Lehr-Brigade (mot.) 900
Encyclopedia
Lehr-Brigade 900 (Motorized Demonstration Brigade) was formed 17 June 1941 by the Army Heer
from school units in preparation for Operation Barbarossa
. As such it was considered an elite as many of its personnel were instructors in tactics from various branch schools. It fought in most of the battles in the central sector of the Eastern Front
during Barbarossa, notably the Battles of Minsk, Smolensk
, Operation Typhoon and the Battle of Moscow
before its remnants were withdrawn in April—May 1942.
of Motorized Infantry Regiment (Infanterie-Regiment (mot.)) 900 was drawn from the School for Mobile Troops (Schule für Schnelle Truppen) in Wünsdorf. The battalion headquarters and the second company were mounted on Sd.Kfz. 251 half-tracks while the first company was mounted on motorcycles. The second battalion came from Infantry School (Infanterieschule) Döberitz. 13. Company (Kompanie) was equipped with two 15 cm sIG 33 and four 7.5 cm leIG 18
infantry guns. 14. Kompanie had six 3.7 cm PaK 36 and two 5 cm PaK 38 towed anti-tank guns.
Two companies of Anti-tank Battalion 900 (Panzerjäger-Abteilung) were equipped with eight PaK 36 and three Pak 38 anti-tank guns each, but the third company had nine self-propelled
Panzerjäger I
tank destroyers. Artillery Battalion 900 (Artillerie-Abteilung) had four batteries
, three of which had four 10.5 cm leFH 18
howitzers each, but the fourth battery had seven Sturmgeschütz III
assault guns. Motorized Engineer Battalion 900 (Pionier-Bataillon (mot.)) was formed from Engineer Demonstration Battalion (Pionier-Lehr-Bataillon) 2 in Dessau-Roßlau
on 1 May 1941, but only the third company of the battalion was assigned to the brigade. One platoon of this company was equipped with Sd.Kfz. 251 half-tracks. Signal Battalion (Nachrichten-Abteilung) 900 was formed with two companies.
, but it quickly moved north-east to rebuff relief efforts by the Soviet 16th
and 30th Armies of the Western Front. It was pulled off the front line into tactical reserve on 7 August 1941 and remained there for ten days until renewed Soviet attacks caused it to sent it back into combat. It was pulled back into reserve on 26 August and remained there until the opening stages of Operation Typhoon. It stayed in reserve until 6 October when it was released to follow 1st Panzer Division's in its drive to Kalinin
. The Soviets forced the Germans to retreat from Kalinin after a month of heavy fighting and Lehr was placed in reserve on 12 November, where it remained until the Soviet Winter Counter-Offensive of 5 December forced the Germans to retreat en masse.
The brigade, and most of its subordinate units, was formally disbanded on 7 April 1942, but the 900th Infantry Regiment remained in Russia until 28 May 1942 when it too was disbanded, its personnel returning to their original units.
Heer
Heer is German for "army". Generally, its use as "army" is not restricted to any particular country, so "das britische Heer" would mean "the British army".However, more specifically it can refer to:*An army of Germany:...
from school units in preparation for Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
. As such it was considered an elite as many of its personnel were instructors in tactics from various branch schools. It fought in most of the battles in the central sector of the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
during Barbarossa, notably the Battles of Minsk, Smolensk
Battle of Smolensk (1941)
The Battle of Smolensk was a largely successful encirclement operation by the German Army Group Centre's 2nd Panzer Group led by Heinz Guderian and the 3rd Panzer Group led by Hermann Hoth against parts of four Soviet Fronts during World War II...
, Operation Typhoon and the Battle of Moscow
Battle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, capital of...
before its remnants were withdrawn in April—May 1942.
Composition
The first battalionBattalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of Motorized Infantry Regiment (Infanterie-Regiment (mot.)) 900 was drawn from the School for Mobile Troops (Schule für Schnelle Truppen) in Wünsdorf. The battalion headquarters and the second company were mounted on Sd.Kfz. 251 half-tracks while the first company was mounted on motorcycles. The second battalion came from Infantry School (Infanterieschule) Döberitz. 13. Company (Kompanie) was equipped with two 15 cm sIG 33 and four 7.5 cm leIG 18
7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18
The 7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18 was an infantry support gun of the German Wehrmacht used during World War II.- History :...
infantry guns. 14. Kompanie had six 3.7 cm PaK 36 and two 5 cm PaK 38 towed anti-tank guns.
