Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

German Heer 1935-1945.

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Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; a new topic to build .........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

The PR 7 was a young regiment. It was organized on October 1, 1936 in the training grounds of Ohrdruf / Thuringia taking personnel from the armored regiments 1, 2 and 4. The regiment was in charge of maintaining the tradition of the Königlich Preußischen Dragoner-Regiment (Kurmärkisches) Nr. 14, which previously had the II./ PR 2. For this reason the new barracks in Vaihingen were called "Kurmärker-Kaserne". The garrison was built in the years 1936 - 1937 and was brand new when the light tanks of the regiment crossed the gates in the spring of 1938.

Vaihingen 1938.

On Saturday, May 7, 1938, most of the city's 16,000 inhabitants lined up the streets waiting for the soldiers and the parade. After arriving by train, the soldiers formed at the station and then marched through the Schiller Platz and the main street of Vaihingen adorned with flowers and flags. In the first tank the Oberst Franz Landgraf led the column to the brewery then turned left into an open area on the outskirts of Vaihingen, where the mayor offered them the official welcome.

Finished the words of Oberst Landgraf, Mayor (Burgermeister) Heller and other officials for the special occasion, the troops paraded in front of their commander and guests and headed towards their brand new garrison.

Sources: History of Kurmäker Kaserne 1938. Patch Barracks 1970.
Das Panzer-Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub
Http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /PR7-R.htm

Greetings. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Inhabitants of Vaihingen await the approaching tanks on the main street - May 07, 1938 ............................
Inhabitants of Vaihingen await the approaching tanks on the main street - May 07, 1938 ............................
image017.png (386.71 KiB) Viewed 8623 times
Oberst Landgraf leads the column in his Panzerbefehlswagen I Ausf. B; The vehicle is equipped with a turret (non-rotating) and a machine gun in a ball mount ..................................................
Oberst Landgraf leads the column in his Panzerbefehlswagen I Ausf. B; The vehicle is equipped with a turret (non-rotating) and a machine gun in a ball mount ..................................................
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more.........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

Vaihingen 1938 - The new garrison.

The crowd, followed behind to participate in the open-door activities, and found more speeches in front of the gates of the barracks. There Herr Blind, the construction manager, handed over the keys to the Oberst Landgraf, not without first detailing how his workers had transformed the site's forests into the present garrison. The commander of the regiment expressed his gratitude and named the garrison as "Kurmaerker Kaserne" and then cutting the traditional white ribbon entered with his troops through the gates. Again the crowd followed behind to visit the buildings, witness sporting events and a demonstration of the use of tanks. There was also free coffee, which the soldiers served from field kitchens located in the training area. The activities in the barracks continued until Retreat.

Later soldiers and locals gathered on the shores of the lake in the park to continue the celebrations with beer and songs. The band of the regiment held a concert.

Sources: History of Kurmäker Kaserne 1938. Patch Barracks 1970.
Vaihingen auf den Fildern: in den Dreissiger- und Vierzigerjahren. Escrito por Dietmar Speidel
Das Panzer-Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /PR7-R.htm

Greetings. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
A young girl from Vaihingen gives a bouquet of flowers to Oberst Landgraf, before the eyes of the Bürgermeister Heller and the Kreisleister and Ortsgruppenleister Junginger ......................................
A young girl from Vaihingen gives a bouquet of flowers to Oberst Landgraf, before the eyes of the Bürgermeister Heller and the Kreisleister and Ortsgruppenleister Junginger ......................................
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Oberst Landgraf receives the keys of the new garrison .......................................................
Oberst Landgraf receives the keys of the new garrison .......................................................
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more.........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

Vaihingen 1938 - The new garrison.

The construction of the new barracks had already started in June 1936, several months before the unit was formed. The facilities had been specifically designed for the regiment consisting of two armored detachments (abteilungen), each with four companies and headquarters. Both detachments had equal facilities and even a gate for each. Each abteilung had five barracks buildings, two mess halls and ten long buildings for garages. The headquarters building had capacity for the HQ of the regiment and each detachment and was opposite the main gate and aligned with the mess buildings. Immediately behind the HQ building was the garage for the vehicles of the regiment and to the other side of exercise place the maintenance building.

Sources: History of Kurmäker Kaserne 1938. Patch Barracks 1970.
Vaihingen auf den Fildern: in den Dreissiger- und Vierzigerjahren. Escrito por Dietmar Speidel
Das Panzer-Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub

Greetings. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Tanks of PR 7 entering the new facilities; In the foreground a Panzerbefehlswagen I followed by a Pz Kw II ......................................
Tanks of PR 7 entering the new facilities; In the foreground a Panzerbefehlswagen I followed by a Pz Kw II ......................................
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Prosper Vandenbroucke
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by Prosper Vandenbroucke »

In addition, some information about Panzer Regiment 7
http://users.skynet.be/niemacks_place/O ... .htm#org39
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /PR7-R.htm
and a not so good pic of two soldiers and a panzer belonging to PR 7
c1dcd0082d84863605deb8435af635db--work-camp-army-vehicles.jpg
c1dcd0082d84863605deb8435af635db--work-camp-army-vehicles.jpg (31.02 KiB) Viewed 8533 times
https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/313774299016593222/
Kindly regards from Belgium
Prosper :wink: :wink:
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Thanks for sharing those tips here Prosper :wink:. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Prosper Vandenbroucke
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by Prosper Vandenbroucke »

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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Thank you very much again Prosper :wink:. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more.........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

Vaihingen 1938 - Training.

The PR 7 trained in its new barracks for 15 months. The companies maneuvered with their tanks in the areas near the Armored Barracks (Panzer Kaserne) and carried out firing practices in special Shooting ranges. The crews of the tanks also performed exercises in three interior polygons. All of them were equipped with electrically powered turrets that simulated the movement of the tank. The turrets mounted 22 mm sub-calibers instead of the normal guns assigned to the tanks. In two of the polygons there were small figures simulating targets on scale with different landscapes; The third had silhouettes of tanks moving at different speeds. For the gunners observing through their periscopes the simulations were like real terrain for them.

Sources: History of Kurmäker Kaserne 1938. Patch Barracks 1970.
Vaihingen auf den Fildern: in den Dreissiger- und Vierzigerjahren. Escrito por Dietmar Speidel
Das Panzer-Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
A Pz Kw I during an exercise in one of the Shooting range of the garrison ..................................
A Pz Kw I during an exercise in one of the Shooting range of the garrison ..................................
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more.........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

Emblem - The bison.

The PR 7 selected as its emblem the bison, an animal that symbolized the power and strength of the armored units. The silhouette of the bison was drawn in the vehicles of the regiment and in all the identification signs of that unit. Shortly after moving to the new barracks, a sculptor was hired to sculpt the statue of a life-size white granite bison; this sculpture was delivered towardsin late 1938 and remained there when the regiment marched to war. When the war ended and the Americans occupied Vaihingen was still in place but by the spring (Boreal) of 1946 it had already disappeared.

Sources: History of Kurmäker Kaserne 1938. Patch Barracks 1970.
Vaihingen auf den Fildern: in den Dreissiger- und Vierzigerjahren. Escrito por Dietmar Speidel
Das Panzer-Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Silhouette of a bison on the side of the turret of a Pz Kw III of PR 7 ........................................<br />http://www.ebay.de/itm/Foto-Panzerregiment-7-Panzer-III-Gefechtspause-Emblem -Bison-Frankreich- / 381304278043? en = LH_DefaultDomain_77 &amp; hash = item58c7818c1b
Silhouette of a bison on the side of the turret of a Pz Kw III of PR 7 ........................................
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Foto-Panzerregiment-7-Panzer-III-Gefechtspause-Emblem -Bison-Frankreich- / 381304278043? en = LH_DefaultDomain_77 & hash = item58c7818c1b
image041.png (437.2 KiB) Viewed 8438 times
Crew in maintenance tasks; on the turrets of the Pz Kw II the silhouette of the bison ........................<br />http://www.ebay.de/itm/Photo-2-WK-Panzer-Rgt-7-Kaserne-Panzer-Soldaten-bei-Wartungs-arbeiten-Top-/121700575996?hash=item1c55eb6afc&amp;en=LH_DefaultDomain_77&amp;nma=true&amp;si=xC3jCjSQqawW0eDAsQPTOnv % 252BQ3Q% 253D &amp; orig_cvip = true &amp; rt = nc &amp; _trksid = p2047675.l2557 # ht_725wt_1154
Crew in maintenance tasks; on the turrets of the Pz Kw II the silhouette of the bison ........................
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Photo-2-WK-Panzer-Rgt-7-Kaserne-Panzer-Soldaten-bei-Wartungs-arbeiten-Top-/121700575996?hash=item1c55eb6afc&en=LH_DefaultDomain_77&nma=true&si=xC3jCjSQqawW0eDAsQPTOnv % 252BQ3Q% 253D & orig_cvip = true & rt = nc & _trksid = p2047675.l2557 # ht_725wt_1154
image011.png (206.07 KiB) Viewed 8438 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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tigre
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more.........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

Vaihingen 1938 - Training.

