The German Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion
When trying to sum up German organisation in this restricted format, I always need to take a deep breath before beginning. As evidenced by the Panzer Grenadier pages, a plethora of tables were issued, and there were no end of operational variations to be found in the field for Panzer units. The below descriptions may then be best viewed as a synopsis, rather than a definitive account.
Curiously, the armoured Reconnaissance Battalion did not really appear until 1943. Previously, Panzer Divisions had operated a Motorcycle Reconnaissance Battalion, which comprised HQ, a Motorcycle Rifle Company, two Armoured Car Companies, and a Heavy Company, as per the motorised Panzer Grenadier Battalion. For the invasion of Russia in 1941, the second Armoured Car Company was deleted, and by the end of that year the Motorcycle element was slated to increase to three Companies. During 1942, a new light halftrack was introduced, and one or two Companies adopted the vehicle. By early 1943, the Battalion was intended to be fully mechanised, adopting the structure given below.
The Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion, circa mid-1943
Battalion Headquarters (5 Officers, 22 men)
Communications Platoon (1 Officer, 60 men)
Train and Maintenance (6 Officers, 87 men)
Heavy Armoured Car Platoon (1 Officer, 21 men)
Heavy Company (5 Officers and 199 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 15 men)
Antitank Platoon (1 Officer, 36 men)
Infantry Gun Platoon (1 Officer, 24 men)
Pioneer Platoon (1 Officer, 58 men)
Cannon Platoon (1 Officer, 37 men)
Company Train and Maintenance (29 men)
Armoured Car Company (4 Officers and 114 men)
Company Headquarters (1 Officer, 9 men)
Heavy Platoon (2 Officers, 22 men)
Three Light Platoons, each (1 Officer or NCO, 17 men)
Train and Maintenance (30 men)
Armoured Car Company (3 Officers, 110 men)
Company Headquarters (1 Officer, 10 men)
Four Platoons, each (1 Officer or NCO, 17 men)
Train and Maintenance (30 men)
Light Column (1 Officer, 50 men)
Column HQ (1 Officer, 14 men)
Detachment (11 men)
Two Detachments, each (9 men)
Train (7 men)
Two Light Armoured Rifle Companies (3 Officers, 233 men), each comprised of;
Company Headquarters (1 Officer, 12 men)
Train and Maintenance (30 men)
Heavy Platoon comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 5 men)
Mortar Group (18 men)
Two Heavy Machine Gun Groups, each (17 men)
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer or NCO, 8 men)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 12 men
Total Strength of 1161 all ranks (32 Officers and 1129 men)
The Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion, circa 1944
Battalion Headquarters (4 Officers, 19 men)
Communications Platoon (1 Officer, 54 men)
Train and Maintenance (17 men)
Heavy Armoured Car Platoon (1 Officer, 21 men)
Heavy Company (5 Officers and 185 men)
Company Headquarters (1 Officer, 15 men)
Infantry Gun Platoon (1 Officer, 24 men)
Pioneer Platoon (1 Officer, 53 men)
Cannon Platoon (1 Officer, 34 men)
Anti-tank Platoon (1 Officer, 31 men)
Train and Maintenance (28 men)
Armoured Car Company (3 Officers and 114 men)
Company Headquarters (1 Officer, 9 men)
Heavy Platoon (1 Officer, 23 men)
Three Light Platoons, each (1 Officer or NCO, 17 men)
Train and Maintenance (29 men)
Armoured Car Company 'C' (3 Officers, 108 men)
Company Headquarters (1 Officer, 9 men)
Four Platoons, each (1 Officer or NCO, 17 men)
Train and Maintenance (29 men)
Supply Company (6 Officers, 107 men)
Company Headquarters (1 Officer, 9 men)
Train (9 men)
Maintenance Detachment (3 Officers, 36 men)
Fuel Detachment (18 men)
Munitions Detachment (14 men)
Supply Detachment (1 Officer, 12 men)
Medical Detachment (1 Officer, 5 men)
Company Train (4 men)
Two Armoured Reconnaissance Companies (3 Officers, 194 men), each comprised of;
Company Headquarters (1 Officer, 16 men)
Train and Maintenance (30 men)
Mortar Group (18 men)
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer or NCO, 7 men)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 12 men
Total Strength of 1042 all ranks (29 Officers and 1013 men)
Points of note
Big, isn't it? When fully manned and equipped, this was a powerful unit, more than capable of fighting its own corner. It field two Armoured Car Companies, one Heavy Company, and two Rifle Companies. The Battalion was officially given 'gepanzert' or armoured status in mid-1943, however as mentioned the Rifle Companies had begun mechanisation during 1942. The various tables were issued over a year long period, and were redrawn at the end of 1943, when all elements of the Panzer Division were reviewed in an attempt to impose some standardisation no doubt. The Heavy Company was organised in the same manner as that found in The Armoured Panzer Grenadier Battalion of the relevant period, so to avoid repetition please refer to that page for details.
