Pzman Posted July 5, 2001 Share Posted July 5, 2001 1. What type and how many tanks were in a standard tank company? 2. Also how were heavy tanks used on the Eastern front? In mass formations or just one or two working with a regular Tank battalion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Oberst Posted July 5, 2001 Share Posted July 5, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Panzerman: 1. What type and how many tanks were in a standard tank company? 2. Also how were heavy tanks used on the Eastern front? In mass formations or just one or two working with a regular Tank battalion?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> DOH! First response is that the answers depend on: <UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>when you are talking about (Year and Month please...)<LI>Is this US, German, Russian, etc., etc.<LI>Which unit are you talking about? Heer vs. SS for the Germans. Guards vs Regulars for Russians. I don't have references available at the moment, but let me look at Jentz for German information when I get home. What you'll find is that rather than one "standard" makeup, you get whole reams of information about "whose" unit composition "when". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barticus Posted July 5, 2001 Share Posted July 5, 2001 ....and let's not go into the fact that 'paper strength' doesn't necessarily reflect what the men in the field actually HAD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pzman Posted July 5, 2001 Author Share Posted July 5, 2001 woops it should be German tanks in 1944-45. SS and Heer. [ 07-05-2001: Message edited by: Panzerman ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mace Posted July 6, 2001 Share Posted July 6, 2001 If I remember correctly (my references are home, I'm at work) SS Panzer Company had 5 tanks per platoon, 3 platoons per company, and 2 attached at company level (company commander and 2IC). Heer had a similar structure, but with 4 tanks per company. Heavy tanks were normally organized in autonomous Schwere panzer abteilungs (normally a battallion), attached at corps level. There were some exceptions however with some of the more elite Panzer Divisions (eg 1st SS, Grossduetschland) having Heavy AFVs included in their OoB at one stage or another. Mace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted July 6, 2001 Share Posted July 6, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Panzerman: 1. What type and how many tanks were in a standard tank company?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> 14 was typical for German Heavy Panzer companies after May 20, 1943, at least on paper. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>2. Also how were heavy tanks used on the Eastern front? In mass formations or just one or two working with a regular Tank battalion?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Whole books have been written about this. Officialy, they were to be used en mass at critical or decisive moments only, and not used up in "unnecessary" actions. In practice, local commanders often ignored this doctorine and used them as fire brigades, a few here, a few there. For this reason Heavy companies were rarely at full strength. EDIT: Mace posted what I forgot to about their independant organization. [ 07-05-2001: Message edited by: Vanir Ausf B ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pzman Posted July 6, 2001 Author Share Posted July 6, 2001 One more question. How many tanks companys(on paper) where in battalion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted July 6, 2001 Share Posted July 6, 2001 3 companies. 45 tanks total including command elements IIRC. [ 07-05-2001: Message edited by: Vanir Ausf B ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pzman Posted July 6, 2001 Author Share Posted July 6, 2001 Thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Beman Posted July 7, 2001 Share Posted July 7, 2001 Actually, throughout the war the Germans continually reduced both the amount of tanks/company and the companies/battalion. At war's start there were 3 companies/battalion w/ 45 tanks/company. By war's end, IIRC from George Forty's book, there was only 1 company/battalion of tanks, with another company of TDs, and the companies had been cut to 4 tanks/platoon. DjB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viceroy Posted July 7, 2001 Share Posted July 7, 2001 Btw. what's IIRC :confused: Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PzKpfw 1 Posted July 7, 2001 Share Posted July 7, 2001 German tank strength varied by date & availability. Ie, we can look at German Pz. Company, TOE for 3 time periods in 1944 & 1945 as they fit in CM's time frame: An Aug 1944, Pz.Co (on paper) was to have consisted of 17 tanks (PzKpfw IV, or PzKpfw V)per Co, with each Co, haveing 3 Plt's with 3 tanks per Plt (zug). An November 1944, Pz.Co (on paper) was to consist of 14 tanks (PzKpfw IV, or PzKpfw V, or Pz.IV /70) with each Co haveing 3 Plts with 4 tanks per zug. An March 1945, Pz.Co,(on paper) was to have consisted of 10 AFVs, (10 PzKpfw IV, or 10 PzKpfw V, or 10 Pz.IV /70), with each Co haveing 3 Plts with 3 AFVs per Plt. Regards, John Waters [ 07-07-2001: Message edited by: PzKpfw 1 ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Carrot Posted July 7, 2001 Share Posted July 7, 2001 If I recall correctly, IIRC stands for 'If I Recall Correctly' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blenheim Posted July 7, 2001 Share Posted July 7, 2001 As a sidenote... why do Germans use 3 tank platoons nowadays? Somethink derived from WW II doctrine ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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