Otto Carius

World War II

Carius graduated from school in 1940, a year after the Second World War started. He enlisted in the army and was accepted after twice being rejected for being underweight. He first served in the infantry before volunteering for the Panzer branch. His father called tanks "metal deathtraps." Carius was transferred to the 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion in 1943 and fought in the northern Eastern Front.

In early 1945 he was made commander of a Jagdtiger company of the 512th Heavy Anti-tank Battalion fighting on the Western Front. On 8 March 1945, the 2nd Company was directed to the front line near Siegburg, where it took part in the defence of the Rhine against the American forces crossing the river, with limited success. After being trapped in the Ruhr Pocket east of the Rhine, Carius ordered all his Jagdtiger destroyed to prevent their capture before surrendering to the US Army on 7 May. He was released from captivity on 21 May.

Carius is a "panzer ace" credited with destroying more than 150 enemy tanks. Most of his kills were on the Eastern Front. He said in his autobiography that his gunner also shot down an attacking Soviet plane (possibly an IL-2) with the Tiger I's 88mm main gun in late 1943 on the Eastern Front.