Post
by Gothard » 10 May 2005 04:40
Ive got the monthly Inventories if it helps. take me some time to get it all posted:
For June 1943:
Army only.
1. Kar 98 Rifles - 4,427,547
2. Pistols - ( various makes ) 1,043,148
3. Machine Guns - 181,450
4. SMG/Asslt Rifles - 242,639
5. Rifle Gren lanunchers - 298,635
6. Mortars - 34,940
7. Light AT guns - 3,800
8. Med. At Guns - 3,656
9. Hvy At Guns - 501
10. Shoulder fired At guns - na
11. Light AA - 5,900
12. Heavy AA - 512
13. Inf Guns - 4,857
14. Rocket Launchers - 2,323
15. Light Artillery - 6,473
16. heavy Artillery - 2,969
17. Super heavy art. - 409
18. pzkw I - na
19. pzkw 2 - 38
20. pzkw 3 - 1,407
21. pzkw 38t - 197
22. asslt guns - 1,612
23. pzkw 4 - 1,211
24. Pzkw V - 263
25. Pzkw VI - 191
26. AA tanks - ?
27. Tank destroyers - ?
28. Other AFV - 1,966
29. Maultier - 3,419
30. Raupenschlepper Ost - 3,303
31. Trucks - 385,371
32. Cars - 274,648
33. Motorcycles - 243,722
Pay special heed to the machine gun figures. Germans lost 70,000 machine guns as of march 43. more than 25% of total stocks. They never recovered during 1943, averages in January were 250,000. Midyear approx 180,000 and by years end 215,000. This is a drastic reduction in firepower at company level. Smg's Were reduced the same way.
A huge increase in firepower was gained in the widespread distribution of rifle grenades during 1943. These were introduced beginning in the spring and by midyear there were 300,000 launchers.
Medium anti tank gun stocks doubled and heavy AT guns were introduced on a large scale late spring with about 500 onhand by midyear. Heavy AA was also increased twofold and used in a dual role.
Rocket launchers took a serious pounding during the spring going from 3000 at years start to 2000 midyear and nearly 3000 again at years end.
some new pzkw II variants came out midyear but only about 50 all told.
pzkw III stocks dropped by 50% from the start of the year and 38t went from 300 to 200. Assault gun numbers increased from 1000 to 1500 by midyear by utilizing the pzkw III production. Panther tanks began to reach the lines from late spring and were being integrated into their units by midyear with a little less than 300 built.
Tiger tanks rose from 70 to 180 by midyear.
The maultier added a lot of mobility to the motorised troops and were intrudeced from spring 1943 - 3,500 wer ein the front lines by midyear.
Raup OSt was slow and cumbersome - numbers going from 1,000 to 4,000 by midyear but they gave the inf some much needed mobility to handle the new AT guns.
All told basic trends are a reduction in automatic firepower thats offset by rifle grenades.
A shift towards larger anti tank guns and off road prime movers. Big focus on the 88mm gun in tank and anti tank as well as AA roles.
Pzkw III was phased out, 38t was being used more for SP roles - artillery, AT guns... etc..
Pzkw IV was emerging as the main battle tank by midyear with Panthers playing a supporting role along with a few guest appearances by the tigers.