German army ww2 units The German Army in World War II . East vs. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the formation The division existed as a fighting unit until the German surrender in Italy of 2 May 1945, one week before the end of World War II in Europe. Regiment: Arabic. Between 1939 and 1945 close to 13 million served in the Heer. The essential element for war waging at the time of Barbarossa was the infantry soldier: a uniformed young man armed with a rifle. The Axis order of battle at Stalingrad is a list of the significant land units that fought in the Battle of Stalingrad on the side of the Axis Powers between September 1942 and February 1943. This Document IS A HOLDING OF THE ARCHIVES SECTION LIBRARY SERVICES FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS 1 CGSC Form 160 13 Mar 61 Army—CGSC—P3-1966—20 Mar 53—5M / . 16. Set up by Army Field Hospital detachments. May 12, 2021 · These units were referred to as Teileinheit (T. Dec 12, 2014 · THE GERMAN ARMY 1939 – 1945: An Order of Battle: In Preparation: Vol. Nov 17, 2024 · Insignia of the units and army-level troops of the field army. This is a list of German military units during World War II which contains all military units that served with the German Armed Forces (Wehrmacht). The Nazi German Army ♦ Infantry Divisions 1939-45 ♦. [c] Volkssturm units composed of teenagers are depicted in scenes in the sixth episode of the 2019 Das Erste series Charité at War, which streams on Netflix. Dv. The Luftwaffe consisted of air units that made up the majority of the German air force, as well as Fallschirmjäger units, field divisions, the elite Herman Göring ground formations, thousands of smaller anti-aircraft, engineer, communications and security units, and a fair number of Luftwaffe naval vessels and formations as well. Text is available under the Creative Commons THE GERMAN WORLD WAR II ORGANIZATIONAL SERIES 1/I 01. Panzer Divisions 1935-1939 - Panzer Divisions 1940-1945 Waffen SS Panzer Divisions 1943-1945 Wehrmacht Panzer Division (mid-1942) - Wehrmacht Panzer Division (1944) Waffen SS Panzer Division (1944) Unit Strength in 1939/40 - Numbering System in Panzer Divisions Strength of the most important Division types of the German Field Army in 1939 The Heer initially consisted of 21 Divisional sized units and 3 Army Groups to control them, as well as numerous smaller formations. All-volunteer unit of Black Sea Fleet's Marines (275 men) led by Major Caesar Kunikov in amphibious nightly assault on Novorossiysk, Feb 3-4 Jun 22, 2011 · The units indicated below were not depicted as separate symbols. As distinguished from Armee, which is a field unit. In the opening battles of World War II, German Panzer divisions ran over, through and around every enemy defensive position in their way. Whereas the SA now lost its power, Hitler allowed the German Army to grow rapidly. May 9, 2019 · A seminal work of extraordinary, detailed, and meticulously researched scholarship, "German Ground Forces of World War II: Complete Orders of Battle for Army Groups, Armies, Army Corps, and Other Commands of the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS, September 1, 1939 to May 8, 1945" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to Apr 11, 2005 · Hello to all, in this article you will find out how the German Army took care of its sick and wounded men in the Poland Campaign. ) One-time change: Dec 12, 2014 · Army Divisions GHQ Service Units Static Units : 04. These could start out as high as the entire German Army and show the Army Groups and then indicate the armies in each. (c) Field Hospital. The Organization of the Medical Service of the German Army and its Employment in the Campaign Against Poland (An article by Lieut. Contact information on WWII German soldiers, various units, matters of importance to family members or relatives, and details. They are very different from the American military designations that many are familiar with. Generalleutnant Helmuth von Pannwitz; Oberst Hans-Joachim von Schultz; Oberstleutnant Günther von Steinsdorff; Oberst von Baath; Oberst Freiherr von Nolcken GERMAN ARMY WW2 ORDER OF BATTLE. Until the fall of 1943 German airborne forces comprised only one corps with two parachute divisions. Jan 19, 2014 · These two divisions also got the best equipment in the German Army, the same as the SS divisions. 44 Mechanized Army Formations May 26, 2024 · "The German army in 1944 was a complex organism, made up of men from all over Europe, with widely varying levels of commitment to the Nazi cause. The German word for armor is Panzer, and this was the designation of its armored branch of service, the Panzertruppen (armored troops), and of its armored formations, e. g. ♦ Panzer Divisions 1935-41 ♦. Halb-Zug (lit. In the spring of 1938,German attempts to join independent Austria into the greater German Reich werefinally successful, and in the process, all units of the Austrian Armedforces – theÖsterreichischen Bundesheer – were taken en masse into the GermanWehrmacht. The 1st through 25th Infantry Divisions, excepting the 10th Mountain Division, were raised in the Regular Army or the Army of the United States prior to American involvement in World War II. Generalstabsoffizier einer höheren Dienststelle (von Division an aufwärts) – Leiter der Führungsabteilung: Ib: 2. 