"Panzer Division Flak Battalion Composition?" Topic

I'm mapping out the unit composition for the 11th Panzer Division for Blitzkrieg Commander IV in the battles along the Chir River. One formation that I'm having difficulty finding information on is flak battalions in panzer divisions. OOB for '41 Panzers have no flak battalions but they begin to appear in '42. The 277. Heeres-Flak-Battalion was part of 11th Panzer. It seems many Flak Battalions were Luftwaffe but right in the title Heeres Flak it appears this was a Wehrmacht unit.

Achtung Panzer lists a mid '42 Panzer divion having a AA Abeitlung with two heavy battalions (88s) and one light (20mm and 37mm). I know the '41 Panzer division had twelve 20mm flak attached to them but that was, I believe, their full AA compliment.

What exactly would have been in the 277? I know that German operational philosophy was to avoid tank vs tank combat and to allow their AT and AA guns to destroy enemy tanks with the Germans often falling back behind their AT gun line. Since the 11th Panzer was at near full strength when it came under Manstein's command and it being near 43, it seems likely they had 88s. Were those heavy companies comprised of eight or six 88s? I'm assuming in the light company the 37mm was phasing out the 20mm? Would those still have been 12 and would these guns be mounted on half-tracks or PzI/Pz38s chasis? Was the Quad 20mm in actual service with the Panzer divisions at this time? Finally, did the Flak battalions, if Heer, wear the same uniforms as the Panzer Grenadiers?

According to The Thin Grey Line, 11th Panzer had SP Regimental Flak companies (2 x platoons of 10/4 and 1 x platoon of 7/1 each).

The Flak Bn had two heavy batteries each with one platoon of 88s and one of 20mm, plus a light company with two platoons of 20mm. The whole battalion was towed. 88m platoons generally had four guns.

No idea about the uniforms, but if they are Army, the standard army uniforms and as the Flak battalion was assigned to the divisional artillery regiment in 11th Panzer , then red artillery waffenfarbe.

The fancy armoured SP Flak was more of a late war thing. 11th Panzer got a company of Mobelwagen in August 1944.

I believe that each of the panzer grenadier regiments had a SP AA company with 12 SP 2cm. In the 1941 OOB the AT battalion had 2 companies of 10/4 (or similar). I can't determine if the AT battalion retains its AA in late 42 or not. It certainly seems to lose it by the Kursk reorganization. Any idea where these Thin Grey Line sourced halftracks would be attached?

In '44 I found this breakdown for a Heer AA battalion

1st Heavy Flak Battery – 4x88 3x2cm Flak 38
2nd Heavy Flak Battery – 4x88 3x2cm Flak 38
Light Flak Battery – 12x 2cm Flak Flak 38 4 spotlights

Authorized strength is 46 SP Flak 2cm but my calculations I'm only coming up with 42 (12 in each of the Pz grenadier regiments, 12 in the light flak battery and 6 from the two heavy flak batteries. Also this is '44 where they are facing a lot more airplanes so not sure how much of this was in place for 42/43.

From memory the Army Flak Bns started to appear with the Panzer Divs that were reinforced ahead of operations in the latter half of 1942 on the Eastern Front. They were indeed Army units, organised on KStNs in the 1700 series, the 1941-42 issues of which are incomplete.

Outline orgs are pretty much covered above;

KStn 1705 – Bn HQ Staff
KStN 1709 – Staff Bty
KStN 1711 – Bty (mot); 4x 8.8-cm and 3x 2-cm Flak
KStN 1713 – Bty (mot); 12x 2-cm Flak
KStN 1714 – Searchlight Det; 4x 60-cm S/L
KStN 1715 – Pl (SP); 2x Quad 2-cm om 8-ton halftrack

There were two Btys on 1711, and the fourth Pl in 1713 could be re-equipped as 1715.

The Gliederung for late 1942 show those Pz Divs with a Flak Bn also having a Flak Coy (KStN 192) for each Pz Gren Regt, and also for the Atk Bn. That KStN allowed the Coy 12x 2-cm Flak, all on the SdKfz 10/4. The third Pl could be replaced by 2x Quad 2-cm guns.

Gary