In 1944 further reorganisation led to the reduction of 680 men from the theoretical strength of a panzergrenadier division. In keeping with the German tactical theory of‘few men - many weapons’, the firepower in all arms was increased. There was, of course, one very important exception: the division’s armoured component did not rise as the shortage of tanks and support guns continued to worsen. Assault guns replaced any remaining tanks that the division might hold. The final reorganisation of these divisions took place in the last desperate months of the war, when in March 1945 all panzergrenadier divisions ceased to exist as a separate classification, and they all became panzer divisions - the 16th Panzer Grenadier Division predated this change by 11 months when it became the 116th Panzer Division in May 1944. However, this was little more than a cosmetic name change because few divisions, be they panzer or panzergrenadier, had more than a handful of tanks available to them by this time.
The divisional organisations described above are essentially theoretical; almost all panzergrenadier formations contained some variations from the prescribed norm. However, those variations were largely minor. Two army panzergrenadier divisions, the elite Grossdeutschland and the Feldherrnhalle were organised differently from the rest and equipped to a far more lavish scale. The Grossdeutschland Motorised Infantry Division was designated Panzer Grenadier on 19 May 1943. The division had no less than four tank and one assault gun battalions. Its inventory on the eve of the Battle of Kursk in July 1943 was impressive, and contained a number of Germany’s latest models of tanks. At Kursk Grossdeutschland fielded 45 Pz Kpfw IVs, 46 Panthers (just out of the factory and extremely unreliable), 13 Tigers and 35 StuG Ills. Feldherrnhalle, which was formed from the 60th Panzer Grenadier Division on 20 June 1943, was also well equipped. Its original divisional structure had four tank companies (each with 22 tanks) per battalion rather than the standard number of three. This soon reverted to three, but Feldherrnhallds infantry component was also higher than that of a standard division. Its panzergrenadier battalions (known as fusiliers within the division for traditional reasons) were made up of four companies rather than three.
Admittedly, when the division was later reconstructed after being destroyed at Minsk in July 1944, its battalions consisted of three panzergrenadier companies, which was a standard division s complement.
Of the Waffen SS panzergrenadier divisions, 1st Leibstandarte, 2nd Das Reich, 3rd Totenkopf and 5th Wiking were also well equipped with regard to tanks. They each had one regiment of tanks and a battalion of assault guns, which made them stronger than many panzer divisions.
World History
