German Order of Battle: 1st–290th Infantry Divisions in WWII

By Samuel W. Mitcham

Narrative histories highlighting organization, combat experiences, and casualties of each division. Lists of constituent units and division commanders. Sources for further reading on each division.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jun 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9780811746540

Samuel W. Mitcham

SAMUEL W. MITCHAM JR. is a military historian who has written extensively on the Civil War South, including his book It Wasn’t About Slavery. A U.S. Army helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War and a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, he remained active in the reserves, qualifying through the rank of major general. A former visiting professor at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, he has appeared on the History Channel, CBS, NPR, and the BBC. He lives with his family in Monroe, Louisiana.

Book preview

Other titles in the Stackpole Military History Series

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

Cavalry Raids of the Civil War

Pickett’s Charge

Witness to Gettysburg

WORLD WAR II

Armor Battles of the Waffen-SS, 1943–45

Army of the West

Australian Commandos

The B-24 in China

Backwater War

The Battle of Sicily

Beyond the Beachhead

The Brandenburger Commandos

The Brigade

Bringing the Thunder

Coast Watching in World War II

Colossal Cracks

D-Day to Berlin

Eagles of the Third Reich

Exit Rommel

Flying American Combat Aircraft of World War II

Fist from the Sky

Forging the Thunderbolt

Fortress France

The German Defeat in the East, 1944–45

German Order of Battle, Vols. 2 and 3

Germany’s Panzer Arm in World War II

Grenadiers

Infantry Aces

Iron Arm

Luftwaffe Aces

Messerschmitts over Sicily

Michael Wittmann, Vols. 1 and 2

The Nazi Rocketeers

On the Canal

Packs On!

Panzer Aces

Panzer Aces II

The Panzer Legions

Retreat to the Reich

Rommel’s Desert War

The Savage Sky

A Soldier in the Cockpit

Stalin’s Keys to Victory

Surviving Bataan and Beyond

Tigers in the Mud

The 12th SS, Vols. 1 and 2

THE COLD WAR / VIETNAM

Flying American Combat Aircraft: The Cold War

Land with No Sun

Street without Joy

WARS OF THE MIDDLE EAST

Never-Ending Conflict

GENERAL MILITARY HISTORY

Carriers in Combat

Desert Battles

Copyright © 2007 by Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr.

Published by

STACKPOLE BOOKS

5067 Ritter Road

Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

www.stackpolebooks.com

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

This is a revised and expanded edition of HITLER’S LEGIONS by Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr., originally published in one volume by Stein and Day. Copyright © 1985 by Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr.

Cover design by Tracy Patterson

Cover photo courtesy of HITM Archive, www.hitm-archive.co.uk

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mitcham, Samuel W.

German order of battle / Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr.

p. cm. — (Stackpole military history series)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-8117-3416-5

ISBN-10: 0-8117-3416-1

1. Germany. Heer. Infanterie. 2. Germany. Heer—History—World War, 1939–1945. 3. World War, 1939–1945—Regimental histories—Germany. 4. Germany—History, Military—20th century. I. Title.

D757.3.M57 2007

940.54'1343—dc22

2007 014285

eBook ISBN: 9780811744904

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. The German Division

2. The Wehrkreise System

3. The 1st–290th Infantry Divisions

Index

Introduction

As a young graduate student recently discharged from the U.S. Army, I started writing a book entitled Hitler’s Legions: The Order of Battle of the German Army, World War II in the mid-1970s and finished it seven years later. Since that time, a huge amount of literature on the order of battle of the German armed forces and their commanders has become available—so much so that Hitler’s Legions became obsolete. The purpose of this book, and its companion volumes, is to replace the original, to present the order of battle of the German ground forces in World War II, and to trace each division from inception to destruction. I also (insofar as is possible) have listed the divisional commanders and the dates they held command. If they were promoted, killed, or wounded during their tenure, I have included this information as well. I only regret that I was not able to give a short biography of each commander, as I did in Panzer Legions and in the endnotes of some of my earlier books.

