German armor at Market Garden

[JeffF,]

I've found that the 107th Panzer Brigade, 506th Heavy Panzer Bn (King Tigers), 559th Panzerjaeger Bn (Jagdpanthers), 280th Assault Gun Battalion and the reduced strength panzer regiments of 9SS and 10 SS Panzer Divisions fought against the Allies Market Garden forces. does anyone have the tank or panzerjager or assault gun strengths of these units at the time they were committed? Were any of the infantry divisions, like the 59th, 85th or 180th equipped with an assault gun company? Were there any other units with AFVs involved?
thanks,
Jeff

[Gebirgsjaeger]

Hi!

This may be a rather unconvetional advice but if you can try to get a copy of Matrix Game´s "Airborne Assault - Red Devils over Arnhem" or "Airborne Assault - Highway to the Reich". That game is - as far as I know - historically very accurate and you find info even about single tanks and tank-types there.

GJ

[Ron Klages]

Jeff,

Here is some information on the composition of KAMPFGRUPPE HOHENSTAUFEN which was the surviving elements of the 9.SS Panzer-Division that had been ordered to the Arnhem area to rest and reorganize after the heavy losses suffered at Normandy and the withdrawal through northern France and Belgium. During Operation Marker Garden KAMPFGRUPPE HOHENSTAUFEN grew from a force of 3500 men to a force of over 13000 men. Here is the composition on 24 September 1944.


KAMPFGRUPPE HOHENSTAUFEN

• Stab(fully motorized):
----staff with 115 men
----security company with 120 men
----military police section with 60 men
----Luftwaffe signals section with 100 men

• SS von Allwörden [a battalion sized unit with] (fully motorized)
----a company from SSPzPiBtl. 9 with 60 men acting as infantry
----a company of SS Versorgungstruppe 9 with 110 men acting as infantry
----one anti-tank company with 140 men using hand held weapons
----Naval personnel with 100 men acting as infantry

• SS Harder [a battalion sized unit with] (fully motorized)
----two companies of SS Pz Rgt. 9 with 210 men acting as infantry
----one company of SS Wirtschafts Battalion 9 with 140 men acting as infantry
----Naval personnel with 100 men acting as infantry

• Kampfgruppe 9 SS Spindler (fully motorized):
----two companies of SS Pzgren Rgt 19 with 300 men and no heavy equipment
----two companies of SS Pzgren Rgt 20 with 280 men and no heavy equipment
----two batteries of SS Artillerie Rgt 9 with 370 men acting as infantry
----one light Flak battery with 85 men and 3 towed 2cm Flak guns and 1 SdKfz 10/4 with 2cm Flak gun mounted
----one PzPi section with 40 men

• SS Panzernachrichten Abteilung 9 (fully motorized):
----consists of one mixed company with radio and telephone sections and 200 men

• ‘Bruhns’ (partially motorized);
----a battalion sized formation with eight companies of Army troops supported by Luftwaffe personnel with 970 men

• SS Kraft (partially motorized);
----SS Pzgren depot and reserve Battalion 16 made up of two rifle companies and a heavy weapons company equipped with mortar, light flak, anti-tank and flammthrower platoons. A company of military police acting as infantry was added later. This unit had a total of 410 men

• SS Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9 with 420 men organized as follows:
----Stab with
-------2 VW Schwimmwagens
-------1 motorcycle
----1st Company with
-------1 VW Schwimmwagen
-------3 motorcycles
-------3 motorcycles with sidecar
-------1 SdKfz. 231
-------2 SdKfz. 222
-------3 SdKfz. 250/9
-------3 SdKfz. 251/1
-------1 SdKfz. 251/3
----3rd Company with
-------2 VW Schwimmwagen
-------1 motorcycles with sidecar
-------3 SdKfz. 250/1
-------1 SdKfz. 250/3
-------7 SdKfz. 251/1
-------1 SdKfz. 251/3
-------2 SdKfz. 251/10
----5th (Heavy) Company with
-------1 VW
-------1 VW Schwimmwagen
-------2 motorcycles
-------2 SdKfz. 251/1
-------4 SdKfz. 251/2
-------3 SdKfz. 251/3
-------5 SdKfz. 251/9
-------1 SdKfz. 251/16
-------1 medium truck
----Supply Company with
-------2 VWs
-------1 medium car
-------1 motorcycle
-------31 medium trucks
-------4 heavy trucks

