All About Panzer Corps Feldherrnhalle (Germany)
Panzer Corps Feldherrnhalle (Germany)
| Panzer Corps Feldherrnhalle | |
|---|---|
 Divisional insignia of Panzergrenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle |
|
| Active | 1934 – 1945 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Allegiance | Adolf Hitler |
| Branch |  SA |
| Type | Panzer Panzergrenadier Infantry |
| Size | 2 division, 4 regiments and 8 battalions (peak c.1944) |
| Part of | Third Reich |
| Garrison/HQ | HQ Berlin |
| Engagements | Battle of Debrecen Siege of Budapest Operation Spring Awakening |
| Commanders | |
| June 1943 – April 3, 1944 | Generalleutnant Otto Kohlermann |
| April 3, 1944 – July 8, 1944 | Generalmajor Friedrich-Carl von Steinkeller |
| July 8, 1944 – November 1944 November 27, 1944 – May 8, 1945 |
Generalmajor Günther PapeGeneral der PanzertruppenUlrich Kleemann |
The Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle was a German panzer corps formed in October 1944 from the remaining troops of the IV. Armeekorps, the Storm Division Rhodos and Panzer-Grenadier-Brigade 17 formed mostly of SA recruits.
The Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle fought on the Eastern Front during the Second World War.
Concept
The Feldherrnhalle units were the combat formations which drew manpower from the SA. A Nazi organization that traced its history back to the days of the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch. The corps was named after the Feldherrnhalle in Munich where the attempted coup was crushed by the German state.
The initial unit, the SA-Standarte Feldherrnhalle (a Standarte was an organization of regimental size) was formed after the death of Ernst Röhm on Night of the Long Knives, when the SA’s position as the major paramilitary formation of the NSDAP was taken over by the SS. It was made up of the most promising SA men drawn from SA units all over Germany. The Standarte was a not a combat unit. Its role was to provide guard units for SA government offices around Nazi Germany.
In March 1938, men from the Standarte were among the first units which marched into Austria during the Anschluss. In September 1938, the Feldherrnhalle was placed under the control of the Wehrmacht, and the cadre of the unit was transferred to the Luftwaffe, forming the Luftlande-Regiment (glider infantry regiment) Feldherrnhalle, a part of the 7. Flieger-Division. The remainder of the regiment was transferred to the Heer, forming the 120. Infanterie-Regiment (mot) of the 60. Infanterie-Division (mot) and 271. Infanterie-Regiment of the 93. Infanterie-Division.
Early campaigns
60. Infanterie-Division
The cadre for the 60. Infanterie-Division came from Gruppe Eberhardt (also known as Sonderverband Danzig). The Gruppe was a unit of Ordnungspolizei and SA men, commanded by Major General Friedrich-Georg Eberhardt. During the Invasion of Poland, Gruppe Eberhardt was responsible for the capture of the Danzig Post Office, defended by the Polish postal workers commanded by a reserve officer. After fierce fighting, the Polish militia retreated to the cellar, however the Gruppe Eberhardt could not capture the building. The Gruppe finally defeated the Poles and secured the building by forcing the Danzig Fire Brigade to flood the cellar of the building with gasoline. When the militia surrendered, they were subjected to several days of continuous torture and humiliation and then executed.
After the Polish campaign, Gruppe Eberhardt was dissolved and the members were used to form the 60. Infanterie-Division (mot), the majority of SA men joining the 120. Infanterie-Regiment (mot). The division was not ready for the campaign in the West, and formed a part of the OKH Reserve during this period, being based in Lorraine (Lothringen).
In January 1941, the division was moved to Romania. In April, the 60th took part in Operation Marita, the invasion of the Balkans and Greece. The formation acquitted itself well in the fighting in Serbia, and at the end of the campaign was moved back into Romania to join Army Group South, which was preparing for Operation Barbarossa. On June 1941, the division crossed the Soviet border and began the advance towards Crimea and eventually Rostov on Don. During the blitzkrieg campaign, the division again performed superbly, advancing as a part of Panzergruppe 1. By the end of the campaign, the division had taken part in the capture of Rostov-on-Don before the Army Group was ordered to abandon the city and form defensive lines for the winter. Over the winter of 1941–1942 the division managed to hold its position despite terrible conditions and ceaseless Soviet counterattacks.
In 1942, the division took part in Fall Blau, the advance through the Don Basin towards Stalingrad. As a part of Generaloberst Paulus’ 6. Armee, the division was involved in heavy fighting during the Battle of Stalingrad. When Soviet offensives encircled Paulus’ Army, the division continued resisting the Soviets until the final collapse of the German defense in February 1943.