PR 7 tanks during some exercises in the training grounds adjacent to the barracks; here learning to overcome an obstacle (ditch) ?? ...................

Sources: History of Kurmäker Kaserne 1938. Patch Barracks 1970.
Vaihingen auf den Fildern: in den Dreissiger- und Vierzigerjahren. Escrito por Dietmar Speidel
Das Panzer-Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub
LJ105 Panzer-Regiment 7 Vaihingen Panzer II im Graben festgefahren Wald tank TOP. ebay Auction.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
A Pz Kw II....................................
A Pz Kw II....................................
image001.jpg (37.33 KiB) Viewed 8412 times
The same for this Pz Kw I..........................................
The same for this Pz Kw I..........................................
image002.jpg (37.77 KiB) Viewed 8412 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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tigre
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more.........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

To East Prussia 1939.

July 30, 1939, the days of packing and equipping tanks and vehicles are over. It is assumed that the regiment will participate in the extensive maneuvers of the I AK in East Prussia. In addition, it should take part in the grand parade for the celebration of Tannenberg. The political situation with Poland is curious at that time, so the planned military exercises should be seen as a demonstration against the presumptuous Poland.

Meanwhile, the tankmen do not think seriously about the possibility of war. Of course, this topic is talked about, but finally the opinion prevails: "if something can go wrong, it will go wrong", the well-known Landserdeutsch (soldier's jargon).

Without the 2nd and 7th Companies, which remained in Vaihingen (*), the regiment was loaded into the Vaihingen-Böblingen area. First, it must travel by train to Hamburg, then by ship to Königsberg. The Polish Corridor prevents us from going from one extreme to the other in our own land, in any case it is possible only by making a long detour through the sea. Some of the men just now are beginning to realize that they are not yet completely free from the shackles of the Treaty of Versailles. The train trip is entertaining. We see new landscapes, until now unknown, talking about this and that, playing cards, singing and having a good mood, because it was in the soldier's daily life. Depending on your ingenuity and your aspirations, you will be more or less comfortable to spend the night. Nor does it matter to a young soldier if they sleep less well and for a long time.

(*) The 2nd Company was led by Oberleutnant Kunhardt von Schmidt, the 7th Company by Hauptmann Dr. Schirmer. These two companies together with the 3rd and 6th Companies of Panzer Regiment 8 will form the PanzerErsAbt 7.

Sources: Das Panzer- Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub
Günther Gotthardt 1918 - 1940. Eroberungskrieger der Nazi-Wehrmach thttp://www.harbuch.de/index.php/frische-themen ... -1940.html
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /PR7-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Boarding in Stuttgart-Feuerbach; in the foreground a PanzerBefehlswagen III - Ausf.D1 .......................
Boarding in Stuttgart-Feuerbach; in the foreground a PanzerBefehlswagen III - Ausf.D1 .......................
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Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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tigre
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more.........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

To East Prussia 1939.

July 31, 1939, Already the troops are in Hamburg. The boarding begins immediately after the train unloads. This is something new. The port with its maritime traffic made a great impression on the tankmen of southern Germany. Of course, they would have liked to know "St. Pauli at night" walking along the Reeperbahn (*). Unfortunately, that was not possible.

On board the steamboat, the men got as comfortable as possible, because it is not as narrow as on the train. There is always something else to see. The trip by sea is enjoyed completely. There is hobby in large quantities. Everything is fun and time is enjoyed and one allows the good God to be a good man (for things to flow), again in Landserdeutsch. With a good time, she sailed the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal and the ship was now in the Baltic Sea. There were no registered "sea sick" (suffering by the movement of the ship), so that the soldiers enjoyed the sea voyage to the maximum and it does not matter the next day ...............

(*) Reeperbahn is a street in the district of Sankt Pauli in the Hamburg-Mitte district of Hamburg, one of the centers of nightlife in the city and its red light district.

Sources: Das Panzer- Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub
Günther Gotthardt 1918 - 1940. Eroberungskrieger der Nazi-Wehrmach http://www.harbuch.de/index.php/frische ... -1940.html
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /PR7-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Loading of a Pz Kw IV in the port of Hamburg - July 1939 ................................................
Loading of a Pz Kw IV in the port of Hamburg - July 1939 ................................................
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Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more.........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

To East Prussia 1939.

