FUNKLENK PANZERTRUPPEN by Thomas L. Jentz From AFV NEWS, Sept-Dec. 1986, Volume 21, No.3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Directly after the Polish campaign, the German Army recognized the need for remotely controlled vehicles to clear gaps in minefields. Borgward was given a contract on 21 Nov/39 to develop their "B1", a fully tracked, radio controlled vehicle weighing 1.5 tons with a 4 cyl engine that could be used to tow mine detonating rollers. A total of 50 of these Minenraumwagen (SdKfz 300) were produced between Jan. and May 1940. Borgward was issued a second contract on 3 Apr/40 to develop the "B2", a slightly larger vehicle of 2.3 tons with a 49hp engine. The first unit to be issued the B2 was Minenraum Abteilung 1, formed in 1940 with 2 companies. However, it does not appear that it saw action in France or in the East. In Oct./41 Borgward got another contract to design a radio controlled vehicle that could carry an explosive charge of 500 kg. Known as the B IV, it was officially designated by the Waffen amt as the Sprengladungstrager (SdKfz 301). It weighed 3.5 tons and was powered by a 6 cyl, 49hp engine. Twelve trial vehicles were completed by Apr./42 and full production began in May/42. Minenraum Abt. 1 was reorganized and designated Pz.Abt. (Funklenk) 300. The unit now consisted of 3 companies with an official organization published in KStN 1171f, dated Jan.1/43 as follows: LEICHTE PANZER KOMPANIE f Kompanie Trupp: 2 PzKpfw III (5cm) (SdKfz 141). 1. Zug: 4 PzKpfw III (5cm) (SdKfz 141) and 12 Spengstofftrager (SdKfz 301). 2. Zug: 4 PzKpfw III (5cm) (SdKfz 141) and 12 Spengstofftrager (SdKfz 301) Pz.Abt. (Funklenk) 300 was was shipped to the Eastern Front and assigned to Heeres Gruppe Sud in late May/42. On June 7/42 it had 27 PzKpfw III and still had 20 operational Pz.III by July 11/42. Before being transferred to Heeres Gruppe Nord in early Sept/42 the active field unit was renumbered from 300 to 301, and an experienced cadre returned to Neuruppin, the home base for the Panzer Versuchs and Ersatz Abt. (Funklenk) 300. Pz. Abt. (FKL) 301 with an operational strength of 25 PzKpfw III on Sept 17/42 remained with H-G Nord until Dec./42, when it returned to Neuruppin to rest and refit. The next major employment of the Funklenk units was at Kursk, when the HQ of pz.Abt.(FKL) 301 was assigned to H-G Mitte with 3 new companies (312, 313, and 314) under its command. These independent companies were formed in Jan./43 and ordered to be operational by May/43. Instead of PzKpfw III, StuG III were issued to the units for control and command. Pz.Kp (FKL) 312 had 7 StuG, 313 had 7 and 314 had 9 on July 5/43. The only detailed action account from 5th to 8th July comes from 312, attached to sPz.Abt. 505 (with 31 Tigers and 15 Pz.III), is as follows: "One B IV was sent 800 meters against a PaK Nest of 2 or 3 anti-tank guns and detonated, destroying the guns along with their accompanying infantry. A second B IV was sent 400 meters against a T34, which was destroyed when it rammed the B IV. Three B IVs were sent 400 to 600 meters against three concrete bunkers and destroyed them. Two B IVs were sent 800 meters against an anti-tank gun position and an infantry gun position, destroying both of them. One B IV reached a Russian position and was set on fire by a Molotov Cocktail. It exploded and eliminated the position. Pz.Kp.(FKL) 313 was attached to the II.Abt./sPz.Jag. Rgt. 656 (sPz.Jag.Abt. 654 with 44 Elefants). Its initial role was to clear a gap thru the enemy minefield. Before reaching the minefield 4 B IVs were lost in German minefields, and 4 made it thru to blow a gap thru which the Elefants passed. Later, 3 B IVs destroyed two PaK Nests and a bunker. Pz.Kp. (FKL) 314, attached to the I. Abt./sPz.Jag.Rgt. 656 (sPz.Jag.Abt. 653 with 45 Elefants), used 12 BIVs to blow a gap thru deep enemy minefields. The StuGs used as control vehicles moved thru, but the Pioniers could not mark the gaps since they were pinned down by heavy artillery fire. The Elefants lost track of the gap and some were disabled on the mines, delaying the attack considerably. Later that day, two BIVs were sent into a woodline held by enemy infantry. After detonating, enemy resistance ceased to exist. The companies under command of Pz.Abt. (FKL) 301 had lost 20 BIVs in 4 days. Only 4 BIVs didn't reach their assigned targets due to being hit by A/T and artillery fire. Two of these were burnt out and two were recovered. Those BIVs that did not have the spring detonators set, did not explode but burned when hit. Overall, the unit was pleased with the performance, but the radio control proved to be effective for a range of 800 - 1000 meters instead of the desired 2000 meters. The unit commander requested that Tigers replace the StuGs as a much more effective control tank, due to the thicker armor and higher profile to view the BIV's progress. All 3 companies were quickly decimated in the heavy fighting in H-G Mitte during July and August, and returned to rebuild in Germany in late 1943. A fourth company, 311, was not was not