39 Higher Headquarters — Mechanized GHQ Units — Static Units (2nd Revised At the time of the mobilization on 26 August 1939, the German army had 51 divisions: 35 infantry divisions, 4 motorized infantry divisions, 5 Panzer (tank) divisions and one tank brigade, 4 light divisions and 3 mountain divisions. 12. But for the most part, the Baltic Schuma unit supplemented the forces of German rear-area security units. Volkssturm units are seen in battle scenes in the 2019 film Jojo Rabbit by Taika Waititi. See full list on ww2-weapons. Panzer-Division 4. 39 1 st and 2 nd Welle Army Infantry Divisions Discover the battle order of the German army present or engaged in the west and in Normandy, from D-Day and until the end of August 1944. They are in a foreign language, and many references use English translations instead of the original German terms. 1942) 1st Edition published by Verlag Dr. There were a series of 5 Light divisions; the first four were pre-war mechanized formations organized for use as mechanized cavalry, and the fifth was an ad hoc collection of mechanized elements rushed to Africa to help the Italians and organized into a division once hundred infantry divisions all highly dependent on animal power. No doubt a distinction he could have done without. 1944: Mechanized Army Formations Mechanized GHQ Units Security Divisions (German: Sicherungs-Divisionen) were German rear-area military units engaged in Nazi security warfare in occupied Europe during World War II. Peacetime units were the first wave, and 34 other waves followed until Jul 29, 2013 · Unlike other German penal units, officers and NCOs in good standing commanded the Bewährungsbataillones, not military police guards. One of the most highly trained, battle hardened, and well equipped units of the German Army. Set up by Army Medical detachments. The 17 volumes of the series, scanned with automatic text recognition, can be downloaded on this page and used for independent research. 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. A German heavy tank battalion (German: "schwere Panzerabteilung", short: "s PzAbt") was a battalion-sized World War II tank unit of the German Army during World War II, equipped with Tiger I, and later Tiger II, heavy tanks. Roughly 87% of the German divisional groupings earmarked for the invasion on 22 June 1941 were infantry formations, including a small proportion of motorized-infantry, mountain, Jäger, and security divisions. com is a non-political German military history research site regarding the details of the German armed forces between 1918 and 1945. You can find gliederung for Armies that shows the Army Corps subordinated as well as the divisions in each. Purpose of this collection is to compile all WW2 mods into one place. This article lists divisions of the Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces) and Waffen-SS active during World War II, including divisions of the Heer (army), Luftwaffe (air force), and the Kriegsmarine (navy). Concise and easy to understand explanations of small military unit organizations. The insignia of the units and army-level troops of the field army are now widely known by the enemy. During World War II, a total of about 15 million soldiers served in the German Army, of whom about seven million became casualties. Generalstabsoffizier einer höheren Dienststelle (von Division an aufwärts) – Leiter der Versorgungabteilung In the twelve months or so following mobilization, the German Army formed a number of individual field companies for service with the new divisions being formed. The designation "Light" (leichte in German) had various meanings in the German Army of World War II. Schneider) Sledgehammers: Strength and Flaws of Tiger Tank Battailions in WWII (C. . Mitcham, Samuel W. Grenadier-Division Großdeutschland. These German commanders also received honorary military or leading titles between their units at charge; for example Helmuth von Pannwitz received the title of "Ataman" from his Cossack units. THE GERMAN WORLD WAR II ORGANIZATIONAL SERIES 1/I 01. For example, by the end of January, 1945, the 47 th Infantry Regiment (which fought in France and Germany) had lost well over 100% of their strength to battle casualties, where men were either killed, wounded, missing, or taken as prisoner of war. 11. GERMAN WORLD WAR II ORGANIZATIONAL SERIES Volume 4/I MECHANIZED ARMY DIVISIONS (28. Abkürzung Abbreviation; Ia: 1. Arguably the most elite and best equipped division of all the powers during WW2. 06. ' army ') was the land forces component of the Wehrmacht, [b] the regular armed forces of Nazi Germany, from 1935 until it effectively ceased to exist in 1945 and then was formally dissolved in August 1946. When Germany began losing the war in 1943, the Wehrmacht forcibly conscripted ethnic Poles, who were commanded with racist policies against them. Panzer divisions were the key element of German success in the blitzkrieg operations of the early years of World War II. About. Heavy Tank Battalion Heavy Tank Company (Nov 1944—May 1945) Infantry Battalion (New Type) of the Infantry Regiment Rifle Company (May 1944—May 1945) Heavy Company (May 1944—May 1945) German Infantry Battalion structure and terminology The German Army had its own vocabulary for unit designations, which does not easily translate to familiar British or US Army terms. The List of World War II military units of Germany contains all military units to serve with the armed forces of Germany during World War II. [1] In this area, you will find listings for all the websites we can find of units portraying the German Army during the Second World War. Numbering of German units. 44 Mechanized Army Gebirgsjäger (German pronunciation: [ɡəˈbɪʁksˌjɛːɡɐ]) is a German military term for light infantry trained in mountain warfare. Jun 6, 2021 · When studying World War 2, a common question is what precisely each army group or unit name means. Gruppe (Squad, Section) This was normally the smallest sub-unit that existed in the German Army. The 15th Medical Battalion (German: Sanitätsabteilung 15) was a non-combat battalion of the German Army Medical Service during the First World War, the interwar period and the Second World War. Discusses the types of unit and unit histories. 2: Army Groups, Armies, Army Task Forces and Army Detachments. 42 – 9. The numbering schematic for German units followed a strict code: Kompanie: Arabic. Set up by Army medical detachments. Keyword: World War, 1939-1945 World War Two WWII Axis Powers German Army Order of battle: Subject: Germany -- Armed Forces -- History -- World War, 1939 The 1st Army was activated on 26 August 1939, in Wehrkreis XII with General Erwin von Witzleben in command. In the strategies of the Blitzkrieg, the Wehrmacht combined the mobility of light tanks with airborne assault to quickly progress through weak enemy lines, enabling the German army to quickly take over Poland and France. This is a box-like figure which has the two short sides inclined at approximately a 60-degree angle to the horizontal lines. The German Africa Corps (German: Deutsches Afrikakorps, pronounced [ˈdɔʏtʃəs ˈʔaːfʁikaˌkoːɐ̯] ⓘ; DAK), commonly known as Afrika Korps, was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African campaign of World War II. 1943: Mechanized Army Formations Mechanized GHQ Units Mechanized Waffen-SS Formations Army Divisions Static Units Higher Headquarters GHQ Service Units 06. Apart from the twenty divisions of the German Wehrmacht , eighteen Romanian divisions took part in the battle on the Axis side as well. The divisional antitank battalion was called the Panzer-Abwehr-Abeiling (motorisiert), retitled to Panzerjäger-Abteilung (motorisiert) in early 1940). The SS unit nomenclature can be divided into several different types of organizations, mainly the early titles used by the SS, SS unit titles of the Allgemeine SS, the military formation titles used by the Waffen-SS, titles of commands associated with the SS Security Police, and special units titles used by such SS organizations as the mobile The German army's forces for the invasion of Poland (codename Fall Weiss, English - "Case White") were divided into Army Group North (consisting of the German 3rd and 4th armies) and Army Group South (consisting of the German 8th, 10th, and 14th armies, and the Slovak Army Group Bernolak). The Replacement Army (German: Ersatzheer) was part of the Imperial German Army during World War I and part of the Wehrmacht during World War II. In the motorized infantry divisions the squad and its equipment moved by truck. Light mechanized divisions. See also: Germany Army Unit Organisation 1942-45. Glossary of German Military Terms; WW2 Germany Statistics, Numbers, and Losses; WW2 German Indentification Documents and Tags; Weapons and equipment The Brandenburgers (German: Brandenburger) were members of Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht special forces unit during World War II. Light mechanized divisions []. '6 In contrast, Germany's British and American opponents both put into the field large land armies which almost without exception had completely German Wehrmacht Security Units in WWII Sicherung (Security) units are an unheralded but nonetheless important part of the historiography of the German military machine during the Second World War. 39 1 st and 2 nd Welle Army Infantry Divisions 1/II-2 01. Truck c olumn of a motorized infantry regiment with motorcycle troops in the lead, Poland, September 1939 (Photo: Bundesarchiv) NOTE ON NOMENCLATURE. 