The Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 was formed in August 1942 and the first tanks arrived at the front near Leningrad on 29 August 1942. The rest of the first company arrived in November 1942 and more tanks arrived in February 1943.
The second company was formed in late 1942 and was sent together with the first and second companies of Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503 to the Kalmückensteppe in December and was integrated into that unit as the third company in February 1943.

It was redesignated Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 511 in January 1945.

Commanders

Major Richard Märker (? Aug 1942 - ? Nov 1942)
Hauptmann Artur Wollschlaeger (? Nov 1942 - 7 Feb 1943) (WIA)
Major Richter (? Feb 1943 - ? July 1943)
Hauptmann Friedrich Schmidt (? July 1943 - ? Aug 1943)
Hauptmann Lange (? Aug 1943 - ? Oct 1943)
Hauptmann Oehme (Oct 1943) [m.d.F.b.]
Major Willy Jähde (? Oct 1943 - ? Mar 1944)
Major Dipl.Ing. Hans-Joachim Schwaner (? Apr 1944 - ? Aug 1944) (WIA)
Hauptmann Ferdinand von Foerster (25 Aug 1944 - 13 / 31 ? Jan 1945)

Area of operations

Eastern front (Aug 1942 - Jan 1945)

Note. This table covers both Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 and 511

Holders of high awards

(this was the most decorated of the Schwere Panzer-Abteilungen)
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (1)
- Meyer, Herbert, 27.05.1943 (1815), Leutnant, Zugführer i. d. s.Pz.Abt. 502
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (3)
- Bölter, Johannes, 29.03.1943, Oberfeldwebel, 1./s.Pz.Abt. 502
- Göring, Kurt, 09.10.1944, Oberfeldwebel, 2./s.Pz.Abt. 502
- Meyer, Herbert, 30.12.1943, Leutnant d.R., s.Pz.Abt. 502
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (1)
- Meyer, Herbert, 27.03.1944, Leutnant d.R., 1./s.Pz.Abt. 502
Holders of the Knight's Cross (10) (8 RK + 2 EL)

Notable members

Johannes Bolter (usually credited with 139 destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)
Otto Carius (usually credited with 150+ destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)
Alfredo Carpaneto (usually credited with 50+ destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)
Albert Kerscher (usually credited with 100+ destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)
Heinz Kramer (usually credited with 50+ destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)
Johann Muller (usually credited with 50 destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)

Tigers of sPzAbt. 502 on the Eastern front 1944

(Courtesy of Derek L)

Tiger tank from Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 passing through a French village in 1943

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Tiger 312 replenishing ammunition near Lake Ladoga in August 1943

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3 0 Germany)

Sources used

Ron Klages - Trail of the Tigers
Wolfgang Schneider - Tigers in combat (2 vol)
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945
Gordon Williamson - German Army Elite Units, 1939-45

Reference material on this unit

Артефакт - 502 ТАНКОВЫЙ БАТАЛЬОН
Otto Carius - Tigers in the Mud