him at the train station on his way to the East
July 21, 1943 - Mga (SE Leningrad - E Kolpino) - Carius and the Tiger train reaches Mga and the tanks begin being unloaded
July 22, 1943 - Mga (SE Leningrad - E Kolpino) - Carius is thrown into the third battle for Ladoga
August(?) 1(?), 1943 - Tosno - The germans begin laying asphalt on the roads around Gatchina (that later are used by the russians)
September 1(?), 1943 - Chernovo (W. of Gatchina), S. of Leningrad - Carius's unit is pulled out of the front line and sets up quarters in Chernovo
October 1(?), 1943 - Chernovo (W. of Gatchina), S. of Leningrad - Carius receives orders to march south to hold the Velikiye Luki-Nevel-Vitebsk road
November 4, 1943 - Nevel, SW of Velikiy Luki - The rest of the battalion joins Carius in Nevel. Carius destroys 10 tanks in a column of 12 T-34's. Later in the day, further north, he destroys another 3 and rolls over 3 anti-tank guns inside a village on the road
November 7, 1943 - Gorodok Area(?) - German attack in the direction of Vitebsk along the road
November 10, 1943 - Pugatschina (Gorodok Area?) - Counterattack
November 23, 1943 - Otto Carius is awarded the Iron Cross First Class, after destroying 3 more tanks
November 25, 1943 - W. of Sergeytsevo (NW of Nevel) - Supporting an attack by the 503rd infantry regiment against the russians in the woods west of Sergeyzevo
December 2, 1943 - Gorushka (Gorushko Nevelsk? - N of Nevel) - Carius's tiger gets stuck in a tank ditch, unable to budge. Zwetti advances and renders assistance. Under mortar fire, the two tanks attached tow cables. While hooking up the cables, Carius is struck by shrapnel to the temple (Tigers already painted white)
December 12, 1943 - Lovets (W. Of Nevel) - Carius is sent to Lovets, on the Nevel-Vitebsk road
December 15, 1943 - Lovets - Wound badge in Silver for being wounded 3 times
December 16, 1943 - Lovets - Successful attack along the Vitebsk-Nevel road
December 17, 1943 - Lovets(?) - After an attack to the north, Carius's Tiger is hit by a "stalin's organ" and withraws in the direction of Nevel along the road
January(?) 1(?), 1944 - Gatchina (SW of Leningrad) - Narva-leningrad Highway - Carius's unit is sent to Gatchina on railway, with Neval sector being overrun by the soviets
January(?) 5(?), 1944 - Opol'ye (Narva-Leningrad Highway) - Gatchina is abandoned and the unit moves to the rear. Attacks toward Volosovo
January(?) 8(?), 1944 - Narva, Estonia - Carius arrives in Narva by train, where SS-Nordland Division was based
February 2, 1944 - Narva - Feldmarschall Model arrives and gives orders to Carius to stop all russian tanks without loosing a Tiger
February 12, 1944 - Narva Bridgehead (east of the city) - narva bridgehead - 4 tank kills
February 16, 1944 - Between Narva and the Baltic - Baltic supports Wengler from a massive russian assault with two Tiger tanks
February 24, 1944 - SW of Narva - Defensive positions along the Narva River
February 27, 1944 - Lembitu, (between Rakvere and Narva) - Soviet bombers begin bombing german positions on a daily basis
March 16, 1944 - Sillamäe - The expected soviet attack doesn't happen, so Carius is allowed to rest for a few days and enjoy the sauna at Sillamäe beach with the rest of the 502nd
March 17(?), 1944 - Lembitu - Massive soviet artillery bombardment. The HQ is attacked by 6 T-34's and a few anti-tank guns. Carius wins the small battle
March 19, 1944 - Lembitu - Soviet attempt to encircle the germans in Narva Sector with a movement from the west. Carius knocks out a few more T-34s
March 22, 1944 - Meriküla, NE Estonia - The soviets try to land from the Sea. Carius moves to the coast but when he arrives, the soviets were already destroyed
March 31, 1944 - Sillamäe - By the end of March, both the Tigers and crews were needing maintenance and rest
April 6, 1944 - Lembitu - Operation Strachwitz - german attack
April 15, 1944 - Lembitu - Planning of Operation Strachwitz (third attack) with Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz (who is awarded the Diamonds for his Knight's Cross during the briefing)
April 19, 1944 - Sillamäe area(?) - Operation Strachwitz - third part - is put under way
April 20, 1944 - Sillamäe area(?) - Wounded/injured
April 23, 1944 - Sillamäe area(?) - The Company receives orders to relocate to Pskov
April 31, 1944 - Pskov - Carius is awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions in the Narva sector
June 6, 1944 - Pskov Area(?) - Carius receives a letter from General Guderian, congratulating him for his "Knight's Cross"
June 24, 1944 - Pskov Area(?) - Attack agains the Judennase (Jew's nose)
July 2, 1944 - Pskov Area(?) - The Battalion is transported to Daugavpils by rail
July 4, 1944 - Daugavpils, Latvia - Arrival in Daugavpils. The Tigers assemble on the Southern bank of the Diina River, 8km S. Of Daugavpils
July 11, 1944 - near Karasino - Clashes with the soviets. Zwetti is wounded
July 14, 1944 - Bolnorycze - North of Karasino, Carius captures Bolnorycze during the night. Returns back to Nurwiance
July 15, 1944 - Maruga - Carius is attached to a kampfgruppe in Maruga
July 16, 1944 - S. of Turmantas (S. of Daugavpils) - Kampfgruppe Carius clears up an enemy penetration south of Turmantas
July 19, 1944 - 50km from Daugavpils - Carius gets a report that the soviets had broken through NE of Daugavpils with 90 to 100 tanks
July 20, 1944 - Malinava (NE Daugavpils) - Carius reaches the supply zone, where he meets Johannes Bölter. The two aces talk briefly
July 22, 1944 - Malinava - Carius attacks Malinava with Albert Kerscher, knocking out 17 JS-2s and 5 T-34s. Subsequently, the Kampfgruppe moves to a position 10km east of Krivani (N of Daugavpils) in order to defeat the rest of the enemy brigade. When the enemy brigade's main body approaches without any reconnaissance, it is ambushed; 28 tanks destroyed.
