Whats that unit?
21. Panzer Division
Before we start:
I made this post/thread to depict on oft he units which will be ingame for two reasons, firstly there are a lot of numbers, missconceptions about different units and equipment around so the interested history nerd/gamer can look several infos look up and secondly since we know not much about how all the units we know will translate into the game is here the thread to speculate about the unit, its equipment and how it will be ingame.
I refrained from including pictures oft he equipment since i think it would cluster the post unnecessary and it is easy to google them.
I know it looks like a wall oft text but it is just a heads up so read what is of interest to you and dont bother with the rest.
If the audience sees the thread as something valuable i can make further ones.
Have fun.
History:
The 21. Panzer Division was in August 1941 created with the reorganization of the 5. Leichte Division (5. Light Division) of the German Afrika Korps, the Division fought in all the major battles in the North African theater and was destroyed in early 1943 in Tunis.
In July 1943 the Division was rebuild out of he troops of the Schnelle Brigade West (Fast Brigade West) and got also roundabout 2000 men of the former 21. Pz. Div. who where not present in the final fights oft he Division in Tunis due vacation, recovery from wounds and such. Therefore it got the nickname „Afrika Division“.
The 21. Panzer Division deployed as the only continously stationed Panzer Division in France (the other Panzer Divisions used France as rest and recovery area from the eastern front, got there rebuild and then send back to the east) it was naturaly at the lower end oft he food chain when it came down to getting new equipment. In fact the Division was very unique because it used a lot of french equipment but also was partly heavier mechanized as the „normal“ Panzer Division.
At D-Day the Division was the closest Mechanized unit tot he beaches due its garrison south of Caen but because of the opaque subordinations and responsibilities in the German chain of command the Division remaind in critical hours inactive but was at least able to repel the allied thrust towards Caen and therefore denied the fast capture of the city. The Division took part oft he several following battles around Caen and was at the end significantly weakened destroyed in the pocket of Falaise. To this point the Division had lost ca. 8000 men of its 16.925 men in the entire campaign.
In Spetember 1944 the Division was formed a third time, this time out of the Panzer Brigade 112 and was finaly destroyed on the eastern front in 1945.
TO&E:
The Division had some uniqe differences tot he normal Panzer Division, as stated above the Division used a lot of converted french vehicles, having a lower priority than units on the eastern front.
It had no Panther Abteilung but an assault gun bataillon and a an anti tank bataillon with towed Pak 43 88mm ATGs,the later was not usual in Panzer Divisions. Further had the Division instead of normaly only one Panzer Grenadier Bataillon but two bataillons equipped with SPW (Half tracks) SdKfz. 250 and the Pionier bataillon had also instead of only one company two companies on half tracks.
Following the Equipment in detail:
Tanks:
Panzer Regiment 22:
Regimental HQ: 3 Pz III, 1 PzIII Befehlswagen (Command Tank with dummy gun), 5 Pz IV with long barrels
HQ I. Abteilung: 1 Pz III, 1 PZ III Befehlswagen, 5 Pz IV long barrel
1.-4. Company: 68 Panzer IV long barrel
HQ II. Abteilung: 5 Pz IV long barrel, 9 Somua
5.-8. Company: 15 Pz IV long barrel, 6 Pz IV short barrel, 35 Somua
Conclusion: The tanks of the Division are nothing special, while the Pz IV are standart medium tanks are the Somua S-35 in 1944 heavily outdated.
Infantry:
Panzergrenadier-Regiment 125:
I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 125 (SPW): 137 machine guns, 9 3,7cm Pak, 4 7,5cm Pak (Self Propelled), 3 2cm Flak (SP)
II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 125 (Motorized): 85 machine guns, 3 7,5cm Pak (SP), 3 2cm Flak (SP)
Regiment units of PzGren-Reg. 125: 6 15cm IG on Lorraine, 4 Reihenwerfer on Somua, 3 5cm Pak, 25 Machine guns
Panzergrenadier-Regiment 192:
I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 192 (SPW): 104 machine guns, 9 3,7cm Pak, 4 7,5cm Pak (SP), 3 2cm Flak (SP)
II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 192: 91 machine guns, 3 7,5cm Pak (SP), 3 2cm Flak (SP)
Regiment units of PzGren-Reg. 192: 6 15cm IG on Lorraine, 4 Reihenwerfer on Somua, 3 5cm Pak, 26 Machine guns
Conclusion: If it transfers into the game could the bigger number of Half tracks play a role in fast capturing vital points and in giving infantry support with the additional MGs, the Regimental assets with the 15cm guns on Lorraine and the Reihenwerfer are nothing to sneeze at and are also very good in supporting the infantry. The anti tank capabilities are rather weak, while the few 7,5 cm Paks are good in their performance the 3,7cm and 5cm Paks are outdated and will struggle against the standart M4 Sherman tank if not up close and/or in the flank and god bless them against churchills.
Artillery
Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 155:
1-10 company: 8 soviet 122mm howitzers, 4 10cm K18, 24 le.FH 18 on Lorraine, 6 15cm s.FH 13 on Lorraine, 2 Nebelwerfer (SP) Reihenwerfer 8,14cm
Conclusion: The Divisions Artillery is a huge hotch potch but includes excellent guns like the 122mm howitzer, the mobility oft he 10,5 howitzers is a great bonus.
