Tauchpanzer Operational Use

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pkenny
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Tauchpanzer Operational Use

#1

Post by pkenny » 15 Mar 2009, 22:29

from the Achtung Panzer website

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf H(U) - Tauchfahig
(U-Panzer / Submersible Tank)

This U-Panzer belonged to the 18th Panzer Division’s 18th Panzer Regiment. This photo was taken during the crossing of the River Bug at Patulin on 22nd June of 1941. During the preparation for invasion of England - Operation Seelöwe (Sealion), Panzer III and Panzer IVwere converted into submersible tanks able to travel on the bottom of body of water at the depths of 6 to 15 meters. From June to October of 1940, 160 Panzer III Ausf F/G/H and 8 Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf E along with 42 Panzer IV Ausf Ds were converted into U-Panzers / Tauchpanzers. After extensive tests and modifications U-Panzer were ready for action. Since Operation Sealion was never realized, Tauchpanzer IIIs and IVs were used during Operation Barbarossa (crossing river Bug at Patulin), in service with 3rd (6th Panzer Regiment) and 18th Panzer Division. It was also planned to use U-Panzers in never realized invasion on the island of Malta.


Does anyone have any addtional details operational action of this or other uses of the tauchpanzers?

Thanks in Advance

Paul

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tigre
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Re: Tauchpanzer Operational Use

#2

Post by tigre » 29 Mar 2009, 03:29

Hello pal :D; here goes something which I've stumbled with.................

PR 18 (18 Pz): the regiment was organized on Dec 06 1940 in Wehrkreis V within the 18. Panzer-Division's framework. It had two Panzer-Abteilungen, A (I. Abteilung) and B (II. Abteilung). Later on March 01 1941 got its III. Abteilung from the II. Abteilung belonging to the disbanded Panzer-Regiment 28.

Panzer-Abteilung A (I./ PR 18): organized on Jul 26 1940 in Wehrkreis X. Its CO was Major Manfred Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Kaminetz being Oberleutnant Ewald von Stünzner the abteilung's adjutant. On Dec 01 1940 became I. Abteilung Panzer-Regiment 18

Panzer-Abteilung B (II./ PR 18): organized on Jul 26 1940 in Wehrkreis XVII. On Dec 01 1940 became II. Abteilung Panzer-Regiment 18.

Panzer-Abteilung D (III./ PR 18): organized on Jul 27 1940 in Wehrkreis VIII. On Dec 01 1940 became II. Abteilung Panzer-Regiment 28.

Panzer-Abteilung C (III./ PR 6): organized on Jul 24 1940 in Wehrkreis III. On Dec 01 1940 became I. Abteilung Panzer-Regiment 28. Its CO was Major Wilhelm Ritter und Edler von Peter

Source: http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... 18PD-R.htm.

Actions:

PR 18
At Pratulin, where 17th and 18th Panzer Divisions were to cross the Bug, there was no bridge. At 04:15 hours, the advance detachments leaped into their rubber dinghies and assault boats, and swiftly crossed to the other side. The infantrymen and motor-cycle troops had with them light anti-tank guns and heavy machine-guns. The Russian pickets by the river opened up with automatic rifles and light machine-guns. They were quickly silenced. Units of the motor-cycle battalion dug in. Then everything that could be pumped into the bridgehead was ferried across. The sappers at once got down to building a pontoon bridge.
But what would happen if the Russians attacked the bridgehead with armour? How would the Germans oppose them? Tanks and heavy equipment could have been brought across only with the greatest difficulties in barges or over emergency bridges.
That was why an interesting new secret weapon was employed here for the first time….
…In the sector of 18th Panzer Division fifty batteries of all calibers opened fire at 0315 in order to clear the way to the other bank for the diving tanks, General Nehring, the divisional commander, has since described this as “a magnificent spectacle, but rather pointless since the Russians had been clever enough to withdraw their troops from the border area, leaving behind only weak frontier detachments, which subsequently fought very bravely.”
At 0445 hours Sergeant Wierschin advance into the Bug with diving tank No.1. The infantrymen watched him in amazement. The water closed over the tank. ”Playing at U-boats!” Only the slim steel tube which supplied fresh air to the crews and engine showed above the surface, indicating Wierschin’s progress under water. There were also the exhaust bubbles, but these were quickly obliterated by the current.
Tank after tank – the whole of 1st Battalion, 18th Panzer Regiment, under the battalion commander, Manfred Graf Strachwitz – dived into the river.
And now the first ones were crawling up the far bank like mysterious amphibians. A soft plop and the rubber caps were blown off the gun muzzles. The gun-loaders let the air our of the bicycle inner tubes round the turrets. Turret hatches were flung open and the skippers wriggled out. An arm thrust into the air three times: the signal “Tanks forward.”
Eighty tanks had crossed the frontier river under water. Eighty tanks were moving into action.
Their presence was more than welcome in the bridgehead. Enemy armoured scout cars were approaching. At once came the firing orders for the leading tanks: “Turret – One O’clock – armour piercing – 800 yards – group of armoured scout cars – fire at will.” From Hitler moves east. Paul Carell
PR 6 (3 Pz)

