The Panzer-Kompanie (Fkl) 316 was formed on 1 April 1943 and equipped with 10 StuG III as control vehicles. In September it was attached to Panzer-Lehr-Regiment 130 of the Panzer-Lehr Division and was reequipped with Tiger I control tanks. In January 1944 it was ordered to be reequipped with Tiger II tanks and was redesignated schwere Panzer-Kompanie (Fkl) 1. In June 1944 became the first company of Panzer-Abteilung (Fkl) 302 and left its Tiger II tanks in the Chateaudun area and was reequipped with StuG III.

Tank #12 from the company was donated by France to Sweden in 1947 where it was used for testing, ending its life being used for target practice in 1949. Its hull was scrapped but the turret remained in storage until the late 1980s when it was finally scrapped.

The "(Fkl)" in the name was for "Funklenk", a reference to the radio-controlled demolition vehicles used.

Commanders

Oberleutnant Meinhardt

Sources used

Christer Baadstöe - Panzerkompanie Funklenk (Fkl) 316 (in Pansar #1/1997)
Christer Baadstöe - Vilket förband tillhörde den Kungstigerstridsvagn, som fransmännen skänkte oss 1947?? (in Pansar #2/1997)
Markus Jaugitz - Die Deutsche Fernlenktruppe (2 vol)
Thomas L. Jentz - Funklenk Panzertruppen (in AFV NEWS, Sept-Dec. 1986, Volume 21, No.3)
Thomas L. Jentz - Panzertruppen (2 vol)
Ron Klages - Trail of the Tigers
Wolfgang Schneider - Tigers in Combat I
Kjell Svensson - Tyska radiostyrda pansarfordon (in Pansar #4/1997)

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -