Basic Organization of Panzergrenadier-Regiment in Panzer-Division During 1943

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  Table 11. Panzer-Division 43

  Table 12. Panzergrenadier-Regiment 43

  Table 13. panzergrenadier-Regiment (mot) 43

  Table 14. Firepower of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 43

  Table 15. Firepower of Panzergrenadier-Regiment (mot) 43

  Panzergrenadier-Regiment in 1944

After the great defeat of Stalingrad and Africa, Generaloberst Guderian was appointed to be Inspector General of Panzertruppen by Hitler himself on 28 Feb 1943. With the establishment of the Inspector General the units formerly classified as Schnelle truppen were now redesigned as Panzertruppen except cavalry. The Panzergrenadier were now also under the Inspector General of Panzertruppen. After operation Zitadelle all Panzer-Divisions of the Heeres (with the exception of 21. Panzer-Division and Panzer-Division Norwagen) were universally reorganized according to the "Gliederung Panzer-Division 1943", so called the famous "Type 43 Panzer-Division" (Table 11) on 24 Sep 1943.

Panzer-Division 43

Panzer-Regiment	I. Abteilung
	II. Abteilung
Panzergrenadier-Regiment	I. Bataillon
	II. Bataillon
Panzergrenadier-Regiment (mot)	I. Bataillon
	II. Bataillon
Panzerjaeger-Abteilung
Panzer Aufklaerung-Abteilung
Heeres Flak Artillerie-Abteilung
Panzer Artillerie-Regiment
Panzer Pioniere-Bataillon

Table 11. Major combat components of Type 43 Panzer-Division.

The organization of "Type 43 Panzer-Division" officially established the previous structure of Heeres Panzer-Division in 1942, without the Panzergrenadier-Brigade and Kradschuetzen-Bataillon. Thus the "Type 43 Panzer-Division" contained one Panzer-Regiment with two battalions and two Panzergrenadier-Regiment, each consisted with two battalions and still one of the four battalions was carried by SdKfz 251 SPW. The ratio between panzer and panzergrenadier arms in Heeres Panzer-Division was finally set as 2 : 4 at battalion level, although this was a poor balance as compare to the initial organization it became the standard of Heeres Panzer-Division. The Panzergrenadier-Regiment (Table 12) and Panzergrenadier-Regiment (mot) (Table 13) in "Type 43 Panzer-Division" was basically the same as previous.

Panzergrenadier-Regiment 43

Panzergrenadier-Regiment Stab
I. Bataillon	1. Kompanie
	2. Kompanie
	3. Kompanie
	4. Schwere-Kompanie
II. Bataillon	5. Kompanie
	6. Kompanie
	7. Kompanie
	8. Schwere-Kompanie
	9. Flak-Kompanie
	10. IG-Kompanie
	11. Pioniere-Kompanie

Table 12. Basic organization of Panzergrenadier-Regiment in Type 43 Panzer-Division.

panzergrenadier-Regiment (mot) 43

Panzergrenadier-Regiment Stab
I. Bataillon	1. Kompanie
	2. Kompanie
	3. Kompanie
	4. Schwere-Kompanie
II. Bataillon	5. Kompanie
	6. Kompanie
	7. Kompanie
	8. Schwere-Kompanie
	9. Flak-Kompanie
	10. IG-Kompanie
	11. Pioniere-Kompanie

Table 13. Basic organization of Panzergrenadier-Regiment in Type 43 Panzer-Division.

The previous machine gun company was replaced by the engineer company and infantry gun company was self-propelled to increase mobility. The overall firepower of Panzergrenadier-Regiment in 1943 was dramatically increased (Table 14) as compared to that in 1942.

Firepower of Panzergrenadier-Regiment in 1943

Table 14. Firepower distribution of Panzergrenadier-Regiment in Type 43 Panzer-Division, LMG: light machine gun, HMG: heavy machine gun, FT: flame thrower, IG: infantry gun.

The firepower of I. Bataillon was largely increased in 7.5 cm infantry gun as compared to that of II. Bataillon. These were contributed by the introduction of SdKfz 251/9 with a 7.5 cm howitzer mounted on top in heavy company. Another Panzergrenadier-Regiment (mot) was still the "Gummi Panzergrenadier" and transported by truck and the firepower of this regiment was at the same level as compared to that in 1942 (Table 15).

Firepower of Panzergrenadier-Regiment (mot) 43

Table 15. Firepower distribution of Panzergrenadier-Regiment (mot) in Type 43 Panzer-Division, LMG: light machine gun, HMG: heavy machine gun, FT: flame thrower, IG: infantry gun.

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