I would like to thank Chris Evans, the history editor at Stackpole Books, for suggesting this project, and David Reisch at Stackpole for all of his help. I would also like to thank Melinda Matthews, the head of the interlibrary loan department at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, for her usual superb job in tracking down reference material, as well as anyone else who provided useable information for this project. Sincere appreciation is also extended to Paul Moreau and Dr. Donny Elias for their help and encouragement. Most of all, I would like to thank my long-suffering wife, Donna, and my kids, Lacy and Gavin, for all that they have had to put up with during this process.

Dr. Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr.

Monroe, Louisiana

Map 1

Map 2

Map 3

Map 4

CHAPTER 1

The German Division

THE DIVISIONAL STAFF

German divisions in World War II varied remarkably in strength, composition, organization, transport, equipment, and even in racial composition. The division staffs of most combat units, however, were very similar and were divided into three operational groupings: the Führungsabteilung, or tactical detachment; the Quartiermeister, or supply group; and the Adjutantur, or personnel group.

The tactical group included the chief of operations (or Ia) and the chief intelligence officer (Ic) as well as their respective staffs. The Ia served as chief of staff in division-sized units or lower, and the Ic was directly subordinate to him. (The term chief of staff was normally reserved for corps-level headquarters or higher.) Besides the intelligence officer, various other combat-oriented subordinates worked for the chief of operations, including the Ia for artillery, air liaison officers, and others. This tactical headquarters was also known as the division’s command post (CP).

The supply headquarters, which was physically separated from the CP, was headed by the Ib (chief supply officer, or divisional quartermaster). It included the IVa (chief administrative officer), the IVb (chief medical officer), the IVc (chief veterinary officer), and the V (motor transport officer). All of these officers were in charge of their own sections. Most of them were not General Staff officers; however, to hold an I-type position (i.e., Ia, Ib, or Ic), an officer had to be at least a probationary member of the General Staff.

The third operational grouping was the personnel, or Adjutantur, group, which was headed by the IIa, the chief personnel officer or adjutant. Subordinate to him were the IIb or second personnel officer (who was also referred to as Adjutant Two), the III (chief judge advocate), the chaplain (IVd), and various other sections necessary for the smooth functioning of the staff headquarters, such as motor pools, security detachments, and the like. In the U.S. Army this organization would have been called a Headquarters Company, and indeed many German divisions had a Staff Company (although not all of them did). The IIa section handled all officer personnel matters while the IIb was responsible for enlisted personnel matters. The IIb routed requests for replacements through the IIa and was subordinate to him in all matters.

The III and IVd, the motor pool officer, also commanded their own sections under the overall direction of the IIa.

In addition to the three major groups, divisions had special staffs with officers and sections assigned on a temporary or permanent basis. These might include a commander of divisional supply troops (subordinate to the Ib on most matters), the senior military police officer, the commander of projector (i.e., rocket-launcher) troops, the gas protection officer and, after July 20, 1944, the National Socialist guidance officer. Most division headquarters also had a motorized mapping detachment and a motorcycle messenger platoon, which bore the same numbers as the division.

One very important special staff officer was the senior artillery commander (Artilleriekommandanteur, or Arko). He was attached to the division on a temporary basis and was responsible for recommending the allocation of attached General Headquarters artillery units (i.e., those loaned to the division from a corps or higher headquarters) within the division. His command was also called an Arko.

When no General Headquarters artillery units were attached to the division (which was the exception, rather than the rule), the division artillery commander (Artillerieführer, or Arfü) was responsible for all artillery matters; however, if an Arko was present, he normally commanded the divisional artillery forces, while the Arfü directed the division’s organic artillery regiment.

Arkos were corps-level General Headquarters (GHQ) units which were often detached to the divisional level. Higher-level artillery headquarters and units (i.e., units found at the army and army group levels) were commanded by a higher artillery command, which was called a Harko (Höherer Artilleriekommandeur). The commander himself was also called the Harko.

