116 PANZER DIVISION

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lebedo
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116 PANZER DIVISION

Post by lebedo »

:D Hi!Does anybody know the strength of this unit in September 1944 during the fight for Aachen?Thanks
Ron Klages
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Post by Ron Klages »

lebedo,

On 14 September 1944 the 116. Panzer-Division reported the following:

COMBAT REDINESS AS 3 which means FULLY CAPABLE OF DEFENSIVE OPERATIONS

PERSONNEL
Officers = 122
Officials = 13
NCOs = 1132
Enlisted men = 7787
Total manpower = 9054

VEHICLES
operational/short term maintenance/long term maintenance
Panzer IV = 1/0/0
Panzer V = 0/1/0
Marder III =1/0/0
StuG III = 1/0/0
Bergepz. = 1/1/0
SdKfz 250s = 10/6/0 [10x 250/1; 2x 250/3 and 4x 250/9]
SdKfz 251s = 28/10/9 [19x 251/1; 5x 251/2; 3x 251/3; 1x 251/7 and 19x unknown types of 251s]
SdKfz 234/1 = 2/0/0
SdKfz 234/3 = 1/0/0
Grille = 2/2/0
SdKfz 7/1 = 3/0/0
motorcycle with sidecar = 4/0/?
motorcycle = 214/18/?
field car civilian type = 148/18/?
field car cross country type = 134/14/?
truck civilian type = 555/21/?
truck cross country type = 39/4/?
Maultiers 22/4/?
Prime movers (1 to 5 ton) = 4/5/?
Prime movers (8 to 18 ton) = 8/3/?

WEAPONS

8.8cm Flak towed = 14 from Heeres Flak Abt. Aachen attached
3.7cm Flak towed = 15 from Heeres Flak Abt. Aachen attached
2cm Flak towed = 100 from Heeres Flak Abt. Aachen attached
2cm Flak towed = 9 from Heeres Flak Abt. 960 attached
10cm K towed = 4
10.5cm leFH towed = 3
15cm sFH towed = 2
7.5cm leIG towed = 2
7.5cm Pak 40 towed = 2



in addition StuG-Brigade 394 was attached and operating as the divisions anti-tank umit with
StuG III= 6

also attached was I./Panzer-Regiment 24 with:
Panzer IV = 3
Panzer V = 25

Hope this data helps.

Source is from Dugdales books.

Best regards,

Ron Klages
Ron Klages
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lebedo
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Post by lebedo »

:up: Thanks Ron ,that helps me a lot!
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Post by lebedo »

8) One more question,please:did the division fought in the Aachen battle during the month of September?
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Timm Haasler
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Post by Timm Haasler »

Lebedo,

116. Pz.Div. was in charge of the defense of Aachen as of Sept. 13th 1944. During the next 10 days the division benefited from the fact that the Americans tried to outflank Aachen to the north and southeast. While the situation in Aachen was characterized by small probing attacks of 1st US Inf Div, 3rd US Arm Div was pushing in the direction of Stolberg and 30th US Inf Div formed the northern pincer of the American attempt to seal off Aachen.

On Sept. 20th 116. Pz.Div. reported 11 Pz IV, 1 Panther, 2 assault guns, 2 self propelled AT guns and 20 towed AT guns combat ready. Almost all tanks and assault guns had been merged together as Armored Group 116. Pz.Div. since early September. On top of all the attached StuG.Brig. 394 reported 16 assault guns combat ready. This unit was attached to 116. Pz.Div. since Sept 12th 1944 but also had to detach a platoon to 9. Pz.Div.

The overall situation in Aachen allowed to send elements of the Armored Group to support 12. Inf.Div. in the Stolberg area on the same day.

Starting on Sept. 24th the division began to hand over the defense of Aachen to a newly arrived Volks-Grenadier-Division. Together with the 9. Pz.Div. it was transferred to the area southeast of Arnheim by the end of the month.

Hope that helps
Timm
lebedo
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Post by lebedo »

:up: THAT HELPS ME A LOT!Thanks.Do you know the size of the group that was send to support 12th ID?
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Timm Haasler
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Post by Timm Haasler »

There are conflicting information regarding the strength of the Armored Group that supported 12. Inf.Div. on Sept. 22nd

116. Pz.Div. reported 7 assault guns and 2 Panzer IV, while LXXXI. A.K. reported 4 assault guns and 3 Panthers.

I think the report of 116. Pz.Div. is more precise in this case although these figures have to include assault guns from StuG.Brig. 394.

Speaking against the figures given by LXXXI. A.K. is also the fact that 116. Pz.Div. reported no more than 1 Panther combat ready since Sept. 9th. It was only later that same day that 116. Pz.Div. received the first Panther replacement tanks via Panzer-Stützpunkt Nord (Armor Support Point North).

