Panzerabteilung 206 and Panzer-Ersatz Abteilung 100

[Politruk]

Greetings!

I would like to know more about the operational history of PzAbt 206 and Panzer-Ersatz Abteilung 100 with its motley collection of Beutepanzer. Also, if anyone has any biographical info regarding unit commanders or officers, I would be very grateful.

Sincerely,

Politruk

[Ron Klages]

In the summer of 1942 there were quite a few units equipped with the captured French tanks. Here is a run down of some of those units equipped with French tanks.

• I./Panzer-Regiment 202 with the 714. ID in Serbia with the 12.AOK engaged in anti partisian operations.
Consisted of 3 light panzer companies each with
12x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
5x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S
plus a transport column and a workshop platoon.

• Panzer-Abteilung 211 was in Lappland with XXXVI. Mtn.Corps of the 20. Mtn. AOK.
Consisted of 2 light panzer companies each with
12x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
5x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S
plus a Headquarters company with
4x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
1x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S

• Panzer-Abteilung 212 was with the 12.AOK in Kreta subordinate to Festungsdivision Kreta.
Consisted of 1 light panzer companies with
17x Pz-R17/18(f) a French Renault 17 or Renault 17
plus 1 light Panzer Company with German tanks with
5x Panzer II
17x Panzer III
plus a Headquarters company with
4x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
1x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S
2x Befs Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S command version
1x BefsPz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H command version

• schwere Panzer-Abteilung 213 was with the 319.ID of the 7.AOK in HG “D” in the Channel Islands.
Consisted of 2 Heavy Flame Panzer companies each with
12x Pz-B2 Flamm(f) a French Char BI bis converted to a flame tank

• 12. Panzer-Kompanie z.b.V. was with the 12. AOK in Serbia engaged in anti partisian actions in the Balkans.
Consisted of 1x light panzer company with
55x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
30x Pz-R17/18(f) a French Renault 17 or Renault 17

• Panzer-Kompanie Paris was assigned to the 100. Heeres-Panzer-Brigade of HG “D” and located in the Paris area.
Consisted of 1 light panzer companies with
12x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
5x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S


• Panzer-Kompanie 223 was assigned to the 100. Heeres-Panzer-Brigade of HG “D” and located in France as a reserve unit to quell any uprisings.
Consisted of 1 light panzer companies with
12x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
5x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S


• Panzer-Zug 217 was assigned to 20. MtnAOK in Lappland.
Consisted of 1 light platoon with
5x Pz-R17/18(f) a French Renault 17 or Renault 17


• Panzer-Zug 218 was assigned to 20. MtnAOK in Lappland.
Consisted of 1 light platoon with
5x Pz-R17/18(f) a French Renault 17 or Renault 17


• Panzer-Zug 219 was assigned to 20. MtnAOK in Lappland.
Consisted of 1 light platoon with
5x Pz-R17/18(f) a French Renault 17 or Renault 18


• Stab-Kompanie of Panzer-Regiment 202 was assigned to the 100. Heeres-Panzer-Brigade of HG “D” and located in France.
Consisted of a signal platoon with
2x Befs Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S command version
1x BefsPz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H command version
plus 1x light panzer zug with
4x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
1x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S


• Stab Kompanie of 100. Heeres-Panzer Brigade was assigned to HG “D” in France.
Consisted of a signal platoon with
2x Befs Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S command version
1x BefsPanzer III (SdKfz 267)
plus 1x light panzer zug with
4x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
1x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S


I should also note that the 100. Heeres-Panzer-Brigade was responsible for the administration, training and raising of all Heer armored units present in France. It maintained an equipment park of French vehicles, armored and softskin, guns and other equipment for provision to units being raised or refitted in France. While forming it could work up on French equipment and then when the German equipment arrived then the French equipment was returned for use by the next forming unit./ In addition to bing directly in charge of Panzer-Kompanie 223 and Panzer-Kompanie Paris it also had the Stab and Stab-Kompanie of Panzer-Regiment 202 reporting to it.

