GERMAN EARLY PANZER DIVISION:

The 1st Panzer Division was formed on October 15, 1935, in Weimer from the 3rd Cavalry Divison. Its organization is typical of the Panzer Divisions of the early war years.

The German Panzer Division was the fist of the German Army, the key to the Blitzkrieg style of warfare. The Panzer Division was equipped to encircle and destroy the enemy by achieving local superiority in armor, firepower, and surprise. Its speed and mobility allowed it rapidly to penetrate into the enemy’s rear areas once a breakthrough was achieved.

Originally each Panzer Division possessed 2 Panzer regiments, comprising of 400 tanks in total. This was unwieldy, and the division lacked mortorized Infantry to support the tanks. So in late 1940 the Panzer Division was reorganized.

The average manpower strength of a Panzer Division was around 15,000 but his could vary according to battle losses and speed of replacements.
Statistics of the German 1939 Infantry Division:

Early Panzer Division’s were typical comprised of:

Divisional headquarters with its own armored support company:

• 1 Armored reconnaissance battalion
• 1 Tank regiment
• 3 Battalions; later reduced to 2, comprising of 96 Panzer IVs and one of 96 Panzer V Panthers often with an additional company of Tiger tanks or assault guns. Tigers were later organized into their own independent battalions.
• 2 Panzergrenadier regiments
• 1 Anti-tank battalion
• 1 Anti-aircraft battalion
• 1 Artillery regiment
• 1 Armored signals battalion
• 1 Armored engineer battalion
• Divisional services

Some German tank translations:

Abteilung: Battalion
Aufklarungs: Reconnaissance
Nachrichten: Signals
Nachschubtruppen: Supply Troops Branch
Panzerabwehr: Anti-tank
Panzerjager: Tank Hunter
Pionier: Engineer
Schutzen: Motorized