TO&E of Panzer Aufklarungs units

[Gary Kennedy]

Actually when I want to check Christoph's site, I just google either infanterieeinheiten or panzereinheiten and it takes me right to the page I'm interested in. You can then just click on the KStN main link at the bottom.

Ruud, the actual KStNs for the Apr1944 fG organisation aren't too different from the Nov1944 versions on Sturmpanzer, the differences are mainly in the admin area and the wheeled armoured cars in Staff Coy.

Gary

[Kelvin]

Hi, Gary, the period 1943-1945 which you interest in panzeraufklarung abteilung had main two organization :

1943 model :
Stab
1. kompanie : wheeled armored car company
2. kompanie : tracked armored car company
3 & 4. kompanies : light armored recce company equipped with sd.kfz.250 series SPW
5. kompanie : heavy weapon support company with sd.kfz.251 series

1944 model
Stab & wheeled car company
1. komp : tracked armored car company
2. & 3 komp : light armored recce company with 250 series
4. komp : heavy weapon support company with 251 series

Regarding wheeled car companies : normal type is 12 x sd.kfz.222, 6 x sd,kfz. 223 leichte panzerspahwagen and 6 x sd.kfz.232/231 schwere panzerspahwagen but started from 1944, there were some different organization with wheeled car company :

3. 19. and 25. Panzer divisions were exclusively equipped with 12 x sd.kfz.222 and 7 x sd.kfz. 223 leichte panzerspahwagen.

6. 8.26. 116. Pz Lehr, 2.SS Das Reich, 9. SS Hohenstaufen Panzer divisions were equipped exclusively with 13 x sd.kfz.234/1 and 3 x sd.kfz.234/3 schwere panzerspahwagen

20. Panzer Division was equipped with 16 x Puma schwere panzerspahwagen

With regard to tracked armored car companies :

1.2. 5.6.7.8.12.14.16.17.19.20.21.23.24.25.26.116. 5.SS Wiking, 9.SS Hohenstaufen , 10.SS Frundsberg, 12.SS Hitlerjugend and HG Fsch Pz divisions were equipped with sd.kfz.250/9

3. Panzer division and Grossdeutschland PanzerGrenadier Division were equipped with 38(t) Czech aufklarungpanzer

4. and 9. Panzer Divisions were armed with Luchs aufklarungpanzer.

[Alanmccoubrey]

Kelvin, some of that information looks a little off to me. For example, 9 SS PD didn't get any SdKfz 234 series cars until November 1944 so it can't be said to have been exclusively equipped with them can it ?

[Tanker Mike]

Kelvin, some of that information looks a little off to me. For example, 9 SS PD didn't get any SdKfz 234 series cars until November 1944 so it can't be said to have been exclusively equipped with them can it ?

Echoing the above, the 2.Panzer-Division was equipped with twenty-five 234/2 series armored cars in the 1.Kompanie in Normandy 1944 as was the Panzer-Lehr Division. In the Ardennes, the 2.Panzer-Division had a mix of 234/1s and 234/2s and Panzer-Lehr had a mix of 234 cars as well.

I think Kelvin's post is a good try but is too broad based IMHO.

Mike

The thread below has a lot of info about the 234 series.
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=21678

[Alanmccoubrey]

Mike, I know that Kelvin has that link , page 15 is the most informative as far as this thread would be concerned. Other links of use for this thread would be.

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 7#p1050647

viewtopic.php?f=44&t=28700

[Martin Block]

Hi Alan,

Now that you mention it - I had plans to considerably update the 4 year old Sd.Kfz. 233 list, but due to given circumstances I didn't get that far until now. While I'm still pretty save with the other allocations mentioned there, it looks like I need to correct myself in the case of 2. SS.Pz.Div.. With some new documents acquired in the meantime it's clear to me now that SS-Pz.A.A. 2 was never authorized to have a platoon of Sd.Kfz. 233. And the 2x 7,5 cm L/24 weapon symbols visible with the Pz.Späh-Kp. until late 1943 actually seem to have been 2x Sd.Kfz. 251/9 instead of 2x Sd.Kfz. 233. At least that is what some detailed AFV-listings from that time period show me, where I can find 2x 251/9 but zero 233!

Martin Block

[Alanmccoubrey]

Thanks Martin.

[David W]

When 3rd (Mot) Aufklaerung Abteilung arrived in North Africa does anyone know what the numbers of SdKfz 221 & 222 present were?

I have read somewhere that they arrived with 15 in total, but don't know the "split".

[Brad Hunter]

When 3rd (Mot) Aufklaerung Abteilung arrived in North Africa does anyone know what the numbers of SdKfz 221 & 222 present were?

I have read somewhere that they arrived with 15 in total, but don't know the "split".

The 3. Aufklärungs-Abteilung, and the 39. Panzerjäger-Abteilung were the first German combat formations to arrive in North Africa, arriving in Tripoli at 1830 on Februaury 14, 1941.

Standard Panzerspähwagen-Kompanie (Schwadron):

Company HQ (KStN 1162 – 02/01/41)
--HQ Section – 6 x M/C, 6 x M/C w/Sidecar, 1 x Kfz.11, 1 x SdKfz.247
--Signals Section – 1 x Kfz.15, 1 x SdKfz.263
--Signals Section – 1 x SdKfz.223
--Signals Section – 1 x SdKfz.223
--Signals Section – 1 x SdKfz.223
--Signals Section – 1 x SdKfz.223
Heavy A/C Platoon – 3 x SdKfz.231, 3 x SdKfz.232
Light A/C Platoon – 4 x SdKfz.221, 4 x SdKfz.222
Light A/C Platoon – 6 x SdKfz.221

As per Jentz’ “Tank Combat in North Africa – The Opening Rounds – Operations Sonnenblume, Brevity, Skorpion and Battleaxe – February 1941-June 1941,” on March 31, the 3. Aufklärungs-Abteilung’s Armored Car Squadron contained “6 schwere Panzerspähwagen, 18 leichte Panzerspähwagen.”

The Schematische Kriegsgliederung for the 5. leichte Division, dated February 19, 1941, shows the standard organization, but with changes dated March 1, and March 15.

[David W]

Thanks mate.

[David W]

Any 20mm FlaK guns in the period 1941 - 1942?

[Brad Hunter]

Nope

[David W]

Thanks.