THE INFANTRY LINE REGIMENTS

German divisions were organized in any number of ways. However, infantry units were the most numerous. The total German Army and Waffen-SS strength in 1941, for example, was 163 infantry divisions (including four light and six mountain divisions), one cavalry division, nine security divisions, fourteen motorized infantry divisions, and twenty-one panzer divisions. In addition, all of the panzer divisions (except those in Africa) had at least two motorized infantry regiments (which were later redesignated panzer grenadier regiments). Because of the numerical predominance of infantry-type units in the Wehrmacht, they will be discussed as the rule.

Early in the war, each German infantry division had three infantry regiments of three battalions each, an artillery regiment, a signal battalion, an anti-tank battalion, an engineer battalion, and a reconnaissance battalion, which was changed to a fusilier battalion (or a company) in many divisions created or reorganized after 1942. (Fusilier units were usually equipped with bicycles. This fact, however, did not apply to infantry regiments, which were occasionally given the honorary title Fusilier, but without any changes to their mobility.) Similarly, many divisions created after 1942 had only two infantry regiments, and a signal company instead of a signal battalion.

Infantry regiments—which were renamed grenadier regiments by Führer order on October 15, 1942—consisted of two or three infantry battalions, an infantry howitzer company, and an anti-tank company. The earlier in the war a division was formed, the more likely it was to have three regiments, and the more likely these regiments were to have three battalions, for a total of nine infantry battalions per division. As Hitler made known his requirement for more and more divisions, the strength of each level of command declined remarkably. After 1941, for example, the establishment level of an infantry company was reduced from 180 to 80, and as the war dragged on, most companies were well below establishment. It is easy to see, then, why it is difficult to generalize about the strength of a German division: a 1939 division of three regiments—each with three infantry battalions consisting of companies of 180 men each—would be much stronger than a 1944 two-regiment Volksgrenadier (people’s infantry) division with only four infantry battalions in all (and these with companies of fewer than eighty men each). Besides these reductions, the divisional units—signal, tank destroyer, engineer, and reconnaissance battalions—were often downgraded from battalion to company-sized units later in the war.

Infantry battalions normally consisted of three infantry companies and either a machine-gun company or heavy weapons company. As late as 1944 most infantry companies had three rifle platoons and one heavy machine-gun section (or an 81mm mortar section), except in Volksgrenadier divisions, where the grenadier companies had two submachine-gun platoons and one rifle platoon.

The machine-gun company—present in most mountain, light, and panzer grenadier divisions—included 81mm mortars and heavy machine guns. In infantry and panzer divisions, this unit was replaced by the heavy weapons company, which consisted of infantry howitzer or 120mm mortar platoons, as well as heavy machine-gun platoons or sections.

The first eight companies in the two-battalion regiments—or the first twelve in three-battalion regiments—were organic to the battalions (i.e., were one of the three infantry companies or the battalion’s heavy weapons company and were under the command of the battalion commander). The ninth company (or 13th Company in three-battalion regiments) was an infantry howitzer company directly under regimental control. Even in two-battalion regiments, it usually bore the designation 13th Company. In such cases, no 9th Company, 10th Company, 11th Company, or 12th Company existed. The equipment of this unit was varied. In Volksgrenadier divisions it included two platoons of 120mm mortars and one platoon of infantry howitzers. Infantry howitzer companies of earlier-vintage divisions had more howitzer units and fewer mortar sections than divisions that were mobilized later in the war.

The 10th Company in two-battalion regiments (or 14th Company in three-battalion regiments) was the infantry anti-tank company, which was equipped with 37mm anti-tank guns or with short-range 75mm and 150mm anti-tank guns. Later they were equipped with Panzerfausts (individually carried, single-shot, disposable anti-tank weapons) or other anti-tank weapons similar to the bazooka. The 14th Company in Volksgrenadier divisions was called a tank destroyer company, and was equipped solely with Panzerfausts.

THE ARTILLERY REGIMENT

In infantry and light (or Jäger) divisions, the artillery regiments consisted of four battalions, numbered I, II, III, and IV. I, II, and III battalions were equipped with towed or horse-drawn 105mm howitzers, while IV battalion had 150mm howitzers. Battalions normally consisted of three batteries of four guns each—forty-eight guns per regiment. As with all other German military formations, the rule for this type of organization was violated with increasing frequency after 1943; many units, for example, were outfitted with captured foreign equipment.

