The German Infantry Handbook, 1939-1945: Organization, Uniforms, Weapons, Equipment, Operations

288 Pages·1991·33.79 MB·English

by  Alex Buchner

Alex Buchner
THE
GERMAN INFANTRY
HANDBOOK
1939 1945
• ORGANIZATION • UNIFORMS •
• WEAPONS • EQUIPMENT • OPERATIONS •
Schiffer Military History
Atglen, PA
Translated from the German by
Dr. Edward Force, Central Connecticut State University.
On the Cover:
Background: Wehrmacht Officers Cap, c. 1941
Insignia: from Wehrmacht Officers Staff Car Pennant
Courtesy of the Military History Shop,
Kennett Sq., Pennsylvania.
Copyright © 1991 by Schiffer Publishing.
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 90-62983
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in
any forms or by any means - graphic, electronic or mechanical, includ
ing photocopying or information storage and retrieval systems - without
written permission from the copyright holder.
Printed in the United States of America.
ISBN: 0-88740-284-4
This book originally published under the title,
Das Handbuch der Deutschen lnfanterie, 1939-1945
by Podzun-Pallas Verlag, GmbH, Markt 9,6360 Friedberg 3.
© 1987. ISBN: 3-7909-0301-9.
We are interested in hearing from authors with
book ideas on related topics.
Contents
Rank Equivalent Chart 6
Foreword 7
Introduction 9
Chapter 1: The German Infantry Divisions 1939-1945 11
• Operations of the Infantry Divisions
• The Infantry Divisions as Organized for War
Chapter 2: The Soldier 17
• The Uniform
• Equipment
• Armament
Chapter 3: Battle Troops 23
• The Rifle Platoon (Schützenzug)
• The Rifle Company (Schützenkompanie)
• Light Infantry Weapons
Chapter 4: The Infantry Battalion 41
• The Machine Gun Company (MGK)
Chapter 5: The Infantry Regiment 51
• Regimental Staff and Units
• Regimental Supply Train
• Regimental Engineer Platoon (Pionier)
• Regimental Mounted Platoon
• Regimental Intelligence Platoon
• Regimental Music
• The Infantry Gun Company
• The Panzerjäger Company
• The Light Infantry Column
• Heavy Infantry Weapons
• Close Antitank Combat
Chapter 6: The Reconnaissance Unit 73
Chapter 7: The Panzerjäger Unit 77
Chapter 8: The Artillery Regiment 85
• The Guns
Chapter 9: The Engineer Battalion (Pionier) 93
• Equipment of 3 Engineer Companies
Chapter 10: The Intelligence Unit 103
Chapter 11: Back-Line Services 109
• Administrative Services
• The Commissariat
• The Bakery Company
• The Butcher Company
• The Field Post Office
• Supply Services
• Medical Services
• Veterinary Services
• The War Horse
• The Volunteers
• The Division Chaplain
• The Division Staff
Appendix:
Ammunition 139
New Infantry Division 43 142
New Infantry Weapons 145
Operational Reports 153
Bibliography 202
Photo Section 203
Equivalent Wartime Ranks of the
Waffen-SS, the Wehrmacht and the U.S. Army
Waffen-SS Wehrmacht U.S. Army
General Officers
- No equivalent - Generalfeldmarschall General of the
Army
Oberstgruppenführer Generaloberst General
Obergruppenführer General Lieutenant General
Gruppenführer Generalleutnant Major General
Brigadeführer Generalmajor Brigadier General
Staff Officers
Oberführer - No Equivalent - - No Equivalent -
(Wore the shoulder strap of a Colonel)
Standartenführer Oberst Colonel
Obersturmführer
Oberstleutnant Lieutenant Colonel
Sturmbannführer
Major Major
Company Officers
Hauptsturmführer Hauptmann Captain
Obersturmführer Oberleutnant 1st Lieutenant
Untersturmführer Leutnant 2nd Lieutenant
Officer Candidates (Basically equal to Oberfeldwebel & Feldwebel)
Oberjunker Oberfähnrich - No Equivalent •
Junker Fähnrich - No Equivalent •
Non-commissioned Officers
Sturmscharführer Stabsfeldwebel Sergeant Major
Hauptscharführer Oberfeldwebel Master Sergeant
Oberscharführer Feldwebel Technical Sergeant
Scharführer Unterfeldwebel Staff Sergeant
Unterscharführer Unteroffizier Sergeant
Enlisted Men
- No Equivalent - Stabagefreiter Admin. Corporal
Rottenführer Obergefreiter Corporal
Sturmmann Gefreiter Corporal
SS-Obersoldat* Obersoldat* Private 1st Class
SS-Soldat* Soldat* Private
*Note: Soldat is a general term. Other words here are Schütz, Grenadier, Fusilier, depending upon the combat
arm to which the soldier belonged.
Source of U.S. World War II army equivalents: War Department Technical Manual TM-E 30-451, Handbook
on German Military Forces, 15 March 1945.
Foreword
This book portrays the mass of the German field army in terms of an
infantry division, as it fought and saw service in World War II, with its
organization, uniforms, equipment, weaponry and individual units. For
the basic portrayal, an active division already existing before the war
began was chosen; infantry divisions established later show a few non
essential differences.
What with the extent of the subject on the one hand, and the avail
able space on the other, it was impossible to include every detail. For that
reason, for example, the weapons were limited to the most important
ones; variations, special developments, captured weapons etc., which in
any case reached the troops scarcely at all or in limited numbers, are not
mentioned. It is to be noted as concerns the technical data for weapons
and equipment that these often vary in the specialized literature that
deals with them, so that in such cases the average was chosen, in order to
attain accurate values even in large-scale statistics.
To avoid repetition as much as possible, such subjects as supplies
are described precisely in only one chapter; they were similar in other
units. For the same reason, corresponding references are added.
Despite painstaking research into still-available files and documents
and checking by specialists, this book does not claim to be complete, nor
can errors be ruled out. Additions and corrections will be accepted grate
fully.
This book is dedicated to all the hundred thousands of German in
fantrymen, artillerymen, antitank troops, engineers, mounted troops, in
telligence and communications men, medical and supply men, drivers
and staff soldiers and all their officers who did their duty quietly, name-
lessly to the last day of one of the most terrible wars in the history of the
world.
My special thanks for their cooperation go to my dear wife Margot
and my energetic son Volker.
The Author

