Flames of War: Königstiger
A company, or better yet a full Knigstiger battalion, was quite capable of steamrolling its way through enemy lines and driving a wedge to be exploited. But this would be one local break through, and with front lines extending over a thousand kilometres, the few Knigstiger As one of Hitler's wonder weapons designed to change the course of the war, the Knigstiger had the potential but not the numbers. It too, like the Tiger I, was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield but small numbers, high maintenance, and vulnerability to aircraft and artillery kept it from achieving its promise of turning the war in Germany's favour.During the Ardennes offensive, Peiper's regiment was reinforced by the 502. SS-Schwere Panzer Abteilung (502nd SS-Heavy Panzer Battalion). This battalion was equipped with the Knigstiger. Their slow speed and bulk placed them at the end of Peiper's column at the start, but when they began to encounter strong American counterattacks, these nearly invincible beasts proved essential to the mission. available could hardly have the impact needed to reverse the Allies in their assault on Germany in 1944.