Wehrmacht Type 43 (Panzer) Grenadier Division¹
CSO Orbat is marked in blue
[if the unit strength in CSO (Corps Scale Orbat) is 3, then in DSO (Divisional Scale Orbat) it will normally be 6 and in RSO (Regimental Scale Orbat) it willl be 9}
Divisional Headquarters
Comd mounted in Kubelwagen or Staff Car or Sdkfz 251/3 IV (C3) – CSO
Signal truck or SdKfz 263 or 251/3 IV Kommandowagen (C3)
0-1 Self Propelled or towed 2cm Flak Sdkfz 10 (S3)
Log Sd Kfz 252 or Wespe Munitionsträger (S3)
Workshop Bergepanzer III/IV/V/38 (L3)
Medical Sanitätspanzer I or Sd Kfz 251/8 (L3 Non Combattant)
Reconnaissance Battalion
0-1 SdKfz 250/3 or 234/3 (R1), 0-3 Motorcycle (R1).
Panzer Battalion²
1 Panzer III/IV/V (F3)
Panzer Grenadier Regimental Headquarters
Comd Car or Sd Kfz 250/8 or 251/9 or15cm SiG or towed 15cm (C3)³
[The battalion total should not exceed 3 strength points for CSO or 6SP for DSO or 9SP for RSO.]
Motorised Infantry Regimental Headquarters
Comd Staff Car with Towed SiG 15cm gun or 3.7cm Pak 36 (C3)
[The battalion total should not exceed 3 strength points for CSO or 6SP for DSO or 9SP for RSO.]
Panzer Grenadier Battalion
SdKfz 251 (F3)- CSO
[A divisional scale battalion [DSO] would have 2 models to a maximum total of 6SP and regimental scale [RSO] would have 3 models to a maximum total of 9SP.]
Motorised Infantry Battalion x 3
If you do not want to model the infantry, then just show the vehicles as (F3) as above in CSOPanzer Artillery Regiment
0-1 10.5cm divisional gun + limber (S3), 0-1 15cm Howitzer + limber (S3) – CSO
[The regiment total should not exceed 3 strength points for CSO or 6SP for DSO or 9SP for RSO.]
[Some or all may be self-propelled guns [SPG], the Wespe or Hummel were coming in to service by now. The normal NQM strength would be one battalion. An especially fortunate division might have two.]
Schnelle Abteilung (Antitank Battalion)³
3.7cm or 5cm or 7.5cm Gun + Limber (S3), or Stug III or IV, or Panzerjäger 38 (Hetzer), or Marder II or III if SPG.
Panzer Pioneer Battalion
3 Engineer bases (@E1), or Sd Kfz 251/5 or 7 (mounting bridge sections), or 251/16 (Flammwagen), or 251/1 (“Stuka zu Fuss”) or Truck (E3) – CSO (for DSO use units to a maximum of 6SP)
According to Mitcham (1985), the following divisions had a Panzer battalion (Footnote 4):
3 PzG (103 Pz Bn), 16 PzG (became 116 Pz in spring 1944, 116 Pz Bn), 18 PzG (118 Pz), 20 PzG (120 Pz Bn), 25 PzG (125Pz Bn), 29 PzG – destroyed at STALINGRAD, see 345 Res PzG (129 Pz Bn), 60 PzG “Feldherrnhalle” (160 Pz Bn), 90 PzG – 90 Lt pre May 1943 (190Pz Bn), 345 Reserve PzG – absorbed by a reformed 29 PzG summer 1943 (345 Res Pz Bn), 386 Mot Inf – absorbed by 3 PzG summer 1943 (386 Res Pz Bn), PzG “Kurmark” – ad hoc Div in name only formed in the last days of the war, destroyed Apr 1945 in BERLIN (unknown Pz Bn).
The following divisions did not:
10 PzG, 14 PzG, 15PzG, Oct 1944 36 PzG, PzG “Brandenburg”, PzG “Großdeutschland” – formed late 1944 at Regt strength only on the destruction of Pz “Großdeutschland“, 2 Para PzG “Herman Göring”.