The remnants of the division which had been on leave or convalescing were ordered to the south of France to begin reforming the division, to be upgraded as a Panzergrenadier division and redesignated 60. Panzergrenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle.
271. Infanterie-Regiment
The 271st Regiment fought with distinction during the Battle of France, taking part in the assaults on the Maginot Line and advancing south, crossing the rivers Seille and Meurthe inAlsace-Lorraine. The regiment ended the campaign on the Moselle between Nancy and Epinal, advancing south where it ended near the region of the River Moselle between Nancy and Epinal on June 25, 1940. The 93. Infanterie-Division was stationed on the French Coast after the capitulation of France.
In March 1941, the regiment, along with the rest of the 93. Infanterie-Division, was ordered to the east to take part in Operation Barbarossa. The division was to form a part of Army Group North, tasked with advancing on Leningrad. After the launch of the offensive on June 22, 1941, the regiment distinguished itself in heavy fighting during the advance. At the end of the campaign, the division was stationed near Leningrad, and over the winter of 1941–1942 saw heavy fighting against fierce Soviet counterattacks.
The division remained in combat near Leningrad throughout 1942. In August, the regiment was granted the title Feldherrnhalle in honour of the outstanding performance it had shown during the battles in France and Russia. The regiment was redesignated 271. Grenadier-Regiment Feldherrnhalle. The regiment remained in action on the Northern front, fighting at the siege of Cholm and the Battle of Velikiye Luki. In the summer of 1943, the Feldherrnhalle regiment was withdrawn from the division and sent back to Southern France to form join the remnants of the 120. Infanterie-Regiment (mot) which were in the process of reforming the 60. Infanterie-Division (mot) as the 60. Panzergrenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle.
Eastern Front
The new division spent the rest of the year forming and training in Southern France. In November, all the divisional units had their numbers removed and were granted the titleFeldherrnhalle. The 271. Grenadier-Regiment Feldherrnhalle formed the Grenadier-Regiment Feldherrnhalle and the reformed 120. Grenadier-Regiment Feldherrnhalle became Füsilier-Regiment Feldherrnhalle. In December, the division was ordered back to the eastern front, to join the Third Panzer Army which was involved in heavy fighting near Vitebsk in Belorussia. Arriving in early January 1944, the division fought exceptionally during the fierce battles around the city.
After executing a fighting withdrawal through Belorussia, the division was air-lifted via Tartu airport to the Narva front, where the III. SS Panzerkorps was involved in heavy fighting for the bridgehead over the Narva river. The division remained in combat on the Narva front, distinguishing itself in what would be known as the Battle of Narva (1944).
In May, the division was ordered south to bolster the forces of Army Group Centre, engaged near Mogilev and Orsha. With the launch of the Soviet Operation Bagration in June 1944, the division was pushed back towards Minsk, where it was encircled. In late July, after heavy resistance and several failed breakout attempts, the division was annihilated near the city.
Reformed
The remnants of the division, along with other units such as the 26th Infantry Division, were refitted near Warthelager near Poznań in September 1944. The formation of several newFeldherrnhalle formations began at the same time.
106. Panzer-Brigade Feldherrnhalle
The 106. Panzer-Brigade Feldherrnhalle was formed from a cadre of SA men. The 106th boasted a strong consignment of the latest Panther ausf. G tanks, a fully mechanized Panzergrenadier battalion and a company of the brand new Jagdpanzer IV/70s. The brigade was sent into action in Alsace-Lorraine against the American forces of General Patton’s US Third Army. The 106th fought well during the withdrawal into Germany. On April 6, 1945, the remnants of the brigade were assigned to the ad-hoc Panzer-Division Clausewitz. The brigade’s survivors surrendered to the Americans on May 8, 1945.
110. Panzer-Brigade Feldherrnhalle
The 110. Panzer-Brigade Feldherrnhalle was the second Feldherrnhalle panzer brigade. Formed from a cadre of SA men, the 110th was strongly equipped with a battalion of Panthers and a battalion of mechanized infantry. The 110th was sent to Romania, where it supported the forces of Army Group South Ukraine during the withdrawal into Hungary. The brigade, along with the reformed Panzergrenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle took part in the Battle of Debrecen in October 1944, acquitting itself well. During these battles, the 110th fought alongside the13. Panzer-Division. In November 1944, the brigade was disbanded and absorbed into the 13. Panzer-Division. As a result, the 13. Panzer-Division was renamed 13.Panzer-Division Feldherrnhalle.
Panzergrenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle
The Panzergrenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle was only partially formed by September 1944, when it was ordered to the front in Hungary to strengthen Armeegruppe Fretter-Pico, which was threatening to collapse in the face of a major soviet offensive near Oradea and Debrecen. The division, in truth only the size of a brigade, was committed to battle in mid-October, and ordered to hold a major crossing point on the Tisza River. When the Soviet spearhead threatened to encircle several panzer divisions near Debrecen, the division was thrown into battle in an ultimately successful attempt to cut off and annihilate the Soviet units. During the following battle, the division fought alongside both the 13. Panzer-Division Feldherrnhalle andschwere-Panzer-Abteilung 503 (sPzAbt 503) for the first time.
After enjoying major success of the Battle of Debrecen, the division fought in co-operation with sPzAbt 503 and was soon involved in the withdrawal towards Budapest. The Panzergrenadier Division, sPzAbt 503 and the 13. Panzer-Division Feldherrnhalle, by now exhausted and dangerously understrength, were pushed back into the city. On December 21, 1944, sPzAbt 503 was renamed schwere-Panzer-Abteilung Feldherrnhalle.
On December 31, the three formations were encircled along with IX. SS-Gebirgskorps. For the next month, the Feldherrnhalle units desperately held out for rescue. After the failure ofOperation Konrad, Armeegruppe Balck’s rescue attempts, the pocket collapsed and the divisions were destroyed on February 12, 1945. Among those to escape the pocket was a group of several hundred Feldherrnhalle men.
Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle
After the annihilation of three Feldherrnhalle units in Budapest, plans were made to not only reform the three units, but also for the creation of a Panzer Corps, along the lines of thePanzerkorps Großdeutschland or the Fallschirm-Panzerkorps Hermann Göring.
The survivors of the encirclement, along with large numbers of new SA recruits, were formed into three new units. The remnants of the Panzergrenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle becamePanzer-Division Feldherrnhalle 1. Although not a full strength division, the unit was equipped with the latest equipment and well trained.
The 13. Panzer-Division Feldherrnhalle became Panzer-Division Feldherrnhalle 2. This division was virtually identical to the Feldherrnhalle 1. It was commanded by the ace panzer commander Generalmajor Dr. Franz Bäke.
The remnants of the sPzAbt Feldherrnhalle were reformed, although the detachment never reached its former strength.
The corps was activated at the end of February, with most of the combat units being sent into action at the end of March 1945. The corps executed a fighting withdrawal towards Viennaand then into southern Austria. Over the last months of the war, the corps saw heavy fighting and acquitted itself well. By the beginning of May 1945, the shattered remnants of the corps broke up and attempted to reach the American lines, where they surrendered on May 9, 1945.
Commanders
- Generalleutnant Otto Kohlermann (June 1943 – 13 February 1944)
- Oberst Albert Henze (13 February 1944 – April 3, 1944)
- Generalmajor Friedrich-Carl von Steinkeller (April 3, 1944 – July 8, 1944)
- Generalmajor Günther Pape (July 8, 1944 – November 1944)
- General der Panzertruppen Ulrich Kleemann (November 27, 1944 – May 8, 1945)
Orders of Battle
Battle of Debrecen, Hungary, October 1944
60. Panzergrenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle
- Division Stab
- Füsilier-Regiment Feldherrnhalle
- Grenadier-Regiment Feldherrnhalle
- Panzer-Abteilung Feldherrnhalle
- Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung Feldherrnhalle
- Artillerie Regiment Feldherrnhalle
- FlaK-Bataillon Feldherrnhalle
- Pionier-Bataillon Feldherrnhalle
- Nachrichten-Kompanie Feldherrnhalle
Budapest, Hungary, February 1945,
Panzer-Division Feldherrnhalle 1
- Division Stab
- Panzer-Regiment Feldherrnhalle
- Panzer-Battalion
- Panzergrenadier-Battalion (half-track)
- schwere Panzer-Abteilung Feldherrnhalle
- Panzergrenadier-Regiment Feldherrnhalle
- Panzerjäger-Abteilung Feldherrnhalle
- Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung Feldherrnhalle
- Pionier-Bataillon Feldherrnhalle
- Artillerie-Regiment Feldherrnhalle
