So, you recite what's in the links I posted for Grognerd!
That doesn't answer the original question, if the Brigaade HQ shows up in the 11th Panzer Division OOB he's using, why are the two regiments that made up the 1940s version of the Brigade also listed on the OOB as assets reporting to the division command?
Sorry, it was late and I was tired, that's why my answer was incomplete.
In theory, the two Grenadier regiments in the 11th Panzer-Division reported to the Brigade HQ as long as it existed, that would be correct. The question is: when was the brigade HQ removed? It did not show up anymore in the 1943 OOB, for sure. Also, it's not totally clear whether the Brigade HQ/staff was actually used for command/control say after mid-1942, and if it even still existed in late 1942.
Grognerd pointed out, that the Brigade HQ isn't mentioned in any book/source he read.
In his memoirs, General Balck points out (page 403) that he would make plans for the following day, discuss them with his staff officer Kienitz and that he - while staying in touch with his staff officer (Major Kienitz) via radio - then visited each of his regiments to explain the orders in person.
He then went back to his CP to speak on the phone with the chief of staff of the XXXXVIII. Pz. Corps, Oberst von Mellenthin. "
If Knobelsdorf, the commanding general, agreed, the regiments would receive a short acknowledgment: 'No Changes'. If changes were necessary, I would visit all the regiments once more that night. There were no misunderstandings. By daybreak I was back at the decisive place."
(Page 35 of the quite interesting Master's Thesis (Robert G- Walters) covering the Chir river battles, which I attached below.)
As Balck worked and interacted with Pz.Rgt 15 and Gren.-Regt. 110 directly, I doubt that the Brigade HQ was involved, and it's questionable if it still existed at that point. I can't imagine that Balck actually used such structure, given his description of his command style.
My guess is that he either ignored the Brigade HQ, or it didn't exist anymore at that point. It's possible that then the OKW, with the organizational changes and the changes regarding the naming conventions in 1943, deleted it (see paragraphs about the Brigades, below), so that the division layout would comply with the new regulations.
Grognerd, you might have to get the Division's Kriegstagebuch (Band) 6 (war diary volume 6, and possibly Anlageband Nr. 3 = Appendix Volume 3) or literature covering/discussing the bulk of it to make sure, tho.
If you'd put it in, then you'd have to render it as pure staff HQ, without base unit, as the columns of the Bns and the Rgts. handled the supply columns. Right now, I tend to think that it's ok to leave it out.
The author of the thesis points out that the authorized strength of the 11th Panzer-Division was 99 tanks. The actual strength on 18 December 1942 was 47 operational/mission ready, 21 requiring limited repairs and 15 requiring extensive repairs. The division had only 2 of its authorized 3 tank Bns, the 3rd Bn remained with Army Group Center in Roslavl. A Panzer Division with its full complement of tank Bns was authorized 150 tanks at the time.
The chart of the 10th Panzer-Division posted by Arkadiy is even more tricky, as it's a snapshot from April 1942, as the unit was sent to Africa in May and as the Brigade HQ in this Division was explicitly kept to lead the Inf regiments (which were rebranded as Gren.-Regts. in July). Moreover, the tank regiment had only 1 Bn.
Same here, though, the Brigade HQ diseappeared from the OOB at some point in 1943.
My guess is it allowed for some flexibility in deployment of the 11 panzer regimental assets, in effect becoming active when the regiments were assembled into a battlegroup operating separate from the division's assignment,"
My answer should have been "yes and no", but for the 10. Panzer-Division, only.
It's likely that the 11. Panzer-Division was a way different affair when Balck assumed command in May 1942, as discussed above.
10. Panzer-Division: "Yes" regarding the suggested flexibility, as its rifle regiments were most likely used to the Brigade structure and staff (since it used to be an independent brigade HQ), so the HQ was kept to ease C+C most likely, and "no" regarding the "becoming active" part as - according to the accounts I read - the Brigade HQ was fully active until its deletion. The brigade idea stemmed from pre-war organizations (1938), where the Wehrmacht believed that brigade-sized armored/motorized formations had some advantages, but where it also thought that smaller units would be a perfect deception for the enemy.
The chart posted by Arkadiy shows that the 10. Panzer division was in a transitional state (only 1 Tank Bn in April 1942, transition from a pure hull-HQ unit without supply trains etc. in 1939/1940 to a divisional HQ with proper infrastructure in 1941/42), so I wouldn't rule out that the divisional HQ lacked supply/baggage elements and some signal equipment/elements, and that would be another hint towards the Brigade HQ still being needed.
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In general, Tank Brigade HQs were established to lead the attached tank regiments within divisions, but - once they got extended to or integrated into divisions - the Wehrmacht figured that the divisional HQs could handle command and control and deleted most of the brigades in 1941. The remaining HQs were dissolved in 1942, afaik. This goes for Panzer-Brigades 1-8.
In turn, the Tank-Brigade HQs 10, 18 and 21 were specifically established in 1942 and 1943 to assist the corresponding divisions, or to form Kampfgruppen, or to be at the disposal of particular Army HQs, and in 1944 an OKH order had explicitly ordered to establish tank brigades 101-110, as well as 111-113 (as part of the Valkyrie plans). The idea here was to be able to create a number of brigades instead of divisions, as there was not enough equipment available to establish 13 complete tank divisions, anymore, so these brigades were actual units in most - if not all - cases. Hitler ordered the establishment, Guderian opposed this. Most brigades had a short life span, as their combat value was questionable, so they were dissolved or used to replenish existing tank divisions in September and October 1944.
In turn, Schützen-Brigades, as I understand it, were primarily established as independent brigades sometimes with changing motorized (or even armored) attachments, but were then used as HQs for the infantry elements, when they were absorbed by or extended to tank divisions. Most of these HQs were dissolved until mid-1942, one or another until early November 1942. I wouldn't rule out that one of these 24 brigade HQs existed until early 1943.
Some were renamed to zbV (at special disposal) and then used to form or control KG/fire brigades in late 1942, usually on the Army level.
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The 10th Division had several interesting/changing compositions, it lacked AT elements, for instance, in September 1939 it had only 1 inf Rgt. (SS), and in 1940 (France) it featured a tank brigade HQ (Panzer-Brigade 4) and 2 tank regiments (7. and 8.) and the 2 rifle regiments which were lead by Schützen-Brigade 10.
The tank brigade 4 HQ was meant/established as independent tank brigade (HQ) actually, and it had formed the staff of Division "Kempf" (1938/1939) eventually, which was another odd unit, as it contained only around half of the personnel/equipment of a regular division in 1939, Tank Regiment 7 and SS-Regiment 7.
2 reasons: 1) the attempt to put SS troops under the command of the Wehrmacht, 2) the attempt to stay under the Polish surveillance radar when shuffling around such smaller unit.
The SS-Regiment formed the bulk of the SS-Verfügungstruppen-Division later on, the Tank-Brigade 7, along with tank regiment 8, was assigned to the 10th Panzer in 1940.
From July 1942 to April 1943 the AA-Bn 302 was assigned to the Division's artillery regiment as 4th Bn. It looked odd in April 1942, too:
Some interesting material:
Additional links:
https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4013coll3/id/2033/
https://www. amazon .com/Appreciation-Tactical-Agility-Function-Decision-Making/dp/1249458218
https://www. amazon .de/When-Pull-Trigger-Counterattack-Sophistication/dp/1288329695
Went ahead and downloaded 11th tank division archives. As of Nov 1st, the division didn't even bother putting the Brigade HQ on its OOB:
