Panzer IV Ausf D deployments

Were there any Panzer IV Ausf Ds deployed to Poland in the aftermath of the invasion? I'm asking because I'm building a model of an Ausf D.

 

Are you refering to the period after the Polish Surrender and the start of the western attack into France?

 

Hi Jimbo, the Pz Mk IV Ausf D was first produced from Oct 1939 to May 1941 with 229 models made. By may 1940 enough Pz Mk IVs were built to equip every Tank detanchment with a Company Medium Tanks (Pz Mk IV) between 6 to 11 vehicles each, when the Germans invaded France they had 280 Pz Mk IVs of all models (Ausf A.B.C & D) they saw action in France, Balkens, Africa and Russia and the last few were phased out in 1944.
Pz Mk IV Ausf A, 35 made used in Poland, Norway & France.
Pz Mk IV Ausf B, 42 made used in Poland, Norway, France & Russia.
Pz Mk IV Ausf C, 134 made used in Poland, Norway, France & Russia.
Regards Yan.

 

I'm referring to the aftermath of the Polish campaign

 

Last remaining Panzer IV Ausf A were withdrawn from combat units in the Spring of 1941, before the Balkan Campaign.

Panzer IV Ausf B and C served in combat units until their "natural death" - last vehicles were written off by the end of 1943.

So did Panzer IV Ausf D - they also served until their "extinction" due to casualties.

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When it comes to Panzer IVs in the Polish Campaign:

No Panzer IV Ausf D were produced before 1 September 1939 so they didn't take part.

Number of Panzer IVs in German Army's inventory on 01.09.1939 was:

Ausf A - 35 (of them 30 went to units, 5 were used for further tests)
Ausf B - 45
Ausf C - 140

Of which in total 201 Panzer IVs were in combat units attacking Poland (the rest were in training units and spare units - as reserve for casualty replacements).

I suppose of these 201 Panzer IVs in Poland on 01.09.1939, around 140 were Ausf C, around 45 Ausf B and only around 16 Ausf A.

Individual units which invaded Poland had the following number of Panzer IVs on 01.09.1939:

1. Panzer-Division - 56
1. Leichte-Division - 42
3. Panzer-Division - 32
2. Panzer-Division - 18
5. Panzer-Division - 14
4. Panzer-Division - 12
Panzer-Division "Kempf" - 9
10. Panzer-Division - 8
2. Leichte-Division - 3
I./Panzer-Regiment 10. - 4
I./Panzer-Regiment 23. - 3

Total: 201

3. Leichte-Division - no any Pz-IVs
4. Leichte-Division - no any Pz-IVs

 

Hi Domen, were do you get your info from, I have got my first lot of stats from the book 'Encyclopedia of German Tanks WW2 by Chamberlain & Doyle' and the one below 'German order of battle Panzers & Artillery by Nafziger'
1st Light Div (41 Pz Mk IVs)
1st Pz Div (28 Pz Mk IVs)
2nd Pz Div (17 Pz Mk IVs)
3rd Pz Div ( 29 Pz Mk IVs)
4th Pz Div ( 12 Pz Mk IVs)
5th Pz Div ( 13 Pz Mk IVs)
10th Pz Div (Reserve) no data of Mk IVs
Pz Div Kempf (this unit served with the 10th Panzer)
Panzer Lehr Bn (no data on Mk IVs)
2nd Light Div (no data on Mk IVs)
3rd Light Div (no Mk IVs)
4th Light Div (no Mk IVs)
I./ Pz Regt 10. (cant find any data)
I./ Pz Regt 23. (cant find any data)
I ask because I hope my books are not incorrect (I use them for a lot of data)
Regards Yan.

 

The numbers look close enough that it may be the difference between available and operational on 1/1/1939, a significant percentage of tanks was in the workshops at any one time.

 

Thanks TOS, I wonder if some of the totals include Ersatz Companies, the German Army were quite well off then with Tanks and even had a Replacement units.
Regards Yan.

 

Hello I took my data mainly from Thomas Jentz's "Panzertruppen: The Complete Guide (...)" (Vol. 1 1933 - 1942) and Jacek Solarz's "Fall Weiss 1939".

But there are slight differences in sources. Numbers range from 198 to 201.

My numbers refer to operational tanks - I am 99% sure about that. Non-operational tanks were probably sent to reserve companies which left in the Reich. Szubanski writes how many tanks were in each unit before they left reserve companies.

