The schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 559 was formed on 10 April 1944 from Panzerjäger-Abteilung (Sfl.) 559 and was equipped with Jagdpanther tank destroyers. It was the first heavy tank destroyer unit to be equipped with the new standard of one company with Jagdpanthers and two companies of Jagdpanzer IV or Sturmgeschütz III. It took several months for the Jagdpanthers to arrive but on 6 September it had arrived on the western front and was ready for action despite lack of training. On 29 September it had only 3 Jagdpanthers ready for action with 6 in need to repair and 8 Sturmgeschütz that all needed repair. On 4 October it had 3 Jagdpanthers and 5 Sturmgeschütz ready for action.

Knocked-out Jagdpanther tank destroyer near Gheel, 13 September 1944

(Courtesy of Imperial War Museum)

Sources used

Walter J Spielberger, Hilary L. Doyle & Thomas L. Jentz - Heavy Jagdpanzer: Development, Production, Operations
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

Jack Didden & Maarten Swarts - Autumn Gale