Independent Machinegun and Mortar Battalions of the Wehrmacht
By Jason Long
These units were raised as mobile defensive formations and were originally structured with 3 motorized machine-gun companies and a motorized anti-tank company with twelve 37mm Pak 36 AT guns. By the invasion of France the anti-tank company had been restructured as a heavy company with two platoons of AT guns, totalling six guns and a 81mm mortar platoon, also of six tubes. In addition some units had been reinforced with additional companies of motorized engineers and anti-tank guns.
The reinforcement of most machine-gun battalions by a motorcyle-machine-gun company in the winter of 1940 isn't confirmed by Niehorster.
This OB excludes fortress troops. I have also not figured out the tangled history of the Korps-Maschinengewehr-Batallionen, but hope to add them a some future date.
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 1
15 Oct 35 raised in Euskirchen, WK XII
1 Sep 39 Grenz-Kdtr. Eifel, 5th Army, Army Group C
11 Mar 40 reinforced to 6 companies by the addition of pioniere and Pak companies.
10 May 40 VIII Corps, 4th Army, Army Group A
2 Aug 40 reorganized and redesignated as Kradschützen-Btl. 16 (16th Panzer-Division)
FtF: Sep I 39, 5th Army, Army Group C, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 1
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 1
Granatwerfer-Batallion 1
Spring 43 2. and 3. formed (as Gran.-Werfer-Btl. Afrika 1?)
May 43 destroyed in Tunis and disbanded
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 2
15 Oct 35 raised in Sennelager, WK XII
1 Sep 39 Grenz-Kdtr. Eifel, 5th Army, Army Group C
early 1940 reinforced by addition of two motorized pioniere companies
10 May 40 XXIII Corps, 16th Army, Army Group A
23 Jan 41 assigned to 5th Leichte Division and later sent to Libya
FtF: Sep I 39, 5th Army, Army Group C, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 2
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 1
Granatwerfer-Batallion 2
Spring 43 2. and 3. formed
Summer 43 disbanded
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 3
15 Oct 35 raised in Büdingen, WK IX
1 Sep 39 Grenz-Kdtr. Eifel, 5th Army, Army Group C
15 Feb 40 reinforced with a motorcycle company (?)
10 May 40 XXIII Corps, 16th Army, Army Group A
6 Aug 40 reorganized and redesignated as Kradschützen-Btl. 165 (16th Infanterie-Division (mot.))
FtF: Sep I 39, 5th Army, Army Group C, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 3
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 3
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 4
Ski-Maschinengewehr-Batallion 4
15 Oct 35 raised in Münsingen, WK V
1 Sep 39 Grenz-Kdtr. Oberrhein, 7th Army, Army Group C
9 Feb 40 reinforced with a motorcycle-machine-gun company (?)
9 Apr 40 XXXI Corps, Denmark
13 Apr 40 transferrred to Norway
10 May 40 XXI Gruppe, Norway
FtF: Sep I 39, 7th Army, Army Group C, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 4
FitE/SE: Initial, Army Norway, 1-8 Mot MG II 4; Aug I 42 convert to 1-8 Ski MG II 4; Jul I 44, Convert to 3-4-8 Ski MG X Finn