The artillery regiments in panzer and motorized divisions were more mobile and often self-propelled. Panzer artillery regiments, however, usually had only three battalions: I and II were equipped with 105mm howitzers, and III was armed with 150mm howitzers.

Mountain artillery regiments normally consisted of four battalions. I, II, and III battalions were equipped with 75mm mountain howitzers and IV with 105mm mountain howitzers, which were lighter than normal howitzers of the same caliber.

Divisional artillery units frequently were reinforced by units from the GHQ artillery pool at corps-level or above. As already discussed, these units, as well as the organic divisional artillery regiment, were commanded by the Arko. The Arko might bring an assortment of units with him, including GHQ observation units, light, medium, heavy, or super-heavy batteries or battalions, which might be horse-drawn, motorized, tractor-drawn, self-propelled, railway-transported, or even fixed, in extremely rare cases. Other artillery units often attached to the division included armored assault-gun battalions, which consisted of a headquarters battery and three six-gun batteries equipped with 75mm self-propelled assault guns that were employed as if they were tanks. Flak (Fliegerabwehrkanone, or anti-aircraft cannon) battalions (organic to many panzer and SS panzer divisions) were occasionally attached to divisions and included three 88mm gun batteries and two 20mm gun batteries. Light anti-aircraft (Fliegerabwehr, or Fla) battalions were also occasionally attached, or were even organic, to some divisions.

DIVISIONAL UNITS

The primary units organic to the divisional headquarters were the reconnaissance, anti-tank, engineer, and signal battalions. Divisional reconnaissance battalions were remarkably varied, even relatively early in the war. Generally speaking, however, there were two major types in 1942: those found in infantry divisions and those in motorized, light, and panzer divisions. Infantry reconnaissance battalions normally consisted of three companies: one mounted, one motorcycle, and one motorized (heavy weapons) company. Light, motorized, and panzer divisional reconnaissance battalions normally were completely motorized.

From 1943 onward, newly organized divisions incorporated fusilier battalions, which were organized like infantry battalions except that they were more mobile. Usually they were equipped with bicycles.

The divisional anti-tank battalions were variously equipped, but normally consisted of short-range 37mm, 75mm, and 150mm anti-tank guns. Originally designated Panzer Abwehr units (tank defense or anti-tank units), they were redesignated Panzerjäger (tank hunter or tank destroyer) battalions on April 1, 1940. Later in the war, they were more and more frequently equipped with hand-carried Panzerfausts or self-propelled assault guns, or sometimes combinations of the two. These self-propelled assault guns were turretless, open-topped, tracked, and armed with a gun mounted on the hull. There usually were eighteen assault guns per battalion (and thirty-one assault guns in an assault gun brigade, which was a type of unit independent of the divisions). Many early-model assault guns (i.e., 1940 or 1941 types) were mounted on Panzer Mark III (PzKw III) chassis and might employ a low-velocity 75mm or 105mm gun or a low-velocity 105mm howitzer. These were gradually replaced by long-barrel, high-velocity 75mm guns and carried both solid (anti-tank) and high explosive shells. They continued to be mounted on the PzKw III chassis, however. These assault guns were extremely important to the German Army in World War II. Not only did they provide many divisions with excellent anti-tank protection, but they debilitated many enemy (especially Russian) armored units as well. By early 1944, for example, the assault gun arm claimed to have destroyed 20,000 enemy tanks. The assault-gun arm was an integral part of the artillery branch, which supplied the officers and training. It was in no way subordinate to the panzer branch—much to the chagrin of Colonel General Heinz Guderian, the chief of the panzer inspectorate in 1943.

As the war went on and casualties mounted (especially in Russia), many reconnaissance units were seriously depleted by casualties. Often they were merged with the division’s tank destroyer battalions to form schnelle (mobile or fast) battalions. These units had the dual missions of conducting reconnaissance and providing anti-tank defense. They were organized any number of ways. The 227th Schnelle Battalion of the 227th Infantry Division, for example, had four bicycle squadrons (companies), armed mainly with light machine guns; a motorized tank destroyer company, equipped with a dozen 37mm anti-tank guns; and a heavy company, with an armored car platoon, two motorcycle platoons, two tank destroyer platoons (with three 37mm anti-tank guns each), and an engineer platoon. The 236th Schnelle Battalion of the 162nd Infantry Division, on the other hand, controlled three motorized tank destroyer companies (one armed with towed 37mm guns and two with 50mm guns); one bicycle squadron; and a signals platoon. Other divisions had almost every conceivable variation in between by 1942.

As the war dragged on, reconnaissance battalions were often replaced with fusilier battalions. They were equipped mainly with bicycles and armed with light machine guns, or with 50mm and/or 80mm mortars and light machine guns

The combat engineer battalions included assault, construction, demolition, and bridging troops. They were skilled at penetrating minefields and fortified areas, as well as in delaying enemy advances when Hitler allowed his divisions to conduct timely and well-organized retreats—which occurred only rarely. The engineer battalions frequently suffered even higher rates of casualties than their infantry counterparts.

Nondivisional engineer battalions were frequently attached to divisions for specific operations. Divisional engineer battalions could, on occasion, be transferred to the GHQ pool or attached to other divisions, although most corps commanders preferred to respect the unit integrity of the division whenever possible.

The division signal battalion had three constituent units: a headquarters detachment, a telephone company, and a radio company. It could, if necessary, be augmented by GHQ units, such as telegraph companies or interception units.

DIVISIONAL SUPPORT UNITS

Each German division had its own organic supply and transport echelons under the IIa. These units included supply companies, transport units, motor transport units, the divisional trains, repair units, and others. The variation of the German divisional supply echelons are such that generalization is difficult.

Medical units (Sanitätsabteilunge, or medical detachments) were allocated on the basis of one per division. They consisted of one or two medical companies, a field hospital, and two or three ambulance platoons, often grouped together under an ambulance company. They usually bore the divisional auxiliary number, which was usually the same as that of the division; for example, the 304th Medical Unit belonged to the 304th Infantry Division.

---

TABLE 1: THE VEHICLES OF A TYPICAL GERMAN INFANTRY DIVISION PRIOR TO 1943: HORSE VS. MOTOR

A division of this size would require 53 tons of hay daily, as well as 54 tons of food, 20 tons of gasoline and diesel, one ton of lubricants, 10 tons of ordnance stores, and 12 tons of other stores, excluding baggage and ammunition.

After 1943, the proportion of horse-drawn vehicles per division increased as the number of motor vehicles and amount of fuel available to each division declined.

SOURCE: Deighton: p. 175

---

Each division in the German Army, with the exception of the panzer and motorized divisions, had a veterinary company. Since the average German division had 3,000 to 6,000 horses and mules, which carried supplies, ammunition, troops, the wounded, artillery, and other important items, the significance of a good veterinary company is apparent. Table 1, for a typical German infantry division prior to 1943, shows the number of horse-drawn motorized vehicles, and this table may even overstate the number of motor vehicles in the typical division. The reliance that German infantry units placed on the horse has long been underestimated by historians.

Divisional headquarters also controlled a number of what might be termed miscellaneous units, including a bakery company, a military police detachment, a slaughter unit (for animals), and a field post office unit. Other formations, such as railway repair companies, depot units, smoke units, bridging sections, and others, might be attached to the division on an as-needed basis.

The supply troops of the 24th Infantry Division were fairly typical. The 24th Divisional Supply Troops included the 1st through 8th Motorized Light Supply Columns, the 24th Motorized Maintenance Platoon, the 24th Motorized Supply Company, the 24th Divisional Administration Unit, the 24th Motorized Field Bakery, the 24th Motorized Butcher Company, the 24th Medical Battalion (including the 1/24th Medical Company and the 2/24th Motorized Medical Company), the 24th Motorized Field Hospital, two ambulance companies (1/ and 2/24th), the 24th Veterinary Company, the 24th Motorized Military Police Troop, and the 24th Motorized Field Post Office.

