During April and May, the division was able to constitute its antiaircraft battalion which had, besides light antiaircraft artillery, twelve 88-mm. German Infantry Company - 1939-1942 Company HQ: The Command Squad was normally led by a Captain, although the fluid nature of German Command structure means the company commander may be of greater or lesser rank. (2) Howitzer Company: The infantry howitzer company is the 13th company of the regiment. A still more important by-product of concentrating on tank manufacture at the expense of a balanced production program was the increasingly serious lack of spare parts. Reductions were made chiefly in supply and overhead, and the proportion of combat to service troops was thereby raised to 75-80 percent. Nebelwerfer. mortars) but this, too, was apparently not complied with. This is based upon the organization laid out in KStN 131n published 1 May 1944. Entirely formed from volunteers, they were composed principally of young men whose fighting morale was excellent. K.St.N.131V "Grenadierkompanie" published 1 November 1944. The miscellaneous tank armament of the panzer divisions was typical of the weaponing of nearly all units in the west and reflected the long drain on the German war economy of the Russian war and the increasing production difficulties imposed by the accelerating Allied air offensive. This is based upon the organization laid out in K.St.N.131V published 1 November 1944. It had in fact the full complement of assault guns but only 88 tanks in all, including 50 IVs and 38 Vs. The chief weakness of the parachute troops was one they shared with the rest of Rundstedt’s army-their lack of motor transport. Both were thus considerably larger than the normal corresponding infantry units. General Guderian, at last, pointed out that there was little sense in producing more tanks and guns if they were to be thus recklessly sacrificed. The backbone of the Heer (German Army) was the infantry division. It should be noted that this would have been the nominal organization. The largest infantry division had 17,700 men organized in 3 regiments each with 3 battalions. Like all SS divisions, it was substantially stronger than the corresponding army division. German Army Tables of Organization (T/Os) in World War II (c. 1939 - 1945): These tables were created faithfully from German Army (Heer) Kriegsstarkenachweisung (abbreviated K.st.N), which were the equivalent of the U.S. Army Tables of Organization. At the end of 1937 the German Army introduced the organization that would take its Infantry Divisions into the coming war. It is a partial translation of a German publication and using other sources, I could correct some small errors and inconsistencies, nevertheless take everything with … Between 1939 and 1943 the German standard infantry division contained three regiments with a total of nine rifle battalions. Each of the divisions had a separate and slightly different organization which in no case conformed to the type. The table of organization for the 2d SS Panzer Division, on the other hand, called for 75 assault guns of which 33 were on hand on 1 June; 7 Mark III tanks, none on hand; 57 Mark IV tanks, 44 on hand; and 99 Mark V’s, 25 on hand. Contrary to popular opinion, the Wehrmachtwas not so mechanized or technologically sophisticated, they often were left to navigate their terrain on horses, and their mechanized and tank formations accounted for about 20 percent of their capacity. This company consists of infantrymen and should not be confused with artillery even though the company functions as artillery. They were to be an elite arm and were put on an equal status with the SS units in recruiting, armament, equipment, and training. Russian Rifle companies attacked on a frontage 350 wide, less at night or in woods, but up to 1 km in rugged mountains (Sharp, 1998). The latter contained twelve towed 88-mm. The new year brought a change. The Abwehr was the army intelligence organization from 1921 to 1944. The Panzer-Regiment contained only one hybrid panzer battalion and one Panzergrenadier-Abteilung (Table 28), this organization was nearly the same as the short-lived Panzer/Panzergrenadier-Brigade in 1944. The Men Behind the Counters The German Infantry Platoon By Dave Murray January 2013. Joseph E. Schaefer, Company I, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, led a squad of the 2nd platoon in the vicinity of Stolberg, Germany, when two enemy companies supported by machine guns launched an attack to seize control of an important crossroads being defended by his platoon. Hitler was commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht, i.e. Note that the word Panzergrenadier literally translated is “tank grenadier”, but the correct term nowadays is mechanized infantry or even armored infantry, but in World War 2 most Panzergrenadiers were actually motorized infantry. Most were