The 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 did not join its parent battalion in the Heeresgruppe Nord area of operations. Instead, it was sent south to the Proletarskaja Sector and allocated to Heeresgruppe Don. This company would later be integrated into schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503.
The 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 is established in Paderborn, using transferred crews from Panzer-Regiment 1 (1. Panzer-Division) and Panzer-Regiment 35 (4. Panzer-Division).
25 September 1942: The 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 receives its first 2 Tiger I tanks.
13 October 1942: These two Tigers are sent to the I./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502.
21-28 December 1942: The 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 receives 9 Tiger I tanks.
27-29 December 1942: Railway transport from Fallingbostel to Heeresgruppe Don (Army Group “Don”) and not to the Wolchow Sector. The 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung
502 is organized in two tank platoons with 4 Tigers and 5 Panzer Ills each, and it receives an additional Maintenance Platoon and Support Platoon.
5-6 January 1943: Detrainment in Proletarskaja.
7 January 1943: Attachment to the 17. Panzer-Division and relocation to Ssungar in
the Kuberle Sector. This was a I07-kilometer road march that was completed without any mechanical failures. Maintenance halts were taken every 20 kilometers.
8 January 1943: Counterattack with one company of Panzer-Regiment 39 on Osserskij and Nish-Ssereb Jakowka. 2 tanks and 8 antitank guns destroyed.
9 January 1943: Enemy positions with 5 antitank guns destroyed near Ilowakij. This was followed by an attack on Bratskij; 2 antitank guns knocked out. March back to Proletarskaja.
10 January 1943: Defensive operations near Budjenny; 1 KV-I, 3 T-34s, 7 T-60s and 2 antitank guns knocked out. The operational tanks-3 Tigers and 6 Panzer Ills-are attached to the 16. Infanterie-Division (mot.).
14 January 1943: The Tigers cover the disengagement of the 16. Infanterie-Division
(mot.) 3 kilometers from Nowo Ssadkowskij to Kamarow and rejoin the company at Proletarskaja the following day.
16-17 January 1943: The Panzer Ills take up covering positions at Stalinski-Pud. Order
received to move to Rostov.
22 January 1943: Arrival in Rostov and consolidation with schwere Panzer-Abteilung
503, where it is redesignated and becomes the 3./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503.
End of April 1943: The refitted parts of the battalion are relocated from Camp Senne to the Bretagne. The personnel constituting the 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (Hauptmann Schober) come almost exclusively from the 4./Panzer-Regiment 4. The latter company had seen combat for nearly three years and had trained on the Tiger since January 1943. The 3./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (Oberleutnant Oehme) was formed out of 8./Panzer-Regiment 3.