Lexicon der Wehrmacht gives the following:
Footnotes
- Google translation from the original German on https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Panzergrenadierdivisionen/Gliederung.htm [Accessed 16/08/2021 and corrected for grammar and spelling from American English, signified in bold] “Just like the infantry regiments, the infantry regiments (mot) were renamed (as) grenadier regiments (mot) on October 15, 1942. With effect from April 1, 1943, the grenadier regiments (mot) and the fusilier regiments (mot) – while retaining their white Waffenfarben (arm of service colour) – were assigned to the newly created arm of armoured troops and were thus eliminated from the infantry arm. On June 23, 1943, the infantry divisions (mot) were renamed Panzergrenadier divisions. The grenadier regiments of the divisions retained their previous names. It was not until December 1, 1944 that the grenadier regiments (mot) were renamed (as) Panzer Grenadier Regiments.“
- Some Divisions had a Panzer battalion. In addition, large numbers of StuG IIIs and some Stug IVs were produced. The Stug or StuG (Sturm Geshutz) was a casemated gun on a tank chassis. The design benefit being that a more effective gun could be carried on the chassis than a turreted design would allow. In addition, production costs were lower, at a time when numbers were critical. The Stug was initially considered to be an infantry support gun manned by artillery crews. As the war went on it took over roles that had been carried out by Panzers. In this role, it would appear in the Pz Bn as a substitute for Panzers, supporting motorised infantry divisions that were renamed as Grenadiere in Oct 1942 and later Panzergrenadiere in Jun 1943. Oliver (2020) in Hetzer states that with insufficient Sturmgeschütze to go around, two Panzer battalions were converted to mixed battalions of Panzers and Sturmgeschütze. This was still not enough enough to equip the 16 grenadier divisions. The shortfall was presumably made up with Hetzers, Marders and towed anti-tank guns. In the Schnelle Abteilung, the Panzerjägers were manned by Panzer and Grenadier crews, rather than the artillery crews that manned the Stugs. Oliver D. (2020). Hetzer, Jagdpanzer 38 tank Destroyer, German Army and Waffen-SS Western Front 1944-45. Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley. ISBN 1526791188.
- Initially equipped with the Pak 36 3.7cm, then 5cm and then 7.5cm towed anti tank guns.these became portéed and then self-propelled as the war went on, utilising a bewildering variety of chassis – wheeled, halftracked, tracked armoured and unarmoured. Use what you have and be selective about the better equipment, as most of it went to the SS or Panzer divisions. The list is not exhaustive. Throughout, where I have suggested a particular variant of a model, it is a signature piece of equipment in a unit that contained several different vehicles, any of which could be used. Please do not feel constrained by my suggestions. For example, The Sd Kfz 251/9 and 250/8 ‘Stummel (Stump)’ was usually seen in the recce battalion and you would be justified in thinking that it has no place in an RHQ. If you have a spare one from your Aufklärungs Abteilung in 1942 though … It doesn’t really matter what is used, unless you care deeply about it. Most Panzer Grenadier (PzG) divisions had one armoured battalion (the gepanzerte [armoured] grenadier battalion), and three motorised battalions (sometimes mounted in unarmoured halftracks) that, for convenience, I have listed with the two lorried battalions for the motor rifle regiment. Most Panzer divisions only had the luxury of one battalion mounted in that iconic vehicle the Sd Kfz 251 (Sonder Kraftzeug). Don’t believe the propaganda photos, fully three quarters of the Wehrmacht’s Panzergrenadiere went to war in trucks or unarmoured halftracks. Early in the war, the division would have a motorcycle battalion. However they suffered heavy attrition, so I have shown the rump of the motorcycles absorbed into the divisional recce battalion.
- Mitcham S.W. (1985) Hitler’s Legions, German Army Order of Battle World War II. Leo Cooper in association with Secker & Warburg: London.
Not Quite Mechanised 