Bicycle mounted Infantry

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Jugendkrieger
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Bicycle mounted Infantry

Post by Jugendkrieger »

Hey Guys,

Breaking into a new mode of research, can anyone point me in the correct direction for information regarding bicycle mounted infantry regiments? and what divisions used these? through the small amount of research i've done it seems to be mostly Volksgrenadier and Jager-Divisions. Any infantry?

Marc
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Christian_Jaeger
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Re: Bicycle mounted Infantry

Post by Christian_Jaeger »

Infantry-Divisons had only one Bataillon on Bicycles. It was a independent Bataillon.
It is the same for Jäger and Volksgrenadier.

From the Beginning the Aufklärungsabteilung had a Radfahrschwadron (Bicycle Company), the 2nd Company.
2.Radfahrschadron
Company Commander with 1x car and Platoon troop with 2x motorbikes with sidecar.
3x Züge with 1x Zugführer(Platoon leader), 3x Melder(Messengers) and 3x Gruppen(Squads), each Gruppe had 12 men and 1x lMG, 1x leichter Granatwerfertrupp(light motar troop) on 2x Motorbikes with sidecar.
1x schwerer Zug(Heavy platoon), 3x Motorbikes with sidecar(Zugtrupp = Platoon troop), 2x sMG on 8x Motorbikes with sidecar.
With Fieldkitchen and other support elements a Radfahrschwadron had 158 men.

Some Aufklärungsabteilung were named in 1942/43 for a short time as Radfahr-Abteilung and then named back.
In 1943 was the Aufklärungsabteilung of the Infanterie-Divisions formed to Fusilier-Bataillons. One Company of the Fuisilier-Bataillon was moblie on Bicycles. It was the only moblie element of the Infantry-Divisions, used as quick reaction force or recon. Fusilier-Bataillons were formed like Infantry/Grenadier Bataillons. The weapon colour was white.

In Late 1944 a strange epsiode began, Panzergrenadiers on bicycles!

In the KstN Nr. 1114 b 1st November 1944 is written about a Panzergrenadierkompanie (fdbew=Fahrradbeweglich)[Panzergrenadiers on bikes]. 12x light MG, 3x Panzerschreck, 1x light car, 1x motorbike, 1x truck 3to, 133x Bicycles.

In the KStN Nr. 1115 b 1st November 1944, the heavy panzergrenadier company .
1x Motorbike, 3x Motorbikes with sidecar, 9x light cars, 3x trucks 3to, 6x halftracks 1to für 6x 2cm Flak, 1x sMGs, 102x bicycles.

In the Ardennen offensive the I.Batallion of the Panzergrenadierregiment 304 of the 2.Panzerdivision was fully moblie on bicycles.

My sources:
- Das Handbuch der deutschen Infanterie 1939-1945, by Alex Buchner
- Die motorisierten Schützen und Panzergrenadiere des deutschen Heeres 1935-1945, by Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann
Last edited by Christian_Jaeger on Fri Apr 09, 2010 6:23 am, edited 2 times in total.
Adjutant, I./Ski-Jäger Regiment 1, 1.Ski-Jäger Brigade
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Heeresbergführer
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Re: Bicycle mounted Infantry

Post by Heeresbergführer »

Servus Marc,

Get the following books:

Shadows of War: A German Soldier's Lost Photographs of World War II by Willi Rose

Radfahrschwadronen: Fahrräder im Einsatz bei der Wehrmacht 1939-1945 by Horst Hinrichsen

Truppenfahrrader vor!
PK
Dort, wo der Adler haust!
Hauptmann u. Heeresbergführer "Papa" Kiser
Kompanie Chef
5. Kp./Hochgebirgsjäger Btl. 4


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wolfsangel
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Re: Bicycle mounted Infantry

Post by wolfsangel »

122nd Infantry Division had 3 regiments fusiliers on bicycles they were 409, 410 and 411. They fought exclusively on the Eastern front and ended up in the Kurland peninsula at the end of the war.

Bicycles were also used by other regiments in smaller numbers for communications and general easy reliable transport, for examples hae a look a the link below

http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn134a1okt43.htm

hope that helps

Matt

PS sorry about the shameless self promotion of our new group, I couldn't help myself x
Frontschweine, Regiment 409
mauser98
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Re: Bicycle mounted Infantry

Post by mauser98 »

The 20th Luftwaffe Field Division also had bicycle units in Italy. Although with an influx of older recruits they had many jagers/reiters that were not physically fit enough to bike.

Jim
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Christian_Jaeger
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Re: Bicycle mounted Infantry

Post by Christian_Jaeger »

Radfahrschwadronen, Füsiliere and other bicyle troops

Many people may have the image of the wehrmacht as a gigant panzer machine. Which is very popular shown by german propaganda. Nevertheless the Wehrmacht was marching to over 80% on foot und most of the artillery was horse drawn, like the armies in the napoleonic wars. To become faster the bycicle was used for more mobility. In Western europue it was a great sucess, because of the good roads.
At the end of 1944 more and more troops got bicycles, even the panzergrenadiers. Because the Wehrmacht had not enough petrol and vehichles.

Radfahrschwadronen

Image
Bicycle company in france 1940.
Image
Bicycles soldier 1941, Balkan.

1939
2. Schwadron – Radfahrschwadron[Bicycle company]
three bicycle platoons with each
- platoon leader and troop
- three squads of 12 men one l.MG
- one light mortar(5cm) squad (2 heavy motorbikes)
one heavy platoon
- platoon leader and troop(3 heavy motorbikes)
- Heavy MG-half squad (2 sMG, 8 heavy motorbikes)
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn3531sept39.htm


Image
Radfahrschwadron 1943, K.St.N. 356a, 1.8.1943

Each Infantry division had one bicycle company in the Aufklärungsabteilung [reconnaissance bataillons], one cavalery companie, a armoured car company and a heavy company. Many recon bataillons never catch the ideal, so they had only three bycicle companies and were called Radfahrabteilung, the name were changed in 1942/43 to Aufklärungsabteilungen, after that the Füsiliers were introduced.