One oddity is that when the Battalion added a dedicated Supply Company, its various units retained their own train and maintenance elements. This may well have been a reflection of the fact that Companies could find themselves operating outside of the Battalion for periods. and needed their own integral service unit.
The elements of the Battalion
Battalion Headquarters - contained the Battalion Commander, Adjutant, ordnance and medical officers, equipped with two halftracks plus various cars and motorcycles.
Communications Platoon - fulfilled the same role as that in the Infantry of maintaining radio and line communications within the Battalion.
Heavy Armoured Car Platoon - the Germans operated a variety of wheel armoured cars, many of which were to be found in the Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion. The SdKfz 233 was a heavy armoured car armed with a snub nosed 7.5 cm gun and a crew of three. It was a large, eight wheeled vehicle, and the Platoon field six such machines, plus its own small train with two lorries.
Armoured Car Company - one of the two Armoured Car Companies was equipped with wheeled vehicles. The single Heavy Platoon used three SdKfz 231 and three SdKfz 232 vehicles, again eight wheeled, each with a four man crew. Both models mounted a 2 cm cannon and light machine gun, the latter type being a radio vehicle with an unmistakeable antenna that covered most of the hull. The three Light Platoons used four SdKfz 222 and two SdKfz 223 machines. These were small, four wheeled cars with a three man crew. The 222 mounted a 2 cm cannon and machine gun, the 223 being a command variant with just the machine gun. It should be stressed that the Germans captured a great many armoured cars that they eagerly pressed back into service. There were also earlier versions of their own manufacture that could fill in, so the above was more the ideal than the reality.
Armoured Car Company 'C' - the second Armoured Car Company in fact used the light halftrack, the SdKfz 250, introduced during 1942. Its four Platoons each operated two commanded versions, the 250/5, equipped as a radio car, and four 'gun' versions, the 250/9 mounting a 2 cm cannon. Both types also carried a single machine gun and had a three man crew. Company HQ had a single 250/5 plus soft-skins and motorcycles.
The Rifle Company - the Company also operated the light SdKfz 250 halftracks, and used the same basic structure of a standard Panzer Grenadier Company.
Its basic Squad was also twelve men strong, with a leader and assistant, armed with a machine pistol and rifle respectively. They commanded two guns teams, each with a gunner and loader, and four riflemen. The two gunners each carried a light machine gun and pistol, their two assistants both pistols, the remaining four men each a rifle. The Squad was completed by two drivers. Each driver was responsible for one of the Squad's two SdKfz 250/1 halftracks, which was capable of carrying six men. Both vehicles carried their own machine pistol and light machine gun.
Platoon HQ was also split over two vehicles. The first, a standard 250/1, carried a machine gun, the second, a 250/10, mounted a 3.7 cm Pak for fire support. The Platoon commander carried a machine pistol, the NCO, gun commander, two loaders and stretcher bearer all pistols, the messenger and both drivers rifles. At the end of 1943, the gun carrier was amended to a SdKfz 250/8, mounting a 7.5 cm cannon, a substantial weapon to shoehorn into a small vehicle. One of the two loaders was then deleted.
Further fire support came from the Heavy Platoon. The Mortar Group operated four SdKfz 250/7, two mounting an 8 cm mortar each, one for the Group leader, the other carrying ammunition. Each heavy machine gun Group dismounted two MG34 or MG42 teams, with three 250/1 vehicles per Group. Platoon HQ added another such halftrack. Late 1943 the Platoon was largely disbanded, leaving only the mortar carriers.
Company HQ used two SdKfz 250/3 command vehicles plus four or five motorcycles, and as ever there was the Train and Maintenance for supply and repair duties.
The Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion, circa mid-1944
Battalion Headquarters (4 Officers, 18 men)
Staff Company (3 Officers, 113 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 11 men)
Communications Platoon (1 Officer, 43 men)
Two Heavy Armoured Car Platoons, each (1 Officer or NCO, 23 men)
Cannon Group (12 men)
Supply Company (7 Officers, 202 men)
Company HQ (2 Officers, 16 men)
Medical Detachment (1 Officer, 4 men)
Maintenance Detachment (3 Officers, 112 men)
Fuel Detachment (16 men)
Munitions Detachment (13 men)
Supply Detachment (1 Officer, 41 men)
Heavy Company (4 Officers, 150 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 14 men)
Cannon Platoon (1 Officer, 31 men)
Pioneer Platoon (1 Officer, 50 men)
8 cm Mortar Platoon (1 Officer, 55 men)
Armoured Car Company (3 Officers, 82 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 12 men)
Four Platoons, each (1 Officer or NCO, 17 men)
Light Reconnaissance Company (3 Officers, 164 men)
Company HQ (1 Officer, 17 men)
Mortar Group (17 men)
Cannon Group (9 men)
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer or NCO, 4 men)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 12 men
Heavy Reconnaissance Company (3 Officers, 180 men);
Company HQ (1 Officer, 17 men)
Heavy Platoon comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 8 men)
Mortar Group (15 men)
Cannon Group (8 men)
Two Heavy Machine Gun Groups, each (11 men)
Three Rifle Platoons, each comprised of;
Platoon HQ (1 Officer or NCO, 6 men)
Three Rifle Squads, each comprised of 10 men
Total Strength of 936 all ranks (23 Officers and 913 men)
Points of note
This organisation was again a product of the rationalisation begun early in 1944. As ever, it took sometime to filter down to the frontline units, who were in no position to adopt the amendments while engaged in action. The most obvious change is the removal of the Company level trains, and the consolidation of the Supply Company. The wheeled Armoured Car Company is now gone, its remains being absorbed into the Staff Company. Also, one of the two Rifle Companies was now to be carried in the SdKfz 251 halftrack, using the same organisation as found in the mechanised Panzer Grenadier Battalion. As that is covered elsewhere, along with parts of the Heavy Company, it will not be addressed here again, but it should be noted that this upgrading was much harder to achieve in reality, and a number of units probably retained the older format.
The elements of the Battalion
Heavy Armoured Car Platoon - now part of the HQ Company, each Platoon was intended to field six SdKfz 234/1 heavy armoured cars. A progression of the earlier eight wheeled series, each had a four man crew and mounted a 2 cm cannon, however some models had either a 5 cm gun or a 7.5 cm Pak 40. Again, earlier machines were likely to be found instead, and the tables actually acknowledged this for a change.
Cannon Group - three SdKfz 234/3, mounting the 7.5 cm cannon used in a range of other German armoured fighting vehicles.
Pioneer Platoon - removed from the Panzer Grenadier Battalions, the Reconnaissance Battalion retained its own Pioneer Platoon. Its three Squads were fifteen strong and carried in two SdKfz 251/7 pioneer halftracks, each Squad having two light machine guns for dismounted use, plus those on the carriers. Platoon HQ was carried in anther halftrack.
8 cm Mortar Platoon - this Platoon was originally added in early 1944, and had six SdKfz 251/2 halftracks, each mounting an 8 cm mortar, plus another halftrack for Platoon HQ.
Armoured Car Company - other than losing its train, this remained unaltered.
The Rifle Company - the main changes to the Company involved fire support.
Each Platoon lost its own gun carrier, HQ now having just a single SdKfz 250/1 for the commander, NCO, messenger, stretcher bearer and driver. Both commander and NCO now had machine pistols, the driver relying on the halftrack MP40, messenger and medic rifle and pistol. Rifle Squad armament was unchanged, apart from the drivers losing their rifles to the board machine pistol.
The Mortar Group remained as before, and was now supplemented by a Cannon Group with two SdKfz 250/8 and a standard 250/1 for munitions. Company HQ was essentially unchanged.
Summary
The Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion was an extremely powerful force when compared to its British and US equivalents. It was much more than a collection of light armoured cars, it had a potent infantry contingent and a full support company. In some respects, that may have been a disadvantage. Some commanders seized upon the halftrack mounted infantry as a perfect support for the Panzers, and without them the Battalion was just a collection of armoured cars. However, when maintained at something approaching full strength, it was a unit that had enough firepower to spoil anybody's day.