definition of equipment return

[pamak]

in a site i found the term "equipment return" reports for various dates giving number of tanks.

I am confused regarding this definition.

is this about "equipment returned from repair" (which is added to the already present number of tanks on hand), or is it just another name for "equipment on hand" which shows the total number of equipment available?

The site i am talking about is this

http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:PP ... clnk&gl=us




it gives "equipment returns" for various dates.

The information is taken from "The Afrika Korps, An Organizational History 1941-1943" by George F. Nafziger, 1997

To be more clear:

When it says for example

"10/25/42, evening: 15th Pz. Div. equipment returns include 5 Specials.TAKAOH-p110 "

Does this mean there are only 5 Specials available as of 10/25/42 evening,
or

5 specials returned from repair during 10/25/42?

Notice that at some point it states
"10/23/42: 5th Pz. Reg. official inventory includes total of 15 Specials.TAKAOH-p30 TIC-p99 RBAC-p???? 8th Pz. Reg. official inventory (including evening equipment returns) includes total of 15 F2s in its 1st and 2nd Battalions' 2 Med. Pz. Companies, with 8 in one and 7 in the other.TAKAOH-p21,110 TIC-p99 RBAC-p???? "

which implies that equipment returns is different from tank inventory.

Thank you

[Simon H]

When a particular unit was redeployed to another location their heavy weapons would be redistributed to the next unit filling their part of the line. So returns are vehicles that were originally on the TOE of the unit but are being reissued to another unit. As returns they are by definition still "runners" as opposed to being knocked out.

Hope this helps!

[pamak]

thank you for the reply but i believe that in the case i am showing here, this does not seem to be right.

have you seen the link i posted?