Pre-war conscription and service terms

[geahanse]

This is a two part question I've been wondering. When Hitler reintroduced National Conscription in 1935, what would happen if a man was drafted in say, late 1935 and was sworn in as an enlisted man to serve either the required 12 months or even the extended length of 18/24 months before the war even started in September 1939? Would he be required to stay if it was 1937 or 38 or would he be discharged and then be conscripted again shortly after? Second question is did every 18 year old get drafted before the war or was there just a select few from a sort of lottery? Were there reasons why he may have not have been drafted?

[hucks216]

To answer your first question, prior to the outbreak of war if a mans period of service expired then he was discharged back into civilian life. But upon the outbreak of war he would of been recalled back into service. If you look at the three images taken from a soldier serving in Panzer units, he was originally called up in October 1936. He served for 24 months with Panzer-Rgt 5 and was then discharged in October 1938. He then re-entered the Heer in August 1939.

[geahanse]

Thank you, just curious. What are the units it says he was involved in? I can't seem to read the hand writing

[hucks216]

From the top:
1./Pz.Rgt 5
Nachs.Zug/Aufkl.Abt 253
Stabskompanie/Pz.Ers.Abt 5
1./Pz.Rgt 5
Stab/Pz.Abt 301
7./Pz.Rgt 201
2./s.Pz.Abt(F) 102
Stabskompanie/Pz.Brigade 101
Stabskompanie I/Pz.Rgt 203
Stabskompanie II/Pz.Rgt Grossdeutschland
5./Pz.Rgt Grossdeutschland

[geahanse]

That's interesting, so when he first served it was with Panzer regiment 5 and then after he was discharged and came back in 1939 he returned to panzer regiment 5? Am I reading that right?

[hucks216]

More or less, yes. He first went to a reconnaissance unit for 6 months before going to a Panzer training/replacement unit for a short while and then rejoining Pz.Rgt 5. He was killed in action on 16th August 1944.

[geahanse]

What would could a man's occupation or specialty be in a stabs kompanien or stab/pz.brigade 101. Isn't stab HQ or something? I guess my question is what are some of the positions in a stabs kompanie

[hucks216]

If you go to http://www.wwiidaybyday.com and click on Kriegsstärkenachweisungen (KStN) followed by Panzertruppen on the right hand side, the list that comes up has options the very first of which is for a Stabskompanie of a Panzer Abteilung. That will give you a good general idea.

[geahanse]

Thanks, you've been a lot of help. One more quick question, in the units you listed, one of them is 2./s.Pz.Abt (F) 102. What type of unit would this be? I mean what does the "s" and (F) mean?

[hucks216]

In the later years of the war, the small 's' would stand for schwere or heavy, indicating a Tiger tank unit or some such. Here I believe it relates to sturm with the F meaning Flammenwerfer hence it was a flamethrower tank unit.

[geahanse]

That makes sense. Actually now that I think about it, I believe I remember reading about that somewhere so I think you're right. Thanks hucks

[John Hilly]

In the later years of the war, the small 's' would stand for schwere or heavy, indicating a Tiger tank unit or some such. Here I believe it relates to sturm with the F meaning Flammenwerfer hence it was a flamethrower tank unit.

s. means an adjective, Sturm isn,t. So s.Pz. (F) was schwere Panzer (Flamm) ?!

[hucks216]

You are totally correct. I completely missed this sentence on the Lexikon page for this unit...
Die Abteilung wurde als Flamm-Panzer-Abteilung, mit 2 schweren Kompanien, der Heerestruppe aufgestellt.