The summer of ‘42
A Critical Period for the Wehrmacht in Russia
By Greg Moore
Panzer Divisions
In the summer of 1942, the German Wehrmacht had 19 panzer divisions fighting on the Russian
Front. Tank losses had been heavy since the invasion in June of 1941 but new tanks were coming into
service. The following is the organization and equipment of a panzer division during this critical period.
Panzer Battalion
German tank production had not been able to keep up with the losses suffered in Russia since June
of 1941. None of the panzer battalions by the summer of 1942 were at full strength and many were at
lower than half strength. For the summer offensive in the south, the panzer divisions involved needed to
be close to full strength. The decision was made to strip tanks from the other panzer divisions, particu-
larly the ones in Army Group Center. One battalion (out of two) was taken from each of these divisions
and sent south. These battalions (plus a few new ones) were used to increase the number in each of the
nine panzer divisions in the south to three battalions. Also, one panzer battalion was added to each of
the six motorized infantry divisions in Army Group South. This left the panzer divisions in the north
and the center woefully understrength in tanks, making them hardly better than infantry divisions for the
rest of the year. Combat tanks employed during this period include the following:
The diminutive Panzer II with its puny 20mm cannon actually had its biggest produc-
tion year in 1942 since before the war started with 322 new ones built. These tanks were
still mixed into most tank battalions but were used mostly for scouting and command func-
tions. After 1942, no more were built and they quickly disappeared from front line service
with the survivors converted to other uses.
Panzer 35(t)’s had all been pulled from service but the Czech built 38(t) was still being
used in six panzer divisions. Hopelessly outclassed by the Russian T-34, the 35(t) was no
longer produced after June of 1942. The 38(t) chassis continued to see service, however, in
a variety of non-turreted tank destroyers until the end of the war.
The Panzer III with the 50/L42 gun was still the most common tank in German service
in 1942 with over 2000 built to date and 500 ready to roll for Army Group South in the sum-
mer offensives. Unfortunately, it was now at a distinct disadvantage against the rapidly in-
creasing number of T-34’s and KV-I’s it found itself facing. Only 251 new ones were built
in 1942 with the last ones of this type produced in July.
In order to keep up with the heavier Russian tanks, the Pz III had to be upgraded. A
new higher velocity 50/L60 gun gave it a much greater punch and the armor was increased
as well. Only 64 were built in 1942 but many older types were converted in the field. (note:
I don’t know why the designers of Panzer Leader gave this counter a speed of 9. The engine
is exactly the same as the other Pz III’s and the Pz IV’s and nearly every source gives them
all the same speed of 40 km/hr. I think this should have a game speed of 8.)
This infantry support version of the Panzer IV with the short 75/L24 gun was still in
service in all tank battalions but was in the process of being replaced by a better version.
Production of this version finally ceased in March of 1942.
By 1942, Germany needed a better tank to fight the Russians with. The large chassis of
the Panzer IV proved to be a good platform for upgrades. The tank was improved signifi-
cantly by adding a higher velocity 75/L43 or 75/L48 gun and thicker armor. Production of
this version began in March of 1942 and over 800 were built by the end of the year. This
tank would become the primary German combat tank in 1943.
Schützen Battalion (in theory)
x9 x2 x1 x2 x 14 x2 x1 x1 x1
Schützen Battalion (the more common reality)
x9 x2 x1 x1 x2 x1 x 16 x1 x1
Even though the official organization of the infantry battalions in a panzer division called for them
to all ride in armored halftracks, less than a quarter of such battalions actually did so in 1942 (and not
much better for the rest of the war). One battalion (or less) in a regiment had halftracks while the other
one rode in trucks. Often the one battalion had only one company in halftracks. Some regiments con-
tained no halftrack infantry at all. The anti-tank gun had been upgraded to a 50mm version and was sup-
plemented by the 28mm squeeze-bore AT gun. This light gun with the big punch proved to be very
handy but wore out quickly and largely disappeared after 1942 due to a shortage of tungsten needed for
its ammunition. In the late part of 1942, these battalions were officially redesignated “panzergrenadier”
battalions although they still mostly did not have any armored vehicles.
Artillery Battalion
x4 x2 x6
The artillery in a panzer division was still towed (the Wespe was a year away). Some captured
French tanks had been converted to self-propelled artillery but few if any were deployed to the eastern
front.
Panzerjager Battalion
x2 x2 x1 x1 x1 x1 x1
The job of the panzerjager battalion was to kill tanks. The 37mm AT gun that the Germans began
the war with was now hopelessly obsolete against the heavy armor of the Russian T-34 and KV-I. An
improved 50mm Gun was being produced and was replacing it. The 75mm PAK 40 was also in limited
production in 1942 but doesn’t seem to show up in panzer divisions until late in the year. In addition,
many Pzjgr battalions received one company of self-propelled tank destroyers. Organization of this bat-
talion varied greatly and seems to be different for every Panzer division. Most just included a few
50mm AT guns and a Marder II or Marder III. AA halftracks were usually included in the unit.
Tank Destroyers
The Germans had built over 200 of these early tank destroyers consisting of a Czech
47mm AT gun mounted on a Pz I chassis. At least five battalions rolled into Russia in 1941
but the first year of the war in the east had consumed most of them and the rare survivors
were all pulled out of service by the end of 1942.
The flood of Russian T-34’s leaving the factories had created an urgent demand for a
better tank destroyer. During July and August of 1942, 170 Marder I’s were built by mount-
ing a Pak 40 75mm ant-tank gun on a French built Lorraine tractor chassis. Many of these
never left France but at least five German infantry divisions had a company of them in their
Panzerjager battalions in 1942.
