My sources indicate the 251/1 (and 250/1) half-track had a two man crew.? The driver and the radio operator/MG gunner.? Both of these also had a MP40 in a rack next to them.? The radio operator could man the MG behind the gun shield when the infantry squad disembarked.
The squad was 9-10 men consisting of two LMG teams with either MG34 or later MG42 LMG plus two MP40 and 5-6 98k rifles.? Very late war the 98k might be replaced with StgG 44 Assault rifles.
This meant the vehicle had three LMG in it.? (2 in the 250/1) One on a mount with gun shield (a MMG) and two loose belonging to the squad.? One could be mounted on the AA MG mount on the rear of the vehicle.? If not mounted then the squad had a LMG and MP40 to use on each side of the vehicle.? If the enemy either didn't have effective AT weapons or these were being suppressed the the squad would stay on the vehicle 100-150 meters behind the tanks (or assault guns) and support them with fire from the three MG on the vehicle.? If there was a need to dismount, such as they had over-run a trench that needed clearing or needed to move into a built-up area to protect the tanks then the squad would dismount, taking their two LMG with them.? The vehicle radio operator would then man the MMG on the 251/250 to support the dismounted infantry.? The 250/1 was used the same except it carried a LMG team so the dismount was 4-5 men with one LMG.? The MMG would still be manned by the radio operator/gunner.?
The MMG had the stable mount but used the ammunition drumsnot the loose belt from an ammunition box.
US doctrine was to NOT use the M3 or M3A1 except as a battle taxi to drop the infantry off which would then go forward on foot.? Having a larger 12 man squad meant one of the squad members was indeed the driver and if the vehicle machinegun was to be used after the squad dismounted a squad member would have to be left behind to man it or the driver would have to.? US LMG and HMG on the M3/M3A1 half-tracks did not have the steady mount the German tracks had but did use a belt feed from an ammo box attached to the mount.? Two exceptions to this.? One was if there was little opposition at all then the infantry might stay in the half-track and fight from it.? The second was in 44-45 the infantry would ride on the back of a tank rather than in their half-track as the terrain didn't allow movement by the half-tracks.? Too much mud.
Sources:? Osprey books
The SdKfz 251 HALF-TRACK Vanguard 32
US HALF-TRACKS of WORLD WAR II Vanguard 31
World War II US Armored Infantry Tactics Elite 176
Thus I would change the recommendation for German Panzergrenadier (gp) squads to:
The front mounted MG with shield counts as a Medium MG and can be fired with 2 - 3 actions depending on the quality of the squad (one less than the Squad's quality would allow). You lose an action for each action used by the half-track. At the same time you can fire to the side from within the vehicle with LMG, either 2 LMG on one side or one LMG on each side using the normal number of actions for the squad.
a) the rear mount is for anti-aircraft fire and is ignored for engaging ground targets. It¡¯s the squad¡¯s own Light Support Weapon and will be taken with it when it dismounts. If it is used then you have one less LMG to fire over the side of the half-track.
b) As above, one LMG can engage the enemy to either side.? In addition 4 rifles can engage to the other side.? (2 men on the MMG, 2 men on each LMG = 6 men leaving 4 to fire rifles)
2) You can dismount with all of the Squad leaving the vehicle crew behind to drive the half track and/or fire the front MG in support. It takes 1 man to fully man the MG and 1 to drive but the MMG rate of fire drops to 2 regardless of the number of actions the vehicle has (unless less than 2).? The squad needs to remain within 18¡± of its 251.
It counts an action to debuss and you can use remaining actions to spot, move or fire (2.3.3).
Next turn the squad has its full actions.
3) yes the whole squad can debuss. They will then act as a normal German panzergrenadier squad with two LMG, 2 MP40, and 4 98k rifles.
NOTE that trucked German Panzergrenadier have two LMG, 2 MP40, and 4 98k rifles so if firing from an open vehicle they fire two LMG.? Dismounted they are the same as the armored panzergrenadier squad without the 251/1 support.
Panzergrenadier (gp) in 251 SPW in 1943-45 made up one battalion of a Panzer or Panzergrenadier Division Panzergrenadiers.? Panzer divisions had two PGR with 2 PG battalions each, only one of which had 251 SPW.? That is 1 armored and three trucked battalions. PGD had two PGR each with 3 PG Battalions.? Here the ratio was 1 armored to 5 trucked.? SS PGD and Panzer Divisions had two PGR each 3 PG battalions.? Again a 1 armored to 5 trucked battalions.? PD and PGD as well as SS PGD/PD had an added PG Battalion in the Reconnaissance Battalion which had two SPW companies, usually one in 250/1 and one in 251/1 SPW.? It also had an armored Heavy Company with six 251/9 and either six 251/2 or 4 251/4 towing 4 12cm mortar plus 3 251/4 towing 3 Pak 40.? There was another armored PG company in the Pioneer Battalion with 251/7 in two platoons, and 251/1 with "Stuka am Fuss" rocket launchers.
Gross Deutchland and Panzer Lehr Divisions had all of their PG battalions in SPW (in 1944).
KG would normally be made up of the Panzer Regiment, the PG armored battalion, the SP Artillery BN, the armored Pioneer BN and elements from the Reconnaissance Bn and Flak Battalion.? The unarmored PG Battalions and the Panzerjager BN with the towed artillery, trucked Pioneers, Flak Battalion (-) and Reconnaissance Battalion (-) would be used as a semi-mobile blocking force around which the armored elements would operate.? SS PGD and PD had an advantage here as they usually had a separate StuG III/G battalion of 30 guns as well.
