Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82 (Motorisierte), 2.Panzer Division

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Feldjager
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Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82 (Motorisierte), 2.Panzer Division

Post by Feldjager »

About Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82

Research into the 2.Panzer Division has revealed that the Feldgendarmerie component of the Headquarters battalion from its inception on the 19th of August 1939 was numbered 82 for most of its career. It was renumbered 38 for the Balkans campaign but returned to 82 for the remainder of the war. Thus being motorised of troop strength and with the relevant number we became:

Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82 (Motorisierte) 2.Panzer Division

or

Fg.Trupp 82 (mot) / 2.Pz.Div for short

There was no special name for the unit and the insignia used on its vehicles was that of its parent Division, only the tactical markings differed in denoting its function.

Feldpost Number

The feldpost number for Feldgendarmerie troop 82 was 64110.

Strength

The strength of a motorised troop for a Panzer division consisted of:

Commanding officer
2 vehicle officers
30 NCO Feldgendarmen
11 NCO Feldgendarmen vehicle drivers
16 Enlisted Feldgendarmen vehicle drivers
4 Feldgendarmen assistant drivers
A total of 64 persons.

Equipment allocation

A motorised troop for a Panzer division was allocated the following vehicles:

8 solo motorcycles
4 motorcycle and sidecar combinations
17 light field cars
2 two tonne trucks
2 three tonne trucks
And also the following weapons:

14 Pistols (e.g. Walther P38, PPK)
8 Machine Pistols (e.g. MP34, MP40)
45 Rifles (k98)
4 light machine guns (e.g. MG34, MG42)
Of course, various other civilian vehicles were requisitioned from occupied countries, particularly cars and motorcycles, though trucks and buses were also common.

History of the 2nd Panzer Division

The Division was originally formed in Würzburg in 1935. Transferred to Vienna in 1938, by the time that war broke out in 1939 most of the personnel were Austrians. The Division took part in the Polish campaign of 1939, suffering heavy losses. Then fought in the French campaign of 1940 as part of Guderian's XLX motorised corps. Capturing Abbeville on the English Channel and thus isolating the B.E.F in the Dunkirk Pocket. Later the Division took part in the Balkan campaign, taking Athens alongside the 6th Mountain Division. As part of the XLI Panzer corps. 2nd Panzer crossed into Russia in 1941, reaching as far as the small river port of Khimki some five miles from Moscow, some elements even reported being able to see the Kremlin itself.

2nd Panzer, in the central sector, was thrown back by the Russian winter offensive of 1941-2. Later the Division was to take part in the Rzhev withdrawal, the battle of Kursk, and the middle Dniepr battles of 1943-44.

Having suffered heavy losses the Division was transferred to France for rest and refitting, but in June 1944 the 2nd Panzer Division was cast into the battle against the invading Western Allied armies in Normandy.

Involved in the unsuccessful Mortain counterattack and narrowly escaping from the Falaise pocket, the shattered Division was reformed at Wittlich in the Eiffel area of western Germany.

Incidentally the Division during this period, temporarily absorbed the remains of the 352 Infantry Division before they were reformed as the 352. Volks-Grenadier Division.

In 1945 2nd Panzer was comCentred to the Ardennes offensive, again suffering heavy losses.

In its final battles against the U.S Army the Divisional strength was down to 4 tanks, three assault guns and only two hundred men.

The survivors were absorbed into Panzer Brigade Thuringen and ended the war defending Fulda in April 1945.
Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82 - http://www.feldgendarmerie.co.uk
Panzer Nachrichten Abt. 38 - http://www.funker.co.uk
Hauptverbandplatz 82 - http://www.hvp82.co.uk

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Feldjager
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Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 10:19 pm
Location: South West England
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Re: Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82 (Motorisierte), 2.Panzer Division

Post by Feldjager »

I've been doing some more research on out chosen unit, and I've found that there was some variation during the course of the war:
- 15.03.38 to March 41 - Feldgend. Tr. 82 (Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82)
- March 41 to May 41 - Feldgend. Tr. 38 (Feldgendarmerie Trupp 38)
- May 41 to Sept 42 - Feldgend. Tr. 82 (Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82)
- Sept 42 to Sept 43 - Feldgend. Tr. 82 u. Stab Ost Btl. 446 (Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82 and Staff, Eastern Battalion 446)
- Sept 43 to 22.11.44 - Feldgend. Tr. 82 (Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82)
- 22.11.44 to 08.05.45 - Kdo.2 Pz.Div.,Begl.Kp.u.Feldgend.Tr.82 (Command 2nd Panzer Division, escort Company and Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82).

I've also discovered, from original letters that the feldpost number changed:
- 15.03.38 to 22.11.44 - 33851
- 22.11.44 to 08.05.45 - 64110

One thing which has cheered me up no end is that I have had contact with the son of a veteran of Feldgend. Tr. 82, who will put me in touch with his Father later this month. Given that only about 120 men passed through this unit during the war, it's quite incredible to find a surviving member.
Feldgendarmerie Trupp 82 - http://www.feldgendarmerie.co.uk
Panzer Nachrichten Abt. 38 - http://www.funker.co.uk
Hauptverbandplatz 82 - http://www.hvp82.co.uk

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