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Czołg PzKpfw B2 (F) z 223. Panzer Kompanie w akcji, Krym, front wschodni, początek 1943 roku. A PzKpfw B2 (F) tank from ihe 223rd Panzer Kompanie, Crimea, Eastern Front, early 1943. [CAW]

określał etat KStN 1130 z dnia 1 sierpnia 1943 roku. 1 listopada 1943 roku zmieniono podległość włączając pluton do kompanii sztabowej. KStN 1118 Ausf. B z 1 kwietnia i 1 listopada ' 944 roku zmieniło ponownie podległość plutonu, który został włączony do kompanii saperów jako 4. pluton.

Początkowo plutony Sd Kfz 251/16 miały posiadać tylko pułki grenadierów pancernych uzbrojone w transportery. Później postanowiono, że także każda dywizja pancerna będzie miała w swoim składzie taki pluton. Do połowy 1944 roku zdołano sformować połowę z zaplanowanych jednostek tego typu.

Czołgi Flammpanzer 38(t) zostały wcielone do dwóch samodzielnych kompanii czołgów z miotaczami płomieni tzw. Flammpanzer Kompanie o numerach 352. i 353. Warto jeszcze dodać, że w związku z rozkazem Hitlera z 27 listopada 1944 roku utworzono dodatkowo 351. kompanię uzbrojoną jednak w czołgi PzKpfw 111 (FI) Sd Kfz 141 /3.

tank platoon with five tanks PzKpfw II Sd Kfz 121. The next, lOlst Battalion had organisational structure identical to the lOOth Battalion.

The third unit of this type, the 102nd Panzer Abteilung (Flamm), consisted of only two companies, twelve PzKpfw B2 (F) Kenn Nunimer 740(f) tanks with flame throwers each, and three PzKpfw BI Kenn Nunimer 740(f) tanks with standard eąuipment, i.e. 7 mm gun mounted in the hull and 47mm gun in the turret. The organisational structure of a company was speci-fied by regulation KStN 1176, dated 30 May 1941.

The lOOth Battalion was formed on March 1, 1940, and three companies were created on March 21. The lOlst Battalion was formed on May 4, 1940, and the companies were formed respec-tively: the lst Company on April 26, the 2nd Company on 10 May, and the 3rd Company on May 1, 1940. Due to defects of tanks, the battalion did not participate in military operations in France in May-June 1940.

Ali the above-mentioned units were disbanded toward the end of 1941. The reason to disband the battalions consisted in huge human and eąuipment losses. On the basis of personnel of the lOOth Battalion the lst Battalion of the lOOth Panzer Regiment was formed, later renamed Panzerabteilung “Grofideutsch-land”. In tum, the lOlst Battalion became the core of the 24th Panzer Regiment within the structures of the newly formed 24th Armored Division. As early as on July 27, 1941, the 102nd Panzer Abteilung (Flamm) was disbanded.

PzKpfw III (FI) Sd Kfz 141/3 Flammpanzer III tanks con-stituted the eąuipment of the special Panzer Flamm Zug (flame thrower armed tank platoon), allocated to the Staff company (Stabskompanie) of a tank battalion in armored regiment. According to regulations, an armored division was to be eąuipped with 14 tanks (in 2 battalions). However, in practice divisions did not have so many vehicles of this type, sińce com-bat losses were not replaced with new tanks due to abandonment of their production.

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