Retributar Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 ***This is an excellent article showing how a unit evolves and upgrades over time...so my question is...how will this translate out in the game?. http://www.lostbattalion.com/FormationFocus/FF_9PZ.html ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY In 1939, Germany started World War Two with only six large panzer divisions. For the attack on France, this force was increased to ten divisions. To this end, the 1st through 4th light divisions, which were already motorized, were converted to panzer divisions. The light divisions were originally intended to fill the gap previously filled by the cavalry arm; that is, as a social club for most of the military-minded aristocrats. Once the tank had proven itself as the supreme weapon of the mobile battlefield, the political niceties were overruled for the expedience of upgrading the already motorized light divisions to panzer divisions. In March 1940, the 4th Light Division was selected to become the 9th Panzer Division. 9th Panzer Division (1940) 18,000 men 18 x Pz IV (short 7.5 cm guns) medium tanks 36 x Pz III (3.7cm guns) medium tanks 75 x Pz II (20mm guns) light tanks 100 x Pz I (machineguns) light tanks 56 assorted armored cars 8 x 15cm FH18 towed howitzers 12 x 10.5cm leFH18 towed howitzers 4 x 10.5cm K18 towed cannons 25 x 2cm towed antiaircraft guns 16 x 7.5cm leIG18 towed infantry guns 36 x 3.7cm Pak 35 towed antitank guns 24 x 8.1cm mortars 116 x 5cm mortars 542 machineguns 1200 Trucks The first six panzer divisions had relied on heavy concentrations of tanks, each sporting two regiments of armor. Low tank production rates did not allow this luxury for the expansion divisions. The conversion of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Light Divisions to the 6th, 7th, and 8th panzer divisions was accomplished by the confiscation of Czechoslovakian 38t medium tanks added to indigenous light tanks. The 9th Panzer Division was equipped by shifting assets and using new production. While this divisional organization worked well enough in France, it was felt that the vast size of Russia would require a new model. Ostensibly, the need was to create more panzer divisions with only a minimal increase in the total number of tanks. At first glance this appears to be a dilution of the tank to division ratio; in some divisions, the number of tank hulls was reduced by as much as 48 percent. Most of those reductions, however, came from the stock of panzer I & panzer II light tanks, which were replaced by a smaller number of the much superior panzer III and panzer IV medium tanks, allowing the quality and survivability of the remaining tanks to increase. The main benefit of the new organization was the increase in support troops for the tanks. The schutzen (rifle) brigades of the panzer divisions received equipment upgrades allowing the infantry to better support the tank attacks. More armored half-tracks were issued to the lead platoons, the new 5cm antitank guns started replacing the 3.7cm model and towed, short-barreled 15cm infantry guns were added to better support the infantry. Also, a dedicated aerial reconnaissance squadron was available for each panzer division. The addition of an additional artillery battalion to each division modified the tank to artillery tube ratio from around 12:1 down to 6:1. 9th Panzer Division (1941) 17,204 men 24 x Pz IV(d) (short 7.5cm guns) medium tanks 125 x Pz III (mostly 5cm guns) medium tanks 6 x 15cm FH 18 towed medium howitzers 18 x 10.5cm leFH18 towed light howitzers 3 x 10.5cm K18 towed cannons 4 x 15cm sIG 33 towed infantry guns 12 x 5cm Pak 39 towed antitank guns 24 x 3.7cm Pak 35 towed antitank guns 16 x 7.5cm leIG18 towed infantry guns 82 x 8.1cm mortars 48 x 5cm mortars 24 x 3.7cm Flak 36 towed antiaircraft guns 20 x 2cm towed antiaircraft guns 542 machineguns 24 SdKfz 222 armored cars 1644 Trucks The lessons of the 1941 campaign in the Soviet Union hit the Germans hard. They knew their tanks needed bigger guns and heavier armor but their production system was unable to replace their losses, let alone make major improvements. Thus, despite some changes, the 1942 panzer division was relatively unchanged from that of 1941. The schutzen (infantry) battalions were reduced to four companies but the infantry brigade picked up six self-propelled 15cm L/12 pieces to somewhat compensate. The panzerjager (antitank) batteries were still mainly a mix of towed 3.7cm and 5cm antitank guns but the panzerjager battalion added three panzerjager IIs, with a 7.5cm guns mounted on a panzer II chassis. Fortunately for the Germans, the Soviets were still manufacturing thousands of light tanks - BT-7’s, T-60’s, T-70’s etc, so that the German 3.7cm gunners still had plenty of targets. 