Tank experts question? (1 Viewer)

[Rob]

I see the K&C AK Stug has a one digit identification number as opposed to the normal three,does this denote it's from the 15th Panzer division and were they the only division to use a single digit?.

Rob

 

[fmethorst]

Hi Rob,

I took a look through my Panzer III book and I came across both 10.Pz.Div and 15.Pz.Div Panzer III's with a single Arabic numeral.

I don't have anything specific on the early StuG described though.

 

[amhuff1]

Hi Rob
Are you referring to the red 3? I know that numbers were painted red in North Africa because the red stood out and could be seen easier in the dessert. I do not believe the number would denote the division as I have seen single numbers on several other tanks and on various other fronts. The single number could have been used to represent a command vehicle or one with a radio. I just looked briefly at some of my books so this may not all be accurate. If anyone else can help that would be great.
Cheers
Andy

 

[lenswerks]

Scroll down this page to the large post by waterloo1815 for some single number information.

http://www.wargames.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1072

 

[Rob]

Thanks Frank,Andy and Lensworks.I had already seen the site in the link and i understand they changed numbering systems to try and confuse allied gunners.I also see it says the single numbers normally denoted the platoon number the Vehicle belonged to.I'm guessing the single number on the AK Stug would make it much easier for the modelling experts on the forum to make multiples of the Stug for dio's.

A question for modellers here,to remove a renumber this Stug would that require repainting the whole vehicle?.

Rob

 

[fmethorst]

I was just thinking about this a bit more and we should be careful when comparing StuGs with tanks since the Sturmgeschutz units were attached to the artillery rather than panzer branch of the army. As such unit makeup differed.

Excerpt from : http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_StuG_III.html

"At first the StuG was used to equip independent Sturmartillerie-Abteilung (assault gun detachments). These each contained three gun batteries, each with six StuGs divided into three platoons, giving each detachment eighteen StuGs. Later on the battery commanders were also given a StuG, bringing the theoretical total up to twenty-one. These batteries and detachments were not to be permanently attached to any particular division, but would be attached to unit for specific operations.

This system took some time to put in place. At the start of the German offensive in the west in May 1940 the StuG was in use with Sturmartillerie Batteries 640, 659, 660 and 665, and only twenty four vehicles had entered service by the end of May. One of these batteries then became part of the infantry regiment “Grossdeutschland” (the predecessor of the more famous infantry division of the same name).

The detachments began to take form in August 1940. By January 1942 a total of 18 Sturmgeschütz-Abteilungs had been formed (the name changed in February 1941), while three batteries had been formed as part of the SS Divisions “Das Reich”, “Totenkopf” and “Wiking”. This was the start of a process that saw the StuG spread out from the independent detachments to become an integrated part of a very large number of divisions and other units. "

 

[Rob]

I was just thinking about this a bit more and we should be careful when comparing StuGs with tanks since the Sturmgeschutz units were attached to the artillery rather than panzer branch of the army. As such unit makeup differed.

Excerpt from : http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_StuG_III.html

"At first the StuG was used to equip independent Sturmartillerie-Abteilung (assault gun detachments). These each contained three gun batteries, each with six StuGs divided into three platoons, giving each detachment eighteen StuGs. Later on the battery commanders were also given a StuG, bringing the theoretical total up to twenty-one. These batteries and detachments were not to be permanently attached to any particular division, but would be attached to unit for specific operations.

This system took some time to put in place. At the start of the German offensive in the west in May 1940 the StuG was in use with Sturmartillerie Batteries 640, 659, 660 and 665, and only twenty four vehicles had entered service by the end of May. One of these batteries then became part of the infantry regiment “Grossdeutschland” (the predecessor of the more famous infantry division of the same name).

The detachments began to take form in August 1940. By January 1942 a total of 18 Sturmgeschütz-Abteilungs had been formed (the name changed in February 1941), while three batteries had been formed as part of the SS Divisions “Das Reich”, “Totenkopf” and “Wiking”. This was the start of a process that saw the StuG spread out from the independent detachments to become an integrated part of a very large number of divisions and other units. "

Thanks Frank,as usual very informative and helpful.

Rob