• Flak Brigade Swoboda with 15 batteries with 2140 men organized as follows:
----Ladewig
-------3 batteries each with four towed 8.8 cm flak guns
-------1 battery of eight towed 2cm flak gun
----Neumann
-------3 batteries each with four towed 8.8 cm flak guns
-------1 battery of eight towed 2cm flak gun
----‘19’
-------1 battery with three towed 8.8 cm flak guns
-------1 battery with two towed 8.8 cm flak guns
-------1 battery with six towed 3.7 cm flak guns
----Batterie Krüger
-------1 battery with four towed 8.8 cm flak guns and five towed 2cm flak guns
----SS Flak 102
-------1 battery with two towed 3.7 flak guns and eight towed 2cm flak guns

• Artillerie Regiment 191 (fully motorized) with 1282 men;
----I. Battery with
-------three batteries each with four 10.5cm light field howitzers towed
----II. Battery with
-------three batteries each with four 10.5cm light field howitzers towed
----SS Werfer Abteilung 102 with
-------one battery with four towed 15cm heavy field howitzers
-------one battery with two 10cm cannons
-------two batteries each with six 32cm rocket launchers

• Sperrverband Harzer a blocking force with (assigned to Stab ‘Gerhard’):
----Machine Gun Battalion 41
-------with forty heavy machine guns and 550 men (non motorized)
----Köhnen
-------consisting of three companies drawn from Naval Regiments 642 with 675 men (non motorized)
----Schörken
------- consisting of four lightly equipped companies and 650 men (non motorized)
----Kauer
-------three companies of Luftwaffe personnel acting as infantry with 620 men (non motorized)
----3. SS Landstorm Nederland (partially motorized):
-------consisting of three companies with light and medium weapons with 600 men
----one signals section and one pioneer section with 180 men (fully motorized)

• 3./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506 (fully motorized):
-------with 15 Tiger II tanks and 210 men

The 2./sPA 506 was attached with the 10.SS Panzer-Division [see below] and the Stab and the 1./sPA 506 were in a reserve status.

• SS Panzer Regiment 9 (fully motorized):
-------with three Panthers and 52 men

• StuG Brigade 280:
-------with 7 StuG IIIs and 3 StuH 42s (fully motorized) and 195 men

The remainder of StuG Brigade 280 remained at the Dutch/German border and were not involved in the fighting in the Arnhem area.

• Panzer Lehr Battalion 9 [Glogau] ( partially motorized):
-------with three companies of fully equipped engineers and 560 men

• Marine Zwolle (non motorized):
-------with two companies of lightly equipped Naval personnel and 390 men

• Arbeitsdienste[RAD] with 580 men (non motorized):
-------three companies of lightly armed service troops

• SS Sanitäts Abteilung 9 (fully motorized):
-------a Stab and two medical companies with 270 men

• SS Nachschubtruppen ( with 210 men (fully motorized):
-------one supply column with a 60 ton capacity

• Kompanie Weber with 90 men (non motorized):
-------one company of lightly armed Luftwaffe signallers acting as infantry

Add this all up and you arrived at 13,594 men assigned to KAMPFGRUPPE HOHENSTAUFEN on 24 September 1944.


In addition SS Panzerjäger-Abteilung 9 had 21 Jagdpanzer IVs with the 7.5cm Pak 39 L/48 gun. Many of these had been lost to air attacks prior to Arnhem so the number present during Arnhem and the number in action in the Arnhem area is not known. On 10 October there was only one Jagdpaanzer IV remaining with the unit.


The 10. SS Panzer-Division was also decimated in Normandy and was in the Arnhem area for rebuilding and was down to only 3800 men [does not include supply and service personnel of the division] and organized as KAMPFGRUPPE FRUNDSBERG while in the Arnhem area.