9th Panzer Divison (1942) 17,089 men 28 x Pz IV (short 7.5cm guns, long 7.5cm guns later in the year) medium tanks 119 x Pz III (mostly 5 cm guns) medium tanks 3 x JgPz II (7.5cm guns) tank destroyers 6 x 15cm FH18/40 towed medium howitzers 18 x 10.5cm leFH18 towed light howitzers 3 x 10.5cm K18 towed cannons 4 x 15cm sIG 33 towed infantry guns 6 x 15cm self-propelled sIG infantry guns 24 x 5cm Pak39 towed antitank guns 12 x 3.7cm Pak 35 antitank guns 16 x 7.5cm leIG18 towed infantry guns 82 x 8.1cm mortars 48 x 5cm mortars 8 x 8.8cm Flak 36 towed antiaircraft guns 24 x 3.7cm Flak 36 towed antiaircraft guns 20 x 2cm towed antiaircraft guns 542 machineguns 72 x SdKfz. 222, 231 and 232 armored cars 1,524 Trucks In 1943, the 9th Panzer Division was upgraded. It received a number of “Nashorn” tank destroyers and increased numbers of 7.5 and 5cm antitank guns. The artillery received some of the new “Wespe” self propelled 10.5cm guns. Unfortunately for the German soldiers, the division still had many Panzer III medium tanks and, while most of them had armor and engine upgrades and mounted the longer L/60 5cm gun, a surprising number still had the older 3.7cm or shorter 5 cm gun. After the Battle of Kursk, the 2/33rd Panzer Battalion was separated from the division and detached for independent army operations. 9th Panzer Division (1943) 15,843 men 64 x Pz IV (most with the longer 7.5cm L/48 guns) medium tanks 47 x Pz III (3.7cm and 5cm guns) medium tanks 30 x Nashorn (88mm) self propelled antitank vehicles 3 x JgPz II (7.5cm guns) tank destroyers 8 x 7.5cm leIG18 towed infantry guns 6 x 15cm FH18/40 towed medium howitzers 9 x 10.5cm leFH18 towed light howitzers 3 x 10.5cm K18 towed cannons 6 x 15cm self-propelled sIG infantry guns 18 x Wespe (10.5cm howitzers) self propelled artillery 12 x 5cm Pak 39 towed antitank guns 12 x 7.5cm Pak 40 towed antitank guns 14 x 8.8cm Flak 36 towed antiaircraft guns 24 x 3.7cm Flak 36 towed antiaircraft guns 21 x 2cm towed antiaircraft guns 88 x 8.1cm mortars 30 x 5cm mortars 470 machineguns 96 x SdKfz. 232 armored cars 1295 Trucks As 1943 drew to a close, the German Army started a major upgrade of their panzer regiments. Each panzer division shipped a panzer battalion home for training and upgrading. Panzer IIIs and panzer 38ts were turned in to the factories and subsequently converted into self-propelled guns and tank destroyers. The panzer battalions that were sent home were equipped with the powerful new “Panther” medium tanks. The remaining panzer battalion was usually upgraded in the field with newer Panzer IVs with long-barreled 7.5cm guns. By January 1944, and after being equipped with Panther tanks, the 2/33rd Panzer Battalion was reattached to the 9th while it was refitting in France. The rest of the panzer regiment was equipped with Panzer IV’s and the antitank units upgraded with self-propelled and fully armored “Hetzers,” a conversion of the Czech 38t tank chassis. The artillery regiment was upgraded with more self propelled guns added to the towed weapons until the tank to tube ratio was 4:1. 9th Panzer Division (1944) 15,943 Men 3 JgPz IV (7.5cm L/48 guns) tank destroyers 42 x Hetzer (7.5cm L/48 guns) tank destroyers 91 x Pz IV (7.5cm L/48 guns) medium tanks 90 x Pz V “Panther” (7.5cm L/70 guns) medium tanks 9 x 15cm FH18/40 towed howitzers 18 x 10.5cm leFH18 towed howitzers 6 x Hummel (15cm howitzers) self propelled artillery 12 x Wespe (10.5cm howitzers) self propelled artillery 6 x 15cm self-propelled sIG infantry guns 12 x 7.5cm Pak 40 towed antitank guns 24 x 5cm Pak 39 towed antitank guns 14 x 8.8cm Flak 36 towed antiaircraft guns 32 x 3.7cm Flak 36 towed antiaircraft guns 13 x 2cm towed antiaircraft guns 32 x 7.5cm leIG37 and 15cm sIG 33 towed infantry guns 80 x 8.1cm mortars 570 machineguns 48 x SdKfz. 232 and 263 armored cars 1000 Trucks # An unknown number of these were mounted in half-track vehicles for use as self-propelled antiaircraft guns. [ May 24, 2004, 11:00 AM: Message edited by: Retributar ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retributar Posted May 24, 2004 Author Share Posted May 24, 2004 I cant delete this post...can a forum leader delete this entry!. [ May 24, 2004, 01:34 PM: Message edited by: Retributar ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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