Also the II. Battalion of Panzer-Regiment 202 was equipped with German tanks and was also assigned to the 100. Heeres-Panzer-Brigade.

Panzer Abteilung 206 was established on 11 November 1943 in Versailles for the 7.AOK and it was destroyed by 26 June 1944 in Cherbourg.
On 5 June 1944 it had the following French equipment:
28x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
10x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S
6x Pz-B2 Flamm(f) a French Char BI bis converted to a flame tank
2x Pz-R35 (f) a French Renault 35

When the Allied forces landed the uniut was located in the Contentin Peninsula and were pushed back to Cherbourg which fell on 26 June 1944.


Panzer –Ersatz und Ausb. Abt. 100 on 5 June 1944 had the following French armor:
8x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
1x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S
1x Pz-B2 Flamm(f) a French Char BI bis converted to a flame tank
14x Pz-R35 (f) a French Renault 35
5x Pz-R17/18(f) a French Renault 17 or Renault 18


Also on the 6 June 1944 the 21. Panzer-Division was operating with the following French armor:
2x Pz-H38(f) a French Hotchkiss Char 1938-H
38x Pz-S35(f) a French Somua Char 1935-S
1x Pz-B2 Flamm(f) a French Char BI bis converted to a flame tank
18x 10.5cm auf Lorraine
30x 15cm auf Lorraine
16x 7.5cm Pak auf Hotchkiss
24x 10.5cm auf Hotchkiss


I should also note that 30x 15cm auf Lorraine were sent to North Africa for the DAK and 7 of them were lost in transit when the ships carring them were sunk.


This should provide a good look at the use, assignment and location of French equipment in the German army at several points in time.

I am sure this list is incomplete and probably contains errors and omissions. Please correct as required. However, it should be a good starting point for French captured armor useage.

Best regards,

Ron Klages

[Piet Duits]

Hi guys,

I have NARA T78 R407 in front of me, and on frame 6376637 I can see something interesting.
The Panzer-Abteilung 202 changed organisation in 1944.
Sometimes it's hard to translate the notes written on the pages, but I will give it a try.

durch HGr. F umgegliedert
45 ital. Pz. M15 durch Aufstellungsstab Süd ...unreadable... ...unreadable (Februar?)... und März zugeführt.
(I/ 15509 g.K. v. 14.2.44)
(I/ 16003 g.K. v. 5.3.44) BdE

The Tross and maintenance sections were changed as well.
Umgliederung ...unreadable... Panzer-Werkstattzug gem. KStN 1185 v. 1.6.42
(I/ 16107 g.K. v. 12.3.44)

Will check the other units on changes as well.
Boy, do I have a lot to do...

[Ron Klages]

Hi Piet,

Makes sense. There were 92 of the Italian M15s taken over after September 1943 and I believe three German units from the Heer and the 22SS Kav Div. operated in the Balkans with these vehicles. On 30 December 1944 there were still 68 of them in service with the German units. PA 202 could be one. The French tanks were probably wornout and had to be replaced, hence the M15/42.

Best regards,

Ron Klages

[Eduard]

thanks for your detailed information about Panzer units equipped with french beute tanks.

Does anybody know what happened to the converted FCM36 chasis with 75mm and 105mm guns.? I've seen photos of the in service with Schnelle brigade west in "late 43" (?) but when the other conversions were sent to 21 panzer div. the FCM's were not. And they dissapear.

I guess there weren't so many replacement parts for them and were so few that probably were sent to a unit near the coast. Maybe a beute panzer abt. like 100 or 206 or as panzerjager Kompanie to an infantry division.

Eduard

Other dissapeared beute's were the Char B's converted to gun mounts. I've seen pictures of them in maneuvres belonging to the 26pz artillery regt. But they were not sent with the 26th to Italy. I've read to Sardinia but don't know if its true. Maybe the ship was sunk?