experienced in the West and Russia. Infantry Company An infantry company generally contained three Rifle and/or SMG platoons, plus a fire group of heavy weapons (mortars, machine guns, anti-tank weapons, and accompanying guns). Known as the Infantry Division 1944, this new formation had a strength of 12,772 men as opposed to the 17,734 soldiers of a division in 1939, although its firepower had actually increased. The 1944 infantry division was set up as the basic type for new divisions as well as for the reorganization of certain old formations, as for instance, the Luftwaffe field divisions. Their strength and organization varied so widely that it is impossible to talk of a type. The fact was quite different. The organic signal platoon was half the size of the German signal section and held only 2 telephone teams and one radio. 2× Storm Platoons (0-1 Officers and 32-33 Enlisted), 3× Rifle Grenadiers (Schützen für Gewehrgranatgerät), , armed with 1 Kar98k and rifle grenade launcher each, , Grenadier (OR-1) to Obergefreiter (OR-3), armed with 1 StG44 rifle, 2× Assistant Machine Gunners (M.G.-Schütze 2), 2× Ammunition Bearers (Munitions-Schützen)*. The SS divisions, which had six instead of four infantry battalions, varied from 17,590 (9th SS Panzer) to 21,386 (1st SS Panzer). In reality, most likely less than half of Grenadierkompanie were equipped in this manner. * In the defense, the 2 ammunition bearers in the Fire Squad would form a third machine gun team with the reserve light machine gun held at the platoon headquarters. Each battalion was supposed to have four companies each with twenty-two tanks. and three 76.2-mm. In practice, the Füsilier battalion came to be reckoned as a seventh rifle battalion. Although not generally a part of the standard TO&E, sub-machine guns like the Thompson, were found at company HQ's and could be issued to troops on patrol duty. It was also substantially larger than could be supported by the dwindling supply of manpower after four years of war. This question arises a fair bit with readers of WorldWar2Facts.org, so we have compiled a table to help explain what the unit or group names mean, what units made up larger WW2 army units, the rough size of the unit, and what rank of officer or NCO was normally in charge. German SS Panzergrenadier Company (Motorized) (1944-45) Headquarters 3 Rifle Platoons Headquarters 3 Squads 2 x 9mm SMG 1 x PSK 2 x 7.92mm LMG 2 x G98 Rifle (Assistant LMG Gunners) 4 x G98 Rifle Weapons Platoon Headquarters 2 HMG Squads 2 HMG Sections 1 x 7.92mm HMG Mortar Squad 2 Mortar Sections 1 x 81mm Mortar Anti-tank Squad 4 x PSK. At that time Goering proposed and Hitler approved a program intended to produce by the end of 1944 two parachute armies with a total strength of about 100,000 men. Personnel strength of the army divisions ranged from 12,768 (9th Panzer) to 16,466 (2nd Panzer). Organic artillery consisted of one regiment of one medium (150-mm. Time to take a look a German Squad Tactics in World War 2. War Department, Military Intelligence Division. At the end of October 1943, for instance, there were in the west 703 tanks, assault guns, and self-propelled 88-mm. They included 13 infantry divisions, 2 parachute divisions, 5 army panzer divisions, and 4 SS panzer and panzer grenadier divisions. The heavy weapons companies with twelve heavy machine guns and six medium mortars each were also superior in firepower to army units. German Organization for Combat, 1944 Between 1939 and 1943 the German standard infantry division contained three regiments with a total of nine rifle battalions. The antitank battalion, supposed to consist of three companies of self-propelled guns, had actually only one company, equipped with nine 75-mm. The east continued to enjoy priority on new equipment until the end of 1943, and although German-made tanks and assault guns were shipped to OB WEST during that time the deliveries were often more than outweighed by the transfer of armored units. The reduction from nine infantry battalions to six was partly alleviated by the substitution of a Füsilier battalion for the old reconnaissance unit. U.S. War Department. The strength of the 6th Parachute Regiment with fifteen companies was 3,457. Second, the main source for this is the US Manual “German Squad in Combat” from the Military Intelligence Service released in January 1943. When studying World War 2, a common question that arises is what exactly each army group or unit name means? The planned total for the end of May was 1,994. guns as well as guns of smaller caliber, but lacked almost a fifth of its personnel. Dover & Company. In theory, the two Sturmgewehr equipped platoons would be the line platoons, while the third platoon would be in reserve and used for replacements and training. "How Infantry Battalions Develop for the Attack," Intelligence Bulletin Vol.II, No.5, Section II. Instruction video about how the German WWII squad was structured. Similarly, between July and December, 2,235 artillery pieces and 1,692 antitank guns were captured or destroyed. Rifle strength in the German division was about 1,200 less than in the American but the total division firepower was superior. Against the background of the disintegrating German war economy, the tank buildup in the west was a notable achievement that strikingly revealed the importance assigned to the forthcoming struggle with the Western Allies. mortars and 105-mm. Its six rifle battalions were organized in two regiments, which were supposed to be motorized; one battalion was supposed to be armored. Jun 27, 2014 - Infantry Battalion Organization | 1939 infantry division 1 1944 infantry division 1 .. World War II Armed Forces — Orders of Battle and Organizations: Last Updated 28.09.2011: German Army. On the morning of Sept. 24, 1944, Staff Sgt. 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division (Goetz von Berlichingen). All the infantry divisions were committed on or directly behind the coast under the command of one of the four armies or the German Armed Forces Commander Netherlands. mortars which the tables of an organization called for, but in the 3rd Parachute Division, weaponing was miscellaneous, including 100-mm. As long as the Russian front was the main theater of war and the west was not immediately threatened, it was natural to ship the bulk of the best material to the east and arm the west as well as possible with what was left. Table of Organization and Equipment of 1941 German Infantry Battalion The Soviet battalion was 676 men strong with 3 rifle companies and a heavy machine company, the latter with 12 heavy machine guns (but without mortars). Its chief was Colonel General Keitel. In February 1944, only 1,519 tanks remained operational while 1,534 were under repair. There were basically 2 Panzergrenadier Division layouts in World War 2 the Pan… Vehicles which were initially used to plough through mud at the same pace as infantry men, soon became faster and more manoeuvrable and therefore left the infantry behind, which called for the motorisation of infantry … Theoretically, about on a par with the parachute divisions were the Panzergrenadier divisions which, by American standards, were infantry divisions with organic tank battalions, some armored personnel carriers, and some self-propelled artillery. Saved by Mr Coopster. One result was to curtail the production of prime movers and parts. "A German Company in the Defense," Intelligence Bulletin Vol.II, No.7, Section III. In 1939, the German army not only had five different kinds of divisions (infantry, motorized infantry, armored, mountain, and light), there were five different kinds of infantry division. However, the average panzer division along the Atlantic Wall possessed merely seventy-five tanks. In late 1943, therefore, Guderian proposed and Hitler approved a scheme to form a ten-division strategic armored reserve while at the same time trying to bring all armored divisions up to strength in equipment. The decision ot institute the hybrid regiment was the result of practical front experiences gained over the war years. SS divisions had an additional towed light battalion. guns. All the panzer divisions were thus much larger than their American counterparts, the 1st SS being more than twice as large. The Mortar Company in the 6th Parachute Regiment actually contained the nine heavy (120-mm.) German infantry tactics in WWII emphasized an aggressive offense with t… They were superior not only in numbers but in quality. This bears many similarities to Western and German formations, with the obvious exception of the Political Officer (Com- The type of organizational tables for both army and SS divisions called for a tank regiment with one battalion of Mark IV and one battalion of Mark V tanks. The Füilier battalion, still charged with reconnaissance duties, was organized like a rifle battalion except that one company was equipped with bicycles and the unit had slightly more horse-drawn vehicles and some motor transport. 1× Company HQ Section Leader (Kompanietruppführer), 1× ​Administrative First Sergeant (Hauptfeldwebel), , armed with 1 StG44 rifle and issued 1 bicycle each, Each company troop was allotted one light draft horse that drew 2 infantry carts (infanteriekarren). Enjoy.