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Source: Panzertruppen. Edited by Thomas L. Jentz. Schiffer Military History.

Hope be useful in some way. Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
Attachments
image014.gif
Tauchpanzer Pz Kw III Ausf G PR 18.
image014.gif (31.57 KiB) Viewed 6569 times
image012.gif
Tauchpanzer Pz Kw IV Ausf D - 12. Coy III. Abt PR 6.
image012.gif (221.15 KiB) Viewed 6572 times


pkenny
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Re: Tauchpanzer Operational Use

#3

Post by pkenny » 29 Mar 2009, 18:51

outstanding, thank you very much

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tigre
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Re: Tauchpanzer Operational Use

#4

Post by tigre » 29 Mar 2009, 19:55

Hello pal :D; do not mention it :wink:. Cheers. Raúl M 8-).

Kelvin
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Re: Tauchpanzer Operational Use

#5

Post by Kelvin » 26 Feb 2018, 09:38

tigre wrote:Hello pal :D; here goes something which I've stumbled with.................

PR 18 (18 Pz): the regiment was organized on Dec 06 1940 in Wehrkreis V within the 18. Panzer-Division's framework. It had two Panzer-Abteilungen, A (I. Abteilung) and B (II. Abteilung). Later on March 01 1941 got its III. Abteilung from the II. Abteilung belonging to the disbanded Panzer-Regiment 28.

Panzer-Abteilung A (I./ PR 18): organized on Jul 26 1940 in Wehrkreis X. Its CO was Major Manfred Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Kaminetz being Oberleutnant Ewald von Stünzner the abteilung's adjutant. On Dec 01 1940 became I. Abteilung Panzer-Regiment 18

Panzer-Abteilung B (II./ PR 18): organized on Jul 26 1940 in Wehrkreis XVII. On Dec 01 1940 became II. Abteilung Panzer-Regiment 18.

Panzer-Abteilung D (III./ PR 18): organized on Jul 27 1940 in Wehrkreis VIII. On Dec 01 1940 became II. Abteilung Panzer-Regiment 28.

Panzer-Abteilung C (III./ PR 6): organized on Jul 24 1940 in Wehrkreis III. On Dec 01 1940 became I. Abteilung Panzer-Regiment 28. Its CO was Major Wilhelm Ritter und Edler von Peter

Source: http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... 18PD-R.htm.

Actions:

PR 18
At Pratulin, where 17th and 18th Panzer Divisions were to cross the Bug, there was no bridge. At 04:15 hours, the advance detachments leaped into their rubber dinghies and assault boats, and swiftly crossed to the other side. The infantrymen and motor-cycle troops had with them light anti-tank guns and heavy machine-guns. The Russian pickets by the river opened up with automatic rifles and light machine-guns. They were quickly silenced. Units of the motor-cycle battalion dug in. Then everything that could be pumped into the bridgehead was ferried across. The sappers at once got down to building a pontoon bridge.
But what would happen if the Russians attacked the bridgehead with armour? How would the Germans oppose them? Tanks and heavy equipment could have been brought across only with the greatest difficulties in barges or over emergency bridges.
That was why an interesting new secret weapon was employed here for the first time….
…In the sector of 18th Panzer Division fifty batteries of all calibers opened fire at 0315 in order to clear the way to the other bank for the diving tanks, General Nehring, the divisional commander, has since described this as “a magnificent spectacle, but rather pointless since the Russians had been clever enough to withdraw their troops from the border area, leaving behind only weak frontier detachments, which subsequently fought very bravely.”
At 0445 hours Sergeant Wierschin advance into the Bug with diving tank No.1. The infantrymen watched him in amazement. The water closed over the tank. ”Playing at U-boats!” Only the slim steel tube which supplied fresh air to the crews and engine showed above the surface, indicating Wierschin’s progress under water. There were also the exhaust bubbles, but these were quickly obliterated by the current.
Tank after tank – the whole of 1st Battalion, 18th Panzer Regiment, under the battalion commander, Manfred Graf Strachwitz – dived into the river.
And now the first ones were crawling up the far bank like mysterious amphibians. A soft plop and the rubber caps were blown off the gun muzzles. The gun-loaders let the air our of the bicycle inner tubes round the turrets. Turret hatches were flung open and the skippers wriggled out. An arm thrust into the air three times: the signal “Tanks forward.”
Eighty tanks had crossed the frontier river under water. Eighty tanks were moving into action.
Their presence was more than welcome in the bridgehead. Enemy armoured scout cars were approaching. At once came the firing orders for the leading tanks: “Turret – One O’clock – armour piercing – 800 yards – group of armoured scout cars – fire at will.” From Hitler moves east. Paul Carell
PR 6 (3 Pz)

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Source: Panzertruppen. Edited by Thomas L. Jentz. Schiffer Military History.

Hope be useful in some way. Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
Hi, Tigre, 18. Panzer division had 99 x Pz III 3.7 cm and 36 x Pz IV 7.5cm on June 22 1941, did all they were Tauchpanzer ?

And how many Tauchpanzer did 3.Pz division possessed on that day too, do you know that ? Thank

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tigre
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Re: Tauchpanzer Operational Use

#6

Post by tigre » 26 Feb 2018, 23:49

Hello Kelvin :D; my two cents....................

Tauchpanzers in 3. and 18. Pz.

AFAIK 160 Pz Kw III Ausf. F/G/H were converted in tauchpanzers along with 8 Pz Befehlswagen III and 42 Pz Kw IV Ausf. D and organized in four abteilungen (detachments); three of them were put together in the PR 18 and one of them as III./ PR 6. Therefore I assume that all of the Pz Kw III and Pz Kw IV in the 18 Pz were tauchpanzer (taking in account the figures from above more or less 120 Pz Kw III and 32 Pz Kw IV. The others for the PR 6). See below the figures for the 18. Pz.............and compare with these................

At the beginning of the Russian campaign, the regiment (PR 18) consisted of six tanks I, 50 tanks II, 99 tanks III with 3.7-cm KwK, 15 tanks III with 5-cm KwK, 36 tanks IV and 12 commando tanks (more or less match with my assumption).

Sources: Operation Barbarossa: the Complete Organisational and Statistical Analysis, and Military Simulation Volume I by Nigel Askey.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... r/PR18.htm

Hope be useful. Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
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Kelvin
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Re: Tauchpanzer Operational Use

#7

Post by Kelvin » 27 Feb 2018, 08:04

Hi, Tigre, I have this book too but the author does not mention exactly the number of Tauchpanzer in both 3. and 18.Pz divisions. Tauchpanzer was only equipped with 3.7cm, so 18.Pz had 99 and 3.Pz had 29 Pz III 3.7cm, , still had 32 unknown ?

Alanmccoubrey
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Re: Tauchpanzer Operational Use

#8

Post by Alanmccoubrey » 27 Feb 2018, 13:04

Kelvin, surely they were some 50mm armed Tauchpanzers in Russia, Raul has posted a pic of one above anyway. Someone this forum certainly told me the numbers, perhaps they'll chip in now.
Alan

Kelvin
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Re: Tauchpanzer Operational Use

#9

Post by Kelvin » 03 Mar 2018, 08:01

Hello,. Alan, I doube check my another book Doyle and Chamblerlain 's encyclopedia on German AFV , it also mentions some Tacuhpanzer had 5 cm kwk, thank for your post.

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