Paderborn road, Nightfall, March 30, 1945 image - Tank Lovers Group

On March 30, the third company of schwere Panzer Abteilung 507 (3./s.Pz.Abt.507) under the command of Hptm. Wolf Kolterman, was deployed in the woods immediately south of Paderborn while the second company was deployed further to the southeast. The company was ordered to provide support to SS-Regiment Meyer from SS-Panzer Brigade Westfalen, but saw very little combat during the day as Combat Command B, 3rd Armored Division, methodically fought its way northward through the roadblocks and villages south of the city. The battalion had arrived at the Sennelager military camp in mid-February 1945 to re-equip with the new Kingtiger heavy tanks after a harrowing campaign on the Eastern Front trying to hold back the Soviet winter offensive. The battalion was credited with the destruction of more than 600 Soviet tanks and had six Knight’s Cross holders in its ranks, including Kolterman who received his on March 11. By the end of March, only two of the companies had received their new tanks, including 21 Kingtigers and three Jagdpanther tank destroyers. By late afternoon on Good Friday, March 30, TF Welborn had fought its way north through several German villages defended by the infantry of SS-Panzer Brigade Westfalen. Around dusk, its lead column finally reached the woods beyond Etteln and turned west along the road towards Borchen, hoping to connect to a minor back road into Paderborn. The column consisted of two companies of M4 medium tanks intermixed with two companies of armored infantry in M3 half-tracks. Near the head of the column was Col. John Welborn, commander of the 33rd Armored Regiment, riding in a jeep. Towards the rear of the column was the divisional commander, Gen. Rose, hoping to be with the lead team entering Paderborn that night. Around 1530hrs, the column came under long-range fire from Kingtiger heavy tanks of the third platoon, 3./s.Pz.Abt. 507, hidden in a tree line on the high ground overlooking the road about a 1,000m away.