2% ethnic-German minority, but did not enlist ethnic Poles on racist grounds. Poland, late 1944: panzer grenadiers aboard a Panzer V Panther tank. Its primary mission was to take defensive positions and guard the western defences of Germany against Allied forces along the Maginot Line during the attack on Poland, [1] making it the principal German combatant during the short-lived French Saar Offensive. Three: Panzer, Panzer Grenadier, and Waffen SS Divisions in WWII. German infantry divisions were called just that: Infanterie-Division. This is a collection of WW2 mods for Arma 3. Feb 3, 2013 · These confiscated foodstuffs to supplement or as far as possible replace military rations. In 1935 he introduced military conscription. Re-activated military police, who received extra rations as pay, were identified by an armband stating Wehrmachtordnungstruppe (Armed Forces Order Troop). TANK DIVISIONS (Panzer-Divisionen) 1. Wilbeck) On tunics this took the form of a cloth patch about 9 cm (3. Military Review, Sep 1940). He was killed by stray shrapnel piece when stepped out from T-34 on Dec 18, 1941. And several of the Gebirgs Divisions were high quality as they had to be extra fit. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr together with the Marine (German Navy) and the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). HAA: Heeres-Artillerie GERMAN MILITARY SYMBOLS German military symbols. 24 hours to set up or dismantle. Contains tables of known units, a roster of senior officers, a glossary of German abbreviations and an index of German terms and designations. ISBN 978-0-8117-3437-0. 39 1 st and 2 nd Welle Army Infantry Divisions The German Army (German: Heer, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The table lists the Infantry Regiments and Field Artillery Battalions and the Engineer Combat Battalion associated with each division. 1943: Army Divisions GHQ Service Units : 01. 39 3 rd and 4 th Welle Army Infantry Divisions 1/III 01. 44 German Order of Battle. I'd say that compared to elite units of German Army, like 1st Fallschirmjäger or Großdeutschland, elite SS units were similar in prestige and capabilities. Adequate supplies of standard German arms quickly dried up as more and more security detachments were needed and created. A 75mm PAK 40 antitank gun in action (Photo: Bundesarchiv): NOTE ON NOMENCLATURE. Because of funding cuts, in September 1921, the 4th through 9th Infantry Divisions were mostly inactivated. 44 Mechanized GHQ Units Mechanized Waffen-SS Formations Army Divisions Static Units Higher Headquarters 16. For the Polish Campaign the OKW created two army groups (deployment see map further down): Army Group North (divided into two armies each of three corps) consisted of one panzer division, one mixed Army/SS panzer division, two motorized divisions, 16 infantry divisions and a cavalry brigade. Hartleben, Medical Corps, German Army. 07. German British (Br) or US nearest equivalent Gruppe Section (Br), Squad (US) Mar 1, 2021 · Germany East Prussia; Field army Reserve army Field army Reserve army Field army Reserve army Field army Reserve army Field army Reserve army Field army Reserve army Field army Reserve army Field army Reserve army Field army Reserve army Field army Reserve army; Higher command units: 4 127: 1 868: 366: 141: 4 560: 811: 484: 70: 5 584: 759: 481 Infantry units and those support units that did not have weapons or branch symbols assigned to them used the rectangle. [ 8 ] The 2nd Parachute Division was formed in France under the command of Generalleutnant Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke in early 1943, based on the 2nd Parachute Brigade that had fought in North Africa. Military IntelligeB e Service. [1] The Aufstellungswelle system was adopted by the Wehrmacht in late 1938. It was one of the two army echelon headquarters controlling German troops in the far north. Army: divisions Apr 2, 2022 · Explanation of German Units and Organizational Symbols: The symbols in this work are based on the official German handbook of military symbols (H. Feb 10, 2016 · These units were quite effective in combat because they were more risk-takers, but the cost was that they had more losses as well. 39 Mechanized Army Formations and Waffen-SS Formations (3rd Revised Edition) 1/II-1 01. The 1st Division participated in the Polish campaign as a component of the XXVI Corps and Third Army commanded by General von Küchler. Although some were Army Divisions Static Units 04. Infanterie-Division in Russia, June 1941 (Bundesarchiv) NOTE ON NOMENCLATURE. W. 42 – 7. Army Norway (Armeeoberkommando Norwegen, abbreviated AOK Norwegen) was a German army operating in Norway and Finland during World War II. Divisions are the largest units in the German Army known to have a prescribed organization, and those divisions which function as tactical units are normally the smallest formations which include units of various arms and Pages in category "Military units and formations of the German Army in World War II" The following 7 pages are in this category, out of 7 total. The Army had other crack units at