DOCSLIB.ORG

Gross Deutschland Panzer

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Gross Deutschland Panzer Buy Now! Home Gross Deutschland Panzer: Origins & Combat History n general, in the early and mid- with the arrival of Hitler, the unit was An Analysis of Hitler’s Elite 1930s the German military was continually expanded throughout the I divided into two groups. The first rest of the decade. By January 1939 it was a false front of units that repre- was renamed Infantry Regiment Gross sented the forces allowed post World Deutschland (Greater Germany). It By Roger Mason War I treaties. The second group was was by then a stand-alone regiment made up of the ever more powerful and with a full complement of support and numerous sea, air and ground forces administrative units. The soldiers of the being developed behind the scenes. regiment were allowed to wear green More particularly, Berlin was a center and silver cuff and shoulder tabs bearing of international attention as Hitler their unit’s name and initials as evidence gained and consolidated power, and of their elite status. The unit was also the face of the German Army there was unique in that, even as it expanded, the Wachtruppe Berlin (Berlin Guard it was allowed to continue to draw Troop). Drawn from regiments across from the pick of recruits from all over the country on a rotating basis, that Germany, while the other formations in unit provided ceremonial and military the army were territorially recruited. security in the capital city. Starting 6 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 7 After the surrender of France the back north to take part in the renewed By the end of June the division was regiment prepared to take part in the drive on Moscow. By mid-October it in pursuit of the Soviet units retreating invasion of England. When that opera- had reached the city of Tula, south of into Voronezh, while much of the rest tion was cancelled, it was transferred Moscow. Tula was an important rail and of Army Group South moved across the to a camp at Le Valdahon on the Swiss road junction, and its capture was criti- Donets River and then toward Stalingrad border. There the mission was to train cal to the final assault on Moscow. The and the Caucasus. During August the for Operation Felix, a projected attack regiment took part in repeated attempts division was withdrawn and sent north on Gibraltar. That was cancelled when to capture the city, but the overall to Rzhev to reinforce Army Group Center. Hitler decided to invade the Balkans. offensive ground to a halt with the onset The Soviets began putting pressure In early April 1941 the regiment of winter weather and Tula remained on Rzhev to prevent the establishment was moved by rail first to Vienna, then in Soviet hands. That period was of a German base for a new assault to Budapest, and then to Szegedin in significant because it marked the first on Moscow. In that sector the division Romania. On 11 April it participated in time a major portion of the unit had to became part of XXVII Army (Infantry) the invasion of Yugoslavia. Resistance be replaced due to deaths and injuries. Corps. After a month of inconclusive was light and Gross Deutschland moved fighting, the division was again pulled quickly, seizing the town of Pancevo 1942 back to rest and refit. Parts of it were sent on the Danube. Its battalions were Fighting continued with the regiment to reinforce several infantry divisions An officer of the II Panzer Regiment detailed to provide security during on the defensive, which further reduced that had been mauled in the fighting. “Grossdeutschland” sporting the the initial occupation of Belgrade. its strength until, by the end of February, In November the Soviets launched Grossdeutschland cuff title. On 15 June the regiment was moved it was spent. The 2nd Battalion was a major offensive in which the 86th to Warsaw. There it was assigned to disbanded and the two remaining bat- Infantry Division was crushed. The France & the Balkans the reserve of 2nd Panzer Army. talions were reformed into a single unit. only unit close enough to intervene Though the regiment didn’t take part By the end of that month the last assault was 2nd Battalion of the Grenadier in the 1939 Polish campaign, by the next Barbarossa gun in the regiment had been destroyed. Regiment of Gross Deutschland. Bitter year the high command determined it On 27 June 1941 the regiment The regiment was then pulled fighting occurred in the Lutchessa was ready for more than ceremonial and crossed into Russia as part of Army out of the line and reorganized, and River valley, lasting nearly a month, security duties. Hitler was also interested Group Center. After heavy fighting a decision was made to upgrade it to with the panzer grenadiers suffering in seeing his favorite units received a around Minsk the unit crossed the divisional strength. Tanks, artillery, serious losses. The division was mixture of combat and parade ground upper Dnepr River, advancing as far flak, engineers and support staff were withdrawn once again to rest and refit. experience. The regiment was therefore as the town of Yelnya, where a large- added. It was redesignated Motorized attached to Panzer Group Kleist. scale Soviet counterattack stymied Infantry Division Gross Deutschland. 