[Nibelung]

Ron, Piet, as always, quality and quantity is immense! Thanks.

best,
Nibelung

[Reb]

Ron

Lovely info as always - when I see one of your posts I immediately open a text editor because I know useful stuff is coming my way!

One question about 21st Pz. In Normandy I've read they had a pz bn of about 100 Pz IV and a Panther bn forming in Germany - I think in July '44.
Where did the French panzers come in to it - where they attached to the same bn as the Mark IVs or wer3 they manned by the troops who became the Panther bn?

thanks
Reb

[Ron Klages]

Reb,

Thank you for the kind comments.

On 1 June 1944 the 21.Panzer-Division was equipped as follows:

•Panzer-Regiment 22
--Stab
3x Panzer III
1x Befefspz III
5x Panzer IV lang
--Stab I. Battalion
1x Panzer III
1x Befefspz III
5x Panzer IV lang
---1. Kompanie
17x Panzer IV lang
---2. Kompanie
17x Panzer IV lang
---3. Kompanie
17x Panzer IV lang
---4. Kompanie
17x Panzer IV lang
--Stab II. Battalion
3x Somua(Befls)
5x Panzer IV lang
---5. Kompanie
5x Panzer IV lang
---6. Kompanie
5x Panzer IV lang
13x Somua
2x Hotchkiss
---7. Kompanie
5x Panzer IV lang
13x Somua
---8. Kompanie
6x Panzer IV kurtz

In addition to the above there were 14x Panzer IV lang intransit to the unit[shipped on 24 May 1944]. Also on 8 July 17x Panzer IV langs were shipped as were 10x Panzer IV lang on 10 August. In addition 3 Beflspz IVs were shipped to the division on 29 July 1944.

The Panzer-Artillerie Regiment 155 was equipped with the following:
24x 10.5cm leFH18 auf Lorraine
12x 15cm sFH13 auf Lorraine

Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 200 was attached to the division and was equipped as follows:
16x 7.5cm Pak40 auf Hotchkiss
24x 10.5cm leFH16 auf Hotchkiss

Panzergrenadier-Regiment 125 had 6x 15cmIG auf Lorraine
Panzergrenadier-Regiment 192 had 6x 15cmIG auf Lorraine

So as you can see the French equipment was incorporated into the unit as integral equipment.

Data comes from the book NORMANDY 1944 by Niklas Zetterling and the book 21. Panzer-Division by Jean-Claude Perrigault.

best regards,

Ron Klages

[Skarn]

Hello there,

Sorry to come in your interesting thread without being invited, but I have a question about the French vehicles : does a list of the captured French vehicles exist ?

I think the well-organized German army should have kept a list of the French beutepanzers it used in the following years, don't you ?

Could someone provide me these figures about French vehicles in German service between 1940 and 1945 ?

Thanks by advance,
Very best regards,

Loïc

[Reb]

Ron

Great stuff! With 8 companies showing it sounds like both panzer bns were in Normandy. Were some withdrawn when the panther bn was formed subsequently? (I think that was late July or August - not in time for Normandy).

I'm going to have to buy that book for sure. How many times have I opened a book on Normandy and seen the 21st Pz mocked as a second rate unit equipped with French armour? A little bit of truth used as a lie - or more realistically, as an excuse to stop research at that point.

btw - I've seen the French SPs (Loraaine Schlepper I think) at Aberdeen and those things are huge!

thanks a lot
Reb

[Ron Klages]

Reb,

After the loss of the 21.PD in Tunisia in May 1943 it was to be reformed in France by renaming Schnelle Division West as the 21.PD. This occurred on 6 July 1943.

After the fall of France in June 1940 there were large stocks of French equipment available to the Wehrmacht. There were 1450 Renault R35 tanks, Hotchkiss H35 , 39 and FCM tanks plus another 300 Somua S35 tanks, 150 B1 and B1bis tanks and 500 Renaukt FT17 tanks. Much of this equipment at the time was of better quality than German tanks so what to do with the captured items.

