Company Officer's Handbook Of The German Army - All Gauge Page
Company Officer's Handbook Of The German Army - All Gauge Page
Company Officer's Handbook Of The German Army - All Gauge Page
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
ORGANIZATION DATA 89<br />
32. ARMORED (PANZER) DIVISION: REORGANIZATION<br />
TREND<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>German</strong> armored division is extremely flexible in composition<br />
and variable in equipment. <strong>The</strong> development of newer and<br />
heavier tanks and larger calibers of antitank guns and self-propelled<br />
mounts for all types of guns, even while older mat6riel remains in<br />
use, increases this variability. <strong>The</strong> charts in paragraph 33 therefore<br />
represent the basic type of the <strong>German</strong> armored division and its<br />
components, with the heaviest armament and equipment likely to<br />
be encountered. However, older materiel is still in use, new materiel<br />
may be encountered, and details of composition will vary. Consequently,<br />
because of the extreme variations that may occur, the<br />
actual composition and equipment of a particular armored division<br />
must be established by intelligence in the field and supplemented<br />
by intelligence previously obtained on that division.<br />
<strong>The</strong> trend is constantly toward greater fire power, heavier armor,<br />
and increased motorization. <strong>The</strong> <strong>German</strong>s apparently are equipping<br />
as many panzer-grenadier units as possible with armored. troop<br />
carriers, but the proportion of units thus equipped will vary with<br />
every panzer division. <strong>The</strong>re are indications that the Pz.Kpfw. III<br />
and even the Pz.Kpfw. IV may eventually be replaced by the<br />
Panther and even the Tiger tanks. If these replacements are made,<br />
a tank regiment may consist of two Panther tank battalions, one<br />
Tiger tank battalion, and one assault-gun battalion. Pending the<br />
re-equipment of the tank regiment, a transitional organization of it<br />
may be encountered. This organization may consist of two tank<br />
battalions of three or four companies each, or three tank battalions<br />
of three companies each. In either case, the organization will also<br />
include an assault battalion. <strong>The</strong> total number of tank companies<br />
in the tank regiment may therefore vary from six to nine. Any or<br />
all of the guns and howitzers of the antitank battalion and armored<br />
artillery regiment may be on self-propelled mounts.
Change language