On 5 September the KAMPFGRUPPE FRUNDSBERG had the following assets:

• SS Panzerjäger-Abteilung 10
-------2 medium civilian cars
-------11 VWs
-------7 light civilian cars
-------5 motorcycles with sidecar
-------8 light trucks
-------25 medium trucks
-------21 Jagdpanzer IVs with the 7.5cm Pak 39 L/48 gun
-------1 SdKfz 251/8
-------3 motorcycles
-------8 heavy trucks
-------6 Sdkfz 10s
-------5 Maultiers
-------2 SdKfz. 11s
-------1 SdKfz 9/1 with 6 ton crane
-------12 towed 7.5cm Pak 40s

• SS Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 10
-------4 VWs
-------2 VW Schwimmwagens
-------7 motorcycles with sidecar
-------3 motorcycles
-------4 light civilian cars
-------4 light trucks
-------21 medium trucks
-------1 medium civilian truck
-------2 heavy trucks
-------9 SdKfz 250/1
-------3 SdKfz 250/3
-------1 SdKfz 250/7
-------2 SdKfz 250/9
-------1 SdKfz 250/10
-------3 SdKfz 251/1
-------2 SdKfz 251/3
-------1 SdKfz 251/5
-------3 SdKfz 251/9
-------6 SdKfz 222
-------3 SdKfz 231
-------1 SdKfz 7

• SS Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 10
-------only towed 10.5cm light field howitzers although note that there were 15cm heavy field howitzers present

Other elements of the division were equipped as follows:

• SS Panzer-Regiment 10 with 8 Panthers and 16 Panzer IVs and 2 SdKfz 7./1 with 2 cm flak gun mounted
• SS Flak Abteilung with 1 towed 8.8cm flak gun, 2 towed 2cm flak gun and 1 towed 3.7cm flak gun
• SS Pzgrend-Rgt. 21 with 35 medium SPWs and 2 SdKfz 10/4s with 2cm flak guns mounted and 2 towed 2cm flak guns
• SS Pzgrend-Rgt. 22 with 1 medium SPWs and 1 SdKfz 10/4 with 2cm flak gun mounted
• SS Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 10 with 6 medium SPWs
• SS Panzer-Pionier-Battalione 10 with 7 medium SPWs
• 2./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506 (fully motorized):
-------with 15 Tiger II tanks


Some sources note that the Panthers for SS PR 10 did not arrive in time for the fighting at Arnhem and other sources say they did.


Panzer-Brigade 107 on 15 September with 2117 men had the following assets:

• Brigade Stab with 16 medium SPWs
• Panzer Abteilung 2107 with 36 Panthers and 11 Jagdpanzer IVs and 2 Bergepanthers and 4 Möbelwagens and 2 SdKfz 251/8s
• Panzergrenadier Battalion 2107 with 116 medium SPWs, 8 12cm towed mortars and 1 28cm/32cm rocket launcher. The SPWs were:
--------41 SdKfz. 251/1
--------4 SdKfz. 251/2
--------14 SdKfz. 251/3
--------2 SdKfz. 251/8
--------10 SdKfz. 251/9
--------3 SdKfz. 251/11
--------42 SdKfz. 251/21

• Panzer-Pionier-Battalion with 23 medium SPWs and 6 flamethrowers. The SPWs were:
--------2 SdKfz. 251/1
--------1 SdKfz. 251/3
--------14 SdKfz. 251/7
--------6 SdKfz. 251/16


Other units in the Arnheim area were:

• Panzer-Ersatz-regiment “Bielefeld” with Panzer Kompanie Mielke which had 2 Panzer IVs [ 1 Ausf G and 1 Ausf H] and 6 Panzer IIIs Ausf Gs and Ms.

• schwere-Panzer-Kompanie Hummel with 14 Tiger Is

• Stab and 1./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506 (fully motorized):
-------with 15 Tiger II tanks

• Panzer-Kompanie 244 with
-------1 PzKpw. 35S(f)
-------2 PzKpw. B2(f)
-------14 Flammpz. B2(f)
• 1./schwere-Panzerjüager-Abteilung 559 with 4 Jagdpanthers assigned to Kampfgruppe Huber.

I believe this is the only element from sPJA 559 that was involved in the fighting in the Arnhem area.


