Armored Reconnaissance Battalion: Eyes & Ears of a Panzer Division

in this video I want to introduce you the armored reconnaissance battalion the eyes and ears of a Panzer Division so in

the 1930s the German army developed some heavy long-range reconnaissance cars like the zoned aircraft for towing or a

special motor vehicle 231 and some light Scout cars like the zoned aircraft for TOEIC 222 so the special motor vehicle

222 these heavy and light Scout cars formed the core equipment of an armored reconnaissance battalion within each

battalion at the start of the war they were formed into two armored car squadrons each squadron had one heavy

and two light platoons the heavy platoon comprised of six of the larger armored cars at the direction of the divisional

commander these cars trust like Spears deep into the unknown territory ahead of the main body of the division they

sought to discover they're in general the enemy rose they radioed back about obstacles barricades anti-tank guns and

contact with the enemy when contact was made the commander released his to light

platoons with their total of 12 of the smaller cars they swarmed densely around where the bigger cars had seen the enemy

with the patter of little feelers they located him at more points and so with greater precision this information

naturally grew in urgency as the clash of the main bodies neared supporting the cars were a motorcycle squadron which

arriving fast provided firepower in case of a skirmish developed and the heavy squadron this

comprised an artillery platoon to back up the motorcyclists and an engineer platoon to help the cars and guns cross

streams and other obstacles these elements played a large role in the Potala as other main duties

advancing to sizing and holding important points and screening its divisions movements from the enemy a

staff with a communications platoon and supply troops completed the battalion this equipment this organization and

some names changed during the war in the preparation for the Russian campaign the army expanded from 10 Panzer divisions

in May of 1942 4221 a year later tanks had priority in production and the output of armored

cars fell behind consequently for many of the new Panzer divisions the reconnaissance battalion had instead of

two Scout car squadrons only one and the platoon during 1943 however Hitler and Guderian reorganized the Panzer

leadership in the hope of going once again onto the offensive they raised the number of scarred car companies to the

original two or even three per battalion and then converted the motorcyclists who had constantly gotten stuck in Russia

into infantry riding in armored personnel carriers all battalions were not however identically organized or

equipped in particular the late-arriving SdKfz sauce under craft far TOEIC 234 so special motor vehicle 234 and thunder

craft Hertzog 250 per nine were distributed were most needed and so unequally thank you for your attention

see you in the next video