Signals troops
The nachrichtenabteilung (signals battalion) in a division varied enormously in strength, composition and equipment according to the type of division. They are, however, all made up of the same 4 companies:
- headquarters company
- radio company
- signal company (normally telephone)
- light supply column
Training for signallers was a 90 day course, and for the 2 Panzer Division, this was initially undertaken at Meidlinger Kaserne, Vienna (shown below, now an operations base for the Austian police helicopter) between spring 1938 and August 1940. After this date, training for new signallers was done though the replacement unit, panzer nachrichten ersatz abteilung 81.
The signals course covered electronics, radio wave theory, repair and maintenance of radios as well as telephones, operation, morse code and encryption. The course itself was not easy and the army deemed that only those individuals who were considered intelligent enough were admitted.
As the war progressed and the need for replacement signallers increased, the course was shortened first to 60 days and then 45.
As well as the trade of funker (signaller), there was also funkmeister (signals sergeant) and nachrichtenmechaniker (signals mechanic) - the latter two required additional training, and only men of unterfeldwebel rank or higher were eligible.