Best regards
Timm
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Post by lebedo »

:up: Great!Thanks!
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Post by lebedo »

Hi!Does anybody know the TOE by unit of the division during the fight,and its TOE in October?Thanks.
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Tom Houlihan
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Post by Tom Houlihan »

lebedo, it sounds like you need a copy of Guderian's book on his division!

If you're in the Americas, you'll need to pick up From Normandy to the Ruhr. I'm not sure what the title was in the original German.





NOTE: Not just cuz I sell it, either. Being written by the former Ia for the division, it's a very informative book, but a very dry read.
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Post by Jan-Hendrik »

Dear friend , take a look in the great posts by our passed away Ron Klages in this :

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ht=#588148

Thread on AHF .

Jan-Hendrik
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Post by lebedo »

:up: Thanks guys!
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Post by BobM »

Gents

Anyone have any info on organisations and strenths in March/April 45?

Cheers

Bob
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Post by Hans Weber »

Hello

I you refer to the Kampfgruppe formed from elements that escaped the Ruhr pocket, these were mainly elements of the Trosse under Dinafü Major d.R. Degenhard that had been sent away before the pocket was closed. The following is the translation of the original order as issued by Gen. Insp. d. Pz.Trp on April 7th 1945. Another source is the unit history by Guderian. The information is sparse and can be found in the very last chapter. There it refers to it as KG Brühl. It fought in the Harz Mountains in the sector of the shadowy Kampfkommandant Harz, possibly Oberst i.G. Lindenmann (Saft, Krieg in der Heimat, Harz, p. 213). The unit history reads as if this "General Harzgebiet" was acting on his own, but this order makes it likely he only transmitted what he had received. Not that this changed much.

To the 116 Panzerdivison

refers to the raising of a Kampgruppe

I.

1. On the orders of OB West, a Kampfgruppe has to be raised from the remenants of the 116. Panzerdivision at once with the following OOB:

A) Staff with a mixed signals Co.
B) one Panzerkompanie with 14 Panzer V
C) 2 Panzergrenadierkompanien, armoured, with each 8 m APC's, per Co 80-100 enlisted men.
D) one mixed Co with a AA Platoon, consisting of 5 - 2cmguns (towed), 3 - 3,7cm guns (towed) and 2 - 8.8cm AA guns (towed), one reconnaissance Platoon, consisting of 3 troops, two troops with 2 light recce cars each and one troop with 2 8-wheeled recce cars, one platoon with mortars on Tiger chassis (4 mortars).
E) one supply company
F) one motor transport company 50 tons

2. Gen. d. Pz. Trp. West, special staff instruction, Col. Schanze is tasked with the raising, CP in HAHNENKLEE, SW of GOSLAR.

3. The raising is conducted in the area SE of BAD GRUND.

II. Exective Orders

A) Personel
1. Trusted with the command of the Kampfgruppe is Maj. Graf Brühl.
2. For the raising, all of the remaining personel pf 116. PD has to be called upon.
3. On orders of Gen. Insp. Pz.Trp., Gen.Pz.Trp.West puts one Bn of the Panzergrenadier Regiment Volker (Pz.Trp.Schule BERGEN) at disposal serving as Panzergrenadiere.

B) Material
1. Weapons and hardware are to be taken from divisional stocks.
2. Ammunition has to be taken in by the division from the ammo supply depot at WOLKSRAMHAUSEN (Eastern exit). 8 km S of NORDHAUSEN during the night of the 6th to 7th April 1945 (on ahead notice by phone).
3. The tanks needed for the tank company are to be sent by Gen.Pz.Trp.West to SEESEN.
4. First attribution of fuel has to be administered by Gen.Pz.Trp.West.

III.

1. For the duration of its raising, the Kampfgruppe is subordinated to Gen. Pz. Trp, special staff instruction. Its further use is as on special order by OB West.
2. The raising has to be executed as fast as possible. End day is April 14th 1945, for the tank company this depends on the delivery of tanks.
3. 116 PD announces to Gen.Pz.Trp.West each second day by courier beginning on April 8th 1945, the status of the raising and the end of it on April 14th 1945.

Gen.d.Pz.Trp. Br.B.Nr. 1206/45 G.Kds

signed Stumpf

A similar order was issued to 9. Panzer Division.

The is no reason to belive that the order was much more than a papertiger.

The last 5 Panthers reaching the Division came from H.Za Senne and arrived on March 23th 1945.

Guderian tells of a few tanks, approx. four Panzerjäger (possibly Hetzers, as he speaks of PzJg. Abt. 228 getting 10 Hetzers earlier), Panzergrenadiere, partially on SPW, a Pionierzug, partially on SPW and a few armoured recce cars.

Cheers

Hans
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Post by BobM »

Thanks Hans - exactly what I was looking for :)
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