Abteilung (; abbrv. Abt.) is a German word that is often used for German or Swiss military formations and depending on its usage could mean detachment, department or battalion; it can also refer to a military division. In German, it is used both for military and civilian departments (as in "office department"). In the military of the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and the Wehrmacht (during World War II), the term Abteilung was generally a battalion equivalent in the armoured, cavalry, reconnaissance and artillery arms of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. For example, Schwere Panzerabteilung refers to German heavy tank battalions. However, when the term was used for large military formations, it generally meant "detachment". For example, Armee-Abteilung translates to "army detachment" and Korpsabteilung to "corps detachment". The German term Abteilung is used in the same sense as the Russian term divizion (дивизион) or the Polish term dywizjon. Abteilung in the East German military Both terms are used most often for artillery battalion (field, air defence, coastal) or a flotilla of ships and this was also used in the Nationale Volksarmee (East Germany's military). Ground Forces Examples of the various types of Abteilungen in the East German ground forces are found in the 11. Motorisierte Schützendivision (11th Motor Rifle Division) and the 7. Panderdivision (7th Tank Division). The 11. Motorisierte Schützendivision (based in Halle/Saale) consisted of the 16th, 17th and 18th Motor Rifle Regiments, the 11th Tank Regiment, the 11th Artillery Regiment and various combat and service support units. Each MRR had an organic Artillerieabteilung, designated by its mother-regiment, like the Artillerieabteilung/MSR-16 (the field artillery battalion of the 16th MRR). Each Artillerieabteilung of an MRR consisted of 3 artillery batteries (in this example the 1., 2. and the 3. Artilleriebatterie/AA/MSR-16 (1st, 2nd and 3rd Artillery Battery) of 6 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers each, although in some cases the 3rd Battery could be downgraded to a wartime mobilization unit. The Artillerieregiment 11 „Wilhelm Koenen“ based in Wolfen consisted of the I. and the II. Artillerieabteilung/AR-11 of 3 artillery batteries (2 active, 1 wartime mobilization) of 6 D-30 towed howitzers each and the III. Artillerieabteilung/AR-11 of 3 artillery batteries (all active) of 6 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers each. The division also had a ballistic missile, a multiple rocket launch and an anti-tank Abteilungen. The Raketenabteilung 11 „Magnus Poser“ (ballistic missile battalion) based in Tautenhain included the 1. and the 2. Raketenbatterie/RA-11 of two