113th Panzer Brigade
| 113th Panzer Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 4 September - 1 October 1944 |
| Country | File:Flag of Germany (1935–1945).svg Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Panzer |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Erich Freiherr von Seckendorff |
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The 113th Panzer Brigade was a tank formation of the German Army in World War II. As a tank formation, it was part of the Panzer Arm (Panzerwaffe).
History
[edit | edit source]The 113th Panzer Brigade was formed on 4 September 1944.[1]
Unlike earlier Panzer Brigades, it was equipped with two battalions of Panzer IV and Panther tanks, with two mechanized panzergrenadier battalions, instead of one battalion each. On paper, it was a strong formation. However, it lacked sufficient supporting units such as reconnaissance, artillery and engineers, which made a Panzer Division a lethal combination of armor and infantry. On 6 September the brigade was sent to Colmar and on 16 September sent to Saarburg.[1] Assigned to the 5th Panzer Army,[2] it participated in the Battle of Arracourt, as the Germans attempted to stop the US Third Army's penetrations in Lorraine.[3] By that time, the brigade had 42 Panther tanks.[4]
During the battle for Hill 318 at Arracourt, an ad-hoc Kampfgruppe was formed from the remnants of the 113th Panzer Brigade commanded by Oberstleutnant Erich Hammon.[5]
The battle resulted in German defeat and the virtual destruction of the 113th Panzer Brigade,[6] leaving its commander, Oberst Erich Freiherr von Seckendorff dead in the battle as well.
On 1 October 1944, the 113th Panzer Brigade was disbanded, and its shattered remnants was assigned to the 15th Panzergrenadier Division.[1]
Order of battle
[edit | edit source]- 2113th Panzer Battalion
- I/130th Panzer Regiment
- 2113th Panzer Grenadier Regiment
- 2113th Brigade Support Units
- 2113th Panzer Reconnaissance Company
- 2113th Flak Company
- 2113th Sturmgeschütz Battalion[1]
Citations
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c d Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Cole 1997, p. 192.
- ^ Cole 1997, pp. 220–233.
- ^ Cole 1997, p. 224.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Cole 1997, p. 233.
References
[edit | edit source]- Books
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Websites
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).