August 3, 1939. The port of Königsberg was reached and the discharge began. After the disembarkation again came the demands that must be answered. But that meant nothing to the men after the rest days, on the contrary.

August 4, 1939. Part of the regiment was billeted in the sector of Zinten (Wehrkreis I). Until August 7, 1939, the entire regiment, now divided into 2 Abteilungen (detachments) of 3 companies each, was housed in good barracks in the Zinten area. Soon the soldiers of Baden and Swabia established very good relations with the inhabitants of East Prussia. Willing and helpful, the men helped the compatriots to raise their harvest.

Sources: Das Panzer- Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub
http://www.harbuch.de/index.php/frische ... -1940.html
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /PR7-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Seemingly an assembly area for testing and commissioning of all the vehicles and equipment around Königsberg ................................
Seemingly an assembly area for testing and commissioning of all the vehicles and equipment around Königsberg ................................
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Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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tigre
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more.........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

To East Prussia 1939.

August 8, 1939. Along with the units of the Waffen SS, the regiment participated in an exercise because they almost never (the SS soldiers) had practiced together with the tanks. At the same time, the tankmen discovered that these SS are actually very close and normal soldiers.

August 9 and 10, 1939. At the Stablack Troop Training Camp, about 15 km southeast of Zinten, the regiment was trained with larger mixed formations.

August 11-19, 1939. Exercises are then carried out in smaller groups, practicing above all the interaction of the armored vehicles with other weapons. Many units have never seen a tank nearby. In their free time, men continue to help the East Prussian farmers with the harvest. Both sides got used to each other and good ties were established between the locals and the soldiers of the southwest corner of Germany. On the other hand, there is always a lot to do after the exercises for the workshop men, the tank assistants and the drivers.

Sources: as Panzer- Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub
http://www.harbuch.de/index.php/frische ... -1940.html
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /PR7-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
In East Prussia, a Pz Kw II tank of PR 7 in an assembly area in a wooded ground ..............................................<br />http://odkrywca.pl/panzer-1939-czesc-11,687400.html#687400
In East Prussia, a Pz Kw II tank of PR 7 in an assembly area in a wooded ground ..............................................
http://odkrywca.pl/panzer-1939-czesc-11,687400.html#687400
image054.jpg (43.23 KiB) Viewed 8218 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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tigre
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Re: Panzer Regiment 7 - 1936 till 1939.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more.........................

Life in an armored regiment before the war.

To East Prussia 1939.

August 20-22, 1939. Meanwhile, political tension between Poland and Germany had worsened. The regiment moved further south to Liebstadt-Locken. The regiment knew another part of the beautiful landscape of East Prussia with the dream lakes, the primitive Forests, the fertile fields in hills and plains. Without forgetting the delicious cuisine of East Prussia.

August 23, 1939. On this day came an order for the preparation of a grand parade for the Celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Tannenberg. The mass of the regiment should participate in it. Here is the order of II. Abteilung

II. Panzer Regiment 7 - Brückendorf, 23.8.39

Order for the march to the Tannenberg parade.

1. The 24.8. It will take place before the parade. Location: firm terrain east of the road 1.5 km south of the Brückendorf station.
2. Involved: the combat squadron of the Staff II, the 3rd company, 4th and 8th Companies (without tanks I), 5th and 6th companies.
3. Assembly: The units will be at 08:00 hours with the origin at the field parade.
Sequence: after arrival, from there through Kämmersdorf. 4. Company will coordinate the assembly of parts of the 8. Company with it.
4. To peg, each unit has 5 poles (about 1.5 m long).

Signed Schmidt Oberstleutnant and Commander of the Detachment.

Sources: Das Panzer- Regiment 7 und 21 und seine Tochterformationen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Oberst a. D. W. Straub
http://www.harbuch.de/index.php/frische ... -1940.html
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /PR7-R.htm
http://odkrywca.pl/panzer-1939-czesc-11 ... tml#687400

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
After the maneuvers a good washing of the vehicles; in the image two Pz Kw II and a Panzerbefehlswagen I (Sd.Kfz.265) ..................................................
After the maneuvers a good washing of the vehicles; in the image two Pz Kw II and a Panzerbefehlswagen I (Sd.Kfz.265) ..................................................
image007.jpg (43.03 KiB) Viewed 8187 times
In column to start the march; Pz Kw II and Pz Kw I ...................................................
In column to start the march; Pz Kw II and Pz Kw I ...................................................
image009.jpg (46.97 KiB) Viewed 8187 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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