Norway Panzer Brigade [OB:100]

[Wiedrock]

See this post for the final result.

Only the Panzer Brigade Norway, formed from its remnants in Trandum on July 13, 1944 , remained in Norway and consisted of a small tank battalion and the Panzergrenadier Battalion "Norway" (later renamed "Sturmbataillon Norway"). The brigade's staff was formed from the personnel of the disbanded Panzer Brigade 21.

Norway Panzer Brigade was only in place from mid of July 1944 onwards. In BArch RH 10/216 you can see all their monthly reports on Equipment/Manpower (08/44-02/45). Attached is September reports and an example OB how it should look like from July 44 onwards, I don't know how the "Division/"Brigade" looked like before, so adding a OB seems needed and makign the current OB into "Panzer Division Norwegen" (altough it never was of at full size of a normal Panzer Division [somewhat like Cavalry Divisions with 5000Men]).

September already includes a armored Train (it's personell is part of Septembers calculation, but most of its weapons are not afaik). So Manpower from August with ~1850 should be the target I'd suggest.

[Denniss]

It was division only by name in 1943/44, even Brigade was a stretch

[Wiedrock]

It was division only by name in 1943/44, even Brigade was a stretch

It was "Norwegian", they have other measurements.
By name it was a Division so it should be called Division while it was.


Something to add, the Grenadier Battalion is missing the most men, I assume the authorized Squad number should rather be 27 as usual, but not sure what exact KSTNs they used, eventually individual ones.

[Denniss]

The div in its "name" was purely for deception, indicating a major force present there. The "div" hat at best Brigade strength, similar to the later "Brigade! which at max hat Regimental strength.
The initial outfit of the "Div" was actually french tanks/guns left there, all the german equipment went with the 25PD

[Wiedrock]

As pointed out I do not have the main Source for the Division, since rolls 2290 and 2292 are available online but 2291 sadly isn't and in BArch the Norway Panzer Division Documents seem to be digitized at 0.0% so far.

The Brigade from July 1944 was a Brigade, similar sized as all the other newly formed Panzer Brigades during 1944 (~2k Men), so no deception there and since they re-defined the "Brigade" term in many other occasions as well in spring of 44, like making Sturmgeschütz Abteilungen into Brigades. After removing the Brigade terminolory and going straight from Divisional staff to Regimental staff there was room for re-using and re-shaping the term.

And the Panzer Division Norwegen was a Division no matter its size or the intended deceptive purpose. They had all a Division needs (were independent), it was smaller, that's for sure and most likely lacked trucks (which Division didn't).
The term Division does not only imply a size but also (maybe even more) a capability which would for the one part not exactly apply to the earlier (pre spring 1944) Brigade terminology and second it wouldn't apply to the mix of Infantry/Panzer/other sub units as a whole.

Since many before and I have argued to change something about Cavalry since there's some 8-11k(HUN) Cavalry Brigades on the one side and 4.5k Cavalry "Divisions" on the other side and nothing was changed, the only conclusion I have is to use 100% historical terminology no matter what. Therefore a Division should be named a Division no matter its size, be it a 22k Mountain Division or a 5k (Norway) Panzer Division or a 4.5k Soviet Cavalry Division.

[Wiedrock]

[...] so adding a OB seems needed and makign the current OB into "Panzer Division Norwegen" [...]

September already includes a armored Train (it's personell is part of Septembers calculation, but most of its weapons are not afaik) [...]

Not sure about the Train, needs further investigation (at least concerning the manpower).
Found in BArch RH 10/174.
The Division grew over the months from end of 1943 till this last reports.

[Wiedrock]

Infos (TOEs/Strengt Reports):
Panzerdivision Norwegen BArch RH 10/174
Panzerbigade Norwegen BArch RH 10/216
Panzerabteilung Norwegen BArch RH 10/222

Changed Units:
[U:3252] to OB:99 (one could add manual upgrad to TOE:100 on T161 ...)
[U:3271] DISband date for "Norway AOK Sturm Battalion" to T161 (16.07.1944)

G.Tessin, book 14 page 176f.png (607.41 KiB) Viewed 541 times

1. Pz Div gets formed in 10/1943. Manpower 6.7k BUT it includes a "Panzerzug Norwegen" (armored train Norway).
→ as shown in the first post, the manpower of this train must have been around ~250Men, these (an their guns) are therefore substracted.

Panzer Division Norwegen_v1.png (187.32 KiB) Viewed 541 times

2. 01.-13.07.1944 The Division gets turned into the "Panzerbrigade Norwegen". The train will be part of this Brigade (so will be substracted).
Further reduced is the manpower by the missing tanks, they were suppposed to have 79, had ~25+36, so -90Men., gives ~1764Men
Issue:
→ The AOK Sturm Battalion Norwegen (historically renamed into "Panzegrenadier Bataillon Norwegen") was becomming part of the Brigade, so it should be disbanded in game.
Alternative would be to keep the Sturm Battalion and instead of the Panzer-Brigade one could turn the Division into the "Panzerabteilung Norwegen" (so the Panzer Battalion of the Brigade).

Panzer Brigade Norwegen_v1.png (180.56 KiB) Viewed 541 times