Company Officer's Handbook Of The German Army - All Gauge Page

10 COMPANY OFFICER'S HANDBOOK
b. Armored Reconnaissance
The mission of the reconnaissance battalions of armored and
motorized divisions, which have comparatively high fire power, is
to make contact with the enemy and obtain information on his
strength, assembly areas, approach routes, and movements. Contact
is usually made frontally, and is shifted around the flanks and rear
as enemy resistance stiffens and information is gained. Heavy
engagements are avoided, but armored-car patrols are prepared to
fight for necessary information. (See fig. 6.)
0 . I
Figure 6.-Reconnaissance patrol of an SS division. (The patrol consists of motorcyclists
and eight-wheeled armored cars. The motorcyclists are armed with rifles, submachine guns,
and light machine guns.)
The Germans are likely to employ patrols of eight-wheeled
armored cars mounting 75-mm tank guns (a typical patrol generally
consists of two such cars), in order to obtain mobility and fire
power. Light patrols, equipped with three four-wheeled armored
cars or with armored half-tracks, are employed on short-range tasks,
liaison missions, and observation; they seldom attempt to fight.
Patrols may be reinforced with engineers and motorcyclists to deal