This covers the data I have regarding the Arnhem figures. The sources for this data are from:

Dugdales books on the strengths of the armored units in the west from September 1944 to February 1945

The book It Never Snows in September by Robert Kershaw

The Concord book by Marzel Zwarts titled Arnhem


I hope this data helps,

Best regards,

Ron

[Thomhasj]

Hello!

I'm reading "It Never Snows in September" and I noticed that the attack by 107 Panzer Brigade was stalled when they were fired upon by American 57mm AT guns --> how could this be?? I always thought that a PzKpfw V 'Panther' couldn't be penetrated by such a small calibre gun?? Can anyone give any insight in this?

[JeffF,]

Ron,
Thanks for the info! One book claims that the 59 Infantry Division brought it's AT battalion with it's full strength assault gun company. I find that hard to believe since the division had been reduced to about a 1,000 infantry.
Would you have any information on it?
thanks again,
Jeff

[Patrick]

I always thought that a PzKpfw V 'Panther' couldn't be penetrated by such a small calibre gun??

I don't know the specifics of the attack you mentioned, but a 57mm AT could at least immobilize a Panther if the round strikes the tracks. While a 57mm round might not penetrate the frontal armour, it could penetrate the thinner side or rear armour.

I guess there's one other thing to consider that I've never really thought about until just now. Suppose you're a tank crewman and your vehicle just got hit (but not penetrated) - can an experienced tanker distinguish a 57mm from a 75mm round? In that position, I imagine that I'd take evasive action no matter what hit me, which would effectively stall any advance until the AT threat had been cleared.

[Golf33]

From U.S. Army Test No.2 - Firing Tests conducted 12-30 July 1944 by 1st U.S. Army in Normandy:

5) 57mm Gun, M1
a) APC, M86 will penetrate the sides and rear of the 'Panther' Tank at 1500 yards.

b) Sabot fails to penetrate front glacis slope plate and gun shield at 200 yards. Due to difficulty experienced in obtaining hits no conclusion as to the effectiveness of this ammunition was reached.

Provided the M1 is sited to engage the flank of attacking armour, it is an effective weapon even against the heavier German armour.

Regards
33

[JeffF,]

Ron,

In Cornelius Ryan's A Bridge Too Far he mentions that the 9SS Panzer Division reported less operational tanks, vehicles and crew served weapons than it really had in order to avoid turning these over to 10SS Pz Div which it had been ordered to do. Do the strengths in your post take into account vehicles/weapons in short-term maintenance?

thanks,
Jeff

[Gebirgsjaeger]

Don´t forget that the 107. Panzerbrigade was not just equipped with the Panzer V "Panther" but with the Panzer IV as well, which was not so heavily armored.

[JeffF,]

According to Ron's previous post the 107th Pz Bde had 36 Panthers and 11 Jagdpanzer IV, no Pzkw IV's. I'm away from my books right now but if I remember correctly that is the organization Jentz' Panzertruppen Vol. II shows as well.

[Roger Griffiths]

Yes, the Panther was basically inpenetrable head on, but was vulnerable on the sides. Because the Allies had such preponderance of numbers of tanks and AT guns, they could be outflanked, swamped.

The first Tiger KO'd by the British was by a 6Pdr. The U.S. 57mm was a copy of the 6Pdr.

As far as 9SSPD at Arnhem is concerned. They were previously ordered to hand over all equipment and vehicles to 10SSPD which would remain in the line. 9SSPD would be re-built and re-equipped from scratch in the rear. Being canny they thought it wiser to take the best stuff with them, they could'nt be sure that complete re-equipment would take place. SSPzAA9 was still at 50% strength so they removed the tracks from SPW's and loaded onto railway flats. Market Garden led to the vehicles being offloaded and the tracks being re-fitted.

Roger

Roger

[JeffF,]

Roger,
Do you think Ron's figures would include the equipment 9SS Pz div classified as on-operational?
Jeff

[Roger Griffiths]

Hi Jeff,

You'll have to ask Ron, but it all makes sense against what I've read.

Roger

[Ron Klages]

The figures given are suppose to be the total number of vehicles on hand including those in repair. Again, that is what is indicated by Dugdale's work.

Ron

[JASGripen]

What is the name of that Dugdales book?