Füsiliere
The change form Aufklärungsabteilung [reconnaissance bataillons] to Füsilierbataillons the Bataillon got more fire power for offensive and defensive operation, which were needed, specially on the eastern front. one or two companies got bicycles for better mobility.

Füsilierbataillon autumn 1943
Image
3 rifle-companies (16 light MG, two 8cm mortars),
1 machine gun company(12 heavy MG, four 12cm mortars)
(Minimun one company on bycicles)
Image
MG Troop with bicycles.
Image
A german soldier in france 1944.


Volksgrenadiers
Divisionsfüsilierkompanie September/Oktober 1944
Volksgrenadierdivisions got only one Füsilier company, but it got many heavy weapon for one company. Volkgrenadiere division should have a bicycle bataillon in each of its three Grenadierregiments, so they could be more mobile. These bataillons but have nothing to do with the Füsiliers.

Image
1. (Radfahr-MP-) Zug[1st (Bicycle Machinepistol) Platoon]
- two squads with eight men each equiped with Sturmgewehren or MP
- one squad with 5 MP/StGw, 3 Kar 98k mit Gewehrgranatgerät[rifle granate launcher] and one l.MG.
2. (Radfahr-MP-) Zug [2nd (Bicycle Machinepistol) Platoon]
like 1st platoon
3. (Radfahr-) Zug [3rd (Bicycle) Platoon]
- two squads with 2 MP/StGw, 6 Kar 98k/G 43, 1 light MG
- one squad with 1 MP/StGw, 3 Kar 98k/G 43, 3 Kar 98k mit Gewehrgranatgerät[rifle granate launcher], 1 l.MG.
4. (Schwerer Radfahr) Zug [4th (heavy bicycle) Platoon]
- two 8cm mortars
- two heavy MGs
5. leichter Infanteriegeschützzug [5th (Infantry gun) Platoon]
- two Infantry guns 7,5cm
http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/Docume ... 9.1944.pdf


Image
Image
Bicycle troops, maybe Füsiliere, near Arnheim in September 1944.

Panzergrenadiere (fahrradbeweglich)
Bicycles become commen with the panzergrenadiers in November 1944. Many panzergrenadier regiments got bicycle insteed trucks or halftrucks because of the lack of petrol and vehicles.
Image
Since the 1st Nov. 1944 the [armoured infantry bataillon on bicycles]Panzergrenadierebataillon (fahrradbeweglich)
Each had Combat company 12 light MG, 3 Panzerschreck, in heavy company waren 12 heavy MG and six 2cm Flak.

Examples for Panzergrenadier Regiments with Bicycle Bataillons 1944-45:
Panzergrenadier-Regiment Müncheberg 2, Panzergrenadier-Regiment 42,Panzergrenadier Regiment 139, , Infanterie zbV 829 (Führer-Grenadier-Brigade),

Other bicycle troops in 1945
Image
1. Panzervernichtungsbrigade Hitlerjugend formed in Febuary 1945, most men were 15-17 year old boys. The brigade surendered in April 1945 in Berlin.

Literature:
Handbuch der Infanterie, Alex Buchner, Dörfler Verlag
Radfahrschwadronen: Fahrräder im Einsatz bei der Wehrmacht 1939-1945 Horst Hinrichsen, Dörfler Verlag
Taktische Zeichen auf den Fahrzeugen des deutschen Heeres 1939-1945, Wolfgang Fleischer, Dörfler Verlag
Die motorisierten Schützen und Panzergrenadiere des Heeres 1935-1945, Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann, Dörfler Verlag
http://www.sturmpanzer.com/Default.aspx
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstnmain.htm
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Zus ... derung.htm
K.St.N. 1114 b Panzergrenadierkompanie (fdbew.)1.11.1944
K.St.N. 1115 b schwere Panzergrenadierkompanie (fdbew.) 1.11.1944
Adjutant, I./Ski-Jäger Regiment 1, 1.Ski-Jäger Brigade
Ruimteaapje
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Re: Bicycle mounted Infantry

Post by Ruimteaapje »

Schnelle Gruppe Knittel (Aufklärungs-Abteilung LSSAH) fielded a bicycle equipped platoon during the Ardennes offensive, so I expect to see those Irish guys from "KG Knittel" to reenact that in the near future!

Zugführer: SS-Untersturmführer Erich Kollatschny
Zugtrupp: SS-Unterscharführer Kristel
1. Gruppe: SS-Unterscharführer Jofef Pries
2. Gruppe: SS-Unterscharführer Ostermann
3. Gruppe: SS-Unterscharführer Kurt Lehmann
4. Gruppe: SS-Unterscharführer Kodehus

From a veteran:
"Meine Gruppe bestand aus 11 Mann. 10 Panzergrenadiere auf Fahrrädern, geführt von Unterscharführer Pries. Jede Gruppe hatte einen Lkw für die Fahrräder."

"My group contained 11 men. 10 Panzergrenadiers on bicycles, led by Unterscharführer Pries. Every group had a truck for the bicycles".

Originally the platoon was part of the 3. Kompanie and should have been Schwimmwagen-mounted but not enough were available. Thus the men recieved bicycles and were transfered to the Stabskompanie as "mobile reserve". The trucks were intended to transport the bicycles when the Panzergrenadiers advanced on foot.
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