Company Officer's Handbook Of The German Army - Command and ...
Company Officer's Handbook Of The German Army - Command and ...
Company Officer's Handbook Of The German Army - Command and ...
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COMBAT TEAMS 75<br />
corporated in the Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion. <strong>The</strong> Panzer Reconnaissance<br />
Battalion will use its new details to form a fourth (rifle) company, replenish the<br />
3d <strong>Company</strong>, .<strong>and</strong> enroll specialists in the 5th <strong>and</strong> 6th Companies.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Headquarters personnel of the dissolved units will be formed into "organizational<br />
staffs," strength up to 15, with three motor trucks each, under comm<strong>and</strong><br />
of an officer. <strong>The</strong>se staffs will include all personnel necessary for winding up the<br />
affairs of the unit--clerks, specialist noncommissioned officers, armorers, etc.<br />
By 29 July 1943 the evacuation of Sicily had begun, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
<strong>German</strong>s, fearing amphibious operations behind their lines, formed<br />
Combat Team Paulus. Its mission was to prevent l<strong>and</strong>ings on the<br />
favorable beach in the Fiumefreddo area. <strong>The</strong> composition of this<br />
team, which was named after the comm<strong>and</strong>ing officer of the 1st<br />
<strong>Company</strong>, Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion, was as follows:<br />
1st <strong>Company</strong>, Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion;<br />
One battery, 2d Battalion, 33d Artillery Regiment (170-mm guns);<br />
9th <strong>Company</strong>, 1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment;<br />
Alarm <strong>Company</strong> 3 , Ist Battalion, Hermann Goring Tank Regiment;<br />
One <strong>Company</strong>, Ist Battalion, Hermann Gbring Tank Regiment (with eight<br />
mixed tanks);<br />
A special company (less engineer platoon), assigned by division headquarters<br />
(the engineer platoon was assigned to Headquarters <strong>Company</strong>);<br />
One battery antiaircraft artillery (88-mm guns).<br />
29. COMBAT TEAMS IN ITALY<br />
a. General<br />
<strong>The</strong> following lists show the organization <strong>and</strong> missions of some<br />
<strong>German</strong> combat teams which have been employed during the<br />
present campaign on the Italian mainl<strong>and</strong>. Information on the<br />
fire power of two of the groups was available <strong>and</strong> has been included.<br />
3 Alarm companies consisting of dismounted tank crews were employed as an<br />
infantry reserve by Headquarters, Hermann G6ring Tank Regiment. An order of<br />
the Hermann Goring Panzer Division, dated 21 July 1943, for the withdrawal from<br />
combat of certain units, directed that they be replaced by alarm companies<br />
assembled as a panzer alarm battalion.