The Motorized Panzer Grenadier Battalion, 1943 to 1944
At the end of 1943, there was a further reorganisation of the Panzer arm. It is likely that a number of these changes had already been incorporated by units sometime before the official tables were issued. Ironically, these were superseded yet again within six months when the new freie Gliederung (fG) organisation was introduced. This called for the various Company level trains and maintenance elements to be removed and concentrated into a new Supply Company.
The Panzer Grenadier Battalion, circa late 1943
Battalion Headquarters (6 Officers, 15 men)
Communications Platoon (26 men)
Battalion Train and Maintenance (4 Officers, 62 men)
Heavy Company (3 Officers, 88 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 13 men)
Anti-tank Platoon (1 Officer, 31 men)
Infantry Gun Platoon (1 Officer, 24 men)
Company Train and Maintenance (20 men)
Three Rifle Companies (3 Officers, 222 men), each comprised of;
Company HQ (1 Officer, 14 men)
Anti-tank Section (9 men)
Company Train and Maintenance (21 men)
Heavy Platoon comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 7 men)
Mortar Group (17 men)
Two Heavy Machine Gun Groups, each (13 men)
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer or NCO, 6 men)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 12 men
Total Strength of 879 all ranks (22 Officers and 857 men)
The Panzer Grenadier Battalion (fG), circa 1944
Battalion Headquarters (4 Officers, 12 men)
Communications Platoon (26 men)
Supply Company (7 Officers, 124 men)
Company HQ (2 Officers, 11 men)
Medical Detachment (1 Officer, 4 men)
Maintenance Detachment (3 Officers, 55 men)
Fuel Detachment (10 men)
Munitions Detachment (8 men)
Supply Detachment (1 Officer, 36 men)
Heavy Company (3 Officers, 101 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 17 men)
Light Flak Platoon (1 Officer, 39 men)
12-cm Mortar Platoon (1 Officer, 45 men)
Three Rifle Companies (3 Officers, 194 men), each comprised of;
Company HQ (1 Officer, 16 men)
Heavy Platoon comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 7 men)
Mortar Section (17 men)
Two Heavy Machine Gun Sections, each (13 men)
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer or NCO, 6 men)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 12 men
Total Strength of 868 all ranks (23 Officers and 845 men)
Points of note
The Pioneer Platoon, a feature of the Battalion since its earliest days, was removed, and used to create a new Pioneer Company within each Regiment. New and more powerful weapons were introduced and the Rifle Platoons streamlined.
The elements of the Battalion
Anti-tank Platoon - the Anti-tank Platoon was up-gunned in an effort to keep pace with its likely opponents in the Red Army. The Platoon was equipped with three guns, either the 7.5-cm Pak 40 or captured Russian 7.62-cm models. During 1944 it was decided to remove anti-tank guns from the Panzer Grenadier Battalions and place them in dedicated Panzerjager units, though undoubtedly some Battalions conspired to retain their guns.
Infantry Gun Platoon - there was now a single Infantry Gun Platoon, still armed with two 7.5-cm weapons. Officially, this Platoon was deleted in early 1944, but again probably lingered due to shortages of the 12-cm mortar.
12-cm Mortar Platoon - replacing the Infantry Gun Platoon was a new 12-cm Mortar Platoon. This was equipped with four weapons, towed by either light halftrack tractors or lorries.
2-cm Flak Platoon - during 1944 the Flak assets previously found under Regimental control passed to the Battalions themselves. The Platoon fielded six 2-cm weapons, each ideally mounted on their own self-propelled platform, though towed guns likely featured as well.
The Rifle Company - the Rifle Platoon underwent the same reductions during 1943 visited upon every other part of the German Infantry arm.
For the Rifle Squad, that meant a loss of two men and a change of transport. The two Kfz70 trucks were both replaced by a single 2-ton truck, which meant the elimination of one driver, while one of the six riflemen was also deleted, reducing Squad strength to twelve men. There were also changes to armament, with an 8.8-cm Panzerschreck being added for anti-tank defence, which confusingly was deleted the following year.
Platoon HQ was also amended. It now comprised a Commander, NCO, two messengers and a stretcher bearer, plus two drivers each with a Kubelwagen light car. The Commander carried a machine pistol, the medic a pistol, the others all rifles. The tables indicate that the Platoon NCO was issued with a telescopic sight for his rifle, while each assistant Squad Leader carried a semi-automatic G41. This is actually the reverse of that given for the Armoured Rifle Platoon at this time and suggests one table might be wrong.
The Heavy Platoon remained unaltered, still serving four heavy machine guns and two 8-cm mortars, though likewise it had shifted to 2-ton trucks and Kubelwagens.
Company HQ provided the usual command functions, and administered the Company Train until its disbandment. From late 1943 it also contained an anti-tank detachment of four two-man teams, each serving an 8.8-cm Panzerschreck which seemingly vanished along with the rest of these launchers the following year. It seems highly unlikely that the Battalion would have been deprived of both its towed guns and its infantry anti-tank weapons in one swoop, and it would seem reasonable to assume they were actually retained by troops despite the official change in policy.
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The Motorized Panzer Grenadier Battalion