1943 That larger formation spearheaded further German movement east toward The various new components were The division moved to Smolensk and the invasion of the West and crossed Moscow. Fighting continued through the brought together, and in the first week then railed to Volchansk, near Belgorod. the Meuse River to participate in the summer, including a deflection to the of June the division joined XXIV Panzer By February the Gross Deutschland was decisive flanking maneuver beyond south to take part in the Kiev encircle- Corps as part of Army Group South. back on the attack between Belgorod the north end of the Maginot Line. ment. The regiment was then ordered and Kharkov. At that time the division received its first Tiger tanks and an additional artillery battalion, just in time for the new German offensive to retake Belgorod and Kharkov. The Germans recaptured those places, thereby achiev- ing their last major victory in Russia. From mid-March to the end of June the division was refitted and reinforced, with the infantry given greater numbers of halftracks to improve cross-country mobility. The Gross Deutschland was also redesignated Panzer Grenadier Division Gross Deutschland, and it was moved to positions north of Tomarovka in preparation for Operation Citadel. The panzer regiment received new Mark V Panther tanks. Operation Citadel was intended to reduce the Kursk salient, which posed a threat along the boundary line between Army Groups Center and South. The plan for the offensive was to pinch off the salient from the north and south, thereby destroying the forces the Soviets would need for their next winter offensive. The Gross Deutschland was selected as the spearhead of the Men of the panzer regiment check their equipment. southern attack. The division moved GD grenadiers moving cross-country on foot. 8 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 9 Organization & Equipment The Mark VI Tiger was a heavy tank was a small tank destroyer, based on of the Panzer Grenadiers weighing 62 tons and armed with an 88mm captured Czech chasses, which was also used cannon. The division’s panzer regiment had successfully as an infantry-support assault The purpose of the panzer grenadier divi- four companies of Mark IVs and Vs and two gun. The Hetzer carried a 76mm gun. sions was to provide a mobile combined-arms companies of Mark VIs. Tigers assigned The artillery regiment was equipped with force that could fight in concert with armored directly to a division were rare, because most both towed and self-propelled artillery (SPA). divisions as well as on their own. Army plan- of them were deployed in separate battalions The regiment had two batteries of SdKfz ners originally intended those divisions would that were kept under direct control of army or 124 Wespes and one battery of SdKfz 165 be fully equipped with mechanized infantry army group commanders (for commitment at Hummels. The Wespe was based on a Mark II transport as well as tanks; however, in 1939 the decisive times and places within larger battles). Panzer chassis and armed with a 105mm how- mechanization process remained far from com- The grenadier regiment had its troops itzer. The Hummel was based on both Mark III plete. The Polish campaign included everything mounted in SdKfz. 251 Hanomag halftracks. and IV chassis and carried a 150mm howitzer. from fully mechanized divisions to others exclu- Those vehicles were lightly armored and could The Hummels were often accompanied by sively using horses pulling wagons for their carry 12 infantrymen. The grenadier units were Munitionstrager, which were gunless models transport. For average units that kind of mix also supplied with trucks and other prime used to carry extra ammunition. Those ammuni- didn’t change throughout the course of the war. movers. The prime mover was the SdKfz. 9 tion carriers could be converted by giving Panzer grenadier divisions were intended Famo heavy halftrack. They could pull artillery, them guns retrieved from disabled Hummels. to provide a force that could operate at the supply wagons or even tow disabled tanks. The division was further strengthened same speed as tanks; so elite divisions such Unlike the Hanomag, it had no side armor and by an assault gun brigade comprised of three as Gross Deutschland were well equipped was equipped with three open bench seats for batteries of Sturmgeschutz IIIs.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Waffen-SS in Allied Hands Volume Two
    The Waffen-SS in Allied Hands Volume Two The Waffen-SS in Allied Hands Volume Two: Personal Accounts from Hitler’s Elite Soldiers By Terry Goldsworthy The Waffen-SS in Allied Hands Volume Two: Personal Accounts from Hitler’s Elite Soldiers By Terry Goldsworthy This book first published 2018 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2018 by Terry Goldsworthy All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-5275-0858-7 ISBN (13): 978-1-5275-0858-3 All photographs courtesy of the US National Archives (NARA), Bundesarchiv and the Imperial War Museum. Cover photo – An SS-Panzergrenadier advances during the Ardennes Offensive, 1944. (German military photo, captured by U.S. military photo no. HD-SN-99-02729; NARA file no. 111-SC-197561). For Mandy, Hayley and Liam. CONTENTS Preface ...................................................................................................... xiii VOLUME ONE Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 The rationale for the study of the Waffen-SS ........................................ 1 Sources of information for this book ....................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Battle for the Ruhr: the German Army's Final Defeat in the West" (2006)
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2006 Battle for the Ruhr: The rGe man Army's Final Defeat in the West Derek Stephen Zumbro Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Zumbro, Derek Stephen, "Battle for the Ruhr: The German Army's Final Defeat in the West" (2006). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 2507. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/2507 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. BATTLE FOR THE RUHR: THE GERMAN ARMY’S FINAL DEFEAT IN THE WEST A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of History by Derek S. Zumbro B.A., University of Southern Mississippi, 1980 M.S., University of Southern Mississippi, 2001 August 2006 Table of Contents ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................iv INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................1
    [Show full text]
  • Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer Command, 12Th SS Panzer Division (6 June-25 August 1944)
    Canadian Military History Volume 11 Issue 4 Article 6 2002 Special Interrogation Report: Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer Command, 12th SS Panzer Division (6 June-25 August 1944) Anonymous Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Recommended Citation Anonymous "Special Interrogation Report: Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer Command, 12th SS Panzer Division (6 June-25 August 1944)." Canadian Military History 11, 4 (2002) This Feature is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. : Special Interrogation Report: Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer Command Special Interrogation Report Brigadefiihrer Kurt Meyer Commander 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Jugend" (6 June - 25 August 1944) rigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer remains a combat arm of Heinrich Himmler's Bcontroversial figure in Canadian military Schutzstaffel. Meyer likely did not believe that history. As a commander of Waffen-SS troops he would survive the war; this fact may have in Normandy, he fought the Canadians in the played some part in his complicity in the killing days and weeks after the Allied landings and of Canadian prisoners of war behind the lines. allegedly ordered the killing of prisoners of war. Winning the battle or to die trying in a heroic A Canadian military court at Aurich in occupied fashion was always his first concern. After Germany tried and convicted Meyer on charges being captured alive, Meyer became the subject of war crimes. Although sentenced to death, of several interrogations to further Meyer received commutation to life investigations for his eventual war crimes imprisonment from the convening authority, prosecution and to assess Canadian and Major-General Chris Vokes.
