Olle Petersson Posted March 23, 2001 Share Posted March 23, 2001 As a follow-up on the Jagdpanther thread, I've dug up this info: German Heavy TD battalions, Western front late '44 - early '45. These were independant battalions, deployed where and when needed (at least in theory). B# = Battalion number T = Type; N = Nashorn, T = Jagdtiger, P = Jagdpanther B# - T - Year 93 - N - 45 512 - T - 45 519 - P - 44-45 559 - P - 44-45 560 - P - 45 653 - T - 45 654 - P - 44-45 655 - P - 45 Organisations, sketchy Nashorn battalion - Battalion HQ with a few Nashorns. - Supply company, with assorted transports and repair facility. - 3 Panzerjäger companies, each with three platoons. Jagdpanther battalion - Battalion HQ with a couple of command halftracks (SdKfz 250/1). - Supply company (as above). - 1 Jagdpanther company, with three platoons. - 2 Jagdpanzer IV companies, each with three platoons. 512th Jagdtiger Battalion (late fall 44 - jan 45) - Battalion HQ (as above) - Supply company (as above) - Company "Carius", with two or three platoons of Jagdtigers. - Company "Ernst", with two or three platoons of Jagdtigers, one StuG IIIG platoon, one Ostwind battery. (The battalion had a total of 20 JTs. The companies fought as separate units.) 653rd Jagdpanzer battalion (at the start of Bulge operation) - Battalion HQ with halftracks (as above), plus a Wirbelwind battery. - Supply company - 2nd company (614. Jagdpanzer kompanie), with three platoons of Jagdpanzer VI (Elefants). (This is the company that actually saw combat in the Bulge...) - 3rd company, with three platoons of 4 Jagdtiger each. Source: "Wehrmacht Heavy anti tank battalions 1943-1945", an article by Frank Chadwick. Originally printed in "Command Post 3", Dec 1990, but I used the reprint in "Command Post Compendium", 1995. F Chadwick is a well known wargame designer, as well as a good WW2 historian. Cheers Olle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarmo Posted March 23, 2001 Share Posted March 23, 2001 So the Nashorn Battalion only had a few Nashorns and no other TD's? Not much of a battalion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ckoharik Posted March 23, 2001 Share Posted March 23, 2001 Originally posted by Jarmo: So the Nashorn Battalion only had a few Nashorns and no other TD's? Not much of a battalion... I think the "few Nashorns" was stricly for the Command company. In the line companies there were quite a few more. Mmmm...Nashorn. Walking softly (26 tons) and carrying a big stick (88mm)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grunto2 Posted March 23, 2001 Share Posted March 23, 2001 thanks for the follow-up Ollie. now some scenario(s) could be designed around some of these units. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Lucke Posted March 23, 2001 Share Posted March 23, 2001 Originally posted by grunto2: thanks for the follow-up Ollie. now some scenario(s) could be designed around some of these units. Something like this: During the British advance through the Caumont Gap during "Operation Bluecoat" (30 July 44) the Jagdpanthers of the 654th schwere Panzerjaeger Abteilung(*) engaged the Churchills of the 6th Guards Tank Brigade. A squadron of Churchills covering Point 226 suddenly started exploding, one after another. Breaking cover from the Bois du Homme two Jagdpanthers (covered by a 3rd still in the woods) proceeded to pick off more of the Brit tanks, only retreating when they came under fire. Although the two Jagdpanthers eventually had to be abandoned because of track damage, they first managed to destroy 14 of the Scots Guards tanks in an engagement that lasted only 2 minutes! (*)The 654th had a full complement of 42 vehicles, and was the only heavy anti-tank battalion equiped with Jagdpanthers to see service in the Normandy battles of 1944. [This message has been edited by von Lucke (edited 03-23-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ckoharik Posted March 23, 2001 Share Posted March 23, 2001 Ouch! That be an interesting engagement to try. Of course, with my track record against JPs maybe it wouldn't be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olle Petersson Posted March 23, 2001 Author Share Posted March 23, 2001 Originally posted by Jarmo: So the Nashorn Battalion only had a few Nashorns and no other TD's? Not much of a battalion...ckoharik was right. Only a few (one or two) in the battalion HQ, then there are "- 3 Panzerjäger companies, each with three platoons." that contain some 40-45 Nashorns... A related question: Does anyone know which units on the Western front that used the towed 88mm ATGs? - The article mention several heavy battalions with towed 88's in the East, but not a single one within the scope of CMBO. - The listings I have of regular divisions only mention PaK40 (and/or PaK38) as towed ATGs. All organic 88's are towed AA guns crewed by LW. Cheers Olle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtweasle Posted March 23, 2001 Share Posted March 23, 2001 Originally posted by Olle Petersson: I just returned the book Panzerjaeger, the wartime bio of one Herr Averbeck where his unit us "upgraded" to 88mm. For the life of me I canot recall the units number now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olle Petersson Posted March 23, 2001 Author Share Posted March 23, 2001 Originally posted by Dirtweasle: ... the wartime bio of one Herr Averbeck where his unit us "upgraded" to 88mm. For the life of me I canot recall the units number now.Was it an independant unit, or organic to a division? Where was it deployed? Cheers Olle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtweasle Posted March 23, 2001 Share Posted March 23, 2001 Intially he/it was part of the 93rd Infantrie which was overrun and eliminated in the east. He went back to Germany and was upgraded to the 88 ATG, the one without the wheeled undercarraige, and that unit's designation I cannot recall. That was the unit that he fought with in the west. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Germanboy Posted March 23, 2001 Share Posted March 23, 2001 Originally posted by von Lucke: Something like this: During the British advance through the Caumont Gap during "Operation Bluecoat" (30 July 44) the Jagdpanthers of the 654th schwere Panzerjaeger Abteilung(*) engaged the Churchills of the 6th Guards Tank Brigade. At the Bovington exhibit of the Jagdpanther they have a recording of one of the British tankers involved who was present at the engagement. Very sobering commentary. ------------------ Andreas Der Kessel Home of „Die Sturmgruppe“; Scenario Design Group for Combat Mission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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