Panzer Brigade 34

This article deals with the Panzerbrigade 34 "Koblenz", formerly Panzerbrigade 14. Until 1981 this was the name of the Panzerbrigade 6, which was active until 1993 .

Panzerbrigade 34 "Koblenz" - PzBrig 34 - X
Association badge
active	March 16, 1959 to  March 15, 2002
Country	Germany
Armed forces	armed forces
Armed forces	army
Type	Tank brigade
last staff seat	Diez

The tank brigade 34 "Koblenz" with staff last in Diez was an association of the army of the Bundeswehr . The brigade was disbanded in 2002. Until 1981, the brigade described here was referred to as Panzerbrigade 14.

history

As Panzer Brigade 14 until 1981

Prehistory as a combat group in the Army Structure 1

To assume the army structure 1 which was Panzerkampfgruppe A 5 6 November 1956 Location of the rod on the military training area Hohenfels in Hohenfels reorganized . An advance command had prepared the formation from September in Hohenfels. The Panzerkampfgruppe A5 was subordinated to the 5th Panzer Division . In February 1957 the staff of the Panzer Group A 5 moved to the Gneisenau barracks in Koblenz .

See also : Division of the Army in the Army Structure 1

Army structure 2

In order to take over Army Structure 2 , Panzerkampfgruppe A5 was reclassified to Panzer Brigade 14 on March 16, 1959 . The Panzerbrigade 14 Brigade were under:

• the staff armored brigade 14
• the tank reconnaissance company 140
• the Panzerpionierkompanie 140 (established 1959 in Koblenz)
• the AA battery 140
• the Panzergrenadierbataillon 142
• the tank battalions 143 and 144
• the tank artillery battalion 145
• the supply battalion 146

The brigade was initially subordinated to the 5th Panzer Division in Diez . In 1962, the Panzer Reconnaissance Company 140 lost its independence and was incorporated into the headquarters company as a scouting platoon. In Army Structure II , the anti-aircraft battery 140 was spun off and the Panzerjägerkompanie 140 was reorganized.

Army structure 3

In 1972, the supply battalion 146 was disbanded and parts of it were reorganized as the repair company 140 and the supply company 140. In 1972 the reconnaissance platoon (Panzerspähzug 140) became independent again, so that the following troops belonged to the brigade in 1972:

• the rod
• the armored scout train 140
• the Panzerjägerkompanie 140
• the tank pioneer company 140
• the repair company 140
• the supply company 140
• the Panzergrenadierbataillon 142
• the tank battalions 143, 144
• the tank artillery battalion 145.

In 1977 the brigade moved to the 12th Panzer Division in Würzburg . Panzerbrigade 14 was one of the test brigades for testing Army Structure 4 from 1976 to 1977 . In Army Model 3 , the armored artillery battalion 145 left the brigade in 1980 and was subordinated to Heimatschutzkommando 16 as field artillery battalion 545. In return, the brigade received the armored artillery training battalion 145 in Kusel .

As Panzerbrigade 34 from 1981

Army structure 4

Neustadt Koblenz kassel Hofgeismar

Location of the headquarters of the 6th, 14th and 34th Panzer Brigades

In 1981, in order to take Army Structure 4, the insinuations and corresponding names of Panzer Brigade 6, 14 and 34 were "swapped":

• → The previous 6th Panzer Brigade became the "new" 14th Panzer Brigade in 1981 . The subordination of the brigade changed already in 1976/77 from the 2nd Jägerdivision to the 5th Panzer Division . The location of the staff remained unchanged in Neustadt .
• → The previous 14th Panzer Brigade became the "new" 34th Panzer Brigade in 1981. The subordination of the brigade changed in advance from the 5th Panzer Division to the 12th Panzer Division in 1977 . The location of the staff remained unchanged in Koblenz .
• → The previous Panzer Brigade 34 became the "new" Panzerbrigade 6 in 1981 . The subordination of the brigade changed in 1975 from the 12th Panzer Division to the 2nd Jägerdivision . The location of the staff changed from Kassel to Hofgeismar in 1981 .

