113th Panzer Brigade
| 113th Panzer Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 4 September - 1 October 1944 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Panzer |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Erich Freiherr von Seckendorff |
The 113th Panzer Brigade was a tank formation of the German Army in World War II. As a tank formation, it was part of the Panzer Arm (Panzerwaffe).
History
[edit]The 113th Panzer Brigade was formed on 4 September 1944.[1]
Unlike earlier Panzer Brigades, it was equipped with two battalions of Panzer IV and Panther tanks, with two mechanized panzergrenadier battalions, instead of one battalion each. On paper, it was a strong formation. However, it lacked sufficient supporting units such as reconnaissance, artillery and engineers, which made a Panzer Division a lethal combination of armor and infantry. On 6 September the brigade was sent to Colmar and on 16 September sent to Saarburg.[1] Assigned to the 5th Panzer Army,[2] it participated in the Battle of Arracourt, as the Germans attempted to stop the US Third Army's penetrations in Lorraine.[3] By that time, the brigade had 42 Panther tanks.[4]
During the battle for Hill 318 at Arracourt, an ad-hoc Kampfgruppe was formed from the remnants of the 113th Panzer Brigade commanded by Oberstleutnant Erich Hammon.[5]
The battle resulted in German defeat and the virtual destruction of the 113th Panzer Brigade,[6] leaving its commander, Oberst Erich Freiherr von Seckendorff dead in the battle as well.
On 1 October 1944, the 113th Panzer Brigade was disbanded, and its shattered remnants was assigned to the 15th Panzergrenadier Division.[1]
Order of battle
[edit]- 2113th Panzer Battalion
- I/130th Panzer Regiment
- 2113th Panzer Grenadier Regiment
- 2113th Brigade Support Units
- 2113th Panzer Reconnaissance Company
- 2113th Flak Company
- 2113th Sturmgeschütz Battalion[1]
Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c d Nafziger, George. "Organization History of German Panzer Formations" (PDF). Retrieved August 11, 2016.
- ^ Cole 1997, p. 192.
- ^ Cole 1997, pp. 220–233.
- ^ Cole 1997, p. 224.
- ^ Zaloga, Steven J. (2017). Panzergrenadier vs US Armored Infantryman : European Theater of Operations 1944. Johnny Shumate. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-4728-1709-9. OCLC 1021809537.
- ^ Cole 1997, p. 233.
References
[edit]- Books
- Cole, Hugh M. (1997). The Lorraine Campaign. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
- Websites
- Nafziger, George. "Organization History of German Panzer Formations" (PDF). Retrieved August 11, 2016.