Composition of corps aufklarungsabteilung (mot.) in 1939.

[sid guttridge]

In 1939 a motorised Aufklarungsabteilung (reconnaissance battalion) seem to have been possessed by two sorts of higher formation, mechanised divisions and at least some army corps. (i.e. 1st Panzer Division possessed Aufklarungsabt. (mot.) 4, while Wehrkreis I/I Corps possessed Aufklarungsabt. (mot.) 1).

Can anyone please tell me:

1) Was a panzer division's motorised Aufklarungsabteilung of identical composition to a corps motorised Aufklarungsabteilung?

2) How many armoured cars of what types did a corps Aufklarungsabteilung possess?

Many thanks,

Sid.

[derGespenst]

I would be interested to know where you found mention of a "corps" Aufklarungsabteilung. Given how the AAs were structured and used, it really is not logical to have them at Corps level, nor have I ever heard of such.

Their organization/equipment could vary substantially and they got stronger as the war went on (in theory anyway) but, in general, the AAs in Pz Divs were larger and stronger than those in Mot Divs.

[sid guttridge]

Hi derGespenst,

I have been informed that only Wehrkreis I had a corps reconnaissance battalion. I guess that this was because it was isolated in East Prussia and had no mechanised divisions based in its jurisdiction and so could not rely on any strong divisional mechanised reconnaissance units.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Roger Griffiths]

Yes, there were a few army troops Recce dets.

AA Lehr
AA (mot)1 (One you mention in Post0
Schnelle Abt 48
AA (mot) 55
AA (mot) 68
AA (mot) 400
Gem. PzAA 520
AA (mot) 580
AA (mot) 1000

I don't know composition.

Roger

[Domen123]

I have been informed that only Wehrkreis I had a corps reconnaissance battalion.

I. AK (3. Armee) had Aufkl.Abt.1. It seems that its organization was the same like of Aufkl.Abt. from Pz.Div.

There was also Aufkl.Lehr.Abt. (until 06.09.1939 part of III. AK, later part of XIX. AK).

ALA had the same organization as AA in Pz.Div., except for an additional motorcycle recce platoon (KStN 1133).

Such motorcycle recce platoons (KStN 1133) were probably not present in Aufkl.Abt. of Pz.Div.:

http://niehorster.orbat.com/011_germany ... pz-01.html

I guess that this was because it was isolated in East Prussia and had no mechanised divisions

I. AK had one mechanised division - Panzer-Division "Kempf".

2) How many armoured cars of what types did a corps Aufklarungsabteilung possess?

Aufklarungs-Lehr-Abteilung had 60 armoured vehicles (of them 52 armed):

20 x SdKfz. 221
8 x SdKfz. 222
8 x SdKfz. 233
6 x SdKfz. 231
6 x SdKfz. 232
4 x SdKfz. 263
4 x SdKfz. 261
3 x SdKfz. 247
1 x SdKfz. 260

Note that in recce regiments of some of the light divisions there were Panzerspahabteilungs, which had more armoured vehicles than normal Aufkl.Abt.(mot.). For example II./Aufkl.Rgt.9 had 3 Panzerspahwagen companies and 85 armoured vehicles in total, II./Aufkl.Rgt.7 had 4 Panzerspahwagen companies and 111 armoured vehicles in total.

While I./Aufkl.Rgt. and I./Aufkl.Rgt.7 from these recce regiments were both Kradschutzenabteilungs.

On the other hand, both battalions of the Aufkl.Rgt.8 (3. Leichte-Division) had the same organization as Aufklarungs-Lehr-Abteilung. One of these battalions was detached from 3. Leichte-Division and attached to 10. Pz.Div.

And finally 1. Lei.Div. had Aufkl.Abt. organized like Aufkl.Abt. of Panzer divisions.

In general 1. Lei.Div. was organized more like a Pz.Div. than like a light division.

For example Thomas Jentz in his "Panzertruppen", Volume 1 (1933 - 1942), even writes that 1. Lei.Div. was oficially renamed for 6. Pz.Div. yet on 12 September 1939 (so yet during the Polish Campaign). I'm not sure if this is a typo or not.

[Christoph Awender]

Hello,

A very old thread but because Domen121 resurrected it..

Aufkl.Abt.(mot) 1 was composed of:
Stb.Aufkl.Abt.(mot) KStN 1105
- Nachr.Zg.(mot) Aufkl.Abt.(mot) KStN 1191
-----Kradschtz.Schwd. KStN 1111
-----2x Panz.Sp.Schwd. KStN 1162
-----Führer schw.Schd.(mot) Aufkl.Abt.(mot) KStN 1121
--------- Kav.Pz.Abw.Zg. (motZ) KStN 1122
----------Kav.Gesch.Zg. (motZ) KStN 1123
----------Kav.Pi.Zg.(mot) KStN 1124
-----Kw.Werkst.Zg. KStN 1051
-----l.Kol.Aufkl.Abt.(mot) KStN 1181

/Christoph