various times in their incarnations; 3rd Panzer Grenadier was supposed to be highly efficient in Italy. Combining combat and police functions, it served alongside the German Army (Heer), Ordnungspolizei (Order Police), and other security units. the Infantry Regiment 'List', which traced its identity to the Bavarian unit with which Hitler had served in World War I. Jäger Divisions (11 P) L. West German Panzer Units Jun 12, 2021 · Military Organizations: 1 September 1939 The German Army: 10 May 1940 The German Army and Waffen-SS: 22 June 1941 The German Army The Waffen-SS: 1942 The German Army: 23 October 1942 Panzer-Division (Afrika) Leichte Afrika Division (mot) 1943 The German Army: 19 May 1943 Sturmdivision Rhodos: 1 November 1943 German Army and Waffen-SS: 1944 The The German distribution of ground forces by theaters of war in the summer (June-July) 1942 after TOE (tables of organization and equipment). German Order of Battle. Niehorster 1994 2nd, Completely Revised Edition published by The Military Press in 2005 ♦ Units that absorbed the initial German assault 16 Dec. Army Group South (10 corps in three armies) consisted Capacity 500 beds, 24 hours to set up or dismantle. The Panzer divisions were vital to the German army's early success. Division: Arabic ♦ Motorized Infantry Divisions 1939-41 ♦. Almost all divisions were employed in areas on the Eastern front with the exception of the 325th Security Division which operated within occupied France. For enlisted uniforms it was jacquard-woven ("BeVo") or sometimes machine-embroidered in silver-grey rayon, for officers machine- or hand-embroidered in white silk or bright aluminum wire, and for generals hand-embroidered in gold bullion. 43 Army Divisions Static Units 01. Feldgrau. You also have access to the battle order of these units. Despite the small share of the overall force structure (13%), these fully mobile formations, along with the Luftwaffe, played a decisive role in the offensive Blitzkrieg doctrine. The adaption of the KONA regiments to meet the needs of the Field Army was one of the Tessin, Georg (1973). Separate from the Army This order of battle lists the German units of armeegruppe, armee, korps, anddivision size as well as the chief of staff (Cos), as of June 6th, 1944,including the respective commanders and dates of command of all units. German Army Elite Units 1939-45 (Osprey, Gordon Williamson) Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv und Arbeitskreis Wehrforschung) Tigers in Combat I + II (W. Motorized infantry divisions of the German Army were titled Infanterie-Division (motorisiert). By 1938 it had 36 infantry divisions of 600,000 men. It was based within Germany proper and included command and administrative units as well as training and guard troops. There were a series of 5 Light divisions; the first four were pre-war mechanized formations organized for use as mechanized cavalry, and the fifth was an ad hoc collection of mechanized elements rushed to Africa to help the Italians and organized into a division Apr 23, 2025 · Wehrmacht, the armed forces of the Third Reich. Playnet, World War II Online, WWII Online, Cornered Rat Software, are Best USSR's tank ace of the whole WWII - Dmitry Lavrinenko - had 52 confirmed tank kills, all scored in Katukov's 4 th TBr. Terms such as M40 and M43 were never designated by the Wehrmacht , but are names given to the different versions of the Model 1936 field tunic by modern collectors, to discern between variations, as the M36 was steadily The new emphasis on field intercept resulted in the establishment of Signal Intelligence Regiments (German: Kommandeur der Nachrichtenaufklärung) (KONA) [16] whose mobile component parts were designed to work with units of the Army Group to Army Corps level). 43 Mechanized Army Formations Mechanized GHQ Units Mechanized Waffen-SS Formations Army Divisions Static Units Higher Headquarters 06. 39 1 st and 2 nd Welle Army Infantry Divisions The following lists German active and reserve units within the structure of the German Army. 39 1st and 2 nd Welle Army Infantry Divisions May 19, 2019 · These are organizational diagrams that show the basic compositions of the units within the unit in question. The German Army had (has) a long and honored history (don't start, they did!) and their loyalty and honor, plus a sense of duty was a part of what made the Wehrmacht great. This question arises a fair bit with readers of WorldWar2Facts. Because of that one of the former two tank regiments was replaced by a further mobile infantry regiment. The Wehrmacht also included the Kriegsmarine (Navy) and the Luftwaffe (Air Force). 09. 