The German Motorised Reconnaissance Battalion, 1940
The constant variations in Reconnaissance unit organisation are evident from the outset of the war in 1939. Several Battalions included a Bridging Platoon, or a Scout Platoon of motorcyclists appended to Battalion HQ, the KStN for neither type of subunit having survived. The Light Divisions tended to deploy a Reconnaissance Regiment of two Battalions, which might group Armoured Car and Motorcycle Companies separately. The below descriptions therefore concentrate on the Motorised Reconnaissance Battalion from 1940, when more uniformity was to be found, in theory at least.
The Motorised Reconnaissance Battalion 1940
Battalion Headquarters (10 Officers, 48 men)
Headquarters Group (6 Officers, 10 men)
Battle Train (3 Officials, 26 men)
Rations Train (8 men)
Baggage Train (1 Official, 4 men)
Communications Platoon (1 Officer, 64 men)
1 SdKfz 260
4 SdKfz 261
2 SdKfz 263
Light Column (1 Officer, 50 men)
Column HQ (1 Officer, 14 men)
Detachment (11 men)
Two Detachments, each (9 men)
Train (7 men)
Heavy Company (4 Officers, 144 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 7 men)
Battle Train (16 men)
Baggage Train (4 men)
Anti-tank Platoon (1 Officer, 29 men)
Infantry Gun Platoon (1 Officer, 32 men)
Pioneer Platoon (1 Officer, 56 men)
Two Armoured Car Companies (5 Officers and 123 men), each comprised of;
Company Headquarters (1 Officer, 17 men)
Battle Train (30 men)
Baggage Train (4 men)
Communications Troop (20 men)
4 SdKfz 223
1 SdKfz 263
Heavy Platoon (2 Officers, 22 men)
3 SdKfz 231
3 SdKfz 232
Light Platoon (1 Officer, 11 men)
6 SdKfz 221
Light Platoon (1 Officer, 19 men)
4 SdKfz 221
4 SdKfz 222
Motorcycle Rifle Company (4 Officers, 171 men) comprised of;
Company HQ (1 Officer, 11 men)
Battle Train (17 men)
Baggage Train (4 men)
Machine Gun Section (25 m
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 6 men)
Light Mortar Section (5 men)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 9 men
Total Strength of;
753 all ranks (30 Officers and 723 men)
20 SdKfz 221, 8 SdKfz 222 and 8 SdKfz 223
1 SdKfz 260 and 4 SdKfz 261
6 SdKfz 231 and 6 SdKfz 232
4 SdKfz 263
Points of note
The original organisation of the Battalion allowed for a large number of light and heavy armoured cars, plus supporting arms and a Motorcycle Rifle Company. 7th Panzer Division differed, with a stronger Motorcycle Rifle Company and an amended Heavy Company lacking anti-tank guns. 9th Panzer Division fielded a Reconnaissance Regiment, with an increased Motorcycle Rifle element formed into a separate Kradschutzen Battalion.
The Motorised Reconnaissance Battalion 1940 (7th Panzer Division)
Battalion Headquarters (10 Officers, 48 men)
Headquarters Group (6 Officers, 10 men)
Battle Train (3 Officials, 26 men)
Rations Train (8 men)
Baggage Train (1 Official, 4 men)
Communications Platoon (1 Officer, 64 men)
1 SdKfz 260
4 SdKfz 261
2 SdKfz 263
Light Column (1 Officer, 50 men)
Column HQ (1 Officer, 14 men)
Detachment (11 men)
Two Detachments, each (9 men)
Train (7 men)
Heavy Company (4 Officers, 147 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 7 men)
Battle Train (16 men)
Baggage Train (4 men)
Two Infantry Gun Platoons, each (1 Officer, 32 men)
Pioneer Platoon (1 Officer, 56 men)
Two Armoured Car Companies (5 Officers and 123 men), each comprised of;
Company Headquarters (1 Officer, 17 men)
Battle Train (30 men)
Baggage Train (4 men)
Communications Troop (20 men)
4 SdKfz 223
1 SdKfz 263
Heavy Platoon (2 Officers, 22 men)
3 SdKfz 231
3 SdKfz 232
Light Platoon (1 Officer, 11 men)
6 SdKfz 221
Light Platoon (1 Officer, 19 men)
4 SdKfz 221
4 SdKfz 222
Motorcycle Rifle Company (5 Officers, 225 men) comprised of;
Company HQ (1 Officer, 12 men)
Battle Train (18 men)
Baggage Train (4 men)
Machine Gun Platoon (1 Officer, 50 m
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 6 men)
Light Mortar Section (5 men)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 12 men
Total Strength of;
811 all ranks (31 Officers and 780 men)
20 SdKfz 221, 8 SdKfz 222 and 8 SdKfz 223
1 SdKfz 260 and 4 SdKfz 261
6 SdKfz 231 and 6 SdKfz 232
4 SdKfz 263
The elements of the Battalion
Battalion Headquarters - had a small staff including the Battalion Commander, his Adjutant, Ordnance and Supply Officers and two Medical Officers. Also part of HQ were the large administrative details common to many German units during the first half of the war.
Communications Platoon - along with the usual telephone and pack radio detachments were seven armoured cars, fitted specifically for the communications role. Five had the lighter, four wheeled SdKfz 260 or 261, and two the heavier six-wheeled SdKfz 263, based on the armoured cars described below. Each had a crew of four men and was armed with a single light machine gun. The SdKfz 263 was particularly conspicuous thanks to the large radio antennae that stretched almost the length of the body.
Light Column - added yet more administrative troops with three Groups, each carrying fuel and munitions in four or five light trucks.
Heavy Company - was as that for The Motorized Panzer Grenadier Battalion 1939 to 1940 with a Platoon of three 3.7-cm anti-tank guns, one of four Pioneer Squads, and the third with two towed 7,5-cm light infantry guns.
Motorcycle Rifle Company - this was identical to that found in The Motorcycle Rifle Battalion 1939 to 1940 so will not be described again here. 7th Panzer is shown as using the 'heavier' model, with double the machine gun allocation.
The Armoured Car Company - the Company was structured with four different types of Platoon.
The Germans were among the first to deploy heavyweight armoured cars, and included a Heavy Platoon credited with two specific types. The first was the six-wheeled SdKfz with a crew of four-men, commander, gunner and two drivers. The second driver was seated behind the turret, facing towards the rear of the vehicle, and when necessary could take over from the front driver with the aim of reversing the vehicle rapidly away from danger. The SdKfz 231 was armed with both an MG34 and a 2-cm cannon, the same weapon as found on the Panzer II, so was capable of engaging light enemy armour. Its counterpart was the SdKfz 232 radio car, fitted with high powered equipment to keep in contact with higher Headquarters. It had the same armament and crew layout as the SdKfz 231, except the second driver doubled as a radio operator. Both officers rode in SdKfz 232 vehicles with the senior NCO in the third.
The second Light Platoon was indeed that, light, equipped with six SdKfz 221. This vehicle was a four-wheeled model, with just a three-man crew of commander, who doubled as the gunner for the single MG34, and driver. The third Light Platoon had four more such vehicles, plus four SdKfz 222. This was the up-gunned version and carried a 2-cm main gun and co-axial MG34, putting it on a par with the Heavy Platoon firepower wise. An Officer or NCO commanded each of these four cars, and a third crewman was added to act as gunner.
The Signal Platoon added four SdKfz 223, another derivative of the SdKfz 221 series, each with a three-man crew and single LMG, plus an SdKfz 263 and a radio car.
Company HQ was largely made up of a section of motorcycle messengers, with the Commander having just the lightly armoured, and unarmed, SdKfz 247 for transport.
Summary
With a few exceptions, some of which are noted above, this was the closest to the standard Motorised Reconnaissance Battalion found with the Panzer Divisions of 1940. It had, unlike its contemporaries, a dedicated Rifle element that could dismount and fight as infantry where required, or infiltrate on foot to find alternative routes around resistance. There were a large number of armoured cars, some very well armed, but all were wheeled and that lead to obvious issues in keeping up with the tracked Panzers.
The few Motorised Infantry Divisions of 1939 and 1940 appear to have used a reduced strength version of the Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion, with just the Battalion HQ, Communication Platoon, one lighter Motorcycle Rifle Company and one Armoured Car Company, making perhaps 20 Officers and 406 men.