July 24, 1944 - Outskirts of Daugavpils (Road to Riga) - Carius is shot in the thigh while riding a reconnaissance motorcycle. Lying on the ground, he his hit again in the arm and four times in the back. Three russians reach him, but at the moment of his execution, the russians are surprised by the arrival of the Tigers. Instead of his head, the bullet hits him in the neck, surviving miraculously and without feeling pain with all the adrenaline and excitement
July 25(?), 1944 - Talinn, Estonia - Carius is loaded in a ship to Germany (Rail connections were broken by the russians)
July 27, 1944 -  (while in a ship to Germany) - Carius is awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross
August 1, 1944 - Swinemünde - Arrival in Germany. Carius is put in a hospital train to Lingen (Ems)
August 4, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - close to dutch border - In Hospital, Carius receives a letter from the 502nd heavy panzer battalion, congratulating him for his "oakleaves" award
August 5, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - Promoted to Oberleutnant der Reserve
August 7, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - Carius receives a letter from General Guderian, congratulating him for his "oakleaves" award
August 10, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - Letter from Heesemann congratulating him for the "oakleaves" award
August 31, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - Carius receives a letter from General Lotze, congratulating him for his "oakleaves" award
September 1, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - Carius receives the panzer assault badge in silver for 50 straight days fighting
September 10, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - Letter from new 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion commander Von Foerster
September 11, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - Carius is promoted Oberleutnant and receives the wound badge in Gold for being wounded 5 times
September 12, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - Carius receives a letter summoning him to receive the "oakleaves" to his Knight's Cross
September 15, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - Carius starts walking on crutches
September 24, 1944 - Military Hospital - Lingen (Ems) - Carius receives a letter informing him of his promotion to "Oberleutnant"
October 31(?), 1944 - Salzburg, Austria - Carius reports in Salzburg, to be awarded the Oak Leaves by Himmler. Dinner and private conversation
November 1(?), 1944 - Berchtesgaden | Obersalzberg Mountain - Himmler puts a driver at Carius's disposal to show him the surroundings of Salzburg
November 4(?), 1944 - Halle - SS-officers give Carius a ride to Berlin via Munich and Halle, where they visit the Leuna Synthetic Oil refinery
November 5(?), 1944 - Berlin - Arrival in Berlin
December(?) 15(?), 1944 - ? - Hospital in Westphalia, where his uncle was chief-surgeon
January 2, 1945 - Paderborn - Carius is denied transfer to his old unit in East Prussia. To be transfered due to his "high value" to russians
February 11, 1945 - Döllersheim - Formation of 512 Abteilung Schwere Panzerjäger
JagdTiger Tank Destroyer
February 27, 1945 - Sennelager - Begins moving to the front after incomplete training
March 7, 1945 - near Siegburg - The first 2nd company JagdTigers arrive at the front after 10 days
March 14, 1945 - Döllersheim - Travelling South by Rail - Remagen Bridge in US hands since March 7th
March 20, 1945 - Lauschied Woods (SE Eitorf) - Moving slowly at night
March 21, 1945 - Remagen - Battle of Remagen (objective Ludendorff Bridge Intact)
March 24, 1945 - Between Eitorf and Siegburg - Attacking SW to destroy US Bridgehead
March 26, 1945 - Siegen - Retreating to Siegen
April 8, 1945 - Unna - 11 tanks + 30 vehicles destroyed by the Company
April 15, 1945 - Iserlohn (SE Dortmund) - The 2nd Company surrendered to US forces
January(?) 1(?), 1946(?) - Heidelberg - Otto Carius enrolls at Heidelberg University
January(?) 1(?), 1947 - Heidelberg(?) - Carius gets his start in pharmacy as an apprentice
January(?) 1(?), 1949 - Freiburg (Breisgau) - Works in a pharmacy in Freiburg until 1952
January(?) 1(?), 1954(?) - Holzkirchen, near Munich - First get-together of members of the 2nd Company of the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion
January(?) 1(?), 1955 - Seewalchen (Attersee) - Carius and members of the 2nd Company of the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion get together
January(?) 1(?), 1956 - Herschweiler-Pettersheim - Carius opens his own pharmacy shop called "Tiger Apotheke"
January(?) 1(?), 2011 - Herschweiler-Pettersheim - Otto Carius retires
January 24, 2015 - Herschweiler-Pettersheim - Otto Carius dies, aged 92 =(END)

Bibliography
CARIUS - Tigers in the Mud - Stackpole Books
KUROWSKI, Franz - Panzer Aces III - Stackpole Books

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