The Pz II had outlived its usefulness as a combat tank and now found itself adapted to
other uses. Both the Pak 38 (76.2mm Russian) and Pak 40 (75mm German) anti-tank guns
were mounted on this chassis to produce the Marder II. About 850 were built or converted,
starting in April of 1942 and they first saw service in Russia in July. They were mainly found
in the PzJgr battalions of panzer and panzergrenadier divisions.
The excellent Czech built Pz 35(t) was also near the end of its ability to serve as a front
line tank. The chassis was not big enough to mount a larger turreted gun on the tank so it
was converted to a number of useful non-turreted configurations. Both the Pak 38 and the
Pak 40 were mounted on the chassis, some with the engine at the rear and some with it in the
middle. This counter represents all versions of the Marder III. Just over 1600 were built or
converted starting in April of 1942 and served on all fronts until the end of the war.
Panzer Pioneer Battalion
x8 x1 x9 x1 x1
The pioneers were a vital component of the mobile panzer division. They cleared roadblocks, built
bridges, and did whatever it took to keep the tanks rolling forward. The battalion was also occasionally
used as an infantry battalion, usually functioning as the reserve. German engineers were trained as com-
bat engineers and could perform a number of combat missions. In theory, one company was provided
with halftracks to better enable it to advance forward into the combat area with the tanks. In practice,
nearly all pioneer battalions in 1942 in the Panzer divisions had only one platoon mounted in halftracks.
The battalion always included a mobile bridge. Personnel assigned to the bridge were only tasked to
transport it. The manpower for actually building it came from the regular engineer platoons.
Recon Battalion
x1 x2 x6 x1 x1 x1 x 12
x1 x1 x3 x1 x3
In any mobile advance into enemy territory, it was critical to be know what was in front of the divi-
sion. The job of the recon was to be the eyes and ears of the division. Because getting information
sometimes required fighting, the battalion was supplied with support elements to back up the armored
cars and motorcycle infantry. When the Wehrmacht rolled into Russia in 1941, some battalions were
equipped with French Panhard armored cars. These vehicles, built for the paved roads and level fields
of western Europe, did not fare well on the primitive roads and rough terrain of Russia. By 1942, they
had all been used up and replaced with German built designs. Note: The battalion should include nine
platoons of motorcycle mounted infantry. In the past, I have decided to represent these troops as infan-
try with trucks to transport them. For my 1942 page, I have decided to represent a third of them as mo-
torcycle units so the recon vehicles have more units while still leaving two thirds of the troops as infan-
try platoons in trucks. Players may choose to represent these platoons as they see fit.
Flak Battalion
x2 x2 x2 x2
Panzer divisions did not yet possess a permanent anti-aircraft battalion as part of their regular or-
ganization. Many Panzer divisions did however have a battalion attached to them most of the time.
This formation usually included towed or self-propelled 20mm anti-aircraft guns and a battery of towed
88’s.
Motorized Infantry Divisions
These divisions contained only two regiments of infantry instead of the three regiments in a regular
infantry division. Their advantage was that they were entirely motorized and far more mobile. For op-
erations in the south in 1942, it was decided to add a panzer battalion to each motorized division in the
south (six in all). All the battalions of these divisions looked very much the same as a Panzer division,
except that nobody rode in armored halftracks in the infantry battalions. These motorized divisions were
well used and saw much action in 1942. At the end of the year, they were designated as Panzergrenadier
divisions and permanently contained a panzer battalion (containing mostly assault guns for the rest of
the war) and rode in armored halftracks (same as Panzer divisions, more likely to be in trucks).
Some Final Notes
I have decided to depict all the German units for the Eastern Front as PanzerBlitz rather than Panzer
Leader units. This affects mostly artillery and infantry units and players may substitute units from either
game as they wish. Free downloads of units not included in either original game may be found either on
my website or at imaginative-strategist.layfigures.com.
A few notes about units:
Sdkfz 8 and Sdkfz 10 are halftracked trucks. They are heavy haulers for artillery type
units but are not armored. Treat them as soft-skinned vehicles the same as trucks for target
purposes but treat them as tracked vehicles for movement purposes. The Sdkfz 8 will usually
be seen hauling artillery howitzers, 150mm infantry guns and 88mm AT/AA guns. The Sdkfz
10 is a smaller, lighter version and is almost always the prime mover for 50mm AT guns. It
frequently comes with a mounted machine gun and so has a small attack factor.
These are also halftracked trucks and should be treated the same as above. The Sdkfz
10/4 mounts a 20mm AA gun on a swivel while the Sdkfz 7/1 mounts a quad 20mm AA on a
swivel. Both these weapons work equally well against air or ground units.
Also, the divisions I have depicted are configured as they were at the end of June in 1942 at the
start of the summer offensives. The tank numbers and type will vary greatly during the rest of the year
for some units. By the middle of this year, Panzer III J and Panzer IV F are the primary tanks in produc-
tion and replacement tanks should consist mostly of these two types (with a few Pz III M’s thrown in).
75mm AT guns are in limited production but should probably not show up on this front before Novem-
ber or so. All divisions are shown at full strength (except for the panzer battalions) but as the offensives
wear on, they will become greatly diminished in strength and should be depicted as so in any scenario
involving a well-used unit from this period.
By Greg Moore
gregpanzerblitz.com
September, 2013