Almost every German division also had a divisional staff company (equivalent to the headquarters company in the U.S. Army), a motorized mapping detachment, and a motorcycle messenger platoon. These mapping and motorcycle units bore the number of the division (for example, the 78th Mapping Detachment and the 78th Motorcycle Messenger Platoon belonged to the 78th Infantry Division).

TYPE 44 DIVISIONS

Beginning in the autumn of 1943, a new divisional organization was introduced: the Type 44 division. It was based on three grenadier regiments of two battalions each—or six infantry battalions per division instead of nine. Typically, a division was taken out of the line and reorganized, with the III Battalion of each grenadier regiment being abolished and reconnaissance units becoming fusilier (bicycle) units. Also, tank destroyer and signal battalions were frequently (though not always) downgraded to companies. The Type 44 division thus was smaller and had less equipment and fewer motorized vehicles than its predecessors.

THE VOLKSGRENADIER DIVISIONS

In late 1944, the Volksgrenadier (People’s Grenadier) division was organized. They lacked the manpower and heavy equipment of earlier infantry divisions and were often equipped with obsolete or foreign equipment. Most of them, for example, had a battalion of 75mm guns, instead of the modern 105mm howitzers, which were in short supply by 1944. Their infantry units, however, were well equipped with submachine guns, and they had a large number of shoulder-fired Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck anti-tank weapons.

Volksgrenadier divisions are covered in the infantry chapters in Volumes One and Two.

PANZER DIVISIONS

The panzer divisions in the Polish and French campaigns of 1939 and 1940 possessed many more men and tanks than those that fought after 1940. The 1st through 5th and 10th panzer divisions consisted of two panzer regiments of two battalions each and had between 13,000 and 14,000 men. Others (numbered 6th through 9th) had one regiment of three battalions each and had about 12,000 men. The 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Panzers (formerly light divisions) were equipped mainly with captured Czechoslovakian tanks. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 10th Panzer Divisions had to give up their second panzer regiments in the fall of 1940 to create new, smaller panzer divisions in order to satisfy Hitler’s illogical demands for more (but weaker) armored units. The number of tanks per division declined from around 320 in 1939 to 230 in 1940 and fewer than 190 in 1941. By 1943 the establishment of a panzer division required about 165 tanks (although none serving on the Eastern Front had that many), and by the end of 1944 it was reduced to fifty-four, and the panzer regiment reduced from three to two battalions per regiment.

In 1939, before the war began, Germany also had seven panzer brigades: the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, and 6th. They controlled two panzer regiments and belonged to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 4th, and 5th Panzer Divisions, respectively. The 6th Panzer Brigade was an independent formation—i.e., it had no divisional headquarters. Between April 1939 and November 1, 1942, all seven were dissolved or were upgraded to divisional status.

Between June 27, 1943, and the end of the war, the German Army created eighteen additional panzer brigade headquarters, numbered 10, 18, 21, and 100 through 115. They attempted to employ small, independent panzer brigades on the Western Front in 1944, but this experiment proved to be a costly failure. All of the panzer brigades had ceased to exist by the end of the war. Most were absorbed by existing panzer divisions, although two of the panzer brigade staffs were used to form Panzer Division Norway and Panzer Division Döberitz in 1944–45.

The motorized infantry strength of the panzer division also declined as the war wore on. In 1940, for example, each panzer division had a motorized infantry brigade consisting of two motorized infantry regiments of two battalions each plus a motorcycle battalion. Gradually the motorized infantry brigade headquarters was phased out.

Other than these differences, the panzer division was similar in organizational structure to the German infantry division. Most of the panzer and panzer grenadier divisions also had a motorcycle battalion not found in infantry, mountain, or jäger divisions and an anti-aircraft battalion was added after 1940. There was, of course, no veterinary company in armored units.

Panzer divisions are covered in Volume Three.

