Tanks in the German Army the Vistula River near Baranów Sandomierski. The majority of King Tigers went to Wehrmacht units, while some 150 were assigned to the Waffen SS. The first Tigers II tanks reached schwere Panzer Abteilungen of both Wehrmacht and Waffen SS as early as February 1944. Only two companies of Schwere Heers Panzer Abteilung 503 (s.H.Pz.Abt. 503), equipped with Tiger II tanks (with Porsche turrets), were committed to the fighting in Normandy. Tiger II tanks of Schwere Heers Panzer Abteilung 506 (s.H.Pz.Abt. 506), saw combat during the "Market Garden" operation in the Netherlands in September 1944. On 15 October 1944 Tiger IIs
Tiger I command. These battalions would be deployed to critical sectors, either for breakthrough operations or, more typically, counter-attacks. A few favoured divisions, such as the "Grossdeutschland", and the 1st SS "Leibstandarte" Adolf Hitler, 2nd SS "Das Reich", and 3rd SS "Totenkopf" Panzergrenadier Divisions at Kursk, had a Tiger company in their tank regiments. The "Grossdeutschland" Division had its Tiger company increased to a battalion as the III Panzer Battalion of the Panzer Regiment "Grossdeutschland". 3rd SS "Totenkopf" retained its Tiger I company through the entire war. 1st SS and 2nd SS had their Tiger companies taken away and incorporated into the