An officer by the name of Alfred Becker, who was an excellent engineer, developed ways to utilize this eqyuipment in various manners. He headed up the Baustab (Construction HQ0 and they converted nearly 450 captured vehicles.

A unit was established, Gepanzerte Artillerie-Brigade, in Frnace and was attached to Armeegruppe Felber in occupying the French Free Zone [Vichy] in November 1942. The Artillerie-Brigade soon had added Panzergrenadier-Regiment 435 and in April 1943 the unit was renamed as Verstärke Schnelle Brigade West and then in June 1943 it was redesignated as Schnelle Division West. It was structured as follows:

-PG Rgt 435 with 2 battalions
-StuG-Abt. 931
-Gepanzertes Artillerie-Rgt. 2(Sfl) later Gepanzertes Artillerie-Rgt. 931 on 12 March 1943 with 2 battalions and a total of 7 batteries
-Art-Rgt zbV 621(mot)
-Rgt. Stab (mot) 621
-Stab battery 456
-I./sArtAbt 456 with 3 batteries
-Stabs battery 457
-II./sArtAbt 457 with 3 batteries
-Verest.Nachrichten Kp. 931 later PzNachr.Abt. 931
-Verst. Pionier Kp. later PzPiBtl. 931
-2 Kradschütz-Kp later PzAufkl.Abt. 931
-Panzerjäger Kp later Verst. StuG Abt. 931

From this core the reformation of the 21.PD began and for its' Panzer-Regiment they renamed Panzer-Regiment 100.

Panzer-Regiment 100 was constituted in the spring of 1943 from the various units around France. At the end of the summer in 1943 they had:
56 Somua tanks
133 Hotchkiss tanks
30 B1 bis tanks

In July and August 1943 the division received 73 Panzer IVs. The 21. Panzer-Division was not planned to contain a Panther Battalion at this time.

So when the division went to fight in Normandy in June 1944 it had two panzer battalions in it's panzer-rgiment equipped with Panzer IVs and French tanks.

It would not be until the Normandy fighting was over that the division would receive Panthers. By 1 September 1944 the I./Panzer-Regiment 22 had been sent to Germany for conversion to the Panther. The division was basically armorless by 1 September having only 3 Flakpz 38s, 1 15cm sFH auf Lorraine chassis. Panzer Brigade 112 was dissolved on 23 September 1944 with most of its' surviving equipment and personnel going to the 21.PD. The I./PR22 received 18 Panzer IVs from the PB 112 and another 10 Panzer IVs from the depot in October 1944.

The II./PR 22 received its first Panther with 40 arriving in early October however 30 of these were lost in the fighting in October while only 1 Panzer IV was lost. The division received in November another 20 Panthers and 10 Panzer IVs plus 2 Bergepanthers.

In December it was to receive another 28 Panthers and 19 Panzer IVs however by 30 December 1944 the division was down to 34 Panzer IVs and 38 Panthers.

It appears that II./PR 22 on 15 March 1945 was down to zero Panthers with 22 issued on 1 April 1945 to the regiment. I do not have figures for the Panzer IVs on hand.

I should add that Panzer Regiment 100 was first commanded by an Oberst Schmidt then he was relieved by Oberst Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski in January 1944. Oppeln-Bronikowski was recurperating from wounds received in the fighting in Kursk on 19 July 1943 and he would be the first command of the reformed PR 22.

Hope this data provides a bit more insight into the use of French equipment with the 21.PD and where it went with its panzers after Normandy.

Best regards,

Ron Klages

[Eduard]

Hi,

Rewieving this topic and after reading many stories from the normandy campaign. A doubt.

What happened with the Somuas that equipped part of the panzer regiment of the 21st Pz div. Did they took part in the battle.

and there is any new information abut the 20 FCM conversions with 75mm or 105mm guns. Wich unit took them in service after forming the 6 ko of the Schnelle brigade west.

Eduard

[Kelvin]

Did French tank upgunned to 7.5 cm L48 possible ?