6th Panzer Division 1937-1945

Most of the units which later made up the 6th Panzer División had been formed by October 1937: the 1st Light Brigade at Wuppertal under Generalmajor Hoepner. and the 11th Panzer Regiment at Paderborn under command of 6th Panzer Brigade. The former was under XV Corps, the latter, VI Corps. Spring 1938 saw the ist Light Brigade redesignated as a división. For the originally envisaged role of strategic rcconnais-sance and security its mainstay was the rifle regiment of four battalions including one motorcycle battalion. The regiment was redesignated as a Kavallerieschiûtzenrcgiment in 1938, its uniforms being distinguished by cavalry-yellow Waffenfarbe. The motorcycle battalion later became the independent 6th Motorcycle Battalion. The regiment also incorporated the 17 (Kraftfahrzeug-Geschtitz) Kompanie, a support company with 12 short-barreled 75mm guns. All the rifle companies had twice the allocation of machine guns of foot infantry companies; they were fully motorised, being mounted in Krupp-Protz-Kw 'soft-skin' transport. The 6th Recce Regiment was soon reduced to 6th Recce Battalion, incorporating both armoured car and rifle companies. The independent 65th Panzer Battalion, with an HQ and three companies, had a total strength of some 70 PzKpfw I and II light tanks armed with machine guns and 2omm cannon. They had their own tank transporters, 9-ton Buessing 6x4 trucks with low-loader trailers which served as loading ramps.