GERMAN ARMY HANDBOOK 1939-1945

226 Pages·2016·67.19 MB·English

by  JAMES LUCAS

1939-1945
JAMES LUCAS
GERMAN ARMY
JAMES LUCAS
SUTTON PUBLISHING
Firstpublished in 1998 by
Sutton PublishingLimited· Phoenix Mill
Thrupp . Stroud· Gloucestershire . GL5 2BU
This edition published in 2002
Copyright©James Lucas, 1998
All rights reserved. No partofthis publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in anyform or byany means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior permission ofthe publisherand copyrightholder.
The author has asserted the moral right to be identified as the author ofthiswork.
British Library Cataloguingin Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 0 7509 3191 4
Typesetin 10/13 ptNewBaskerville.
Typesettingand origination by
Sutton PublishingLimited.
Printed in GreatBritain by
J.H. Haynes & Co. Ltd, Sparkford.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements & Bibliography IV
Glossary V
Foreword VB
1. Introduction 1
2. The Command Structure 13
3. The Infantry 26
4. The Mountain Rifles (Gebirgsjager) 42
5. Miscellaneous InfantryFormations 60
6. InfantryWeapons 69
7. The Panzers 91
8. PanzerWeapons 119
9. TheArtillery 131
10. ArtilleryWeapons 133
11. The OtherArms ofService 142
12. Flagsand Colours 154
13. Uniforms 162
14. PersonalEquipment, IdentityDocuments and the MatterofHonour 174
15. Medals and Decorations 181
Appendices:
I: Comparative Tables ofRank 190
II: Divisions oftheWaffen-SS 191
III: OrderofBattle- Poland, September 1939 195
IV: OrderofBattle- TheWest, 1940 197
V: OrderofBattle- The SovietUnion,June 1941 199
VI: OrderofBattle- Normandy, 1944 202
VII: Complete OrderofBattle ofthe GermanArmy, 12April 1945 203
Index 210
111
ACI{NOWLEDGEMENTS
Among the several institutions and many friends who have contributed to the production ofthis
book, there are two menwhose help has been invaluable and towhom go myspecial thanks. The
firstofthese is GaryShaw, BSc,who carriedoutresearch on the infantryweapons, the artilleryand
the armouredfighting vehicleswhich are described in these pages. When, in the earlysummer of
this year, I suffered a short bout of ill health, Gary volunteered his help, and without it the
production ofthisbookmighthave beenseriouslydelayed. The secondfriend is the distinguished
American author MarkYerger, who supplied the m~orityofthe photographs which illustrate the
text. Notonlydid Markmake his extensive archive available to me, buthis assistance on a number
oftechnicalpointswasinvaluable. The help he gaveisgratefullyacknowledged.
I am also grateful to my granddaughter, Victoria, who read and checked the many drafts of
this typescript. Also toJulie Robertshawand to Colin Bruce, both ofthe DepartmentofPrinted
Books at the ImperialWar Museum, as well as to Hilary Roberts ofthat museum's Department
ofPhotographs. Mythanks go also to DrRauchensteinerofthe Heeresgeschichtliches Museum
in Vienna, to Vizeleutnant Eberl ofthe Austrian Army, and to Gill Pratt. Further thanks go to
Lieutenant-Colonel George Forty, formerly Director of the Tank Museum in Bovington, to
Jonathan Falconer, my publisher, and to SheilaWatson, my agent. Butno expression ofthanks
would be complete without acknowledging the great debt lowe to my dear wife, Edeltraude,
for she has been myconstantsupportand encouragement.
James Lucas
London, 1998
BIBLIOGRAPHY & UNPUBLISHED SOURCES
Cooper, M., The GermanArmy, 1933-1945, MacDonald andJanes, 1978.
Hillgruber (ed.), Kriegstagebuch derOKVV: Bernhardand Graefe, 1963.
Keilig, DasDeutscheHeer, 1939-1945,
Kissel, H., DerDeutscheVolkssturm, 1944-45, Frankfurt-am-Main, 1962.
Klietmann, DieWaffen-SS:EineDokumentation,
Middeldorf, E., Taktik imRusslandfeldzug, Mittler, 1956.
Phillipi,A. and Hesse, E., DerFeldzuggegen SovjetRussland, Kohlhammer, 1962.
Tessin, G., Verbiinde und Truppen derDeutschen Wehrmacht undSS, BiblioVerlag, 1975.
USArmy, GermanArmyHandbook, 1944.
