Panzer company in 1935, how were the 32 tanks organized?

[Tomexe]

Does anyone know how the Panzer companies in the original 1935 Panzer divisions were organized?

 

There were 32 PzKpfw I. How were they distributed? Was it still 4 platoons and a hq section like the 1938-44 organizations? So there were 4 platoons of 7 and a HQ of 4? Or did they have another organization?

[KingSargent]

Does anyone know how the Panzer companies in the original 1935 Panzer divisions were organized?

 

There were 32 PzKpfw I. How were they distributed? Was it still 4 platoons and a hq section like the 1938-44 organizations? So there were 4 platoons of 7 and a HQ of 4? Or did they have another organization?

I doubt there were ever enough tanks, even PzIs, to have a full 32-tank company, so it is probably moot.

[cbo]

I doubt there were ever enough tanks, even PzIs, to have a full 32-tank company, so it is probably moot.

 

The had plenty. By August 1st 1935 the German Army had 318 Panzer I and 15 Panzer I - based command vehicles. The heavy companies were equipped with a mix of Grosstraktors (3) and Neubaufahrzeuge (2) but there were not a sufficient number available to fully equip those companies.

 

Tomexe,

According to a report quoted in Jentz: "Panzertruppen", there appears to have been 7 tanks in each platoon, so the company was likely made up by four such platoons and an HQ platoon of four tanks as you suggest.

 

cbo

[Ken Estes]

Anyone have a copy of Achtung Panzer? It seems to me that G shows the organization as well as tactical movements, but it has been decades since I skimmed through it.

[KingSargent]

The had plenty. By August 1st 1935 the German Army had 318 Panzer I and 15 Panzer I - based command vehicles. The heavy companies were equipped with a mix of Grosstraktors (3) and Neubaufahrzeuge (2) but there were not a sufficient number available to fully equip those companies.

 

Tomexe,

According to a report quoted in Jentz: "Panzertruppen", there appears to have been 7 tanks in each platoon, so the company was likely made up by four such platoons and an HQ platoon of four tanks as you suggest.

 

cbo

A 1935 TOE Pz Div with 32-tank cos would have 560 tanks. 333 incl cmd tanks ain't enuff fer three divisions.

[hojutsuka]

Anyone have a copy of Achtung Panzer? It seems to me that G shows the organization as well as tactical movements, but it has been decades since I skimmed through it.

No organization in my copy of Achtung Panzer (English translation 1992 by Christopher Duffy).

 

Hojutsuka

[Rich]

A 1935 TOE Pz Div with 32-tank cos would have 560 tanks. 333 incl cmd tanks ain't enuff fer three divisions.

 

Yeah, but as of August there was only the first test division organized out of the hodge-podge of various "cover" organizations that had been formed to experiment with the new weapons and organization. When 1., 2., and 3., Panzer-Division were formally established on 15 October 1935 there were shortages, but then they were all brand new units, so there were all kinds of shortages. The medium tank companies were only notionally organized (in the August 1935 tests they were represented by the few Gross and Kleintraktor available) and the 150 Schulfahrgestell were also used to fill as many units as possible.

 

In any case, it appears that only the "test" 1. Panzer Division had the 32-tank light companies, by 20 December the intended le.-Kp. organization was to be 18 Pz-I, 6 Pz-II, and 6 Pz-III . Unfortunately it is unclear if the actual K.A.N. followed that scheme, since none of the 1936 series apparently survived?

[Jim Martin]

No organization in my copy of Achtung Panzer (English translation 1992 by Christopher Duffy).

 

Hojutsuka

 

I know that the significantly older edition of AP that I got from my Dad's collection had the TO&E in there, but I haven't any idea where it is now.

[cbo]

A 1935 TOE Pz Div with 32-tank cos would have 560 tanks. 333 incl cmd tanks ain't enuff fer three divisions.

 

 

You wrote:

I doubt there were ever enough tanks, even PzIs, to have a full 32-tank company, so it is probably moot.

 

I read that as if you suggested that they did not have enought tanks for a company.

 

There was an organisation for the 1934/35 experimental division, but a different one for the August 1935 manouvers for the 1. Panzerdivision which included one brigade with two armoured regiments each two battalions with three light companies and one medium. Each light company had 32 Pz I, the battalion, regimental, brigade and division staff companies each 7. I get that to be 482 Panzer I. 4 medium companies would add another 40 tanks.

 

The organization seems to have changed again when the first three divisions were created in October 1935. Apparently they each had one brigade with two regiments, each two battalions with four light companies and no heavy company. It is not entirely clear what the company organization was at this point, but Jentz mentions that each company only had 17 Pz I to start with. The number of Panzer Is produced more than doubled between August 1935 and January 1936, so if the organisation only called for 17 tanks in each company, that was probably achievable by October 1935.

Jentz states that the 1936 KStN and KAN were destroyed and none survived - or at least none have been found.

 

cbo

[Tomexe]

 

You wrote:

 

I read that as if you suggested that they did not have enought tanks for a company.

 

There was an organisation for the 1934/35 experimental division, but a different one for the August 1935 manouvers for the 1. Panzerdivision which included one brigade with two armoured regiments each two battalions with three light companies and one medium. Each light company had 32 Pz I, the battalion, regimental, brigade and division staff companies each 7. I get that to be 482 Panzer I. 4 medium companies would add another 40 tanks.

 

The organization seems to have changed again when the first three divisions were created in October 1935. Apparently they each had one brigade with two regiments, each two battalions with four light companies and no heavy company. It is not entirely clear what the company organization was at this point, but Jentz mentions that each company only had 17 Pz I to start with. The number of Panzer Is produced more than doubled between August 1935 and January 1936, so if the organisation only called for 17 tanks in each company, that was probably achievable by October 1935.

Jentz states that the 1936 KStN and KAN were destroyed and none survived - or at least none have been found.

 

cbo

 

Oh, so my source failed to recognize that the 32 tank organization was never really filled out. By the time they had enough tanks (by keeping the PzI in service and taking all the Pz34t/38t they could lay hands on) they had finally decided on the 24 tank company by 1939 and that pretty much remained through the end of 1943, when shortages again forced them to drop to 3 Zug/17 Panzer companies.