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 generally in charge. Die Feuerwher (The Fire Brigade) as they became know to the regular German troops, as they were shipped all over the Eastern Front to plug holes in buckling zones. This is what in current NATO STANAG parlance is the UNIT symbol. This table is for quick reference for identifying units mentioned in books. It is noteworthy that many divisions at the southern and central sector of the Eastern Front have fallen far below their organization strength since the Battle of Kursk (July 1943), because nearly all German reserves were needed for the disarmament of the Italian army and the take-over of the Italian occupation zones, and to fight against the Anglo-Americans in Southern Italy. Major units above corps level are listed here. E. Members of this unit took part in seizing operationally important targets by way Mar 28, 2023 · Government Service Official (civilian employed by the military) H (h) holländisch: Dutch (Netherlands) H: Herbert-Gerät: box girder floating bridge equipment: H, Haub: Haubitze (gun-) howitzer: H-Heere(s-) The Army. [b][h3][u]ALL ARMA 3 WW2 MODS COMPILATION LIST[/u][/h3][/b]Beside the colle German units in World War II are less easily described. 1. Mar 12, 2017 · As shown in Figure 2 in Section I, the German Army in the field is organized into army groups, armies, corps, and divisions. In July 1942 the infantry regiments of the motorized infantry divisions were redesignated as motorized grenadier regiments. In 1939 the German Army had 98 divisions available for the invasion of Poland. [1] Originally, the unit was formed by and operated as an extension of the military's intelligence and counter-espionage organ, the Abwehr. Apr 14, 2016 · WWII German unit designations can be hard for reenactors and reenactment units to fully understand. Currently used in the militaries of Germany , Austria and Switzerland , the term includes the word jäger , another German military term used to denote light infantry troops. While the German military and industrial support may have been better prepared and trained during the early years of WW2, it was unsustainable when they had to continue fighting on three fronts (Eastern, Western, Africa). The Wehrmacht was created by Adolf Hitler on March 16, 1935, and formally disbanded by the Allies on August 20, 1946. Out of 151 divisions that the Germans deployed against the Red Army, only 19 were Panzer divisions (17 immediately available and 2 in reserve). The Waffen-SS grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II. Panzer I light tanks in Poland, September 1939 (Bundesarchiv) NOTE ON NOMENCLATURE. Panzer-Division 2. They must therefore be changed. Contents. List of World War II military units of Germany This page was last edited on 21 January 2024, at 23:49 (UTC). As the war progressed and Germany was facing manpower shortages, many units had their organization adjusted to increase the overall fighting strength of the German Army. (b) Army Field Hospital for slightly wounded cases. The final battles in the East and the last German Orders of Battle from April 30, 1945. [74] Jun 7, 2024 · German Army Units. From WWII Online Wiki. For the purposes of this study, the following equivalents have been used. For some this status was simply a matter of lineage - e. Aug 17, 2009 · He became the first German general to surrender his command to Commonwealth forces in World War II when Bardia fell on 2 January 42. In the German Wehrmacht before and during World War II, infantry divisions were raised as part of a designated Aufstellungswelle (deployment wave) or Welle (wave), sometimes translated as "draft". The Free Arabian Legion (German: Legion Freies Arabien; Arabic: جيش بلاد العرب الحرة, romanized: Jaysh bilād al-ʿarab al-ḥurraẗ) was the collective name of several initially Italian and later German units formed from Arab volunteers from the Middle East, notably Iraq, and North Africa during World War II. Its primary role was to provide replacements for the combat divisions of the Jan 27, 2009 · Can any-one tell me: 1) How long some-one needed to serve in the German Army before the outbreak of WW2? 2) How old were the men who were called to serve in the German Army before WW2? 3) Were the medics who were accompanying the soldiers on the frontlines medical doctors or just 'first aid man'? German Infantry Battalion structure and terminology The German Army had its own vocabulary for unit designations, which does not easily translate to familiar British or US Army terms. King Leopold III of Belgium had assumed personal command of the army upon mobilization. When World War II began, the entire Heer was split into two separate parts. In June 1946, more than 12 months after the official end of World War II, the Feldgendarmerie became the last German units to surrender their arms. Capacity 1,000 beds. The following is a general overview of the Heer main uniforms, used by the German Army prior to and during World War II. Army groups, armies, corps and divisions. Once this reform had taken place, the typical German army corps had four or five field companies - three from the original field battalion and one or two from the recently formed TLDR: yes, then no. Tank units used a rhomboid symbol. The multiplicities of the military authorities (for example: some coastal artillery