Panzer Regiment Organization

Recently picked up PanzerTruppen 1 and 2. They provide complete TO&E's for all the Panzer Divisions at various times during the war.

The books commonly show a '43 Panzer Abteilung (batallion) with four kompanies, each with 4 zug (platoons).

Zug = 5 panzers. Kompanie = 4 Zug + 2 command tanks = 22 panzers. Abteilung = 4 kompanie + ? command tanks = ~88 panzers. Regiment = 2 Abteilung = ~176 panzers.

There might also be flammpanzer platoons, heavy panzer companies, etc attached. Some regiments had only 1 abteilung.

The total number of panzers seems right.

The question I have is this: most seem to accept the 3 platoon per company, 3 company per batallion model when describing the Panzer Regiments. Most wargames (including EastFront and Steel Panthers) subscribe to the 3/3 model.

Ignoring the fact that the Panzer Regiment might never actually be up to full strength, which is the correct model?

The PanzerTruppen books seem to contain actual German documents showing the TO&E for the Panzer Regiments.

strength, which is the correct model?>>

Jentz is quite correct. The four kompanies per panzer battalion was pretty standard through the wholewar with exceptions.For example a tiger tank battalion had three kompanies per battalion.

.>The PanzerTruppen books seem to contain actual German documents showing the TO&E for the Panzer Regiments.>>

Yes it does. In fact with these books, Jentz is more of a presenter of information than a writer. Both of these outstanding books contain a ton of orginal German material, KStN's, combat reports and unit strengths. Thomas Jentz is one of the premier researchers/authors in the WWII German Panzer field.

So, no matter what any wargame tries to tell you consult Jentz's Panzertruppen books first

. Wargame companies have been wrong before. Remember Panzer Leader by Avalon Hill? They said the Wehrmacht tank platoon had only four tanks per platoon not five. That was wrong, has generally that organization did not go into effect until late 1944. The Germans were always changing their KStN's, so for every rule it seems like there is an exception.

By the way a 1943 Panzer Abteilung would have 3 command tanks and 5 recon tanks at the Abteling level. A Panzer Regt. would have the same.

Happy Holidays,

That's not correct. It wasn't unsual at all for a Panzer Abteilung to be at full strength at the start of a battle or campaign. Certainly as a battle wore down the Panzers there would be losses. And as Jentz's books show quite well there is a differnance between total strength and operaional strength.

I would like to see the source of that remark since even in 1944 a PzIV abteilung had 96 tanks while a PzV had 76. Crew training and staff experitse would play a major factor.

Could you give me the ISBN Numbers from these books. I like to have them very much!

I read his book 'Panzer Leader' and 'Achtung Panzer' but I didn't read that he changed his opinion on this matter. He did state that the Panzerstrength was halved for every Panzerdivision in 1941. He was not happy with this at all. He mentions that it was slightly compensated with the fact that the old Panzer I and II were allmost completely replaced by the Panzer III and IV.

Regards Lorenz

I'd certainly like to know which one! _Some_ units may have been at their full four companies of 22 tanks strength, but they were pretty few and far between.

I believe I read in Mellenthins 'Panzer Battles', or possibly in 'The Road to Berlin' or 'Scorched Earth'. The problem was lack of crew training at the company/battalion level, and the remark certainly struck me at the time.

Are there many examples from PanzerTruppen of units operating at these sorts of strengths (apart from 1940)?

Cheers.

full four companies of 22 tanks strength, but they >were pretty few and far between.

Both of Jentz's 'Panzertruppen' books list actual panzer strengths at the start of battle and campaigns. Lets use the 2.Panzer-Division.

Kursk/01-July-1943 authorised-104 Panzer/actual-118 Panzers

Normandy/10-June-1944 authorised-79 Panthers/actual-79 Panthers

Wacht Am Rhein/14-Dec-1944 authorised-67 Panthers/actual-64 Panthers

A couple points. First, the strengths listed are total number of Panzers available NOT the number of 'runners'. Also, strengths could drop quickly once the battle was joined.

Happy Holidays,