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ww2freak001Instagram: ww2freak001 In practice, this would have likely also included Kar98k rifles with telescopic sights as well. Soviet Infantry Company - April 1941 Special Rules: All elements are Poorly Drilled Company Headquarters: A notably sparse unit which comprised no more than the Company Commander and his staff offic-ers. The infantry regiments of the Infantry Division, Old Type, may be considered the basic type of German infantry regiments, as their organization remained for all practical purposes unchanged from the beginning of 1940 until the end of 1943. The 1st SS Panzer Division, for instance, was supposed to have 45 assault guns, 21 Mark III,101 Mark IV, and 81 Mark V tanks. German Soldiers Ww2 Small Business Solutions Ww2 Pictures Military Weapons Military History Troops Wwii Battle January 13. Exponents of the theories of Blitzkrieg, like Generaloberst Heinz Guderian, the Inspector General of Panzer Troops, believed that without a large armored striking force Germany could not hope to return to offensive operations essential for ultimate victory. The total ration strength of the division as of 22 May was 17,420. The rifle companies of the 6th Parachute Regiment had twice as many light machine guns as the infantry division rifle companies. Besides lopping off three battalions, the new division pruned out the rifle squad and company while at the same time increasing the proportion of automatic weapons. The static divisions were formed at the request of Rundstedt in 1942 in order that he would have a nucleus of divisions not subject to transfer to the east. The KStN lists self-loading rifles with telescopic sights as the standard. This division consisted of three infantry regiments (about 2,000 men each), o… The “tank” battalion had thirty-seven assault guns, five less than authorized. Need for this type of company in the infantry regiment was brought out in … This made German platoons considerably larger than their British equivalent, over twice their size. The basic unit, the Rifle Company, was cut to 140 enlisted men and 2 officers, as compared with the U.S. Company of 187 enlisted men and 6 officers. The wagon was driven by the Horse Driver while the horse drawing the infantry carts was led by the Horse Leader. Here again, individual variations were enormous. An order of 12 May 1944 to substitute an artillery regiment with two light battalions and one medium was not carried out before the division entered combat. On the other hand, like so many west divisions, its combat strength in fact was much less than it appeared on paper. Although the static divisions were expressly designed as permanent garrison troops for the west, they were by no means safe from the periodic troop collection for the east. Intended personnel strength was 18,354, of which on 1 June the division actually mustered 17,321. At the end of March, the situation had not improved; the number of operational tanks was still decreasing despite accelerated deliveries of new machines. Handbook on German Military Forces. Until the fall of 1943 German airborne forces comprised only one corps with two parachute divisions. Actually, by the end of 1943, most of the divisions had lost their third regiments. Both were first-rate fighting units. This organization was centered around the new Sturmgewehr 44 from its inception. The army panzer divisions included, in addition to the two regiments (four battalions) of infantry and one tank regiment, a self-propelled antitank battalion (armed more often with assault guns), an armored reconnaissance battalion, a towed antiaircraft battalion, and an artillery regiment with one light self-propelled battalion, one light towed battalion, and one medium towed battalion. The policy of equipping west divisions primarily with captured materiel was laid down in December 1941 when ten divisions were ordered so equipped. The ubiquitous German infantry platoon was the backbone of the German military machine. of the Heer's Volksgrenadiers. Deception, German-Style • The Firefight & Actions in Combat • Instructions in case of capture • Working Forward • German Infantry Fieldworks • What the Germans Thought : Commands: Organization: • … German Organisation in WW2. But the combined pressure of the Allied air offensive and Russian ground attack was rapidly creating an economic quagmire in which the harder the enemy struggled the deeper he sank. The term Abwehr (German for "defense", here referring to counter-intelligence) had been created just after World War I as an ostensible concession to Allied demands that Germany's intelligence activities be for defensive purposes only. The division had also an antitank and a reconnaissance battalion. There were 24 divisions classified as fit for duty in the east by reason of their relative mobility and high-grade personnel. Organization charts of the new-style division (with 13,656 men)comprising three regiments of two battalions each had only just been published when further slashes were ordered. In March 1939, theWehrmacht Supreme Command Oberkommando der Wehrmacht – or OKW for short – was founded to control the operations of the German armed forces. In 1939 the GermanReich was divided into thirteen geographical military districts, each of which provided the pe… The need, in short, was for new tanks in large numbers. antitank guns (called “Hornets”). One panzer division (the 