Here is my very first panzer sb with award of silver pab. It's a well used one, but, it was issued in 1940 and carried the whole war. I was wondering why our guy started as Inf, then went to panzers, then again went to a pz gr unit, his wrapper pic is stamped with the pz gr unit stamp. Did some pz gr units have tanks?
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See section D on page 4. His training changed to Pz Ers. Abt. 10, then Pz. Ers. Abt. 1. Then in section D, on page 17, he changed to Pz. Gren. Ers. Abt. 64. Panzer Gren. Div. do have a Panzer Abt., unlike a Panzer Div., which has a Regt.
JeffComment
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Hmm, I never really understood the pz gren abt. I didn't know they had panzers, thought they left that to the pz rgts.Comment
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Jeff, but he was in a Panzergrenadier-Regiment according to page 17 and the stamps used for his picture.
Some armoured panzergrenadier units had armoured vehicles with heavy weapons on them as support, maybe this guy drove in one of those?Originally posted by Bcarver View Post
When i look at the Pz.Gr.-Kp. KStN's is can see vehicles like: SdKfz.251/9, SdKfz.251/17, SdKfz 251/21 (and probably others as well).
Appart from that i can think of no reason why they've put him from a panzer to panzer-grenadier unit.
Or, maybe he fully converted to the infanterie role and the picture in his Soldbuch is just an old one.I'm collecting anything related to the towns Castricum and Bakkum during WWII.
Also soldbucher from 116pzdiv. And 1944-1945 eastfront pockets, kampfgruppe and Oder front.
My website: Gotrick.nlComment
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I guess I looked at his question wrong. I mistook "units" to mean the Division as a whole, not that Pz Gren. Rgts. would have Panzers.
JeffComment
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Panzer Grenadier Regiments 64 and 79 were part of 16. Panzerdivision, as was Panzer Regiment 2.
In terms of why he was transferred there could be a number of reasons but it reminds me of Henry Metelmann's book 'Through Hell for Hitler'. He initially was a tank driver with Panzer Regiment 204 part of 22. Panzerdivision. However, because he was also a trained half track driver he got transferred to the divisional Panzerjäger Abteilung and eventually ended up in one of the divisional panzer grenadier regiments.
You would have thought a trained tank crewman would be a valuable commodity but it seems the rapidly diminishing number of tanks in a panzer regiment (both authorised and actual frontline strength) created a surplus of tank crew whose skills were needed in other divisional units.Comment
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Gary, that sounds plausible that he was assigned because lack of tanks, but I am wondering if he may have went to pz gr in an AT role? Would it show anywhere in the soldbuch what training he received? I just thought it was odd he is still in the wrapper for the pz gr stamp, but it could have been an old pic.Comment
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Can anyone make out the signatures in this book?Comment
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Most of the Signatures are easily readable, it is just finding the time.... I have few free time today. Just one, page 3, my old Friend Leutnant von Heesen (Awarded German Cross), from which I have some good Stuff. I suggest you, if really interested, to find the (rare) Divisional History from the 16.Pz.Div..... If you are interested to purchase one original copy, I can help you.... contact me MP. Greetings to the Buckeye State. Lionel.Comment
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