Armoured strength at El Alamein vs post-Kasserine

Kiehl · Post by **Kiehl** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:14 am

Hello gentlemen --

Do any of you have a detailed list of the number and types of Panzers available to Panzer-armee Afrika at; El Alamein in comparison to Tunisia, perhaps post Kasserine?

I am just curious and can't for the life of me find anything in my wee library that I can hold up in fruitful comparison of one another.

Many thanks!

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:59 am

I'm not close to my books today but IIRC at el Alamein there were roughly 300 German and 200 Italian tanks orginally. Most lost in battle.

Post Kasserine I'd say less than one hundred German with some in repair and very little petrol.

Corrections anyone?

cheers
Reb

Kiehl · Post by **Kiehl** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 1:38 pm

Found something so I thought I'd share!

Code: Select all

The first German Panzer forces to land in Tripoli 8-10 March 1941. It was the 5. Panzer regiment of the newly established 5. Light Division. It consisted of: 
25 Panzer I (Twin MGs) 
45 Panzer II (20mm) 
61 Panzer III (all with 50 mm L/42 gun) 
17 Panzer IV (with short-barrelled 75mm L/24 gun) 
3 Kl.Pz.Bef.Wg 
4 Gr.Pz.Bef.Wg. 

A further 10 Panzer III and 3 Panzer IV was lost due to outbreak of fire when loading the ship in Naples. 

At the time of Operation Sonnenblume, the 15 Panzer Division had been added to Rommel's forces with its 8. Panzer Regiment. The strength before Sonnenblume was: 

Panzer Regiment 5: 
25 Panzer I (twin MGs) 
45 Panzer II (20mm) 
71 Panzer III (50 mmm L/42) 
20 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
7 Panzer Befehlswagen 

Panzer Regiment 8: 
45 Panzer II (20mm) 
71 Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
20 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
10 Panzer Befehlswagen 


For Operation Venezia - 25 May 1942, the strength was: 
15 Panzer Division, Panzer Regiment 8: 
29 Panzer II (20mm) 
131 Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
3 Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
22 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
4 Befehlspanzer 

21. Panzer Division, 5. Panzer Regiment: 
29 Panzer II (20mm) 
107 Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
15 Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
19 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
4 Befehlspanzer 

For the Panzer Armee Afrika's last major offensive on El Alamein on 31 August 1942, the strength on the evening of 30 August 1942 was: 

Panzer Regiment 5: 
14 Panzer II (20mm) 
50 Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
39 Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
7 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
14 Panzer IV (75mm long-barrelled L/43) 
4 Befehlspanzer 

Panzer Regiment 8: 
15 Panzer II (20mm) 
43 Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
34 Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
3 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
13 Panzer IV (75mm L/43) 
2 Befehlspanzer 

Just before the British launched their great offensive at El Alamein, the night 23/24 October 1942: 
numbers are the tanks available, numbers in brackets are operational 

Panzer Regiment 5: 
19 (18) Panzer II (20mm) 
53 (43) Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
43 (43) Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
7 (6) Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
15 (15) Panzer IV (75mm L/43) 
6 (3) Befehlspanzer 

Panzer Regiment 8: 
14 (12) Panzer II (20mm) 
43 (38) Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
44 (43) Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
3 (2) Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
15 (15) Panzer IV (75mm L/43) 
2 (1) Befehlspanzer 


..and before the British Operation Supercharge, 2 November 1942: 
Panzer Regiment 5: 
9 Panzer II (20mm) 
28 Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
20 Panzer III (L/60) 
4 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
11 Panzer IV (75mm L/43) 
3 Befehlspanzer 

Panzer Regiment 8: 
5 Panzer II (20mm) 
15 Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
27 Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
3 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
5 Panzer IV (75mm L/43) 
1 Befehlspanzer 

Back in Libia at Mersa el Brega, taking stock on 2 December 1942, the total tank strength for 15 and 21 Panzer Divisions together: 
4 Panzer II (20mm) 
8 Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
22 Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
2 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
12 Panzer IV (75mm L/43) 

out of which 11 tanks were operational. At that point 22 Panzer IV (75mm L/43) were on their way to North Africa - 11 for each Regiment. 

Further, the reinforcements sent to Tunisia (November 1942 - January 1943) in response to the Allied Operation Torch were: 

Panzer Abteilung 190 (for 90 Leichte Division): 
7 Panzer II (20mm) 
52 Panzer III (50mm L/42) 
10 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
2 Befehlspanzer 

10. Panzer Division: 
21 Panzer II (20mm) 
105 Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
4 Panzer IV (75mm L/24) 
16 Panzer IV (75mm L/43) 
9 Befehlspanzer 

Panzer Abteilung 501: 
25 Panzer III (75mm L/24) 
20 Panzer VI "Tiger" (88mm L/56) 

Panzer Abteilung 504: 
19 Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
11 Panzer VI "Tiger" (88mm L/56) 

Kampfgruppe Panzer Division Hermann Goering (Apr 1943): 
2 Panzer III (50mm L/60) 
8 Panzer IV (75mm L/43) 

Source: Jentz: Panzertruppen