Huge discrepancies in German casualty reports!

General WWII era German military discussion that doesn't fit someplace more specific.
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Domen123
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Huge discrepancies in German casualty reports!

Post by Domen123 »

What is the reason of huge discrepancies in losses of the same unit in the same period from 2 different reports?! :?

Just for example (as I know much more of such complicated cases!):

1. Losses of 4. Pz.Div. 1 - 20 September 1939 - one report:

KIA / MIA / WIA --------------- Total
Officers + NCOs and men (Total)

Stab Pz.Div. = 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 0 (0) / 4 + 2 (6) --------------- 6
Stab Pz.Brig. = 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 0 (0) / 3 + 3 (6) --------------- 6
35 Pz.Rgt. = 5 + 38 (43) / 0 + 9 (9) / 7 + 74 (81) --------------- 133
36 Pz.Rgt. = 3 + 39 (42) / 0 + 19 (19) / 11 + 51 (62) --------------- 123
12 Schtz.Rgt. = 5 + 145 (150) / 0 + 43 (43) / 14 + 252 (266) --------------- 459
103 Art.Rgt. = 1 + 12 (13) / 0 + 0 (0) / 5 + 30 (35) --------------- 48
7 Aufk.Abt. = 1 + 17 (18) / 0 + 0 (0) / 4 + 6 (10) --------------- 28
49 Pz.Abw.Abt. = 2 + 40 (42) / 0 + 3 (3) / 1 + 66 (67) --------------- 112
79 Nachr.Abt. = 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 4 (4) / 0 + 0 (0) --------------- 4
3./79 Pio.Btl. = 1 + 5 (6) / 0 + 0 (0) / 2 + 12 (14) --------------- 20
Na.Fhr.84 = 0 + 2 (2) / 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 0 (0) --------------- 2

Total = 18 + 298 (316) / 0 + 78 (78) / 51 + 496 (547) --------------- 941

Attached Korpstruppen of XVI. AK:

62 Pio.Btl. = 0 + 5 (5) / 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 1 (1) --------------- 6
77 Flak.Abt. = 0 + 1 (1) / 0 + 0 (0) / 2 + 7 (9) --------------- 10

2. Losses of 4. Pz.Div. 1 - 20 September 1939 - another report:

KIA / MIA / WIA --------------- Total
Officers + NCOs and men (Total)

Stab Pz.Div. = 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 0 (0) / 4 + 2 (6) --------------- 6
Stab Pz.Brig. = 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 0 (0) / 2 + 3 (5) --------------- 5
35 Pz.Rgt. = 4 + 33 (37) / 1 + 21 (22) / 5 + 51 (56) --------------- 115
36 Pz.Rgt. = 3 + 39 (42) / 2 + 18 (20) / 9 + 51 (60) --------------- 122
12 Schtz.Rgt. = 5 + 89 (94) / 0 + 86 (86) / 16 + 161 (177) --------------- 357
103 Art.Rgt. = 0 + 8 (8) / 0 + 2 (2) / 7 + 46 (53) --------------- 63
7 Aufkl.Abt. = 1 + 1 (2) / 0 + 0 (0) / 2 + 20 (22) --------------- 24
49 Pz.Abw.Abt. = 2 + 33 (35) / 0 + 5 (5) / 2 + 64 (66) --------------- 106
79 Nachr.Abt. = 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 0 (0) --------------- 0
3./79 Pio.Btl. = 1 + 2 (3) / 0 + 0 (0) / 2 + 15 (17) --------------- 20
Na.Fhr.84 = not given ---------------------------------- not given (0)

Total = 16 + 205 (221) / 3 + 132 (135) / 49 + 413 (462) --------------- 818

Attached Korpstruppen of XVI. AK:

62 Pio.Btl. = 0 + 4 (4) / 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 3 (3) --------------- 7
77 Flak.Abt. = 0 + 0 (0) / 0 + 0 (0) / 2 + 7 (9) ------------- 2 + 8 (10); there is a typo somewhere?

3. Oberstleutnant Eberbach, commander of 35 Pz.Rgt. about losses of his unit:

35 Pz.Rgt. = 64 Tote, 58 Verwundete (maybe "Czech mistake" and there should be 85), 45 Panzer Totalausfall

If there were some small discrepancies, I wouldn't complain - but many numbers are completely different !!!
Domen123
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Posts: 400
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:26 pm

Re: Huge discrepancies in German casualty reports!

Post by Domen123 »

The 2nd report is earlier than the 1st one. But this doesn't yet explain why in some cases the later report gives lower losses (at least lower of some losses type - e.g. WIA or KIA) than the earlier one. Wounds dissapeared, KIA rised from dead?
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