Deployment of Panzerfausts

Dengar · Post by **Dengar** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:18 am

I understand that the distribution of Panzerfausts was quite exstensive during the later part of the war. I'm curios of how many Panzerfausts that would be distributed in an ideal situation in say a normal grenadier heer rifle company? One per rifle squad? More? Less?

I've read that Panzerschrecks were fielded in special teams organized under company HQ in motorised and panzer grenadier rifle companies. But I haven't found any info about Panzerfausts. Any help on this matter would be highly appreciated.

Christoph Awender · Post by **Christoph Awender** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:42 am

Hello

Panzerschreck distribution was organised in the KStN because it was a weapon. A Panzerfaust was ammo like a bullet. The supposed distribution was about 30-50 per company.

\Christoph

Dengar · Post by **Dengar** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:39 am

Thank's for the reply!

That would mean that with an equal distribution among three rifle platoons it would be about 10-15 per platoon, or a handful per rifle squad. However, I’m probably off the point here if the Panzerfausts were viewed as ammo. Because how much ammo that was available to a company doesn’t say much about the distribution of it, or about deployment in the field. Maybe I’m thinking wrong here, but what I’m after is the actual tactical deployment rather than the allocation?

The reason for my question is that I’m putting together an armylist for a Heer rifle company (1944) for wargaming purposes. If after how many, if any, Panzerfausts you could upgrade a rifle squad with?

Many thank’s for any help!

Christoph Awender · Post by **Christoph Awender** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 2:06 pm

Hello

The actual deployment in the field was handled like handgrenades etc...
If the Schützengruppe was conducting a tactical order where a Panzerfaust was needed they received some according to the overall availability. That means if a Gruppe was deployed in defensive position where the company or platoon commander awaits a enemy attack with armoured vehicles (terrain etc..) it received them. So all depended on the local situation and combat order of the individual Gruppe.

\Christoph

Roger Griffiths · Post by **Roger Griffiths** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 1:13 pm

Starting 1Nov43 army KStN for PGR Coys. called for 13 Panzershreck per coy. Pz Lehr actually had that in Normandy to start with. Average number per PD where present or reported was about 80. I'm not aware of numbers for Panzerfaust in KStN. In all my PD Gliederungen, the average number of Panzerfaust in hand from mid 1944 to end was 2,000.

Roger

ReinhardH · Post by **ReinhardH** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 12:50 am

If the Schützengruppe was conducting a tactical order where a Panzerfaust was needed they received some according to the overall availability. That means if a Gruppe was deployed in defensive position where the company or platoon commander awaits a enemy attack with armoured vehicles (terrain etc..) it received them. So all depended on the local situation and combat order of the individual Gruppe.

From what he has told me, my father was in this situation more than once near the end of the war - what Christoph has said is exactly the case.