employed by four SS-Panzer-Re

Wehrmacht’s Panzer Division “Panzer IV Lang” strength on the Eastern Front
Unit
Period
Late June/mid July 1942
Panzer Division
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
12
13
14
16
17
18
19
20
22
23
24
25
0
0
12
0
0
*
*
0
12
12
4
0
4
12
0
0
0
0
11
10
12
*
8 November 1942
6
8
3
0
6
*
*
0
5
9
18
3
6
9
0
9
10
5
10
4
12
5
1 July 1943
*
59
21
79
76
32
37
14
30
25
36
50
**
**
31
29
36
40
**
30
**
**
*) Out of the Eastern Front at this time
**) Destroyed on the Eastern Front before 1 July 1943
[Top] An Ausf. G No. 135 of PanzerRegiment 6, 3. Panzer Division, on the
southern sector of the Eastern Front,
April 1944. The unique regimental emblem is visible on the turret’ side skirt.
This consists of a black shield with the
1939–40 divisional sign for 4. Panzer
Division, and a pair of crossed swords
below this (possibly a regimental
commander served earlier with the
4. Panzer and won the Knight’s Cross).
The name “Hedwig” (German female
name, Hedy in English) is painted
on the driver’s visor armored cover.
Note extensive use of track links as
additional armor. [ADM]
[Right] Close-up view of the Ausf. G
shown also on the photo on page 51,
and its crew. Note details of the whitewash paintwork, and the original camouflage appearing through it. [ADM]
70
employed by four SS-Panzer-Regiments and other units, and reports indicated that there were 583
PzKpfw IV with 7.5 cm KwK L/43 (all
Ausf. G) and 302 PzKpfw IV with 7.5
cm KwK L/48 (Ausf. G and Ausf. H)
available on the Eastern Front at the
start of Operation Zitadelle.
at the various fronts in 1942, every Panzer Division had a Panzer
Regiment that consisted of either
two, or three, tank battalions
(Panzer-Abteilungen). In the case
of the two-battalion organization
(like both Panzer Divisions of the
Afrika Korps) each battalion consisted of one medium tank compaOrganization
ny (issued with PzKpfw IVs) and
When the Ausf. G began to appear three light tank companies (issu-
ed with PzKpfw IIIs). In the case
of the three-battalion organization,
each battalion normally consisted
of one medium tank company and
two light tank companies.
Each medium tank company mentioned above had three medium
tank platoons of four PzKpfw IVs.
This was supplemented by two
tanks assigned to the company’s
HQ so in total there were 14 tanks
in each medium tank company. In
addition, a light tank platoon of
five PzKpfw IIs was attached to
the medium tank company.
A new tank battalion organization
(dated 25 January 1943) called for
four medium tank companies each
with 22 PzKpfw IVs (four medium
tank platoons of five tanks each
plus two tanks allocated to platoon’s HQ). After the Eastern Front
[Top] Panzer IVs of 1st platoon, PanzerRegiment 31, 5. Panzer Division cross a
ford on the Eastern Front in the spring
of 1944. The leading vehicle, Ausf. G
displaying the tactical No. 612 and
chassis No. 84274, comes from the last
production run at Nibelungenwerke AG.
It is fitted with the L/48 gun, the smoke
dischargers, the single-piece commander’s hatch lid, the 30 mm appliqué armor
welded to the hull front and nose, the
antenna rod deflector, and the brackets
for the skirts around the turret and along
both sides of the hull – indicating the
April or May 1943 production. [ADM]
[Left] Again in Kharkhov, again an
Ausf. G of the SS-Panzergrenadier
Division “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler”
that lost its tracks... This tank displays
the tactical No. 533 on the rear stowage bin, and the chalked warning on
the turret side: Vorsicht Sprengladung
(Caution, explosive charge!). [Claude
Gillono Collection]
71