WarOffice, The German OrderofBattle, 1944
West, O.B., 'AngriffHeeresgruppe "B"', 16December 1944.
HQ2ndArmy, 'HistoryofOperations by2ndArmy', Bielefeld.
OKH, 'OperationsAbteilung. "Barbarossa",,Chefsachen BandIII.
OKH (Fremde Heere Ost), 'Handakte: Deutsche Unternehmungen', Ostfront22June
1941-30August 1943.
iv
GLOSSARY
A/A Anti-aircraft.
Abteilung This noun has several militarymeanings. In an artilleryunititwas
the equivalentofa battalion. In otherarms ofservice itcould
mean a department, a detachmentoranyunitbetween a Company
and a regimentin strength.
AFV Armoured FightingVehicle.
Auftrag Amission. In the GermanArmyitwas notusual to give a direct
orderbutrather to outline a mission. The unitcommandercould
then carryoutthe mission in thewayhe thoughtmostappropriate.
Ausbildung Training; eitherofan individualsoldierorofa unit, as in
Ausbildungsbatallion; a trainingbattalion.
Ausfiihrung Amodel, markortype ofvehicle, as in TigerMkII.
Barbarossa The German planfor the attackupon the SovietUnion inJune
1941.
CaseWhite The German planfor the attackon Poland, 1939.
CaseYellow The German planfor the campaign in Holland, Belgium and
France, 1940.
Eisenbahnlafette Arailwaymounting, usuallyfor a heavyartillerypiece.
Ersatz Adepotunitora replacementunit.
Flak Fliegerabwehrkanon anti-aircraftgun oranti-aircraftfire.
Luftwaffefelddivision Adivision thathad once been on the strength ofthe GermanAir
Force butwhich had been converted to fight as standardinfantry.
HMG Heavymachine gun.
Horchkompanie Awirelessinterceptcompany.
KampBwagenkanone Atankgun, usuallymeaning thevehicle's main armament, and
thus aweapon ofhighvelocity.
Leichtemaschinengewehr Lightmachine-gun.
Lehrbatallion Ademonstration battalion.
LMG Lightmachine gun.
Oberkommando High Command, as in Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) - the
ArmyHigh Command, Oberkommando derLuftwaffe (OKL)
the High Commandofthe GermanAirForce, Oberkommando
derMarine (OKM) - the NavyHigh Commandand the
Oberkommando derWehrmacht (OKW) - the High Commandof
theArmed Forces.
PAK Panzerabwehrkanon oranti-tankgun.
Nebelwerfer Literally, a smoke projector, butinfact a multi-barrelled rocket
projectorfiring high explosive projectiles.
v
GLOSSARY
PzKw Panzerkampfwagen; an armouredfightingvehicle, usuallya tank.
Panzerbergzug A tankrecoveryplatoon.
Panzerbiichese Anti-tankrifle.
Panzergrenadier The infantrycomponentofa PanzerorPanzergrenadierDivision.
Patrone Acartridge or, more loosely, an artilleryprojectile.
Reichsarbeitsdienst/RAD The NationalLabourService inwhichyoungGerman menwere
given pre-militarytrainingandwere made physicallyfit through
hardwork. During thewarRAD Divisionsservedas infantryon the
Eastern Front.
Regiment In the German armyan infantryregimentwas made up ofthree
battalions.
Rueckstossfrei Recoilless.
SeaLion Aborted German invasion ofthe British Isles.
Seeloewe The plan to invade the British Islesin 1940.
Schweremaschinengewehr Heavymachine-gun.
SMG
SP Self-propelled.
SPW Schiitzenpanzerwagenorarmouredvehicle, inwhich infantry
usually, Panzergrenadiers,were carried.
SS Schiitzstaffel (,Protection Squad') - Nazi militaryorganization.
Sturmkanone An assaultgunwith a longbarrel.
Sturmgeschiitz An assaultgunwith a shortbarrel.
Sturmregiment An assaultregiment.
Ubung Amilitaryexercise or, in the artillery, a practice shellwhich
emittedsmokewhen itexploded.
Verstarkte Usuallyan infantryregimentwhichwas reinforced to the strength
ofa Brigade group.
Volkssturm A civilianlevee en masse raised towards the end ofthewarbythe
Nazi party. The battalions oftheVolkssturmwere activated on the
orders ofthe seniorNazipartyofficialin the Gau orprovince, i.e.,
the Gauleiter.
Waffen SS Abranch ofthe SS, a Partyorganization. TheWaffen SSexpanded
into nearlyfortyfully armed divisionswho usuallyfoughtwith
outstandingbravery.