    [Show full text]
  • Abstract Return, German Army, 26 November 1944
    German Army 26 November 1944 ARMY GROUP SOUTH: 3rd Hungarian Army: Army Troops: 25th Hungarian Division VII Hungarian Corps VIII Hungarian Corps II Hungarian Corps: 1st Hungarian Strom Brigade Kessev Brigade +remains 23rd Hungarin Reserve Division LXXII Corps: 271st Volks Grenadier Division 1st Hungarian Cavalry Division 6th Army: Army Troops: IX SS Mountain Corps General Breith Group (III Panzer Corps): F Panzer Grenadiers Division 8th SS Cavalry Division Division "Florian Geyer" +1st Hungarian Panzer Division 22nd SS Cavalry Division Division 13th Panzer Division 10th Hungarian Division Remains, 12th Hungarian Ersatz Division VI Hungarian Corps: (subordinated to Breith Group) 8th Hungarian Division 20th Hungarian Division LVII Panzer Corps: Kampfgruppe 357th Infantry Division 23rd Panzer Division 4th SS Polizei Panzer Grenadier Division + 18th SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Horst Wessel" 46th Infantry Division iv Panzer Corps: 1st Panzer Division 76th Division + remains 2nd Hungrian Panzer Division Army Group Woehler (8th Army): Army Troops 9th Hungarian Mountain Division IX Hungarian Corps XIX Corps: 24th Panzer Division 8th Jäger Division 15th Infantry Division (less 1 regiment) + 27th Hungarian Light Division 3rd Mountain Division 1st Hungarian Army: (subordinated to 8th Army) Army Troops: III Corps 6th Brigade 1 XVII Corps: Schütz Group 15th Infantry Division less 2 regiments 2nd Hungarian Ersatz Division 24th Hungarian Infantry Division 1st Hungarian Mountain Brigade V Hungarian Corps: 16th Hungarian Infantry Division ARMY GROUP A Army Troops: Division Staff z.b.V. 601 Division Staff z.b.V. 602 Division Staff z.b.V. 603 Division Staff z.b.V. 608 XXIV Panzer Corps 8th Panzer Division 16th Panzer Division 17th Panzer Division 19th Panzer Division 20th Panzer Division 25th Panzer Division 1st Panzer Army: Army Troops: 154th F.A.
    [Show full text]
  • Law Reports of Trial of War Criminals, Volume XII
    LAW REPORTS OF TRIALS OF WAR CRIMINALS Selected and prepared by THE UNITED NATIONS WAR CRIMES COMMISSION VOLUME XII THE GERMAN HIGH COMMAND TRIAL LONDON PUBLISHED FOR THE UNITED NATIONS WAR CRIMES COMMISSION BY HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE 1949 Price 5S. od. net. LAW REPORTS OF TRIALS OF WAR CRIMINALS SELECTED AND PREPARED BY THE UNITED NATIONS WAR CRIMES COMMISSION I One of the aims of this series of Reports is to relate in summary form the course of the most important of the proceedings taken I' against persons accused of committing war crimes during the Second [I World War, apart from the major war criminals tried by the ,I Nuremberg and Tokyo International Military Tribunals, but ;1 'I including those tried by United States Military Tribunals at I Nuremberg. Of necessity, the trials reported in these volumes are examples only, since the trials conducted before the various Allied Courts of which the Commission has had record, number about 1,600. The trials selected for reporting, however, are ~hose which are thought to be of the greatest interest legally and in which important points of municipal and international law arose and were settled. Each report, however, contains not only the outline of the proceedings in the trial under review, but also, in a separate section headed" Notes on the Case ", such comments of an explanatory nature on the legal matters arising in that trial as it has been thought useful to include. These notes provide also, at suitable points, general summaries and analyses of the decisions of the courts on specific points of law derived primarily from a study of relevant trials already reported upon in the series.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of the Application of Auftragstaktik by the 11Th Panzer Division During the Chir River Battles 7 - 19 December 1942
    Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 1989 Order out of chaos: a study of the application of Auftragstaktik by the 11th Panzer Division during the Chir River battles 7 - 19 December 1942. Walters, Robert G. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/26144 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California \aJ ^_-Z^ ORDER OUT OF CHAOS: A CASE STUDY OF THE APPLICATION OF AUFTRAGSTAKTIK BY THE 11TH PANZER DIVISION DURING THE CHIR RIVER BATTLES 7-19 DECEMBER 1942 by Robert G. Walters March 1989 Thesis Advisor: Russel H. S. Stolfi Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Jnclassified Security Classification of this page REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE la Report Security Classification Unclassified lb Restrictive Markings a Security Classification Authority 3 Distribution Availability of Report lb Declassification/Downgrading Schedule Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. I Performing Organization Report Number(s) 5 Monitoring Organization Report Number(s) 3a Name of Performing Organization 6b Office Symbol 7a Name of Monitoring Organization N'aval Postgraduate School (If Applicable) 39 Naval Postgraduate School jc Address (city, state, and ZIP code) 7 b Address (city, state, and ZIP code) Monterey, CA 93943-5000 Monterey, CA 93943-5000 ?a Name of Funding/Sponsoring Organization 8b Office Symbol 9 Procurement Instrument Identification Number (If Applicable) Ic Address (city, state, and ZIP code) 1 Source of Funding Numbers Program Element Number | Project No | T»sk No I Work Unit Accession No 1 1 Title (include Security Classification) Order Out of Chaos: A Case Study of the Application of Auftragstaktik by the 1 lth Panzer Division During the Chir River Battles, 7 - 19 December, 1942.
