Formation
Early formation units experimented to find the correct combination of heavy Tiger tanks supported by either medium Panzer III tanks or scout elements. In 1942 this consisted of 20 Tigers and 16 Panzer IIIs, composed of two companies, each with four platoons of two Tigers and two Panzer IIIs. Each company commander would have an additional Tiger, and battalion command would have another two.
Later formations had a standard organization of 45 Tiger Tanks, composed of 3 companies of 14 Tigers each, plus 3 command vehicles. Maintenance troubles and the mechanical unreliability of the Tigers posed a continuous problem, so often the units would field a smaller number of combat-ready tanks.
The limited number of these heavy tanks, plus their specialized role in either offensive or defensive missions, meant they were rarely permanently assigned to a single division or corps; but shuffled around according to war circumstances.
| Description | vehicle type | 1 July 1943 | 1 January 1945 |
| Flakpanzer IV | Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun | 0 | 8 |
| Sd.Kfz. 7/1 8 ton 4 x 2 cm Flak | Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun | 6 | 3 |
| Sd.Kfz. 251 Schützenpanzerwagen | Armoured half-track | 10 | 11 |
| Bergepanther | Armoured recovery vehicle | 0 | 5 |
| Sd.Kfz. 9 18 ton Zugkraftwagen | Half-track prime mover | 8 | 7 |
| Sd.Kfz. 10 1 ton Zugkraftwagen | Light half-track | 8 | 13 |
| Sd.Kfz. 2 Kettenkrad | Gun tractor | 0 | 14 |
| Beiwagenkrad | Motorcycle with sidecar, e.g. BMW R75 | 25 | 0 |
| Solokrad | Motorcycle | 17 | 6 |
| Kübelwagen Personenkraftwagen | Staff car | 64 | 38 |
| Personenkraftwagen, zivil | Civilian car | 2 | 1 |
| Lastkraftwagen | Truck, e.g. Opel Blitz | 111 | 84 |
| Lastkraftwagen, zivil | Civilian truck | 24 | 34 |
| Maultier | Half-track | 0 | 6 |
| Kran-Kraftfahrzeug | Mobile crane | 3 | 3 |
| Total | 278 | 233 | |
Read more about this topic: German Heavy Tank Battalion
Famous quotes containing the word formation:
“Those who were skillful in Anatomy among the Ancients, concluded from the outward and inward Make of an Human Body, that it was the Work of a Being transcendently Wise and Powerful. As the World grew more enlightened in this Art, their Discoveries gave them fresh Opportunities of admiring the Conduct of Providence in the Formation of an Human Body.”
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719)
“I want you to consider this distinction as you go forward in life. Being male is not enough; being a man is a right to be earned and an honor to be cherished. I cannot tell you how to earn that right or deserve that honor. . . but I can tell you that the formation of your manhood must be a conscious act governed by the highest vision of the man you want to be.”
—Kent Nerburn (20th century)
“The moral virtues, then, are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature. Nature, indeed, prepares in us the ground for their reception, but their complete formation is the product of habit.”
—Aristotle (384–322 B.C.)