No - Ersatz Companies are not included in my data.

Solarz writes how many tanks were in each division before they left Ersatz Companies in the Reich.

In total only 11 Panzer IVs were left in Ersatz Comapnies in garrisons in August of 1939.

Jentz also mentions how many tanks were left in Ersatz Companies and he also says 11 Pz-IVs.

No, "Kempf" was a separate division - it did not serve with 10. Pz.Div.

Also 10. Pz.Div. was in reserve of 4. Army only initially during first days of the invasion. Later it was given to Guderian's XIX Corps.

Pz.Lehr.Abt. is included within 3. Panzer-Division in my data because this battalion was attached to 3. Pz.Div. shortly before the invasion.

My data refers to 1/9/1939 or 31/8/1939 not to 1/1/1939.

In January number of Pz-IVs must have been significantly lower.

As far as I know Nafziger is a reliable author. Don't know anything about the other guys.

When it comes to this data:

"1st Light Div (41 Pz Mk IVs)
1st Pz Div (28 Pz Mk IVs)
2nd Pz Div (17 Pz Mk IVs)
3rd Pz Div ( 29 Pz Mk IVs)
4th Pz Div ( 12 Pz Mk IVs)
5th Pz Div ( 13 Pz Mk IVs)"

It is generally correct, except for 1. Pz.Div. - this division had 56 Pz-IVs - 28 in each regiment (Pz.Rgt.1 and Pz.Rgt.2).

Maybe you accidentally ommited the other regiment and counted only Pz-IVs from one of two regiments?

Something is different also with your data for 3. Pz.Div. because according to Thomas Jentz:

- Pz.Rgt.5 = 9 Pz-IVs
- Pz.Rgt.6 = 9 Pz-IVs

And these were two organic regiments of 3. Pz.Div. So organic units of 3. Pz.Div. had only 18, not 29.

But to this we have to add Pz.Lehr.Abt. / Pz.Lehr.Bat. which was attached to 3. Pz.Div.:

- Pz.Lehr.Bat. = 14 Pz-IVs

In case of the remaining of these divisisons listed above, your data is correct.

In my sources there are also similar differences (17 or 18 for 2. Pz.Div., 13 or 14 for 5. Pz.Div. and 41 or 42 for 1. Lei.Div.).

In general numbers range from 198 to 201, I just accepted 201 as more correct.

But 3 Panzer IV more or 3 Panzer IV less is not a big deal.

Yeap. In total they had three thousand and several hundred tanks

Around 400 tanks were left in Panzer Ersatz Companies in garrisons (but they were mostly Pz-I - 260 of them were Pz-I). They planned to form several reserve tank battalions using those Ersatz Companies.

Some further tanks were left in spare units as equipment reserve as well as in schools for training of new tank crews.

And finally over 2700 tanks were used for the invasion of Poland (the most numerous tank among this group was Pz-II).

=========================================================

I have these numbers for German tanks thrown against Poland on 01.09.1939 (I don't know if any replacements were sent later, during September):

Pz I - 973
Pz II - 1130
Pz 35(t) - 120
Pz 38(t) - 57
Pz III - 90
Pz IV - 201
Pz Bef (command tanks) - 134

Total: 2705

This broken down for divisions

1. Pz.Div. - 309
2. Pz.Div. - 323
3. Pz.Div. (with Pz.Lehr.Bat.) - 394
4. Pz.Div. - 342
5. Pz.Div. - 335
10. Pz.Div. - 151
Pz.Div."Kempf" - 172
1. Lei.Div. (with Pz.Rgt.11) - 227
2. Lei.Div. (with I./Pz.Rgt.25) - 160
3. Lei.Div. - 80
4. Lei.Div. - 62 (but here some sources give higher number - 76)

And two independent battalions (one attached to XXI Corps of 3. Army and one supporting divisions of 8. Army):

I./Pz.Rgt.10 - 76 (attached to XXI Corps - during the campaign it was taken from XXI and subordinated to I Corps)
I./Pz.Rgt.23 - 74 (supporting 8. Army during entire campaign)

Numbers for Pz.Div. "Kempf" come from a German report written in mid-August 1939.

Maybe this report includes also Ersatz Companies because Jentz and Solarz give slightly lower number (164 not 172).

 

Thank Dormen, Thank is a very impressive break down of the units involed.