    [Show full text]
  • The Waffen-SS in Allied Hands Volume One
    The Waffen-SS in Allied Hands Volume One The Waffen-SS in Allied Hands Volume One: Personal Accounts from Hitler’s Elite Soldiers By Terry Goldsworthy The Waffen-SS in Allied Hands Volume One: Personal Accounts from Hitler’s Elite Soldiers By Terry Goldsworthy This book first published 2018 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2018 by Terry Goldsworthy All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-5275-0851-X ISBN (13): 978-1-5275-0851-4 All photographs courtesy of the US National Archives (NARA), Bundesarchiv and the Imperial War Museum. Cover photo – SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich, Adolf Hitler and Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler in Berlin, April 1937. (Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-C05557/CC-by-SA 3.0). For Mandy, Hayley and Liam. CONTENTS Preface ...................................................................................................... xiii VOLUME ONE Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 The rationale for the study of the Waffen-SS ........................................ 1 Sources of information for this book ....................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Revisiting a "Lost Victory" at Kursk Jonathan Page Klug Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected]
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2003 Revisiting a "Lost Victory" at Kursk Jonathan Page Klug Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Klug, Jonathan Page, "Revisiting a "Lost Victory" at Kursk" (2003). LSU Master's Theses. 3416. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/3416 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. REVISITING A "LOST VICTORY" AT KURSK A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Liberal Arts in The Interdepartmental Program in Liberal Arts by Jonathan P. Klug B.S., United States Military Academy, 1995 August 2003 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank my wife Toni for patiently tolerating the many cloistered hours of effort it took to complete this thesis. I would also like to thank all of the mentors who guided me over the years on this project - Dr. Stanley Hilton, Major Curtis King, Dr. Steve Waddell, and Dr. David Glantz. I would be remiss if I did not also thank Captain Franz Rademacher and Captain Michael Lee for proofreading this document with regards to grammar, usage, and coherency.
    [Show full text]
  • The 12Th SS Panzer Division in Normandy
    Canadian Military History Volume 10 Issue 3 Article 4 2001 Combat Motivation and the Roots of Fanaticism: The 12th SS Panzer Division in Normandy Michael E. Sullivan Canadian War Museum Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Sullivan, Michael E. "Combat Motivation and the Roots of Fanaticism: The 12th SS Panzer Division in Normandy." Canadian Military History 10, 3 (2001) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sullivan: Combat Motivation and the Roots of Fanaticism: The 12th SS Panzer Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2001 1 Canadian Military History, Vol. 10 [2001], Iss. 3, Art. 4 Combat Motivation and the Roots of Fanaticism The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend in Nor111andy Michael E. Sullivan l"' Tar veterans generally retain a grudging the conscious or unconscious calculation by the VV respect towards their old enemy. combat soldier of the material and spiritual Statements like, "I hold no ill will against them," benefits and costs likely to be attached to various courses of action arising from his assigned or "They were only doing their jobs" are combat tasks. Hence motivation comprises the commonplace. However, no one makes these influences that bear on a soldier's choice of, statements about the 12th SS Panzer Division degree of commitment to, and persistence in Hitlerjugend. More often than not, the sentiment effecting, a certain course of action.