SoS: 1x 1-10 mot MG II 4; Jun II 41, transfer to East, Arctic
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 5
15 Oct 35 raised in Würzburg, WK V
1 Sep 39 Grenz-Kdtr. Oberrhein, 7th Army, Army Group C
9 Feb 40 reinforced with a motorcycle-machine-gun company (?)
10 May 40 XIII Corps, 16th Army, Army Group A
20-24 Jun 41 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
25-26 Jun 41 29th Motorized Infantry Division, 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
27-30 Jun 41 4th Army, Army Group Center
1-4 Jul 41 XXXXVII Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
5 Jul 41 4th Army, Army Group Center
6 Jul 41 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
7 Jul 41 XXXXVII Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
8-18 Jul 41 Kampfgruppe Streich, 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
10 Jul 41 XXXXVII Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
19-21 Jul 41 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
22-23 Jul 41 XXXXVII Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
24 Jul 41 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
25 Jul 41 XXXXVII Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
26 Jul 41 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
27 Jul 41 IX Corps, 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
28 Jul-7 Aug 41 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
8-13 Aug 41 XXIV Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
14 Aug 41 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
15-16 Aug 41 XXXXVI Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
17-24 Aug 41 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
25-27 Aug 41 XXXXVII Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
28 Aug 41 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
29 Aug-17 Sep 41 XXIV Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
18-22 Sep 41 XXXXVI Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
23-24 Sep 41 17th Panzer Division, 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
25 Sep-2 Oct 41 XXIV Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
3-8 Oct 41 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
9 Oct 41 29th Motorized Infantry Division, 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
10 Oct 41 25th Motorized Infantry Division, 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
11 Oct-25 Dec 41 XXXXVII Corps (mot.), 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center
26 Dec 41-19 Jan 42 2nd Panzer Army, Army Group Center
15-18 Jan 42 XXIV Panzer Corps, 2nd Panzer Army, Army Group Center
20 Jan-4 Jun 42 LIII Corps, 2nd Panzer Army, Army Group Center
5 Jun-31 Dec 42 XXXV Corps, 2nd Panzer Army, Army Group Center
9 Nov 42 reorganized with three 12cm mortar companies
29 Dec 42 redesignated as schw. Granatwerfer-Batallion 5 and assigned to 78. Sturm-Division
FtF: Sep I 39, 7th Army, Army Group C, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 5
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 5
FitE/SE: Initial, 2nd Panzer Group, Army Group Center, 1-8 Mot MG II 5
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 6
Granatwerfer-Batallion
15 Oct 35 raised in Bamberg, WK XIII
1 Sep 39 XIII Corps, 8th Army, Army Group South
10 Feb 40 reinforced with a motorcycle-machine-gun company (?)
10 May 40 IX Corps, 6th Army, Army Group B
15 Nov 40 reorganized and redesignated as Kradschützen-Btl. 40 (10th Infanterie-Division (mot.))
FtF: Sep I 39, 8th Army, Army South, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 6
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 6
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 7
15 Oct 35 raised in Königsbruck, WK IV
Sep 39 XV Corps (mot.), 10th Army, Army Group South
10 May 40 XXVII Corps, 6th Army, Army Group B
16 Aug 40 reorganized and redesignated as Kradschützen-Btl. 44 (14th Panzer-Division)
FtF: Sep I 39, 10th Army, Army South, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 7
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 7
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 8
15 Oct 35 raised in Züllichau, WK III
1 Sep 39 III Corps, 4th Army, Army Group North
5 Feb 1940 reinforced by addition of a motorized pionier and a Pak company. The latter two from Grenzwacht-Rgt. 66 and 76
10 May 40 XV Corps, 4th Army, Army Group A
3 Jun 40 attached to 4th Panzer Division, XIV Corps (mot.), 6th Army, Army Group B
23 Jan 41 assigned to 5th Leichte Division and later sent to Libya
FtF: Sep I 39, 4th Army, Army Group North, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 8
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 8
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 9
Granatwerfer-Batallion 9
15 Oct 35 raised in Heiligenbeil, WK I
1 Sep 39 XXI Corps, 3rd Army, Army Group North
10 Feb 40 reinforced with a motorcycle-machine-gun company (?)
10 May 40 XVI Corps, 18th Army, Army Group B, less 4. assigned to XXV Corps, 18th Army
3 Jun 40 attached to 4th Panzer Division, XIV Corps (mot.)
22 Jun 41 Army Group South reserves
15 Sep 41 Army Group South reserve
Nov 41 1st Panzer Group, Army Group South, Rostov
1 Jan 42 III Corps (mot.), 1st Panzer Army, Army Group South
1 Feb 42 Gruppe von Mackensen, Army Group South
6 Mar 42 1st Panzer Army, Army Group South
12 May 42 III Panzer Corps, 1st Panzer Army, Army Group South
[Niehorster: 28 Jun 42 Army Group South reserves]
3 Jul 42 1st Panzer Army, Army Group South
6 Nov 42 XIV Panzer Corps, 6th Army, Army Group B
Feb 43 destroyed at Stalingrad
2 Jun 43 survivors reformed as Granatwerfer-Batallion 9 with 3 companies of 12cm mortars
Mar 44 1st Panzer Army?, Kamenets-Podolsk
1945 Upper Silesia
FtF: Sep I 39, 3rd Army, Army Group North, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 9
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 9
FitE/SE: Initial, Army Group South Reserves, 1-8 Mot MG II 9; Feb I 43, Replacement Pool, Remove