ready for Kursk and was later sent to H-G Sud in mid-August, outfitted with 10 StuGs, and remained on the East Front until May 18/44, when it was ordered back for refit with Pz.Versuchs und Ausbildung Abt. 300 in Eisenbach. The HQ of Pz.Abt. (FKL) 301 returned to Neuruppin and again took over command of its original 3 companies. In Sept./43 the unit was outfitted with 32 StuG. In addition, two new companies, Pz.Kp. (FKL) 315 and 316 were formed and each was issued 10 StuGs in Aug./43. At the close of 1943, all of the Funklenk units except 311 were in training centers in the West, with the following strength as of Dec. 31/43: 301 had 31 StuG; 311 had 7 StuG; 312 had 2 StuG; 313 had 10 Pz.III/N; 314 had 4 StuG; 315 and 316 each had 10 StuG. In response to the Allied landings at Anzio, in Jan./44 Pz.Abt.(FKL) 301 was sent to help reinforce the front, remaining in action there until Mar./44. A new phase in the deployment of Funklenk units occurred in Dec./43 when 313 was assigned to sPz.Abt. 508 as its 3. Kompanie. 314 was sent to sPz.Abt. 504 as its 3. Kompanie in Jan./44, and 316 was assigned to the Pz.Lehr Abt. All 3 of these units were to receive Tigers as control tanks, as dictated by KStN 1176f dated Feb. 1/44: SCHWERE PANZER KOMPANIE "TIGER" (F.K.L.) Kompanie Trupp: 2 PzKpfw Tiger (SdKfz 181 or 182) 1. Zug: 4 PzKpfw Tiger (SdKfz 181 or 182) and 9 Sprengstofftrager (SdKfz 301), plus 1 mSPW (251/1) 2. and 3. Zug: Same as 1. Zug. Sondergerat Reserve of 9 SdKfz. 301. The 3. Kp of sPz.Abt 508 with 14 Tiger I was sent to Italy to the Anzio beachead in Feb./44, and the 3. Kp of sPz.Abt 504 with 14 Tigers was sent to Italy in June/44. Both of them remained in Italy until October, when their personnel were sent back to Germany for further employment with other units. Pz.Kp. (FKL) 316 under the Panzer Lehr Rgt.received the first 5 production Tiger IIs to replace their StuGs in Feb./44. When the Allied landed in Normandy the Tiger IIs were mechanically unsound and it was decided to ship them back to Germany. However, transport could not be arranged and the 5 Tiger IIs remained in France at Chateaudun where they were subsequently destroyed to prevent capture. The Funklenk company fought in Normandy with the Pz.Lehr Rgt., starting with an operational strength of 9 StuG and 3 Tiger Is. They still had 7 operational StuG on July 1/44 and were pulled out of the front later in July to join the newly formed Pz.Abt (FKL) 302. 301 was built up to 4 companies by the addition of 312 as the 1. Kompanie. When the Allies landed at Normandy 301 was attached to 2. Pz.Div. with an operational strength of two Pz.III, 32 StuG, and 146 B IVs. The organization had been updated by KStN 1171f dated 1/Jun/44 as follows: LEICHTE PANZER KOMPANIE f Kompanie Trupp: 2 StuG (SdKfz 142/1) 1. Zug: 4 StuG (SdKfz 142/1) and 12 Sprengstofftrager (SdKfz 301), plus 1 mSPW (SdKfz 251/1) 2. Zug: (Same as above 1. Zug). Sondergerat Reserve of 12 Sprengstofftrager (SdKfz 301) The unit was quickly decimated in June and July 1944 and pulled out to rebuild. Pz.Abt (FKL) 302 was formed in June 1944 and by the time of its employment consisted of 4 Kompanies. Pz.Kp. (FKL) 316 became the 1. Kompanie, 315 the 2. Kp., 317 the 3. Kp., and 311 the 4. Kp. It was sent to Heeres Gruppe Mitte in the East in Aug./44 with 3 PzKpfw IV, 40 StuG and 144 B IVs. It remained there and reported having 38 StuG on Dec. 5/44, and 28 StuG on Jan. 15/45, but was down to 3 StuG by Mar. 15/45. The unit ended its days in East Prussia. The last independent company, Pz.Kp. (FKL) 319, was formed and sent west in Sept./44. It had been outfitted with 10 StuG and 36 B IVs. the 319 took part in the Ardennes Offensive in Heeres Gruppe B and reported an operational strength of 10 StuG on Jan. 15/45. It was pulled out of the front to help form the battalion sized Funklenk unit in Feb./45. After leaving France, 301 was ordered on Aug. 19/44 to reorganize and re-equip as sPz.Abt (Tiger/FKL) 301. Each of the 3 companies were to have 10 Tiger Is and the Abteilung HQ was to have 2 Tiger Is. Since the Tiger I had gone out of production the unit was issued a total of 31 Tiger Is that had been rebuilt, of which 10 were acquired from an SS sPz.Abt. The new 301 also took part in the Ardennes Offensive under Heeres Gruppe B. Late in the war a third Abteilung, the Pz.Abt (FKL) 303 was organized by pulling together the remains of 319, 301 and 302. On Feb. 17/45 it was ordered to be formed as a normal Panzer Abteilung without Funklenk equipment. Issued 31 Pz. IV, it was renamed Pz.Abt. "Schlesien" and sent to face the Russians during the closing months of the war. The last unit to be formed was Panther Zug (FKL) 303. It consisted of the remnants of personnel and vehicles from Pz.Abt. (FKL) 303 and Pz.Versuchs and Ausbildung Abt. 301. On Feb. 18/45 this platoon was ordered to be quickly organized, issued 4 StuG and 12 B IV, and shipped to the Eastern Front and attached to 35. Pz.Gren.Div. under H-G Mitte. The overall worth and effectiveness of these Funklenk units in the closing months of the war was minimal.