Wehrkreis Amilitarydistrict.
Zitadelle The planfor the offensive atKurskin 1943.
Zug This noun has severalmeanings, includinga platoon, a railway
train ora tractor.
vi
FOREWORD
This work is a handbook of the German soldiers fielded as well as in the scale of
Army which fought the Second World War weapons issued. The fast-firing weapons of
from 1 September 1939 to 9 May 1945. For 1944 made it possible for just a few soldiers
readers to gain the maximum benefit from armed with the newer weapons to produce
this textitis importantthatcertain things are the same volume of fire as that which in
explainedandunderstood. earlier years would have been put up by a
Firstly, in every army there are minor units whole platoon of men. Thus the scales of
and obscure detachments which do not fit men and weapons shown will be those oflate
into the standard pattern of military bodies. 1944. Enlarging on that point, the German
The German Army was no exception to that Army, like all other military forces, had two
rule, but because of limitations of space, strength establishments: the strength a unit
details ofsuch military miscellania have been ought to have had in men or weapons; and
omitted, although passing reference will be that which it actually had on active service.
made to them where appropriate and Those figures are known in German as the
ifnecessary. SolI (projected strength) and the 1st (actual
Secondly, in the course of a war which figure). All totals shown in the charts in this
spanned more than five years, both the men bookare SolIfigures.
who led the major formations and the units Avolume about the army ofhis enemywas
they commanded changed several times. a vital tool for the commander of a friendly
There has to be a cut-off date in order to force, for it was essential for him to have as
establish a point of reference, and I have much information as possible on the
selected the end of 1944. Formations will be opponent's strengths, weaknesses, weapons,
describedas theywere at thatdate. tactics and morale. Ofequal importance was
Thirdly, following on from the second the personality of the enemy commander.
point, it will be appreciated that there were Was he aggressive, or was he defensively
advances in weapons technology, in vehicle minded; rigid in application or pragmatic;
speeds as well as in the upgunning and other and, very importantly, did he have flair? In
improvements in the defensive protection of military history, success in the field often
armoured fighting vehicles. Some of the came to the leader who could see 'the other
weapons and armoured fighting vehicles side ofthe hill'. A handbook compiled bythe
(AFVs) fielded by the Germans were in use intelligence branch of his own army on the
throughout the war, but others became enemy force played a large part in allowing
obsolete quite early. The focus will be upon him to do this.
the weapons which were In service This handbook, which is based on Allied
throughout the war, or upon those which wartime intelligence sources as well as on
enteredservice late in 1944. post-war works by German military
In unit strengths, too, there were changes historians, presents the German Army as it
and alterations, both in the number of was towards the end ofthe war. By that time,
vii
FOREWORD
thatArmywas no longer capable ofinitiating war to become in time a rival ofthe standing
major campaigns such as those which it had Army. The Panzer forces of the Waffen-SS,
launched against the West in 1940, against in particular, gained for themselves such a
the Soviet Union in 1941, and the vast reputation for combat efficiency on the
offensives of the war on the Eastern Front, battlefield that they were used as 'fire
but it remained a mighty weapon of war brigades' in every European theatre of
whose structure and organization are still of operations.
absorbing interest even five decades later. In From the statistics and details given
the pages ofthis work can be seen the rise of throughout the text, the reader will become
the Panzer arm of service until it usurped aware of the flexibility of the German Army
the premier place formerly held by the in the matter of battlefield command and
infantry, and also how the Waffen-SS tactics - flexibility which allowed it to
organization rose from a handful of dominate military operations for the greater
individual regiments at the beginning ofthe partofthe SecondWorldWar.
Vlll
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
'The German Army is the German people which Hitler introduced, these were not so
under arms' was the proud boast which had much individual forces as partners in a
guided and inspired the soldiers ofthatArmy tripartite organization. The Army still
since the creation ofthe Empire in 1871.As a considered itself primus inter pares ('first
declaration of faith it was as true under amongequals'), butwasforced to accept that
Hitleras ithadbeen under the Kaisers. it was just a partner. Later, another service
The German Army which fought the would be created, adding another partner to
Second World War was one of three armed the tripartite group: the Waffen-SS. As that
services. Under the unity ofcommand policy organization, which was not a national but a
SeniorofficersoftheWehrmachtatapre-warmilitaryparadeinBerlin. Fromlefttoright: Milch
(Luftwaffe),Keitel (OKW),Brauchitsch (OKH) andRaeder (Navy).
1