batteries are armed by the Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe infantry units alongside those of the Wehrmacht and the SS) and the counterproductive competition between these armies (particularly strong between the Wehrmacht and the SS) are particularly harmful for the The German Army (German: Heer, German: ⓘ; lit. Although not exhaustive, it does provide a very comprehensive list of units, formations and command authorities and information on hierarchical structures. WWII; WWI and Interwar; Shop. Jump to navigation Jump to search. Heeres-units are General Headquarters (GHQ) units. Between 1939 Units in Italy after July 1944 This page lists the units for each of the German divisions that was in Italy after July 1944. Research German Military Records (WW2 German Soldier Databases) The following listing is of a number of important contacts for information on WWII German soldiers, various units, matters of importance to family members The German Army (German: Heer (German pronunciation: [ˈheːɐ̯]) was the land forces component of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces, from 1935 to 1945. This diversity had a significant impact on the Wehrmacht‘s ability to defend against the Allied The red cross, the protective sign used by the Army Medical Service. Soldiers of the 291. (Bundesarchiv) NOTE ON NOMENCLATURE. This enabled the German Army to train 300,000 conscripts a year. 44 Chief of Staff: Genlt Blumentritt 9. 1943) . In World War II a number of German Army units and divisions were classed as élites, and were distinguished by special insignia of various kinds. For smaller units, see List of German corps in World War II and List of German divisions in World War II. TheFeldheer (Field Army) was created for the exclusive control of all military operations, and the Ersatzheer (Replacement Army) was created to control all the training, procurement, and administration of the Heimatkriegsgebiet (Zone of the Interior). 02. OB stands for Oberbefehlshaber or Army Command OB Niederlande - Netherlands OB Nordost - Northeast THE GERMAN WORLD WAR II ORGANIZATIONAL SERIES 1/I 01. They restored mobility and maneuver to the modern battlefield, and in so doing they proved that war could consist of more than launching bloody frontal assaults by massed infantry. In addition, 8 security divisions, 1 field training division, 9 1/3 reserve divisions, 30 replacements, 7 air force divisions, 30 1/2 allied or volunteer divisions under German command, 37 1/2 divisions in formation or reestablishment. OKH = Oberkommando der Heer; OKL = Oberkommando der Luftwaffe; OKM = Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine; Above all other organizational and administrative structures that controlled the German military and civilian infrastructure, the command and control of the Wehrmacht was the highest organizational position. See also: Germany Army Unit Organization 1942-45. The actual average strength in the army, however, was only 88%. For smaller units, see list of German corps in World War II and list of German divisions in World War II. In addition The best infantry units in the 1944 German Army were the parachute divisions, administratively under the Luftwaffe but tactically always subordinated to Army command. (2007b). Usually consisted of hundreds of various units and upwards of a few hundred thousand men, all of which operated in a far-ranging geographic region of the front. Jan 43. Thus, the 18 divisions of the reconstituted German 6th Army were trapped and destroyed for the second time after Stalingrad. Between 1935 and 1945 this force grew to consist of hundreds of Divisions, dozens of Army Groups and thousands of smaller supporting units. Some were dedicated National Socialists, while others were conscripts or even unwilling participants. Apr 18, 2022 · In the battles against the Polish Army in September 1939 it became clear that the German Panzer Divisions cointained to many tanks and lacked mobile infantry to follow up und secure the flanks. An elite combat unit in the German Army (Heer) during World War II that fought primarily on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Union. The situation further deteriorated after Hitler, technically a civilian, appointed himself commander in chief of the army, an act unprecedented in Prussian or German history. Despite this, life in the 500 th was intended to be unpleasant. Oberkommando der Wehrmacht Diagram. Confiscating food stuffs from the Belgians in World war I caused enormous suffering among civilians and was part of the reason that the German Army acquired a reputation for brutality that it never lost and fully lived up to in World War II. (Photo: Bundesarchiv) NOTE ON NOMENCLATURE. 1: Armed Forces High Command, Army High Command, Wehrkreise. 