MOTORIZED (PANZER GRENADIER) DIVISIONS

German motorized infantry divisions were redesignated panzer grenadier divisions on June 23, 1943. Originally they consisted of three motorized infantry regiments of three battalions each. In late 1940, however, they had to give up their third regiments so the High Command could form new motorized divisions, dropping the number of motorized infantry battalions per division from nine to six. Eventually—from 1941 on—they added a panzer or assault-gun battalion of thirty to fifty tanks or guns each. Also, many of the line battalions traded their trucks for armored half-tracks. The support units in the panzer grenadier units were similar to those found in panzer formations.

Motorized and panzer grenadier divisions are covered in Volume Three.

MOUNTAIN DIVISIONS

Mountain divisions were similar to infantry divisions except in training and in that the mountain division’s equipment was lighter. Their artillery and anti-tank guns were also lighter and of smaller caliber. They had three regiments of three battalions each. Many of these battalions had five companies: three mountain jäger, one machine gun, and one heavy weapons. Their reconnaissance units were equipped with bicycles.

Mountain divisions are covered in Volume Two.

JÄGER (LIGHT) DIVISIONS

These units were similar to mountain divisions in organization and equipment, except that they had only two regiments. They were created as pursuit divisions. The exceptions were the 90th Light and l64th Light Afrika divisions, which were used, and partially equipped, for desert warfare.

Jäger divisions are covered in Volume Two.

LIGHT DIVISIONS

The original light divisions were formed beginning in 1934–36, and four (numbered 1st through 4th) were in existence when the Wehrmacht invaded Poland in 1939. They consisted of two motorized rifle regiments, a tank battalion, a reconnaissance regiment, and numerous supporting units. They proved to be too unwieldy in Poland, and in the winter of 1939–40, all four were converted into panzer units.

Light divisions are covered in Volume Two.

SECURITY DIVISIONS

These units were formed from 1941 on and consisted of two security (or infantry) regiments, which were also known as local defense regiments. They were initially not authorized to have artillery and were designed to guard key towns and cities, headquarters, and other installations in Russia, and occasionally they were involved in anti-partisan operations.

After operations began in Russia, some of the security divisions acted upon their own initiative, incorporated captured Soviet artillery pieces into their units, and set up their own (unauthorized) artillery batteries. OKH (the High Command of the Army) accepted this fact, and some of the batteries were even officially sanctioned after 1941. Generally speaking, however, security divisions did not officially have artillery or armored units. Most of the security divisions were eventually caught up in front-line fighting on the Eastern Front. The only security division found in the West was the 325th, which spent virtually its entire existence in Paris.

Security divisions are covered in the infantry chapters of Volumes One and Two.

MISCELLANEOUS ARMY DIVISIONS

The Nazi army had an incredible number of miscellaneous or special purpose divisions, including Reserve, Replacement, Field Training, Coastal Defense, Air Landing, Fortress, Cavalry, and other divisions. They shall be discussed in turn.

These divisions are covered in Volume Two.

LUFTWAFFE UNITS

Luftwaffe ground divisions were of three types: parachute, Luftwaffe field, and flak. The parachute units were made up of specially trained volunteers and were excellent combat formations, although after the Battle of Crete in 1941 they were used almost exclusively as infantry divisions. The Luftwaffe field divisions, on the other hand, were made up of drafted excess air force personnel who were poorly trained for the infantry role and thus did poorly in ground combat. Flak divisions were assigned to armies or army groups and served throughout the area of operations. A number of these divisions had territorial responsibilities within Germany.

The Hermann Goering Parachute Panzer and Parachute Panzer Grenadier Divisions were tactically under the control of the army and administratively under the control of the Luftwaffe. (This was also often the case with other Luftwaffe ground units as well.) They will be discussed under their army categories, even though they were technically Luftwaffe units.

Luftwaffe units are covered in Volume Two.

SS DIVISIONS

A total of forty-two Waffen-SS (armed SS) divisions were used as ground combat units during the war, even though many of these formations were not even made up of Germans. Their performance varied considerably. The most effective of these forces were the German SS panzer divisions, which were larger than their army counterparts because each had six motorized rifle battalions per division, as compared