Panzergrenadier Division
An Panzergrenadier Division was a military formation of the Wehrmacht of the German Reich . The term is still used today in the Bundeswehr .
Wehrmacht
With the beginning of the mechanization of part of the Wehrmacht, infantry divisions motorized with trucks were used as Inf.Div. mot. set up. These belonged to the " Rapid Troops " branch of arms . On April 1, 1943, the " Panzertruppe " branch of service was formed when the "Rapid Troops " were dissolved. The motorized infantry - divisions were in "Panzer Grenadier Divisions" renamed, although they, unlike the armored divisions with neither armored personnel mechanized armored infantry contained, even to a greater extent tankbut only one battalion-strong tank division and, in contrast to an infantry division, only had two grenadier regiments and two light artillery divisions, and not three, and were therefore weaker in infantry and artillery.
structure
Target structure of the Panzer Grenadier Division 1943
- Division staff with map position
- Feldgendarmerie-Troop (motorized)
- Music corps
- 2 grenadier regiments (motorized)
- 3 grenadier battalions each
- 1 tank or assault gun division
- 1 tank destroyer division (motorized)
- 1 artillery regiment (motorized) (only two light and one heavy artillery division)
- 1 tank reconnaissance department
- 1 Army Flak Artillery Department
- 1 engineer battalion (motorized)
- 1 news department (motorized)
- 1 Panzergrenadier field replacement battalion
- Division Supply Leader with
- Administrative force
- Medical service
However, since it was impossible during the war to set up all divisions with the same weapons or personnel, the personnel was reduced for these as well as for other branches of arms.
Divisions
Panzergrenadier divisions of the Wehrmacht were the 3rd , 10th , 15th , 16th , 18th , 20th , 25th , 29th , 90th as well as with the names Brandenburg , Feldherrnhalle , Großdeutschland , Kurmark , Sardinia (up to 6. July 1943, then renamed 90th Panzergrenadier Divisions), Sicily (until July 1, 1943, then renamed 15th Panzergrenadier Divisions).
Some Panzergrenadier divisions, especially those of the Waffen SS , such as the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (later 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, from October 1, 1943), Das Reich (later 2nd SS Panzer- Division Das Reich , from 1943), Totenkopf (later 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf , from 1944), Wiking (later 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking" , from October 1943) and others later reclassified to tank divisions . In particular, those with higher deployment numbers from autumn 1944 onwards were no longer divided into divisions, but only from combat groups.
armed forces
The Bundeswehr introduced the Panzergrenadier Divisions shortly after it was founded, starting with Army Structure 2 in 1959. The Panzergrenadier divisions set up before 1959 were first set up as motorized grenadier divisions with personnel transport trucks .
structure
The following breakdown lists the units and formations of an armored infantry division of the Bundeswehr as well as their main weapon systems during Army Structure 4.
- Headquarters & Headquarters Company
- Front Message Train
- Army Music Corps
- Telecommunications Battalion
- Telecommunication company (EloKa)
- Army Aviation Squadron (10 × Bo-105M liaison helicopters )
- Tank reconnaissance battalion (34 × Leopard 1 battle tanks , 10 × Luchs reconnaissance tanks , 19 × Fuchs transport tanks )
-
Artillery Regiment
- Stick & stick battery
- Companion battery
- Field artillery battalion (18 × howitzer 155 mm FH70, 18 × howitzer 203 mm SF M110)
- Rocket artillery battalion (16 × multiple rocket launchers 110 mm SF LARS)
- Observation battalion
- Anti-aircraft regiment (36 × Flakpanzer Gepard )
- Engineer Battalion
- NBC defense company
- Medical Battalion (partially active)
- Supply Battalion (partially active)
- Repair battalion (partly active)
- 5 field replacement battalions ( equipment units )
- 2 fighter battalions (equipment units)
- Security battalion (equipment unit)
- several training companies
-
2 Panzer Grenadier Brigades
- Headquarters & Headquarters Company
- Panzerjägerkompanie (12 × Jaguar 1 or 2 missile tank destroyers)
- Armored Engineer Company
- Supply company
- Repair company
- Panzergrenadierbataillon (mixed, partially active - 24 × Marder armored personnel carriers, 13 × Leopard 1 battle tanks)
- 2 armored infantry battalions (each with 24 × Marder armored personnel carriers , 10 × M113 personnel carriers , 6 × 120 mm M113 armored mortars )
- Panzerbataillon (41 × Leopard 1 battle tanks )
- Panzerartilleriebataillon (18 × M109 self-propelled howitzer )
-
Tank brigade
- Headquarters & Headquarters Company
- Panzerjägerkompanie (12 × rocket destroyer Jaguar 1)
- Armored Engineer Company
- Supply company
- Repair company
- Tank battalion (mixed, partially active - 28 × Leopard 2 battle tanks, 11 Marder armored personnel carriers)
- Panzergrenadierbataillon (35 × Marder armored personnel carriers, 6 × 120 mm M113 tank mortars)
- 2 tank battalions (each 41 × Leopard 2 battle tanks )
- Panzerartilleriebataillon (18 × M109 self-propelled howitzer)
Divisions
So far there have been a total of ten armored infantry divisions of the Bundeswehr. The 13th Panzer Grenadier Division was the last to be disbanded in 2013.
literature
- Chris Bishop: Panzer Grenadier Divisions of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 , 1st edition at VDM, Zweibrücken 2008.