Why does the Aufklärung Battalion have so many towed guns?

[Bulletpoint]

I just noticed the german Panzer Aufklärung Battalion 44 has a weapons company that includes thee PaK38 and two light infantry guns. I thought "Aufklärung" meant recon troops, so what were they lugging those heavy guns around for ?

(Just noticed this battalion can be bought either as "infantry only", "mech infantry", or "armour only". I'm talking about the one found in the "infantry only" category)

Edited January 4, 2018 by Bulletpoint

[akd]

Panzer Aufklarung battalions were intended to be able to hold their own and fight for information if needed, so they were allocated a greater variety of support weapons than a standard Panzergrenadier battalion.  They were also often used as a fire brigade / reserve for the division, so having a full range of organic support weapons also helped with that role.  All support assets in the battalion were fully motorized on trucks or halftracks, but obviously for infantry-only QBs vehicles are stripped out.

Edited January 28, 2018 by akd

[StieliAlpha]

10 hours ago, akd said:

Panzerg Aufklarung battalions were intended to be able to hold their own and fight for information if needed, so they were allocated a greater variety of support weapons than a standard Panzergrenadier battalion.  They were also often used as a fire brigade / reserve for the division, so having a full range of organic support weapons also helped with that role.  All support assets in the battalion were fully motorized on trucks or halftracks, but obviously for infantry-only QBs vehicles are stripped out.

That reminds me to a sentence from a Bundeswehr manual for tank reccon units. I don‘t know, if it is still in. A long time ago the Bundeswehr made an effort to remove such non-sense. Anyway, it read like:

“The Panzeraufklärer shall make contact with the enemy and engage him successfully.“

I always loved this unconditional antizipation of success.

Edited January 5, 2018 by StieliAlpha

[Widukind]

i served in an Aufklärungsbatalloin. som exersise like "Bold Guard" in noth germany we also fight in frontline with our company of leopard tanks and as an taypical recon troop as well.

[Badger73]

11 hours ago, Widukind said:

i served in an Aufklärungsbatalloin. some exercise like "Bold Guard" in noth germany we also fight in frontline with our company of leopard tanks and as an typical recon troop as well.

Right, it's not unusual for scouts to fight like mech infantry in concert with tanks; just not intentionally desirable.  I remember those situations more as front line flank security, active delays, and reconnaissance-in-force type missions.  Is that still the case?

In line with @Bulletpoint's original question then, does the Bundeswehr retain the Wehrmacht's type of Aufklarung weapons company?  If so, what are those heavier gun systems and are they all self-propelled?

[Widukind]

What i missed in the combat Mission game is, that an recon unit have the same ability to hide her position and that the recon solutions are the same like every another unit. The Special order, training cource and knowledges of an "Aufklärer" is to detect the position, structure, movement direction, and if possible the condition of an enemy unit. otherwise.

[akd]

You can make recon a scenario objective, both through attainment of physical objectives and points for spotting enemy units.  Not an often used option by scenario designers, however.

[StieliAlpha]

On 29.1.2018 at 2:12 AM, Badger73 said:

Right, it's not unusual for scouts to fight like mech infantry in concert with tanks; just not intentionally desirable.  I remember those situations more as front line flank security, active delays, and reconnaissance-in-force type missions.  Is that still the case?

In line with @Bulletpoint's original question then, does the Bundeswehr retain the Wehrmacht's type of Aufklarung weapons company?  If so, what are those heavier gun systems and are they all self-propelled?

Interesting question. I did a (very) quick check, it looks like a Bundeswehr Recon Battalion nowadays consist of 1or 2 companies with recon tanks (Fennek) 1 technical company (Drones or Radar equipment) and one staff and support company. I found no mention of MBT‘s or heavy weapons. Though I found one Artilley Recon Battalion, equipped with a battery of SPG‘s.

[StieliAlpha]

Ah, I learned something new: Tank Recon Battalions, as Widukind describes them, were disbanded in 2008 and replaced by the light Recon troops as per my previous post. I.e., nowadays there is no more „Recon by Force“

[Badger73]

Ich verstehe!  Dankesehr.