The reconnaissance troops were the eyes and ears of the German armoured forces in World War II. This title uses first-hand accounts and rare and previously unseen images to tell the full story from the development of the first motorcycle units in the 1930s through to the heavily armoured battalions of the late war years.
When the Wehrmacht was first formed in 1935, tactical reconnaissance was carried out by motorcycle rifle units (Kradschützen). However, with the development and large-scale introduction of wheeled armoured vehicles in the late 1930s, the establishment of (Aufklärungs-Abteilungen) began. These units were equipped with a mixture of armoured cars and motorcycles, and often operated far ahead of battlefront to survey the terrain, observe enemy positions and identify enemy forces – key information required ahead of any armored assault.
In the second half of the war, with Germany on the strategic defensive, armoured reconnaissance troops found themselves increasingly drawn into combat operations, and even holding sectors of the line, while more modern equipment was introduced the use of mortorcyles was phased out and purpose-built armoured personnel carriers (Schützenpanzerwagen) were introduced.