- Nachrichten-Kompanie Feldherrnhalle
Operation Spring Awakening, Hungary, March 1945
Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle
- Korps Stab
- Korps-Füsilier-Regiment Feldherrnhalle
- Schwere-Panzer-Abteilung Feldherrnhalle
- 404. Artillerie-Regiment
- 404. Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon
- 44. Panzer-Nachrichten-Bataillon
- Panzer-Feldersatz-Regiment Feldherrnhalle
- Panzer-Division Feldherrnhalle 1
- Panzer-Division Feldherrnhalle 2
US Army – M10 Tank Destroyer…
M10 tank destroyer
| 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Tank destroyer |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1942 |
| Manufacturer | General Motors Ford |
| Produced | 1942-1943 |
| Number built | M10 approx 5,000 M10A1 approx 1,700 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 29.6 metric tons (65,000 lb) |
| Length | 6.83 m (22.41 ft) (w/ gun) 5.97 m (19.6 ft) (w/o gun) |
| Width | 3.05 m (10 ft) |
| Height | 2.57 m (8.43 ft) |
| Crew | 5 (Commander, (3×) gun crew, driver) |
|
|
|
| Armor | 9 to 57.2 mm (0.3 to 2.3 in) |
| Primary armament |
3″ (76.2 mm) Gun M7 54 rounds |
| Secondary armament |
.50 cal Browning M2HB machine gun 300 rounds |
| Engine | General Motors 6046 Twin Diesel 6-71 375 hp (276 kW) |
| Power/weight | 12.5 hp/t |
| Suspension | Vertical Volute Spring Suspension (VVSS) |
| Operational range |
300 km (186 mi) |
| Speed | 51 km/h (32 mph) |
It was christened the Wolverine by the British, although unlike other vehicle names such as the M4 Sherman, the name was not adopted by American soldiers, who called it TD (a nickname for any tank destroyer in general) beyond its formal designation.The M10 tank destroyer, formally 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage, M10 was a United States tank destroyer of World War II based on the chassis of the M4 Sherman tank. It was numerically the most important U.S. tank destroyer of World War II and combined a reasonably potent anti-tank weapon with a turreted platform (unlike the previous M3 GMC, whose gun was capable of only limited traverse). Despite the introduction of more-powerful types as replacements, it remained in service until the end of the war. Some of those replacements were in fact modified and/or rebuilt from the M10 itself.
Development
US combined-arms doctrine on the eve of World War II held that tanks should be designed to fulfill the infantry support and exploitation roles. The anti-tank warfare mission was assigned to a new branch, the tank destroyer force. Tank destroyer units were meant to counter German blitzkrieg tactics. Tank destroyer units were to be held as a reserve at the Corps or Army level, and were to move quickly to the site of any enemy tank breakthrough, maneuvering aggressively to destroy enemy tanks. This led to a requirement for very fast, well-armed vehicles. Though equipped with turrets (unlike most tank destroyers of the day), the typical American design was more heavily gunned, but more lightly armored, and thus more manoeuvrable, than a contemporary tank. The idea was to use speed and agility as a defense, rather than thick armor, to bring a powerful self-propelled gun into action against enemy tanks.
The 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage T35 was the prototype of the M10. It was equipped with a 3-inch (76.2 mm) gun in a new sloped, circular, open-topped turret, developed from the Heavy Tank T1/M6 turret, and mounted on an early-production Medium Tank M4A1 hull.
This prototype was further developed by sloping the hull, using an M4A2 chassis, and replacing the circular turret with apentagonal version; this model was designated 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage T35E1. In June 1942 the T35E1 was finalized as the3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10 and ordered into full production.
A British variant, designated „17pdr SP Achilles”, was developed by mounting the successful 17-pounder anti-tank gun in a modified turret. The 17-pounder was of a similar bore, but had far superior armor penetration capability. It was used by the British, Canadian and Polish armies in Italy and North-West Europe.
After World War II, a batch was acquired by the Republic of China Army as demilitarized surplus items. The vehicles’ main guns were rendered useless prior to delivery and consequently replaced in 1949 with ex-Imperial Japanese Army 150mm infantry howitzers.
