The Motorized Panzer Grenadier Battalion
Throughout the Second World War, it was the motorized Schutzen, later termed Panzer Grenadier, Battalion that provided the Panzer Divisions with the bulk of their infantry component. By 1942, a typical Panzer Division could only mount one of its four Panzer Grenadier Battalions in halftracks, leaving the balance to be carried by lorries and trucks. While the Motorized Battalion was not as powerful as its armoured equivalent, numerically it remained the most important.
The German penchant for issuing separate organisational tables for elements as small as Platoons reaches new levels with the Panzer Grenadier Battalions, as can be seen below!
The Motorized Panzer Grenadier Battalion 1939 to 1940
Derived from the following KStN tables -
(Battalion Headquarters for a Motorized Rifle Battalion or a Motorcycle Rifle Battalion) - Stab eines Schutzenbataillons (mot) – Stab eines Kraftradschutzenbataillons, Nr 1108, datum 01.10.37
(Heavy Company Headquarters) - Fuhrer einer
schweren Kompanie (mot), Nr 1121, datum 01.10.37
(Anti-tank Platoon) - Panzerabwehrzug (zu 3
Geschutzen) (mot Z), Nr 1122, datum 01.10.37
(Pioneer Platoon) - Kraftfahr-Pionierzug (mot), Nr 1124, datum 01.10.37
Unfortunately, I am lacking about half of the component KStN tables for the early war version of the Panzer Grenadier Battalion. Dr. Leo Niehorster has kindly provided me with the details for the 7.5-cm Infantry Gun Platoon (Nr 1123, datum 01.10.37) and the 8-cm Mortar Platoon (Nr 1126, datum 01.10.38). However no copies of the tables for the Machine Gun Company (Nr 1116, datum 01.10.38) and arguably the most important element of the Battalion, the Rifle Company (Nr 1114, datum 01.10.37 or Nr 1115, datum 01.10.38), appear to have survived.
The Motorized Panzer Grenadier Battalion 1941 to 1942
So few of the KStN tables issued in February 1941 for the Schutzen Battalion survive they are not listed here.
Derived from the following KStN tables -
(Battalion Headquarters) - Stab eines Schutzenbataillons, Nr 1108, datum 01.11.41
(Rifle Company) - Schutzenkompanie b, Nr 1114, datum 01.11.41
(Heavy Company Headquarters) - Fuhrer einer schwere Kompanie (mot), Nr 1121, datum 01.11.41
(Anti-tank Platoon) - Panzerjagerzug (zu 3 Geschutzen 5 cm Pak) (mot Z), Nr 1122a, datum 01.12.41; schwere Panzerjagerzug (3 Geschutze) (mot Z), Nr 1145, datum 01.04.43
(Infantry Gun Platoon) - Geschutzzug (zu 2 leichten Infanteriegeschutzen) (mot Z), Nr 1123, datum 01.11.41
(Pioneer Platoon) - Pionierzug (mot), Nr 1124, datum 01.11.41; Pionierzug a (mot), Nr 1124a, datum 01.04.43
(Anti-tank Rifle Group) - Panzerjager-Gruppe (zu 3 Geschutzen s.Pz.B.41) (mot), Nr 1127, datum 01.11.41
The Motorized Panzer Grenadier Battalion 1943 to 1944
Derived from the following KStN tables -
(Battalion Headquarters) - Stab und Stabskompanie eines Panzer-grenadierbataillons, Nr 1108, datum 01.11.43; Stab eines Panzergrenadier-Bataillons (Freie Gliederung), Ohne Nr, datum 01.04.44
(Rifle Company) - Panzergrenadierkompanie, Nr 1114, datum 01.11.43; Panzergrenadierkompanie (Freie Gliederung), Nr 1114 (f.G.), datum 01.04.44
(Heavy Company Headquarters) - Fuhrer einer schweren Kompanie (mot), Nr 1121, datum 01.11.43; Fuhrer einer schweren Kompanie (mot) (Freie Gliederung), Ohne Nr, datum 01.04.44
(Infantry Gun Platoon) - Geschutzzug (zu 2 liechten Infanteriegeschutzen) (mot Z), Nr 1123, datum 01.11.43
(Heavy Mortar Platoon) - 12-cm Granatwerferzug (motZ), Nr 1126, datum 01.11.43; 12-cm Granatwerferzug (mot Z), Nr 1126, datum 01.04.44
(Anti-aircraft Platoon) - leichter Fliegerabwehrzug 2-cm (zu 6 Geschutzen) (mot Z), Nr 1128, datum 01.03.44
(Anti-tank Platoon) - schwere Panzerjagerzug (3 Geschutze) (mot Z), Nr 1145, datum 01.11.43
(Supply Company) - Versorgungskompanie eines Panzergrenadier-Bataillons (freie Gliederung), Nr 1180a (f.G.), datum 01.04.44
The Motorized and Bicycle Panzer Grenadier Battalion 1944 to 1945
Derived from the following KStN tables -
(Battalion Headquarters) - Stab eines Panzergrenadier-Bataillons (f.G.), Nr 1108 (f.G.), datum 01.11.44
(Rifle Company) - Panzergrenadierkompanie (f.G.), Nr 1114 (f.G.), datum 01.11.44
(Rifle Company, Bicycle Mobile) - Panzergrenadierkompanie (fahrradbeweglich) (f.G.), Nr 1114b (f.G.), datum 01.11.44
(Heavy Company) - schwere Panzergrenadierkompanie (s MG (mot) und 2 cm Fla (Sf)) (f.G.), Nr 1115 (f.G.), datum 01.11.44
(Heavy Company, Bicycle Mobile) - schwere Panzergrenadierkompanie (s MG (fahrradbeweglich) und 2 cm Fla (Sf)) (f.G.), Nr 1115b (f.G.), datum 01.11.44
(Mortar Company) - Panzergrenadier-Granatwerferkompanie (f.G.), Nr 1116 (f.G.), datum 01.11.44
(Supply Company) - Versorgungskompanie eines Panzergrenadier-Bataillons (freie Gliederung), Nr 1180a (f.G.), datum 01.11.44
German Divisional Organisations