Volksgrenadier engineer/pioneer units?

[richard zamudio]

There are many  more instances of the Volksgrenadier in action. However there is little mention of Volksgrenadier engineer/pioneer units. Are there any examples of the TO&E for such units? Thanks in advance.

[Alan Hamilton]

The best I can do is:  Pioneer Battalion (organization as of 1 April 1944).  I don’t have the company, platoon, section breakdown.  Of course, the figures are what the unit was supposed to have.  Reality was almost certainly different.

UNIT	Offs	NCOs	Pvts	Rifles Cbns	Pistols	SMGs	LMGs	Hv MGs	81-mm Morts	Flame Thr	Mtr Vehs	Mtrcls	H-Dr Vehs	Trls	Hs	Bcls
Bn Hq	9[1]	14	61	60	17	7					10	8	3	1	10	37
Engr Co (Bcl)	3	26	150	128	49	2	9	2	2	6	1	3	16	8	29	130
Engr Co (Bcl)	3	26	150	128	49	2	9	2	2	6	1	3	16	8	29	130
Total	15[1]	66	361	316	115	11	18	4	4	12	12	14	35	17	68	297

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by Alan Hamilton.

[richard zamudio]

This shows that these units (in “theory”) existed. Thanks again for this useful information.

[Alan Hamilton]

The Volksgrenadier Divisions were organized around small cadres of veteran soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers mainly from shattered or other Infantry Divisions. Their ranks were then filled out with whoever the Replacement Army could find. Naval and Air Force personnel made redundant through losses and fuel shortages, recovered wounded soldiers discharged from hospitals, older men who would have been considered too old or too unfit in peacetime and young men from the latest conscription classes were all posted into the ranks.  They were brought as close to establishment as possible.  Arming them was a different matter!

In addition to the Divisional Engineer Battalion each of the Volksgrenadier Regiments also had a strong platoon of engineers established as (again I do not have a detailed breakdown):

1 officer, 7 NCOs, 65 Privates, 53 Rifles/Carbines, 7 Pistols, 13 SMG, 6 LMG, 6 Horse drawn vehicles, 13 horses, 2 bicycles.

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