Recon:
Panzeraufklärungs-Abteilung 21:
1. Company: 9 Beobachtungspanzer (Observation tanks), 16 medium SPW (Sd.Kfz. 251)
2. Company: 14 heavy recon cars (6 of them with 7,5cm guns), 16 light SPW (Sd.Kfz. 250)
3. Company: 2 light armored radio cars, 28 light SPW, 7 medium SPW
4. Company: 2 light armored radio cars, 28 light SPW, 7 medium SPW
5. Company: 27 medium SPW
Conclusion: While it lacks completely any meaningfull anti tank capabilities the recon unit will be a tough nut for enemy infantry since it has speed, armor and a lot firepower with machine guns, autocannons and a few 7,5cm short barreled guns.
Assault guns:
Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 200: 16 7,5cm Pak on Hotchkiss, 24 10,5cm leFH 16 on Hotchkiss
Conclusion: The unit might look at first glance odd with all the Hotchkiss but will be able to do ist job, cover infantry against tanks and infantry support with 10,5cm guns but will be vulnerabe against indirect fire due their open top.
Tank Destroyer:
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 200: 24 Pak 43 88mm towed.
Conclusion: The unit contains huge firepower with ist 24 88s but will if not towed cumbersome and vulnerable to flanking infantry and indirect fire.
Anti Air:
Flak-Abteilung: 8 88mm AA guns towed, 6 2cm Flak (Armoured Vehicle), 9 2cm Flak (SP), 2 2cm Flakvierling (SP)
Conclusion: Sufficient firepower to make a pilots life hard, also usable as infantry support weapon and mobile.
Engineer:
Pionier-Bataillon 220: in three companies (2 on SPW, one motorized) 3 8cm Mortars, 86 machine guns
Conclusion: Like the mechanized Panzergrenadiere and Recon units a threat to infantry, also the specialized equipment like flamethrowes and explosives make this unit very valuable especialy in close quarters like in house to house fighting.
Overall conclusion: My guessimate is that the 21. Panzer Division Deck will be the „standart“ German Panzer Division with not many advantages nor disatvantages depending on which oft he units above make it into the game and how they are depicted. I think albeit that the unit will be a bigger threat to infantry heavy units like airborne units with restricted access to a bigger number of long range anti tank weapons. The unit will have because of the french equipment its own flavour and i am looking forward to lead these in games rarely depicted vehicles over the green fields of the normandy.
21. Panzer Division
Before we start:
I made this post/thread to depict on oft he units which will be ingame for two reasons, firstly there are a lot of numbers, missconceptions about different units and equipment around so the interested history nerd/gamer can look several infos look up and secondly since we know not much about how all the units we know will translate into the game is here the thread to speculate about the unit, its equipment and how it will be ingame.
I refrained from including pictures oft he equipment since i think it would cluster the post unnecessary and it is easy to google them.
I know it looks like a wall oft text but it is just a heads up so read what is of interest to you and dont bother with the rest.
If the audience sees the thread as something valuable i can make further ones.
Have fun.
History:
The 21. Panzer Division was in August 1941 created with the reorganization of the 5. Leichte Division (5. Light Division) of the German Afrika Korps, the Division fought in all the major battles in the North African theater and was destroyed in early 1943 in Tunis.
In July 1943 the Division was rebuild out of he troops of the Schnelle Brigade West (Fast Brigade West) and got also roundabout 2000 men of the former 21. Pz. Div. who where not present in the final fights oft he Division in Tunis due vacation, recovery from wounds and such. Therefore it got the nickname „Afrika Division“.
The 21. Panzer Division deployed as the only continously stationed Panzer Division in France (the other Panzer Divisions used France as rest and recovery area from the eastern front, got there rebuild and then send back to the east) it was naturaly at the lower end oft he food chain when it came down to getting new equipment. In fact the Division was very unique because it used a lot of french equipment but also was partly heavier mechanized as the „normal“ Panzer Division.
At D-Day the Division was the closest Mechanized unit tot he beaches due its garrison south of Caen but because of the opaque subordinations and responsibilities in the German chain of command the Division remaind in critical hours inactive but was at least able to repel the allied thrust towards Caen and therefore denied the fast capture of the city. The Division took part oft he several following battles around Caen and was at the end significantly weakened destroyed in the pocket of Falaise. To this point the Division had lost ca. 8000 men of its 16.925 men in the entire campaign.
In Spetember 1944 the Division was formed a third time, this time out of the Panzer Brigade 112 and was finaly destroyed on the eastern front in 1945.
TO&E:
The Division had some uniqe differences tot he normal Panzer Division, as stated above the Division used a lot of converted french vehicles, having a lower priority than units on the eastern front.
It had no Panther Abteilung but an assault gun bataillon and a an anti tank bataillon with towed Pak 43 88mm ATGs,the later was not usual in Panzer Divisions. Further had the Division instead of normaly only one Panzer Grenadier Bataillon but two bataillons equipped with SPW (Half tracks) SdKfz. 250 and the Pionier bataillon had also instead of only one company two companies on half tracks.