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 10
Granatwerfer-Batallion 10
12 Oct 37 raised in Pirmasens, WK XII
1 Sep 39 Grenz-Kdtr. Saarpfalz, 1st Army, Army Group C
5 Feb 40 reinforced with a motorcycle-machine-gun company (?)
10 May 40 16th Army reserve, Army Group B
22 Jun 41 attached to 291st Infantry Division, 18th Army, Army Group North
19 Jul 41 XXVI Corps, 18th Army, Army Group North
1 Oct, 21 Nov, 8 Dec 41, 2, 12 Jan 42 XXVIII Corps, 18th Army, Army Group North
22 Jan, 1, 11, 24 Feb, 14 Mar, 4 Apr, 15 Jun 42 XXXIX Corps (mot.), Sixteenth Army, Army Group North
1942 16th Army, Cholm
6 May 43 reorganized and redesignated as Granatwerfer-Batallion 10 with 3 companies of 12cm mortars and assigned to 16th Army, Army Goup North
1943 16th Army, Newel
10 Nov 43 attached to 58th Infantry Division, L. Corps, 18th Army, Army Group North
Mar 44 16th Army, Daugvapils
7 May 45 16th Army, Kurland Pocket
FtF: Sep I 39, 1st Army, Army Group C, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 10
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 10
FitE/SE: Initial, 18th Army, Army Group North, 1-8 Mot MG II 10
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 11
12 Oct 37 raised in Münsigen, WK V
1 Sep 39 Grenz-Kdtr. Oberrhein, 7th Army, Army Group C
10 May 40 XIX (mot.) Corps, Panzer Gruppe Kleist, Army Group A
1 Nov 40 reorganized and redesignated as Kradschützen-Btl. 36 (36th Infanterie-Division (mot.))
FtF: Sep I 39, 7th Army, Army Group C, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 11
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 11
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 13
Ski-Maschinengewehr-Batallion 13
10 Nov 38 raised in Saarlautern, WK XII
1 Sep 39 Grenz-Kdtr. Saarpfalz, 1st Army, Army Group C
9 Apr 40 XXXI Corps, Denmark
13 Apr 40 transferrred to Norway
10 May 40 XXI Gruppe, Norway
FtF: Sep I 39, 1st Army, Army Group C, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 13
FitE/SE: Initial, Army Norway, 1-8 Mot MG II 13; Aug I 42 convert to 1-8 Ski MG II 13; Jul I 44, Convert to 3-4-8 Ski MG X Finn
SoS: Initial, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 13; Jun II 41, transfer to East, Arctic
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 14
Ski-Maschinengewehr-Batallion 14
10 Nov 38 raised in Saarlautern, WK XII
1 Sep 39 Grenz-Kdtr. Saarpfalz, 1st Army, Army Group C
9 Apr 40 XXXI Corps, Denmark
13 Apr 40 transferrred to Norway
10 May 40 XXI Gruppe, Norway
FtF: Sep I 39, 1st Army, Army Group C, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 14
FitE/SE: Initial, Army Norway, 1-8 Mot MG II 14; Aug I 42 convert to 1-8 Ski MG II 14; Jul I 44, Convert to 3-4-8 Ski MG X Finn
SoS: Initial, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 14; Jun II 41, transfer to East, Arctic
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 15
10 Nov 38 raised in Brieg, WK VIII
Sep 39 assigned to XIV. (mot.) Corps, 10th Army, Army Group South
10 May 40 assigned to XXVI Corps, 18th Army, Army Group B
Winter 1940 reorganized and redesignated as Kradschützen-Btl. 160 (60th Infanterie-Division (mot.))
