3rd Panzer Grenadier Brigade (Federal Army)

3rd Panzer Grenadier Brigade
	; ; Troop body badge Association badge
active	1956 to 2016
Country	Austria
Armed forces	Federal Army
Armed forces	Land Forces
Branch of service	Mechanized
Type	Panzergrenadiers
Subordinate troops	Armored Staff Battalion 3; Reconnaissance and Artillery Battalion 3; Jäger Battalion 19; Tank Battalion 33; 35th Panzer Grenadier Battalion; Engineer Battalion 3;
Insinuation	Federal Ministry for National Defense and Sport
Brigade headquarters	Julius Raab barracks, Mautern on the Danube
Colours	Infantry green, black
insignia
Identification symbol	Cross, four-leaf clover

The 3rd Panzer Grenadier Brigade ( 3rd PzGrenBrig ) was one of two mechanized brigades of the Austrian Armed Forces until 2016 and owned several battalions of various branches in Lower Austria and Burgenland . Their command was in Mautern on the Danube .

In the course of the army reform in 2016 , the 3rd Panzer Grenadier Brigade was transferred to the Rapid Operations Command .

history

The 3rd Panzer Grenadier Brigade was set up in Vienna on September 1, 1956 as the 3rd motorized ( infantry ) brigade . To the unit belonged to the battalion 9, 10 infantry battalion and the brigade artillery division 3. In October 1956, took place the laying of Krems . A year later the brigade occupied the Raab barracks in Mautern an der Donau, where the command is still stationed today.

The first armored vehicles were Russian T-34 main battle tanks .

On January 1, 1963, the reclassification into the 3rd Panzer Grenadier Brigade with the Brigade Command and the Armored Staff Battalion 3 in Mautern an der Donau, the Panzer Grenadier Battalion 9 in Horn and Weitra , the Panzer Battalion 10 in St. Pölten-Spratzern and the Armored Artillery Battalion 3 in Allentsteig .

In 1998 the St. Pölten tank battalion 10 was transferred to the 4th Panzer Grenadier Brigade (location: Linz - Ebelsberg ). For this, the brigade received the 33rd Panzer Battalion in Zwölfaxing and the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion in Mistelbach .

During this time the Leopard 2 A4 battle tanks were purchased and the first female recruits were trained.

The badge of the 3rd Panzer Grenadier Brigade was a gold-framed black semicircular shield with a white cross. In the shield head above there was a white lettering with the name of the association. At the top left there was a white four-leaf clover, which symbolized the four quarters of Lower Austria.

As a consequence of the refugee crisis in 2015 , the armed forces increased their number of units on the one hand and further specialization and reorganization on the other. For the 3rd Panzer Grenadier Brigade, this meant that it was transferred to the Rapid Operations Command as part of this federal army reform in 2016 .

structure

The brigade was last organized as follows:

Federal Ministry for National Defense and Sport in Vienna
- Land forces command in Vienna
  - Armed Forces Command in Graz
    - 3rd Panzer Grenadier Brigade
      - Panzer Staff Battalion 3 in Mautern on the Danube
      - Panzer Battalion 33 in Zwölfaxing
      - Panzergrenadierbataillon 35 in large medium
      - Jäger Battalion 19 in Güssing
      - Reconnaissance and Artillery Battalion 3 in Mistelbach
      - Pioneer Battalion 3 in Melk and Mautern on the Danube

Strength and armament

Main battle tank Leopard 2A4 of the Panzer Battalion 33

In addition to the armored personnel carriers, the large formation also had pioneer, infantry (hunter), reconnaissance and artillery units. The brigade had the following weapons and equipment:

Calls

The 3rd Panzer Grenadier Brigade was specifically deployed for national military defense at home and abroad. In addition, it was also used in disasters and accidents such as avalanches , mudslides and floods. Other tasks were the training of contingents for peace support missions abroad, such as in Kosovo or Bosnia .

Commanders

Lieutenant Colonel / Colonel Franz Zejdlik 1956–1964
Colonel / Brigadier Paul Dernesch 1964–1970
Colonel dG Ernst Maerker 1970–1976
Colonel dG Josef Marolz 1976–1979
Colonel dG Karl Majcen (entrusted with the leadership) 1979
Colonel dG Richard Bondi 1979–1981
Colonel dG Kurt Pirker 1981–1984
Colonel dG Wilhelm Figl 1984–1986
Colonel dG / Brigadier Karl-Heinz Fitzal 1986–1992
Lieutenant Colonel dG Dieter Jocham ( mdFb ) 1992
Colonel dG / Brigadier Edmund Entacher 1992–2001
Lieutenant Colonel dG Kurt Wagner (m. D. F. b.) 2001–2003
Colonel dG / Brigadier Karl Pronhagl 2003-2009
Brigadier Anton Wessely 2009–2014
Colonel Franz Langthaler 2014
Brigadier Bruno Günter Hofbauer 2014–2015
Brigadier Christian Habersatter 2015–2019

Web links

Commons : Military Exercise 1999 (Armored Combat Vehicles) - Collection of images, videos and audio files