Green Hornet Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Not sure if this topic belongs here but I'm working on designing a scenario so I guess it's as good a place as any... I have some information that tells me that 1943-44 Armor Battalions were made up of a HQ company, a service company, several medium tank companies and a light tank company. What the difference between a medium tank company and a light tank company? Is it the type of tanks, number of tank platoons, or both or something more? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameroon Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Well, I would imagine that a medium tank company was made up of medium tanks and a light tanks for a light tank company Now, the real question would probably be what tanks would be filling those roles at that particular time. I can't answer that question though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted November 7, 2002 Author Share Posted November 7, 2002 Thanks Cameroon After re-reading my post I realized that part was probably obvious...duh A tank platoon consists of what? 3-4 tanks? Is this true for both medium and light tank platoons? How many platoons make up a medium tank company or a light tank company? If anyone has any more information about the composition of medium vs light tank companies that would be great. Or even a good resource to point me to... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Tank platoons are generally 3 for Russians and 4 for Germans for most part of the war. Mixing tanks at company level is extremly rare. An example are the early Tiger companies in the heavy tank detachments which had Pz IIIs mixed in, but not for long. Usually tanks are mixed at regiment level first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWB Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Soviet medium tank coy was 10 T34s (1 Coy HQ, 3x 3 T34 platoons). Light tank companies had similiar organizations but consisted of T60s or T70s. Also note that my source (Zaloga) does not list them in the 43/44 OOBs. WWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarquelne Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Originally posted by redwolf: [QB]Tank platoons are generally 3 for Russians and 4 for Germans for most part of the war. Did Tigers tend to move and fight in larger units? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zitadelle Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Originally posted by Tarqulene: </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by redwolf: [QB]Tank platoons are generally 3 for Russians and 4 for Germans for most part of the war. Did Tigers tend to move and fight in larger units?</font> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevsharr Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 The exception being the Grossdeuchland div. which had it's own integral tiger battalion the III/Panzerregiment Grossdeuchland.I believe also that the SS panzer division's had tiger companies added to their third battalion's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwolf Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 I can dig up dozends of different example of tank platoon sizes and/or what the lowest level of mixing of different class tanks was. Generally, platoons are 4 tanks, but the more sophistcated the force is the larger becomes the tendency to use 5. This is for combat tanks, mediums and heavies, and applies e.g. to late-war SS formations. For light tanks there is also a tendency to go to 5, but for different reasons, they don't want to fight so they don't have to raise unit robustness by numbers, but they want more eyes, and they have scouts dismounting the vehicles , sometimes using the light tank more like an APC. The mixing level generally raised as the war progressed, for example Barbarosse regiments were 2 mediums, 1 light battalion, but later your would mix one level higher or kick the light ones out of regiments altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code Talker Posted November 8, 2002 Share Posted November 8, 2002 Hey Green Hornet, you might find this link helpful: http://www.stormpages.com/garyjkennedy/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted November 8, 2002 Author Share Posted November 8, 2002 Thanks for all the great information everyone. Awesome site, Code Talker. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code Talker Posted November 11, 2002 Share Posted November 11, 2002 I found lots of info here too Green Hornet: http://www.militarytablesoforganisation.com/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted November 11, 2002 Author Share Posted November 11, 2002 More good stuff. :cool: Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berlichtingen Posted November 12, 2002 Share Posted November 12, 2002 Originally posted by redwolf: Mixing tanks at company level is extremly rare. An example are the early Tiger companies in the heavy tank detachments which had Pz IIIs mixed in, but not for long. Usually tanks are mixed at regiment level first.This statement has been stuck in my craw for several days now. Been to lazy to respond until now. So, here's part one... 22,6,41 Battalion made up of 2 leichte and 1 mittlere Panzerkompanie Stabskompanie einer Panzer-Abteilung - K.St.N.1150(sd) -Nachrichtenzug: 3x PzBefWg -leichter Panzerzug: 5x PzKwII* Staffel einer Panzer-Abteilung - K.St.N.1178(sd)†: 1x PzKwIV, 3x PzKwIII, 2x PzKwII leichte Panzerkompanie - K.St.N.1171(sd) -Kompanie Trupp: 2x PzKwIII le. Zug: 5x PzKwII* 1. Zug: 5x PzKwIII 2. Zug: 5x PzKwIII 3. Zug: 5x PzKwIII mittlere Panzerkompanie - K.St.N.1175(sd)** -Kompanie Trupp: 2x PzKwIV le. Zug: 5x PzKwII* 1. Zug: 4x PzKwIV 2. Zug: 4x PzKwIV 3. Zug: 4x PzKwIV * - Due to shortages of PzKwIIs, PzKwIs were used in some cases. ** - Due to shortages of PzKwIVs, the mittlere Panzerkompanie was almost always 2 platoon of 4 tanks each. † - reserve tank detachment. In Czech tank armed divisions, replace the PzKwIIIs with PzKw38(t)s or PzKw35(t)s Changes 1,11,41 Stabskompanie einer Panzer-Abteilung - K.St.N.1150(sd) -Nachrichtenzug: 3x PzBefWg -leichter Panzerzug: 5x PzKwII -Pionier Zug: 3x PzKwII "Ladungstäger" (SdKfz121 w/demolition equipment) Shortages of PzKwIV still limit the mittlere Panzerkompanie to only 2 Zuge Changes 14,10,42 SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 authorized 3 mittlere Panzerkompanien rather than 2 leichte and 1 mittlere Changes 25,1,43 the Panzer-Abteilung is now authorized 4 mittlere Panzerkompanien** Stabskompanie einer Panzer-Abteilung - K.St.N.1150b(sd) -Nachrichtenzug: 3x PzBefWg -Aufklärungs Zug: 5x PzKwIV Panzer-Flamm-Zug - K.St.N.1190(sd)*: 7x Flammpz mittlere Panzerkompanie - K.St.N.1175a(sd)** -Kompanie Trupp: 2x PzKwIV 1. Zug: 5x PzKwIV 2. Zug: 5x PzKwIV 3. Zug: 5x PzKwIV 4. Zug: 5x PzKwIV * - Only 100 Panzerflammwagen were produced and issued to the following regiments: 28 to Pz.Rgt.'Großdeutschland', 15 to Pz.Rgt. 11, 14 to Pz.Rgt. 1, 14 to Pz.Rgt. 24, 14 to Pz.Rgt. 26, 7 to Pz.Rgt. 14, 7 to Pz.Rgt. 16, 1 to Panzer-Schule Wunsdorf. ** - More pipe dream than reality. Below is II/11.PzRgt. as of 17,4,43 Stabskompanie II/11 -le.Pz.Zug: 7x PzKwII -Nachr.Zug: 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 2x PzBefWg -Flamm Zug: 7x FlammPz -Flamm Zug: 7x FlammPz 5. Kompanie -Kp.-Trupp: 1x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzIV(lg) -1.Zug: 4x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 1x PzKwIV(lg) -2.Zug: 3x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 2x PzKwIV(lg) -3.Zug: 2x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 2x PzKwIV(lg) 6. Kompanie -Kp.-Trupp: 1x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzIV(lg) -1.Zug: 3x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 2x PzKwIV(lg) -2.Zug: 3x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 1x PzKwIV(lg) -3.Zug: 3x PzKwIII(lg), 2x PzKwIV(lg) 7. Kompanie -Kp.-Trupp: 1x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzIV(lg) -1.Zug: 3x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 1x PzKwIV(lg) -2.Zug: 3x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 1x PzKwIV(lg) -3.Zug: 3x PzKwIII(lg), 2x PzKwIV(lg) 8. Kompanie -Kp.-Trupp: 1x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzIV(lg) -1.Zug: 4x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 1x PzKwIV(lg) -2.Zug: 3x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 2x PzKwIV(lg) -3.Zug: 2x PzKwIII(lg), 1x PzKwIII(7,5), 2x PzKwIV(lg) I'll save the rest for another day... I'm tired of typing [ November 12, 2002, 12:43 PM: Message edited by: Berlichtingen ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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