miRS-tonpon - Sturmpanzer.com

The strength of the companies, and hence of the higherformations, varies widely. Given below are summary details as tocomposition and function. (Foreign personnel is , accoiding toregulations, not to exceed three quarters of the total compositionof a unit).On the basis of the five battalions identified, four companiesto the battalion and four battalions to the regiment seem to be therule in practice. Although the TO/WE provides for not more thanfive companies, one battalion has been identified, containing sixcompanies. Not enough is known about the composition of thebrigade in respect to regiments, to warrant a similar statement init s case. The individual complements of the sixteen companies ofone identified regiment range from 58 to 159 men. The smallestproportion of foreigners to Germans in any one company is nilforeigners to 128 Germans; the largest proportion i s 68 foreignersto 91 Germans.The normal TO/WE apparently provides for two companiesspecialising in the repair of railroad tracks, two companiesspecialising in the repair of bridges, and one Compaq for roadmaintenance. In practice, this composition was modified to suitlocal requirements. Each company is commanded by an OT-firmexecutive, who is also responsible for personnel administration.The company commander* s rank is normally that of Bauftihrer(equivalent to that of Lieutenant). The company sector is calledStrecke Kommando (Str.K&o: Area control) and is estimated to coveran area, with a 3 mile radius.The strength of the individual battalions ranges from 532 to358 men. The smallest proportion of foreigners to Germans foundin any one battalion is nil foreigners to 452 Germans; the largestproportion is 145 foreigners to 31? Germans. The rank ofBattalion ccomander is normally that of Bauleiter (equivalent toMajor) • The composition of the regiment fully identified is 1562Germans and 22*4 foreigners. The rank of the commander is probablythat of a Lt.-Ool. or Col. ; his second in command carries aMajor 1 s rank. Liaison on Company and Battalion level with theArmy is established through the Airny Ortskommandantur (LocalCommander). Direct contact is also established with the Festungspionierstab(Portress Engineer Staff) in each Abschnitt (sector).iii ;Camps.124. Personal Lager (Camps).Personal Lager (Camps) or Lager, as they are commonly called,are situated as near to construction sites as is found practicable,the furthest distance on record in the West, being twenty miles.Efforts are made to keep men of the same nationality together.Thus barracks housing men of one nationality form "centres'*, e.g.,Centre francais, in charge of a HilfslagerfUhrer (see para. 118vi. above). Worker detachments assigned to a particular OT-firmare similarly billeted together as far as possible. This dualarrangement does not ordinarily involve complications, inasmuchas foreign worker detachments are assigned to particular firmsnot only on the basis of their occupational skill and specialty(or lack of either) but also on the basis of race and nationality.Thus, for example, certain firms are considered to be peculiarlyequipped to employ Jewish workers.The barracks are standardised in several types and containaccommodations for from 78 to about 150 men. The average campcontains accommodations for about 500 men. Camps holding more than2 000 are considered impractical. For the duties of the Lagerfflhrer(Camp supervisor ) see para.118 vii . above.