21st), being still equipped in part with captured materiel, was not considered suitable for service in Russia, although in other respects it was ready for offensive use, and in fact had exceptional strength in heavy weapons. In the case of the 77th Division, this organic lack was partly made up by the attachment of an 0st battery and a Volga-Tatar rifle battalion. The average age of the enlisted men of the 6th Parachute Regiment was 17l/2. German division artillery was thus roughly equal to that of a U.S. division. Author. The Infantry Battalion existed in two forms. of all German armed forces. (1995). The division had a full armored reconnaissance battalion of six companies, and an antiaircraft battalion. The German Order of Battle: Infantry in World War II identifies each infantry unit operating between 1939 and 1945, and details the organization and precise composition of the formation. German Panzer Strength June of 1941 to January of 1945 Wehrmacht Panzer Division (mid-1942) Panzer Division HQ: Reconnaissance Battalion - Aufklaerung Abteilung: Armored Car Company Armored Car Company Panzergrenadier Company Heavy Company Signals Battalion - Nachrichten Abteilung: ... Mechanized Infantry Regiment Mechanized Infantry Battalion; The result was the so-called 1944-type infantry division. The two-regiment infantry division, therefore, did not operate in T/O form in the invasion area, and for the German Army as a whole, it may be regarded as experimental and eccentric, designed further to conserve manpower but not accepted as a generally satisfactory solution. The large command unit size was indicative of the German Army’s top heavy command structure for much of the war. 15. A total of 823, moreover, compared to a planned build-up of l,226. The division which included the bulk of Gerd von Rundstedt‘s infantry, however, the static (bodenstaendige) division, was exempted from reorganization unless specifically so ordered. Certain divisions (notably the 77th and 91st in Seventh Army area) organized their six rifle battalions in two regiments. The 3rd Parachute Division comprised three regiments of three battalions each and in addition had in each regiment a 13th (mortar) company, 14th(antitank) company, and 15th (engineer) company. Two important points, first a squad rarely acted alone on the battlefield, it was used in coordination with other squads of its platoon and/or company. Only the separate regiment and the 3rd Division were encountered during the fighting described in this volume. The parachute division had only one battalion of light artillery (twelve 70-mm. The revised editions as well as the new volumes in the series will be highly welcomed by all interested in German military organization in World War II. Organization (Nov. 1944 to May 1945) Type: Shock Infantry Company; Origin: German Army (Nazi Germany) Time Frame: November 1944 to May 1945; Personnel: 2 Officers and 117 Enlisted 1× Company Commander (Kompanieführer), Hauptmann (OF-2), armed with 1 StG 44 rifle. On the other hand, they all had fewer tanks. These sections were commanded by a corporal and were numbered 1-12 throughout the Company. Acted as the company's commanding officer. The problem (set in January 1944 by Hitler) was to trim the personnel to something like 11,000 without affecting the combat strength. In June 1943 the Germans had 2,569 operational tanks with 463 in process of repair. To meet the invasion in June, OB WEST had six army and three SS Panzer divisions. The division had no tanks. Owing to Allied deception measures, some German armored units failed to engage the Anglo-Americans until after D-Day. Sharp, C. S. (1998). Dr. Niehorster’s previously published works include the “The Royal Hungarian Army, 1920–1945”, which was acclaimed as one of the Top Ten Books of 1999, and is considered by many experts to be the single most important English language history on the … (March 1944); 3 pages Price .50 {Item No.5790}[On German WWII Forces] War Department, Military Intelligence Division. The Germans tried to find an answer in diverting additional men, materials, and factory space into the manufacture of tanks. They lacked the reconnaissance battalion and had only three battalions of artillery. George Nafziger. The 91st Division went into combat with an attached parachute regiment. Saved from ... German Uniforms Military Weapons German Army Luftwaffe Us Army World War Ii Division Ww2 Africa. While the 716th Division, for instance, had six battalions and only one regimental headquarters under its control on D Day, the 709th, occupying two and a half times as long coastline, had eleven battalions under three regiments. Even after the 1944-type division had been standardized, experimentation continued. In reality four of the battalions had improvised motor transport (partly Italian), two being equipped with bicycles.

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