Basic Organization of Panzergrenadier-Regiment in SS and Luftwaffe Panzer-Division

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Table 22. SS-Panzer-Division in 1944

Table 23. SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment in 1944

Table 24. Firepower of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment in 1944

Table 25. Panzer-Division Hermann Goering in 1943

Panzergrenadier-Regiment in 1945

The strongest Panzer-Divisions were the elite of the Heeres Panzer-Lehr Division and Hitler's special favorites. These were the SS-Panzer-Divisions and Luftwaffe Panzer-Division Hermann Goering. On 22 Oct 1943, the following SS-Divisions were ordered to be renamed.

The 1., 2., 3., and 5. SS-Panzer-Divisions were evolved from motorized infantry, panzergrenadier and finally panzer divisions. The 9., 10., and 12. SS-Panzer-Divisions were still in the process of formation. The major difference between the SS-Panzer-Division and Heeres Panzer-Division was that they were upgraded from Panzergrenadier-Division, so in addition to one Panzer-Regiment they remained all the characteristics of the Panzergrenadier-Division, such as two panzergrenadier regiment, each consisted with three battalions and one Sturmgeschuetz-Abteilung. Thus the SS-Panzer-Division could field two panzer battalions which reinforced by one assault gun battalion and a total of six panzergrenadier battalions, two of them were equipped with SdKfz 251 SPW (Table 22). The ratio between panzer and panzergrenadier in such unit raised to (2+1) : 6 at the battalion level. Combined with other supportive units and the priority to receive men and equipments, the SS-Panzer-Division became the strongest panzer division in the third Reich.

SS-Panzer-Division in 1944

SS-Panzer-Regiment	I. Abteilung
	II. Abteilung
SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment	I. Bataillon
	II. Bataillon
	III. Bataillon
SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment	I. Bataillon
	II. Bataillon
	III. Bataillon
SS-Sturmgeschuetz-Abteilung
SS-Panzer Jaeger-Abteilung
SS-Panzer Aufklaerung-Abteilung
SS-Flak Artillerie-Abteilung
SS-Panzer Artillerie-Regiment
SS-Nebelwerfer-Abteilung
SS-Panzer Pioniere-Bataillon

Table 22. Major combat components of SS-Panzer-Division in 1944.

The SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment was a formidable formation not only because it contained three battalions, but also there were various supportive companies under regimental command (Table 23).

SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment in 1944

SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Stab
I. Bataillon Versorgungs-Kompanie	1. Kompanie
	2. Kompanie
	3. Kompanie
	4. Schwere-Kompanie
II. Bataillon Versorgungs-Kompanie	5. Kompanie
	6. Kompanie
	7. Kompanie
	8. Schwere-Kompanie
III. Bataillon Versorgungs-Kompanie	9. Kompanie
	10. Kompanie
	11. Kompanie
	12. Schwere-Kompanie
?	13. IG-Kompanie
	14. Flak-Kompanie
	15. Pioniere-Kompanie

Table 23. Basic organization of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment in 1944.

The basic organization of the battalion and the supportive company in the regiment were the same as that of the Heeres. The size of the regiment ranged from sixteen to twenty companies in 1943, but it was reduced to fifteen companies by removing the Panzer Jaeger-Kompanie in 1944. The overall firepower of the regiment was greatly increased (Table 24).

Firepower of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment in 1944

Table 24. Firepower distribution of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment in 1944, LMG: light machine gun, HMG: heavy machine gun, FT: flame thrower, IG: infantry gun.

Another elite Panzer-Division was provided by Luftwaffe. After major part of the Division Hermann Goering was destroyed in Tunisia, the remnants was reorganized to a new Panzer-Division Hermann Goering (Table 25) in June 1943 to face the immediate crisis of Italy.

Panzer-Division Hermann Goering in 1943

Panzergrenadier-Brigade (z. b. V.) HG
Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 HG	I. Bataillon
	II. Bataillon
Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 HG	I. Bataillon
	II. Bataillon
Feldersatz-Bataillon 1 HG
Feldersatz-Bataillon 2 HG
Divisions-Kampfschule HG
Panzer-Regiment HG	I. Abteilung
	II. Abteilung
	III. Abteilung
Flak-Regiment HG
Panzer Artillerie-Regiment HG
Panzer Pioniere-Bataillon HG
Panzer Aufklaerung-Abteilung HG

Table 25. Major combat components of Panzer-Division Hermann Goering in 1943.

The Feldersatz-Bataillon 1 and 2 HG were incorporated into III. Bataillon of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 and 2 HG in Feb 1944, respectively. The Divisions-Kampfschule HG was renamed as Sturm-Kompanie HG in the same time. The Sturm-Kompanie or later Sturm-Bataillon was the special feature of HG panzer formation. It was organized as a reinforced panzergrenadier formation, but the detail is unknown. The basic organization of Panzergrenadier-Regiment HG was the same as that of the SS-Panzer-Division after Feb 1944. Meanwhile the Panzer-Division HG was renamed as Fallschirm-Panzer-Division HG. On 1 Oct 1944 order was came to expand the division into a Panzer-Korps. The existing panzer division and a newly formed Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Division were raised in the panzer corps. Each regiment detached one of three battalions to the new formation, and the reorganized regiments became the same as that of the Heeres.

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