In 1981 the units of the brigade, now referred to as Panzerbrigade 34, were renamed accordingly. Subordinate to the brigade:

• the staff (with re-integrated scouting platoon)
• Panzerjägerkompanie 340 (location: Koblenz, Augusta barracks )
• Panzerpionierkompanie 340 (location: Koblenz, Fritsch barracks)
• the repair company 340 (location: Koblenz, Gneisenau barracks)
• the supply company 340 (location: Koblenz, Fritsch barracks)
• the mixed tank battalion 341 (formation 1981 in Koblenz)
• the Panzergrenadierbataillon 342 (location: Koblenz, Gneisenau barracks)
• Panzerbataillon 343 (location: Koblenz, Augusta barracks)
• Panzerbataillon 344 (location: Koblenz, Gneisenau barracks)
• the tank artillery (training) battalion 345 (location: Kusel , NCO Krüger barracks )
• the field replacement battalion 123.

The brigade scout train was moved to Sontra in 1986 .

The brigade comprised around 2900 soldiers in the peace structure in the autumn of 1989 . The planned growth force in the case of defense was around 3300 men . For nursery which was convened by reservists and the mobilization of non-active units provided. At the end of Army Structure 4 in autumn 1989, the brigade was still part of the 12th Panzer Division and was roughly divided into the following troop units :

• Bar / Stabskompanie Panzerbrigade 34, Koblenz
  • Panzerjägerkompanie 340, Koblenz
  • Panzer Pioneer Company 340, Koblenz
  • Supply company 340, Koblenz
  • Repair company 340, Koblenz
  • Panzerbataillon 341 (partly active), Koblenz
  • Panzergrenadierbataillon 342, Koblenz
  • Panzerbataillon 343, Koblenz
  • Panzerbataillon 344, Koblenz
  • Panzerartillery Training Battalion 345, Kusel

See also : Division of the field army in the army structure 4

Army structure 5 until disbandment

The brigade was nicknamed Koblenz in 1990 in a solemn ceremony at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress . The brigade was now subordinate to the Military District Command IV / 5th Panzer Division . In 1992 the Panzerjägerkompanie 340 was decommissioned and the Panzerpionierkompanie 340 was placed under Pioneer Command 3. In 1992/1993 the tank battalions 341 and 344, the repair company, the supply company and the field replacement battalion were disbanded. Tank battalion 343 became Panzergrenadierbataillon 343 in 1992. After the defusion of Defense Area Command IV / 5th Panzer Division , the brigade was again subordinated to 5th Panzer Division. In the course of this reassignment, two battalions and two companies were taken over by the Panzer Brigade 15 . In 1994 the tank brigade moved to Diez and was divided into:

• the brigade staff with headquarters company (location: Diez, Oranienstein Castle)
• Panzergrenadier Battalions 342 and 343 (location: Koblenz, Gneisenau barracks; the latter battalion was cadre)
• the tank battalions 153 and 154 (location: Westerburg; PzBtl 153 squad from 1995)
• the Panzerjägerkompanie 150 (continued the tradition of the Panzerjägerkompanie 340 from 1992; location: Westerburg)
• the Panzerpionierkompanie 150 (location: Westerburg)
• the field replacement company 340 (location: Diez)
• the Panzerartillerie-Lehr-Bataillon 345 (location: Kusel)
• Panzer Reconnaissance Company 340 (subordinated to Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 5 during peacetime, in use it would have been subordinated to Panzer Brigade 34; location: Hessisch-Lichtenau).

In 2002 the Panzer Brigade 34 was decommissioned.

Commanders

The brigade was commanded by (rank when taking command):

As Panzerbrigade 34 from 1981

No.	Surname	Beginning of the appointment	End of appointment
14th	Colonel Erhard Drews	2000	2002
13	Colonel Bernd Diepenhorst	1997	1999
12	Colonel Kersten Lahl	April 1, 1994	1996
11	Colonel Wilhelm Romatzeck	April 1, 1990	March 31, 1994
10	Brigadier General Gero Koch	October 1, 1985	March 31, 1990
9	Brigadier General Klaus Vollmer	February 1, 1982	September 30, 1985
8th	Colonel Peter Heinrich Carstens	October 1, 1981	January 31, 1982

