Playing a WW2 game

[hank24]

I totally agree to your statements, JasonC. It was common practice within the Wehrmacht to concentrate mobile, or when available, armored elements of a division to 'fire brigade Kampfgruppen' as quick reserve for the less mobile parts or as an advance element during attack or pursuit.

Opposed to the official equipment tables for a PzGrenDiv, this one seemed to have had Pz IV all the time from its formation in the winter 1943/44 to the end. Maybe it is due to the unusual history of its formation from remnants of the Africa divisions. I found two well informed german language forums with information from monthly strength reports. The StuG's were at Panzerjäger Btl 33 (Anti-tank Btl) first and later came to PzAbt 115 (Panzer Battalion).

Pz.Bestand Jan./Feb. 1944 Italien
Ist 1.1.1944 = 1 Pz. III, 23 Pz. IV, 21 StuG III
Ist 1.2.1944 = 1 Pz. III, 22 Pz. IV, 21 StuG III
Ist 1.3.1944 = 1 Pz. III, 35 Pz. IV (davon 15 Pzkpfw. neu zugewiesen), 21 StuG III in Abgabe an Stu.Gesch.Brig. 907

Pz.Bestand Sep./Okt. 1944 Lothringen
Ist 5.9.1944 = ? Pz. III, 33 Pz. IV, 29 Jagdpz. IV L/48
Ist 1.10.1944 = 2 Pz. III, 21 Pz. IV, 27 Jagdpz. IV L/48
Ist 1.11.1944 = 1 Pz. III, 29 Pz. IV, 24 Jagdpz. IV L/48, 5 StuG III (Zuwachs an Pz. IV und StuG III durch Übernahme Restbestand Pz.Brig. 113 Anfang Okt. 1944)

Before Ardennes offensive 30 new StuG III (no Pz IV allowed for PzGrenDiv), beginning of January '45 transfer of the last StuG's from PzJg 33 to PzAbt 115.

See: http://forum.panzer-archiv.de/viewtopic.php?t=6015 and http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Panzergrenadierdivisionen/15PGD.htm

That proves that SPI was wrong, there were never StuG's at the AufklBtl 115, especially during the battle for Luneville (Sept. '44) 15. PzGrenDiv most certainly had none or just a few left over within PzJägBtl 33.

So, orders of battle is no precise science I think, anything can happen. At the first forum they even dicussed obvious and not-so-rare mistakes of higher staffs when reporting such Division strength figures to higher HQ's. Therefore, within our scope of simulation here, and at that late stage of the war, anything can show up in a scenario, even when not listed on the official ORBAT's.

Edited March 7, 2016 by hank24