Panzergrenadier battalion HQ

[Paul_9686]

Hello, everyone; I'm wondering how to put together a Panzergrenadier battalion HQ in 1/285th scale. I'm thinking it would have two or possibly three 251 radio halftrack APCs, two radio trucks (a light one by Horch and a heavy one by Opel), three or four Volkswagen light cars (Kubelwagens or Schwimmwagens), a couple of motorcycle/sidecar combos, and four single motorcycles as dispatch riders. Plus all the halftracks, light cars, and combos would have machine guns (either MG-34 or -42).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Yours,
Paul

[Christoph Awender]

Hello

http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/KStN/KStN_1108(fG)_1.11.1944.pdf

[Paul_9686]

Thank'ee kindly, Christoph! My German's a bit rusty, but I think I can make sense of it all.

Yours,
Paul

[Nat]

Paul,

Nice to hear that I'm not the only one collecting Microarmor. Here's a pic of my first painted Battalion I did a few years back.

[PaulJ]

Here's a deeper question I've always wondered about, and never seen anything on -- how did the Germans' organize the echeloning of their HQ? Did they echelon them at all?

What I mean is this: in British/Commonwealth practice, there would actually be up to no less than FOUR DIFFERENT headquarters for a unit, as follows:

(1) Tactical HQ -- "Tac HQ" -- the commander himself, with as little as one or two armoured vehicles to drive around, hold a few radios and maps, and see things for the commander himself.

(2) Forward HQ -- larger than Tac, and set-up for continuous ops 24/7, with a duty staff to answer the radio/mail, keep track of things, provide accomodation, food etc, but still be further forward than....

(3) Main HQ -- where the bulk of the staff was located, coordinating everything, and finally...

(4) Rear HQ -- which would coordinate the rear area logistic type matters for the headquarters in question.

Echeloning in this fashion was not confined to very large high level HQ (eg, Eisenhower, Monty, or Bradley), but was often practiced right down to battalion level. Tac HQ for a bn could be as simple as the CO going forward in his own Bren carrier with a radioman and soldier or two, to observe for himself, while forward HQ would be a few trenches with a duty watch set-up, main would be the bulk of the 20ish pers in bn HQ, and rear would be set-up around the Admin company comd a few km back in the bn admin area. You get the idea.

Did the Germans practice anything like this?

Cheers,

[Christoph Awender]

Hello

Yes they had s similar organisation. There was the commander with his "Gruppe Führer" later with the "Kompanietrupp" in a headquarter company. Then you have the signal section "Nachrichtenstaffel" with all the sgnal teams, the Gefechtstroß for supply and the Gefechtstroß II for administration with clerks, messengers etc..
Here on my site you can see an example:
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn115c1nov41.htm

/Christoph

[PaulJ]

Cristoph,

Well informed as always. I understand the KStN, but could I ask you how they laid-down that organization into forward and rear HQ etc? Obviously, it would depend largely upon the situation (and in fact, how to lay this down was one of the critical command decisions a commander had to make), but could you illustrate with some "typical" examples? I'll dig up some typical examples for Brit/CW armies.

frohe Weihnachten,

[PaulJ]

Okay, just at the moment (as I sit here on Christmas leave sipping coffee), can't lay my hands on what I was thinking of, but offer this: for a WWII Inf Bde (Brit model, based upon WE II/141/2):
Main HQ:
- Comd, personal staff
- Ops staff (Brigade Major, Into O, a few others)
- 3 x Liaison Officers (one for each subordinate bn)
- small local security party
- total 8 vehicles (jeep/truck)
Rear HQ: everything else
(source: John R. Grodzinski, Operational Handbook for the First Canadian Army: Formation Organization, Staff Technique and Administration, Revised edition 1998, ISBN 0-9680946-0-0) pp 21-22.