FtF: Sep I 39, 10th Army, Army South, 1x 1-10 mot MG II 15
FoF: 1x 1-8 mot MG II 15
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 16
Jun 40 Rouen
13 Jul 40 formed from Sperr-Btl. V (formed 10 Mar 40 in WK V) in Northern France, and machine-gun units of Grenzwacht-Rgt. 66, 76, and 112. It was organized with 3 motorized machine-gun, 1 (non-motorized) pioniere and 1 motorized Pak companies
Demotorized sometime in late(?) 1942
1940-1945 Channel Islands
SF: West, Initial, 1x 1-6 Mtr II 16
Maschinengewehr-Batallion 17
14 Jul 40 formed from MG-Btl. (GW) 27 by XXVII Corps (formed 9 Apr 40 in WK V) in Northern France, and machine-gun units of Grenzwacht-Rgt. 36, 46, and 56. MG-Btl. (GW) 27 was originally formed from companies transferred from Landesschützen-Btl. VII./VI (457), XVII./XIII (817, and VIII./VI (458) on 12 Mar 40. It was organized with 3 machine-gun, 1 pioniere and 1 Pak companies.
31 Jul 40 arrived in France
Jun 44 equipped with 36 heavy MGs in three companies, and motorized platoons of engineers and 3x 5cm AT guns, 632 men on strength. Destroyed in Cherbourg
TFH: 1x 1-6 Mtr II 17
schw. Granatwerfer-Batallion 18
10 May 43 raised at the Wandern Training Grounds, WK III, from elements of Gran.-Werfer-Btl. Afrika 1 and Glossner with three companies of 12cm mortars
4 Jul 43 XXXXVI Panzer Corps, 9th Army, Army Group Center
2 Jun 44 absorbed into 1st Ski-Jäger Division
SE: Jun I 43, 1x 1-8 Mtr II 18
schw. Granatwerfer-Batallion 19
10 May 43 raised at the Wandern Training Grounds, WK III, from elements of Gran.-Werfer-Btl. Afrika 1 and Glossner with three companies of 12cm mortars
4 Jul 43 XXXXI Panzer Corps, 9th Army, Army Group Center
28 Feb 44 XXXXI Panzer Corps, 9th Army, Army Group Center, Bobruisk
Jun 44 Bobruisk
1945 2nd Army
SE: Jun I 43, 1x 1-8 Mtr II 19
Granatwerfer-Batallion 20
10 Dec 44 raised in WK V with 4 companies of medium mortars
1945 19th Army, Army Group G
schw. Granatwerfer-Batallion 441
Sep 44 formed with three companies (assigned to XXXXI Panzer Corps in East Prussia?)
Nov 44 removed from FpU, disbanded?
SE: Sep I 44, Replacement Pool, Add: 1x 1-8 Mortar II 441
Granatwerfer-Batallion AOK 7
Oct? 44 formed by 7th Army with four companies
Nov 44 attached to 275 Infantry Division, LXXIV Corps, 7th Army, Army Group B, Hürtgen Forest
Fallschirm-Maschinengewehr-Batallion 1
Fallschirm-Granatwerfer-Batallion 1 (Jul 44)
Jan 44 became independent and assigned to I. Parachute Corps with 3 companies
Jul 44 reorganized as a mortar battalion, each with 12x 12cm mortars and reassigned to 1st Parachute Division?
SF: West, Initial, 1x 1-8 Mtr II 1 Fs (Lw); Aug I 43, transfer to South
Fallschirm-Maschinengewehr-Batallion 2
Fallschirm-Granatwerfer-Batallion 2 (May 44)
Nov 43 formed from III./Luftwaffen-Regiment Barenthin with 3 companies and assigned to II. Parachute Corps
May 44 reorganized as a mortar battalion of three companies, each with 12x 12cm mortars and reassigned to 2nd Parachute Division?
schwere Werfer-Abteilung der Fallschirm-Armee 1
Fallschirm-Werfer-Abteilung 21 (Jun 44)
Fallschirm-Werfer-Abteilung 210 (28 Mar 45)
Jan 44 formed with 4 batteries, served under 1 Parachute Army
Bibliography:
Geheimen Tagesberichte der deutschen Wehrmachtführung im Zweiten Weltkrieg, 1939-1945
Tessin, Georg. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945
Zetterling, Niklas. Normandy 1944: German Military Organization, Combat Power and Organizational Effectiveness
Zetterling, Niklas and Frankson, Anders. Kursk 1943: A Statistical Analysis
Ziemke, Earl F. The German Northern Theater of Operations
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