Following the Equipment in detail:
Tanks:
Panzer Regiment 22:
Regimental HQ: 3 Pz III, 1 PzIII Befehlswagen (Command Tank with dummy gun), 5 Pz IV with long barrels
HQ I. Abteilung: 1 Pz III, 1 PZ III Befehlswagen, 5 Pz IV long barrel
1.-4. Company: 68 Panzer IV long barrel
HQ II. Abteilung: 5 Pz IV long barrel, 9 Somua
5.-8. Company: 15 Pz IV long barrel, 6 Pz IV short barrel, 35 Somua
Conclusion: The tanks of the Division are nothing special, while the Pz IV are standart medium tanks are the Somua S-35 in 1944 heavily outdated.
Infantry:
Panzergrenadier-Regiment 125:
I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 125 (SPW): 137 machine guns, 9 3,7cm Pak, 4 7,5cm Pak (Self Propelled), 3 2cm Flak (SP)
II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 125 (Motorized): 85 machine guns, 3 7,5cm Pak (SP), 3 2cm Flak (SP)
Regiment units of PzGren-Reg. 125: 6 15cm IG on Lorraine, 4 Reihenwerfer on Somua, 3 5cm Pak, 25 Machine guns
Panzergrenadier-Regiment 192:
I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 192 (SPW): 104 machine guns, 9 3,7cm Pak, 4 7,5cm Pak (SP), 3 2cm Flak (SP)
II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 192: 91 machine guns, 3 7,5cm Pak (SP), 3 2cm Flak (SP)
Regiment units of PzGren-Reg. 192: 6 15cm IG on Lorraine, 4 Reihenwerfer on Somua, 3 5cm Pak, 26 Machine guns
Conclusion: If it transfers into the game could the bigger number of Half tracks play a role in fast capturing vital points and in giving infantry support with the additional MGs, the Regimental assets with the 15cm guns on Lorraine and the Reihenwerfer are nothing to sneeze at and are also very good in supporting the infantry. The anti tank capabilities are rather weak, while the few 7,5 cm Paks are good in their performance the 3,7cm and 5cm Paks are outdated and will struggle against the standart M4 Sherman tank if not up close and/or in the flank and god bless them against churchills.
Artillery
Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 155:
1-10 company: 8 soviet 122mm howitzers, 4 10cm K18, 24 le.FH 18 on Lorraine, 6 15cm s.FH 13 on Lorraine, 2 Nebelwerfer (SP) Reihenwerfer 8,14cm
Conclusion: The Divisions Artillery is a huge hotch potch but includes excellent guns like the 122mm howitzer, the mobility oft he 10,5 howitzers is a great bonus.
Recon:
Panzeraufklärungs-Abteilung 21:
1. Company: 9 Beobachtungspanzer (Observation tanks), 16 medium SPW (Sd.Kfz. 251)
2. Company: 14 heavy recon cars (6 of them with 7,5cm guns), 16 light SPW (Sd.Kfz. 250)
3. Company: 2 light armored radio cars, 28 light SPW, 7 medium SPW
4. Company: 2 light armored radio cars, 28 light SPW, 7 medium SPW
5. Company: 27 medium SPW
Conclusion: While it lacks completely any meaningfull anti tank capabilities the recon unit will be a tough nut for enemy infantry since it has speed, armor and a lot firepower with machine guns, autocannons and a few 7,5cm short barreled guns.
Assault guns:
Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 200: 16 7,5cm Pak on Hotchkiss, 24 10,5cm leFH 16 on Hotchkiss
Conclusion: The unit might look at first glance odd with all the Hotchkiss but will be able to do ist job, cover infantry against tanks and infantry support with 10,5cm guns but will be vulnerabe against indirect fire due their open top.
Tank Destroyer:
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 200: 24 Pak 43 88mm towed.
Conclusion: The unit contains huge firepower with ist 24 88s but will if not towed cumbersome and vulnerable to flanking infantry and indirect fire.
Anti Air:
Flak-Abteilung: 8 88mm AA guns towed, 6 2cm Flak (Armoured Vehicle), 9 2cm Flak (SP), 2 2cm Flakvierling (SP)
Conclusion: Sufficient firepower to make a pilots life hard, also usable as infantry support weapon and mobile.
Engineer:
Pionier-Bataillon 220: in three companies (2 on SPW, one motorized) 3 8cm Mortars, 86 machine guns
Conclusion: Like the mechanized Panzergrenadiere and Recon units a threat to infantry, also the specialized equipment like flamethrowes and explosives make this unit very valuable especialy in close quarters like in house to house fighting.
Overall conclusion: My guessimate is that the 21. Panzer Division Deck will be the „standart“ German Panzer Division with not many advantages nor disatvantages depending on which oft he units above make it into the game and how they are depicted. I think albeit that the unit will be a bigger threat to infantry heavy units like airborne units with restricted access to a bigger number of long range anti tank weapons. The unit will have because of the french equipment its own flavour and i am looking forward to lead these in games rarely depicted vehicles over the green fields of the normandy.
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