Feldgrau.net

That's correct but please keep in mind that - of the first 18 only 9 arrived but where quickly handed over to another unit again - of the second 24 none arrived In addition to the new StuG shipped from ordnance depots in Germany another approx. 7 'used' StuG III were taken over from Kampfgruppe Böhr...

Jeff, AFAIK the I.(Panther)/Pz.Rgt. 15 was not sent to Normandy. At the beginning of June 1944 a combat element of the Abteilung was still in Russia with XXXIV. Armee-Korps (Armeegruppe Dumitrescu, Heeresgruppe Suedukraine). Just tankless crews and other surplus personnel had already returned to Fra...

@ Igor The last more or less full strength report of the division I know about is the one dated 1.1.1945. After that there are just partial reports mostly covering tanks only available. The best I can come up with for early March 1945 is a report from a staff officer from the Gen.Insp.d.Pz.Tr. who h...

Damn, entirely my fault! Looks like I was a bit quick when I wrote that last post. On 1.1.1945 the Einsatzkompanie did indeed have still 3 Panther (2 of them combat ready), 8 StuG III (8 combat ready) and 1 T 34 'Bergeschlepper' (1 combat ready). 1 Panther was apparently lost sometime during January...

Hello Igor, although quoted again and again in postwar literature and on the Internet the claim by W. Tieke made about the delivery of 30 Panthers to SS-Pz.Abt. 11 in Feb 1943 is substantiated by nothing and incorrect! The only Panther tanks ever issued to the Abteilung were 13 or 14 (sources vary) ...

Yes he did Tom. If for instance you look at K.St.N. 1162 d v. 1.3.1944 in addition to the main driver the radio operator is also listed as 'zugleich Kraftwagenfahrer für gepanzerte Kfz.'

Martin Block

The report from 30.12.1944 does list 12 le.Pz.Sp.Wg. 2 cm (i.e. Sd.Kfz. 222) and 9 le.Sp.Wg. MG (i.e. Sd.Kfz. 223) for a total of 21 vehicles. I do not know if, when and from where perhaps any additional vehicles might have come from, nor do I know if it perhaps may be even just a simple miscalculat...

A different report from 30.12.1944 does list 7 le.Pz.Sp.Wg. MG (= Sd.Kfz. 223) so it's pretty sure they got them. Don't know why the machine guns of the vehicles were not listed but since the coaxial machine guns of the Sd.Kfz. 222 aren't listed either I'm not surprised to not find those of the Sd.K...

To make it a bit easier for you :wink: Yes, both the IV./Grenadier-Rgt. GD and IV./Fuesilier-Rgt. GD had their own battalion HQs. They remained in place until late Feb 1944 when the order arrived to disband them. Their individual heavy weapons companies then came under direct control of the regiment...

Mike

The only Pzkpfw. IV replacements the division received during the fall of 1944 were 28 shipped on Nov 10 and 12, 1944. These infact remained the last ones the division received until the end of the war.

Martin Block

34 + 11 on Jan 20 and 21, 1944
18 on Feb 13, 1944
17 + 18 on Feb 16 and 17, 1944
In what way does this help you any further?

Martin Block

Mike,

98 Pzkpfw. IV were shipped in 5 different trainloads from ordnance depots in Germany between Jan 20 and Feb 17,1944.

Martin Block

On 8.8.1943 OKH/GenStdH/Org.Abt. suggested the conversion of s.Art.Abt. 843 (mot) from a towed 15 cm howitzer battalion into a self-propelled artillery battalion, and about a month later on 5.9.1943 the OKH/Chef H Ruest u BdE/AHA issued the order to convert the unit during December 1943 for subseque...

Hi Roger, actually the 'Soll' of 61 AFV grouped together in the 'Pak Sf' column of the 1.6.1944 report were - 31 Jagdpz. IV L/48 authorized for the Pz.Jg.Abt. (not even delivered but conversion already authorized by OKH order dated 8.5.1944) - 6 Hummel + 12 Wespe authorized for the Pz.Art.Rgt. - 12 ...

The action is pretty well described from the German side by Ulrich Saft on pages 145 - 158 in his "Krieg in der Heimat ... bis zum bitteren Ende im Harz" published in by Militärbuchverlag Saft in Walsrode 1994. With regard to German paratroopers in the general area the only information I f...