Bundeswehr Soldaten: 3. Panzerdivision

     Female soldiers belonging to the 3. Panzerdivision (3. PzDiv) march on parade. The Bundeswehr unit was formed on July 2, 1956 in Hamburg, Germany and was one of the largest formations to have been stood up post-World War Two. The main area of operations for the 3. PzDiv was the Norddeutsches Tiefland (North German Plain) which consisted of a region bounded by the North Sea coast and the Baltic Sea coast. The Norddeutsches Tiefland was considered one of the two major invasion routes (the other being the Fulda-Lücke or Fulda Gap) that Soviet and Warsaw Pact countries would take into Germany as the topography favored the use of armored and mechanized forces. The region was also militarily protected by several NATO nations, to include U.S., Dutch, Belgian, and British forces. The headquarters of the unit, Stab./3. PzDiv, was based at Estetal Kaserne located in Buxtehude, Germany.

     The unit is identified by the sleeve patch that consisted of two crossed horse heads on a red background. Interestingly, the insignia was similar to that used by the 216. Infanterie-Division in World War Two. The division was made up of Panzergrenadierbrigade 7 (headquartered in Hamburg), Panzerbrigade 8 (based in Lüneburg), Panzerlehrbrigade 9 (based in Munster), Artillerieregiment 3 (headquartered in Stade), and sixteen other units housed throughout the region. The women are wearing the beret badge for panzergrenadiertruppen which is a stylized Marder IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) above crossed rifles over the West German flag, all encompassed by a wreath. The green beret was worn by the combat arms of the Bundeswehr (infantry, jägertruppe, panzergrenadiers, armor, etc.). Thus, the women could have belonged to Panzergrenadierbataillon 71, 72, or 73 under Panzergrenadierbrigade 7 or Panzergrenadierbataillon 82 which was under Panzerbrigade 8.

     The typical Panzergrenadierbataillon of the late 1980s was equipped with 24 to 35 Marder (“Marten”; a type of mustelid animal) IFVs, six Panzermörser M113s (M113s converted to carry a 120mm mortar), and 12 to 23 M113 APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers). Panzergrenadierbataillon 71, a reserve unit, was reinforced with thirteen Leopard 1A5 MBTs (Main Battle Tank).

     The weapon the panzergrenadiers are carrying is the Heckler & Koch G36 which was adopted by the Bundeswehr in 1996. Development of the G36 began in 1995 in a hasty attempt to field a 5.56x54mm battle rifle after the cancellation of the radical 4.7x33mm caseless G11 rifle. The G36 is a gas operated, rotating bolt weapon which was a departure by H&K in not using their battle tested roller-lock, delayed blowback system. This was done to reduce the per unit cost of the G36 as well as simplify the operation. The weapon is fed from 30-round translucent plastic magazines which permit the firer to quickly assess remaining ammunition in the weapon. A tubular folding stock was fitted and the G36 has a integral ZF 3×4° telescopic sight graduated out to 800 meters. There is also a reflex sight on top of the telescopic sight but is only calibrated out to 100 meters. A notch sight is provided in case of sight failure and this is incorporated into the sighting bridge which doubles as a carry handle. Unloaded, the G36 weighs 7.6 pounds and this weight savings comes from the use of carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide, steel, and Nylon 66 (which is lightweight but has high mechanical strength, stability, and rigidity). Rate of fire is 750 rounds per minute with an effective range of 800 meters though the 2,788 foot per second muzzle velocity gives the round a maximum range of 2, 860 meters. The firer has two settings (aside from Sicher, or Safe) and that is Einzelfeuer (semi-automatic) and Feuerstoß (full automatic fire).

     Elements of the 3. PzDiv were deployed in 1962, 1976, and 1979 to assist local civil authorities during flooding in the region and in the case of 1979, emergency conditions created by heavy snowfalls. Some elements were also mobilized and sent to Somalia in 1993 as part of the second phase of the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). Called UNOSOM II, the major incident was the Battle of Mogadishu...best known in the U.S. as the “Black Hawk Down” incident. On September 30, 1994, the 3. PzDiv was disbanded, its last commander being Generalmajor Gerd Schultze-Rhonhof. Following the disbandment, Panzerlehrbrigade 9 was incorporated into the 1. Panzerdivision.