As Panzer Brigade 14 until 1981

No.	Surname	Beginning of the appointment	End of appointment
8th	Colonel Peter Heinrich Carstens	April 1, 1980	September 30, 1981
7th	Colonel Rudolf Promies	April 1, 1975	March 31, 1980
6th	Colonel Hans-Joachim Mack	1st October 1972	March 31, 1975
5	Brigadier General Hans Plitt	July 16, 1969	September 30, 1972
4th	Colonel Karl Punzmann	September 16, 1967	15th July 1969
3	Brigadier General Heinz Günther Guderian	20th August 1963	15th September 1967
2	Brigadier General Karl-Theodor Molinari	April 7, 1961	19th August 1963
1	Colonel Regimboto Baron of Validlingen	November 6, 1956	April 6, 1961

Association badge

Woven association badge for the service suit

Internal association badge of the staff / staff company

The blazon of the association badge for the uniform of the members of Panzer Brigade 34 read:

Silver rimmed , is in red three silver peaks with a slanted and twice each notched on both vertical sides, gevierten of red and gold standard (the " race Fähnlein ") to golden lance shaft .

The association badge was similar to the coat of arms of Lower Franconia . the Franconian rake represented the region of Franconia , where many of the troops of the 12th Panzer Division were stationed. The racing flag was similar to the representation in the Würzburg coat of arms and goes back to the flag of the Duchy of Franconia . The association badges of the division and the subordinate brigades were identical except for the shelves . In the tradition of the Prussian color sequence , the association badge of the Panzer Brigade 34 was given a white border as the “first” brigade of the division.

Since the badges of the division's brigades differed only slightly, the internal badge of the staff or the staff company pars pro toto was occasionally used as the brigade's "badge" instead . The main shield showed a crowned eagle in black . The applied central shield corresponded to the Koblenz city coat of arms with the red bar cross and the golden crown of the Queen of Heaven Maria .

See also : List of Association Badges of the Bundeswehr

Remarks

1. ↑ Shown are the internal association badges, for which a wearing permit was officially granted until around the mid-1980s. Inactive units (equipment units, partially active, cadre units) are shown in italics .
2. ^ "First" Brigade: Panzerbrigade 34 (= white board). "Second" Brigade: Panzer Grenadier Brigade 35 (= red board). "Third" brigade: Panzerbrigade 36 (= yellow board).

literature

• Panzerbrigade 34 (Ed.): 40 years of Panzerbrigade 34 . Timeline. Panzerbrigade 34, Koblenz 1996 (published by Panzerbrigade 34 on the occasion of its 40th anniversary).

Web links

• Formation of the new Panzer Brigade 34 in Kassel, 1.-2. April 1975. In: Contemporary history in Hessen. Hessian State Office for Historical Cultural Studies , October 5, 2018, accessed on February 22, 2020 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Location database of the Bundeswehr in the Federal Republic of Germany as well as the training grounds used by the Bundeswehr abroad. In: Website of the Military History Research Office . Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr , Military History Research Office , accessed on February 17, 2020 (For technical reasons, direct links to individual search queries or search results are not possible. Please use the “search form” to research information on the individual departments). 
2. ↑ ^{a b} Section MA 3 : BArch BH 9-34 / Panzerbrigade 34 - Koblenz -. In: Research application invenio . President of the Federal Archives , 2004, accessed on February 17, 2020 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Section MA 3 : BArch BH 9-14 / Panzerbrigade 14. In: Research application invenio . President of the Federal Archives , 2004, accessed on February 17, 2020 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b c} Section MA 3 : BArch BH 8-5 / 5. Armored Division. In: Research application invenio . President of the Federal Archives , 2013, accessed on March 15, 2020 . 
5. ↑ ^{a b c d} O. W. Dragoner (Ed.): The Bundeswehr 1989 . Organization and equipment of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany at the end of the Cold War. 4th edition. 2.1 - Army. Army Office. I. Corps. II Corps. III. Corps, February 2012 (167 p., Relektiven.com [PDF; 747 kB ; accessed on February 21, 2020] First edition: 2009, overview of the series at Relict.com).
6. ^ Uwe Walter: The structures and associations of the German army . 1st edition. Part 1., I. Corps: (1956-1995). Edition AVRA, Berlin 2017, ISBN 978-3-946467-32-8 , pp. 104 (260 pp.).

Coordinates: 50 ° 22 ′ 55.9 ″  N , 8 ° 0 ′ 38.3 ″  E