PzKpfw I in pioneer battalions of Panzer Divisions

[Rexzapper]

As far as I can see, on 22nd June 1941 all Panzer Divisions had a Panzer-Pionier-Kompanie of PzKpfw I in their Pionier-Battalion. The numbers are given in the tables below, a total of 185 PzKpfw I which are not in the game. These vehicles (except the company commanders' vehicles) had a device in their rear (Abwurfvorrichtungen) which carried an explosive weighing up to 50 kilograms in order to destroy fortifications, barriers and obstacles.

As it appears in the text of the book: "However,... the mounting of the device en the PzKpfw I had little effect on its combat capabilities, and these light tanks unquestionably played an important role in the course of combat operations."


Wouldn't it be more logical to add them to the game? Not all Panzer Division vehicles are specifically assigned to their Panzer Regiments (armored cars, halftracks, SP guns, SP Flaks, etc.)... and yet they are also in the game. Could these vehicles be added to said pioneer battalions?





Source: Boris Kavalerchik (2018), "The Tanks of Operation Barbarossa. Soviet versus German Armour on the Eastern Front", Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978 1 47388 680 3.

[Rexzapper]

These are the PzKpfw I with Abwurfvorrichtungen that could be found in those pioneer battalions.




Source: Thomas L. Jentz (1998), "Panzer Tracts No. 14: Gepanzerte Pionier-Fahrzeuge" (Armoured Combat Engineer Vehicles), Darlington Productions, Inc., pp. 2–3. ISBN 1-892848-00-7

[Denniss]

Interesting, one never stops to learn something new ......
The question is how to implement them.

[MechFO]

Interesting, one never stops to learn something new ......
The question is how to implement them.

Didnt WITW implement armoured engineering units for the various western allied engineering tanks?

[Wiedrock]

The game has MSW tank and engineering tanks as categories, which work as engineers when reducing fortifications afaik.

[Wiedrock]

Some 09/1940 TOE with a Engineering Battalion having a "Pz" Panzer Company.

[Rexzapper]

A quick search will reveal countless sources mentioning these PzKpfw I tanks in pioneer battalions. I came across this yesterday in Osprey's book "Panzer Divisions: The Eastern Front 1941-43" (Battle Orders 35, 2008), pages 38 and 39. Apparently, by the winter of 1941-42, no PzKpfw I tanks remained operational in these divisions, and no replacements were available, leading to a change.





Could this really be so difficult to implement in the game? Couldn't they even be added as regular PzKpfw I tanks, even though they weren't assigned to divisional panzer regiments?

[Denniss]

Thanks for the update. The use of rocket launchers is interesting but sadly they are not mentioned for 42 or later