Two companies of Anti-tank Battalion 900 (Panzerjäger-Abteilung) were equipped with eight PaK 36 and three Pak 38 anti-tank guns each, but the third company had nine self-propelled
Self-propelled
Self-propelled often refers to some form of self-propelled travel. It can refer to* Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon* Self-propelled anti-tank gun* Self-propelled artillery* Self-propelled barge T-36* Self-propelled gun* Self-propelled mortar...
Panzerjäger I
Panzerjäger I
The Panzerjäger I was the first of the German tank destroyers to see service in the Second World War. It mounted a Czech Skoda cm PaK anti-tank gun on a converted Panzer I Ausf. B chassis...
tank destroyers. Artillery Battalion 900 (Artillerie-Abteilung) had four batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
, three of which had four 10.5 cm leFH 18
10.5 cm leFH 18
-History:The 10.5 cm leFH 18 was the standard divisional field howitzer used by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. It was designed and developed by Rheinmetall in 1929-30 and entered service with the Wehrmacht in 1935. Generally it did not equip independent artillery battalions until...
howitzers each, but the fourth battery had seven Sturmgeschütz III
Sturmgeschütz III
The Sturmgeschütz III assault gun was Germany's most produced armoured fighting vehicle during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank...
assault guns. Motorized Engineer Battalion 900 (Pionier-Bataillon (mot.)) was formed from Engineer Demonstration Battalion (Pionier-Lehr-Bataillon) 2 in Dessau-Roßlau
Dessau-Roßlau
' is an independent city and urban district in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Elbe and Mulde. The town was formed by merger of the independent city of Dessau with the town of Roßlau in the course of the Kreisreform Sachsen-Anhalt on 1 July 2007...
on 1 May 1941, but only the third company of the battalion was assigned to the brigade. One platoon of this company was equipped with Sd.Kfz. 251 half-tracks. Signal Battalion (Nachrichten-Abteilung) 900 was formed with two companies.
Combat History
Lehr was still moving forward towards the demarcation line between German and Soviet-owned Poland on 22 June 1941 when Operation Barbarossa began and it missed the first few days of the campaign. By the beginning of July it was under the command of the 9th Army of Army Group Center, where it participated in the later stages of the Battle of Białystok–Minsk. By 19 July it was part of the northern wing encircling the Smolensk PocketBattle of Smolensk (1941)
The Battle of Smolensk was a largely successful encirclement operation by the German Army Group Centre's 2nd Panzer Group led by Heinz Guderian and the 3rd Panzer Group led by Hermann Hoth against parts of four Soviet Fronts during World War II...
, but it quickly moved north-east to rebuff relief efforts by the Soviet 16th
11th Guards Army
The 11th Guards Army was a Soviet field army active from 1943 to 1997, which traces its origins to the formation of the Soviet 16th Army in June-July 1940.-History:...
and 30th Armies of the Western Front. It was pulled off the front line into tactical reserve on 7 August 1941 and remained there for ten days until renewed Soviet attacks caused it to sent it back into combat. It was pulled back into reserve on 26 August and remained there until the opening stages of Operation Typhoon. It stayed in reserve until 6 October when it was released to follow 1st Panzer Division's in its drive to Kalinin
Kalinin
Kalinin , or Kalinina , is a Russian surname, derived from the word kalina , and may refer to:People with the surname...
. The Soviets forced the Germans to retreat from Kalinin after a month of heavy fighting and Lehr was placed in reserve on 12 November, where it remained until the Soviet Winter Counter-Offensive of 5 December forced the Germans to retreat en masse.
The brigade, and most of its subordinate units, was formally disbanded on 7 April 1942, but the 900th Infantry Regiment remained in Russia until 28 May 1942 when it too was disbanded, its personnel returning to their original units.
Subordinations
| Year | Month | Corps | Army | Army Group | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | July | 9th Army | Army Group Center | Minsk Minsk - Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened... |
|
| August | XXXXIX Corps (mot.) | 3rd Panzer Group | Army Group Center | Smolensk Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk... |
|
| September | 9th Army | Army Group Center | Smolensk Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk... |
||
| October—December | Army Group Center | Kalinin Kalinin Kalinin , or Kalinina , is a Russian surname, derived from the word kalina , and may refer to:People with the surname... |
|||
| 1942 | January | LVI Corps (mot.) | 3rd Panzer Group | Army Group Center | Velish |
| February | XXXXI Corps (mot.) | 9th Army | Army Group Center | Velish | |
| March—April | 9th Army | Army Group Center | Velish |