    [Show full text]
  • Florida State University Libraries
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2018 Stuck in Trafic: The Wehrmacht's Failure iScnot tU T. Srinbisian Russia Follow this and additional works at the DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES STUCK IN TRAFFIC: THE WEHRMACHT’S FAILURE IN URBAN RUSSIA By SCOTT T. SINISI A Thesis submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2018 Scott T. Sinisi defended this thesis on November 19, 2018. The members of the supervisory committee were: Jonathan Grant Professor Directing Thesis George Williamson Committee Member Michael Creswell Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: THE DEVELOPMENT OF BLITZKRIEG ....................................................................... 22 Chapter Two: WAR IN THE WEST .................................................................................................. 34 Chapter Three: WAR IN THE EAST ...............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Rules of Play
    RULES OF PLAY FotTR_Rules_1.6.indd 1 1/31/17 10:54 AM TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 10.7 Paratroops 1.1 The ameG 10.8 Invasion Results 1.2 Equipment 10.9 Overwhelming Success Segment 1.3 Contacting Compass Games 10.10 FUSAG Markers 1.4 Help HQ 11.0 AXIS & SOVIET COMMAND 2.0 COMPONENTS 11.1 Axis Command Markers 2.1 Map 11.2 Soviet Command Markers 2.2 Counters 11.3 Allied SHAEF Markers 2.3 Player Aid Cards 12.0 MOVEMENT & TERRAIN 2.4 Rules 12.1 Movement Segments 2.5 Game Scale 12.2 Movement Procedure 3.0 SET UP & VICTORY 12.3 Terrain and Movement 3.1 General 12.4 Terrain and Combat 3.2 Two Player Campaign 12.5 Movement by Sea 3.3 Three Player Campaign 13.0 COMBAT 3.4 Four Player Campaign 13.1 General 4.0 SEQUENCE OF PLAY 13.2 Combat Procedure 5.0 STACKING 13.3 Combat Results 5.1 Stacking Limits 14.0 REACTION 5.2 Applying Stacking Limits 14.1 Reaction Markers 5.3 Over-stacking 14.2 Reaction Marker Placement 6.0 ZONES OF CONTROL 14.3 Reaction Movement 6.1 General 14.4 Reaction Combat 6.2 Units and ZOC 15.0 ATTRITION 6.3 Terrain Effects on ZOC 16.0 EXPLOITATION 6.4 Negating Enemy ZOC 17.0 STRATEGIC TRANSIT 6.5 ZOC Effects on Movement 17.1 Axis Strategic Transit 6.6 ZOC and Combat 17.2 Allied Strategic Transit 7.0 REINFORCEMENTS & REPLACEMENTS 17.3 Soviet Strategic Transit 7.1 Reinforcements 18.0 FORTS 7.2 Replacements 18.1 Axis Forts 8.0 STRATEGIC AIR PHASE 18.2 Soviet Kursk Fortified Zone 8.1 General 19.0 ALLIED PARATROOPS 8.2 Allied Air Units 20.0 MINOR NATIONS & MINOR ALLIES 8.3 German Air Units 20.1 Yugoslavia 8.4 Strategic Air Assignment
    [Show full text]
  • The Combat Effectiveness of German Heavy Tank Battalions in World War Ii
    SWINGING THE SLEDGEHAMMER: THE COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS OF GERMAN HEAVY TANK BATTALIONS IN WORLD WAR II A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE Military History by CHRISTOPHER W. WILBECK, MAJ, AR B.S., University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1989 M.B.A., Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri, 2000 Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 2002 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Name of Candidate: MAJ Christopher W. Wilbeck Thesis Title: Swinging the Sledgehammer: The Combat Effectiveness of German Heavy Tank Battalions in World War II Approved by: __________________________________________, Thesis Committee Chair MAJ Curtis S. King, Ph.D. __________________________________________, Member LTC John A. Suprin, M.A. __________________________________________, Member Samuel J. Lewis, Ph.D. Accepted this 1st day of June 2002 by: ______________________________, Director, Graduate Degree Programs Philip J. Brookes, Ph.D. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student author and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to this study should include the foregoing statement.) ii ABSTRACT SWINGING THE SLEDGEHAMMER: THE COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS OF GERMAN HEAVY TANK BATTALIONS DURING WORLD WAR II by Major Christopher W. Wilbeck. This thesis is a historical analysis of the combat effectiveness of the German schwere Panzer-Abteilung or Heavy Tank Battalions during World War II. During the course of World War II, the German Army developed heavy tank battalions to fulfill the concept of breaking through enemy defenses so faster, lighter mechanized forces could exploit the rupture.
    [Show full text]