Use of the Sd Kfz 251/10 in early 1941

[larrrys37]

In my studies of the German Panzer Divisions, I have been unable to establish the use of the Sd Kfz 251/10 in the German Army Schutzen Kp (KStN 1114 (gp) 1.2.41) organization. The data I have been able to find indicates that this vehicle was attached to the gp companies in many Panzer Divisions at the begining of the Russian Campaign!? All data I have found shows the weapons stayed the same with the added 3 Pak 37cm Anti-tank weapons added. My question: Did the Sd Kfz 251/10 take the place of the Sd Kfz 251/2 that served as the Zug Trupp vehicle and how were the uffz and Mann placed the the vehicles of the company?

[Roger Griffiths]

I don't have 1114(gp) 1Feb41 but do have 1Nov41. Even then the 3 (1 each in 1st to 3rd Platoons) were referred to as 3,7cm Pak auf Schuetz. Pz. Wg., Sd.Kfz. 251/1, not 251/10.

You mention SPW 251/2 (8,1cm Mortar). They were in 4th Heavy Platoon, not replaced by 3,7cm Pak SPW.

Roger

[larrrys37]

I also have the 1114(gp) KStN for 1.11.41! The early war 1114(gp) 1.12.39 KStN had the 5cm Gr.W. (with crew) was carried in the Platoon leaders vehicle (I found this data in the 2nd Pz Div records).

The early war Sd Kfz 251/2 was used for both the 5cm Gr.W. and the 8cm Gr.W.; from this I assumed that the platoon leader would have been a Sd kfz 251/2.

[Roger Griffiths]

Hi Larry,

I think platoon leader plus an 8,1cm mortar crew dropping bombs down the tube would be a bit of a crowd.

Roger

[larrrys37]

Just before the Russian Campaign the German's added 3,7cm Pak guns to many (gp) Schutzenkompanien! The organization charts show that the other equipment stayed the same (See 2nd par. below). My question is how did the German's reorganize the (gp) SchutzenKompanie to take care of these additional weapons and munitions. I have been unable to find any KStN data on how this was done.

The Schutzen Kompanien (gp) in the early part of the war had in it 9 or 18 LMG's, 2 SMG's, and 3 l.Gr.W. (5cm Mortar). The 4th Kompanie (MG Kompanie) of each Btl had 8 SMG's and 6 s.Gr.W. (8cm mortar).

Near the end of 1941 the German Army reorganized the Btl's!!! The Machine Gun Kompanie was done away with and the weapon distrubuted among the Schutzen Kompanien. Each Schutzen Kompanie then had 18 LMG's, 4 sMG's, and 2 s.Gr.W. (8cm Mortar). The l.Gr.W. was not used in the new organizations.

Just

[larrrys37]

I was incorrect in the number of LMG's in the (gp) Kompanie for the late 1941!! The totals used were the NON (gp) totals! The correct total of LMG's in the (gp) Kp was 34 with 16 as no-board the SdKfz 250's and 251's of the Kompanie.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little more.............................................

Sd.Kfz. 251/10 - Schützenpanzerwagen (3.7 cm PaK).

This vehicle was equipped with a 37 mm Pak 36 anti-tank gun mount. It was issued to platoon leaders as a fire support vehicle. There were three for each armoured rifle company. The first testing vehicle was available in May 1941. Serial production started in July 1941.

After introduction of this support vehicle in 1941, many older models of the A, B and (very rarely) C were retrofitted with standard 3.7cm Pak 35/36 guns, which often maintained the original armour shield.

Source: http://www.ebay.de/itm/2-WK-Foto-Panzer ... 7675.l2557
Operation Barbarossa: the Complete Organisational and Statistical Analysis ...By Nigel Askey

Cheers. Raúl M .