Armament
The M10 used a Medium Tank M4A2 chassis (M10A1s used M4A3 chassis) with an open-topped turret mounting a 3″ gun M7. This gun fired the Armor Piercing M79 shot that could penetrate 3 inches of armor at 1,000 yards at 30 degrees from vertical. Other ammunition carried throughout its service life included the Armor Piercing Capped Ballistic Cap (APCBC)M62 projectile, High Velocity Armor Piercing (HVAP) M93 shot, and Armor Piercing High Explosive (APHE); 54 rounds of 3-inch ammunition were carried. The rear of the turret carried two large counterweights which gave it a distinctive shape. The main shortcoming of the M-10’x 3 inch cannon was its APHE round, which was the round most commonly used for engaging tanks. The 3 inch APHE round was based on the naval 3 inch round and had a small charge in the rear of the round which was supposed to explode after penetration of the targeted tank’s armor plating. Unfortunately it was discovered that it exploded on impact or shortly thereafter, causing the round not to penetrate. It is still a puzzling mystery as to why this problem was never addressed with a better base fuse or by deleting the small HE charge in the rear of the round. This was also the problem with the towed version of the 3 inch cannon, the M-5, in the antitank role.
A .50-caliber Browning M2HB machine gun could be mounted on the top rear of the turret for use against enemy infantry and for anti-aircraft use, along with 1000 rounds. The crew were also equipped with their personal weapons for self-protection.
Combat use…
In its combat debut in Tunisia in 1943 during the North African campaign, the M10 was successful as its M7 3-inch gun could destroy most German tanks then in service. The M10’s heavy chassis did not conform to the tank destroyer doctrine of employing very light high-speed vehicles, and starting in mid-1944 it began to be supplemented by the 76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 „Hellcat”. Later in the Battle of Normandy, the M10’s gun proved to be ineffective against the frontal armor of the newer German Tiger and Panther tanks unless firing HVAP rounds,[5] but was effective against lighter tanks such as the Panzer IV medium tank and other lighter vehicles and self propelled guns. By the fall of 1944 the improved 90mm Gun Motor Carriage M36 began to arrive in Europe as well. In the Pacific war, US Army M10s were used for infantry support but were unpopular due to their open-topped turrets, which made them more vulnerable than a fully-enclosed tank to Japaneseclose-in infantry attacks.
Approximately 54 M10s were supplied to the USSR though their use by the Red Army service is largely unrecorded. The M10 also equipped units of the Free French Army; one M10 named Sirocco, part of the Régiment Blindé de Fusiliers Marins composed of French sailors, famously disabled a Panther on the Place de la Concorde during the liberation of Paris. British M10s were designated as (Gun) 3 inch Self Propelled Wolverine (3in SP Wolverine) or „M10 3 in SP” and as with all British self-propelled guns were operated by Royal Artillery units. They saw action in Italy and France, many being upgunned with the more effective 17-pounder gun (as the 17pdr SP Achilles) from 1944 onwards.
The M10’s open-topped turret left the crew vulnerable to artillery and mortar fire as well as infantry close assault, especially in urban combatand wooded areas. By the end of the war its armor was too thin to provide protection from the newer German tanks and anti-tank guns. The other main disadvantage of the M10 was its very slow speed of turret rotation, as the turret traverse was unpowered and the crew had to hand-crank the turret around. It took approximately two minutes to rotate a full 360 degrees. U.S. tank destroyers fired many more high-explosive shells than anti-tank ammunition, indicating that they were employed much like the tanks they were supposed to support.
The post-war American film star Audie Murphy earned his Medal of Honor at the Battle of the Colmar Pocket, when he used the heavy machine gun of an abandoned and burning M10 to repel German infantry, despite the vehicle taking several more hits from tanks or artillery.
Variants
- 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage T35 (Prototype): Early production Medium Tank M4A2 chassis.
- 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage T35E1 / 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10 (3in SP, Wolverine in British service[6]): Diesel engine (~5000 vehicles)
- 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10A1: M4A3 chassis, Ford GAA gasoline engine (~1700 vehicles)
- 17pdr SP Achilles: M10 equipped with an Ordnance QF 17 pounder Mark V gun as used on the Sherman Firefly and British tanks. They can be identified by the muzzle brake at the end of the barrel and a counterweight behind the muzzle brake.
- Diesel-engined M10 became 17pdr SP Achilles IC,
- Petrol-engined M10A1 became 17pdr SP Achilles IIC
- Full-Track Prime Mover M35: Turretless M10A1 used as an artillery tractor
- 3in SP Wolverine: Proposed Canadian-built version using a Ram tank chassis — a single prototype was built in 1942.[7]
- M10 Self-Propelled Howitzer (ROC): Previously-demilitarized M10 transferred to China and then in 1949 regunned with modified ex-IJA 150mm infantry howitzers. Other modifications included improved armors and a bow machine gun firing port. One prototype and 16 follow-on vehicles were made.
* SP = Self-Propelled
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