15. The units of the Army Group South in Southern Russia were largely completely refreshed at the cost of the others. OB West: GFM von Rundstedt 3. com The largest single German organizational formation during WWII. Luftwaffe Field Divisions (14 P) M. The fall of Germany in WW2 was a confluence of events and effects. Before embarking on any study of German unit histories it’s helpful to have access to research material regarding ranks, formations, terms and other related concepts. A “Wave One” unit, the 1st Division included soldiers who were called up in the first wave of German military conscription prior to World War II. Capacity 200 beds. Corps-level units 4th Cavalry Group, Mechanized 29th Infantry Regiment Two French Light Infantry Battalions 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion 298th Engineer Combat Battalion 740th Tank Battalion 18th FA Group (188th, 666th, and 981st FA Battalions) 142nd FA Group (195th and 266th FA Volkssturm units composed of teenagers are depicted in battle scenes in the 2004 film Downfall. In World War II at least 2,700,000 horses saw service in the German army. Mechanicsburg, PA, United States: Stackpole Books. The years 1939-42 are generally defined as a period of military and territorial expansion for The Third Reich. The arming of German rear-area security forces was also a great problem. Yet soldiers who performed well could expect to have their sentences reduced. These units were given the header Kriegsetat 44. ) (component units), which was added to the front of their number. The Allied attack on the Rhine barrier in March 1945. Army Group Centre Army Group South 90 Infantry Divisions and Norway Army, Befehlsstelle Finnland (East Front Only) 4 Light Infantry Divisions OKH Reserves * Norway Army (Norway Occupation Duties) Non-East Front Forces *^ Air Landing Division ^ Army Group D (Oberbefehlshaber West) 62 Infantry Divisions ** 12th Army (Yugoslavia-Serbia-Greece Sep 9, 2018 · Steam Workshop: Arma 3. During World War I the German army used 1,400,000 horses. The Soviet offensive on 20 August against the Romanian 4th and 3rd armies, left and right of the German 6th Army, met practically no resistance; the Romanian troops simply refused to fight. 24. Colonel H. : Half-Platoon) Some platoons, for example HMG Platoons, could be divided into two parts. The Belgian Army field approximately 600,000 personnel in 22 divisions, backed by 1,338 artillery pieces, 10 tanks and 240 other combat vehicles. Reserve units do not possess any heavy equipment and their personnel is intended as replacements for losses sustained by regular units. 3 hours to set up or dismantle. ♦ Divisional Antitank Units 1939-45 ♦. Casualties were high as the unit fought its way across the Eastern Front. Two: 291st–999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945 [Formations and Units of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS in World War II, 1939–1945]. The 1943 organizational symbols were simplified. Panzer-Division 3. Panzer-Division THE ARMORED DIVISIONS . The following accounting of German divisions by type from September 1939 to May 1945 was compiled from the works of Georg Tessin in his epic accounting of the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS titled: Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945. Battalion: Roman. For this reason it is ordered: 1. World War II – A Statistical Survey (John Ellis) Mar 30, 2019 · The main part of each mechanized Army divisions book starts out with divisional diagrams, (one division per page), followed by a series of diagrams for each type of sub-unit (brigade, regiment, or battalion), with accompanying text explaining the interior structure and the composition of these units, (detachments, sections, platoons, etc After Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939, the Wehrmacht, or German armed forces, recruited members from Poland's 2. Infantry squad of the German Army, 1942. The German army raised an incredible 315 infantry divisions during World War II—a stunning total, considering that America formed only sixty-six Army infantry divisions Infantry divisions of the German Army in World War II (1 C, 2 P) J. 272) of 23 May 1943, and the symbols of the organizational charts (Kriegsgliederung des Feldheeres – 1. Vol. Army Norway was directly subordinate to OKH, the high command headquarters of the Wehrmacht. 5 in) wide worn on the right breast, above the pocket. The three primary branches of the Wehrmacht were the Heer (army), Luftwaffe (air force), and Kriegsmarine (navy). It was based in Frankfurt and Kassel and consisted of personnel from Hesse. [5] Army Divisions Static Units 04. German British (Br) or US nearest equivalent Gruppe Section (Br), Squad (US) Pages in category "German World War II special forces" The following 17 pages are in this category, out of 17 total. The casualties suffered by a typical American infantry regiment serving in World War II were horrendous. This list may not reflect recent changes. A Panzer division was one of the armored (tank) divisions in the army of Nazi Germany during World War II. lpjkl pipmpn wayhxa vuo fmfux hrini nvyuwp mvnfwn hgrjp jvclhypk jtfbf wjem gngdf ziu ppaed