Introduction
The German soldier's oath, valid as of August 2, 1934:
'I swear by God this sacred oath, that I will give unlimited obedience to the
Leader of the German Reich and People, Adolf Hitler, and as a brave soldier will
be ready to stake my life for this oath at any time."
For this oath, approximately 2,960,000 German soldiers gave their lives in
World War II. In addition, 1,400,000 soldiers were missing or died in
captivity.
And after the lost war, it was written:
By a general:
"Not hate of others, not desire for war, nor understanding of the
necessity of practicality provided the impetus for the workers, farmers,
employees in field-gray uniforms to storm and fight, but only the obedi
ence to an oath that gave no reasons."
By a major:
"Such hardships and demands will probably never again be made on
a troop."
By a chaplain:
"The soldier and the war victim have never expected recognition, for
every performance of duty speaks for itself. But a sense of justice rises up
against every misunderstanding or negative judgment . .. It is to be
hoped that the men will be better understood who, in the valuable years
of their lives, were only objects of a terrible human tragedy and irrespon
sible highest command."
By a corporal:
"Fear, secretly - probably everybody had it. And everybody had to
put himself to the test, anew again and again, before every action."

CHAPTER 1
The German
Infantry Divisions
1939-1945
The mass of the German army, and above all the field army, consisted in
World War II, along with panzer divisions, motorized infantry divisions,
antitank divisions (Jägerdivision), mountain divisions (Gebirgsdivision)
and such, of infantry divisions.
After Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and the Reichswehr was
turned into the Wehrmacht, there were 21 active infantry divisions at the
end of 1934. In 1935, the year of increased armaments and universal
military service, came the further enlargement and expansion of the
army, in which the last peacetime division was the 46th Infantry Divi
sion. Divisions with the numbers 13, 37, 40, 42 and 43 did not exist then
or later.
During the war there were, in all, 35 so-called "waves of establish
ment" of divisions. The last high "house number" was the 719th Infantry
Division, but this is deceiving, as there were only 294 definitive infantry
divisions during the whole war, a number of which were disbanded or
turned into motorized or pursuit divisions. All other divisions were field
training divisions (Feldausbildungdivisionen), guard divisions (Sich-
erungsdivisionen), permanent sector divisions (Bodenständige
Divisionen), coast-guard divisions (Küstenverteidigungsdivisionen), re
placement and training divisions (Ersatz- and Ausbildungsdivisionen),
so-called "shadow divisions" and ad hoc units established in the last
months of the war, which were scarcely or not at all representative of a
normal infantry division.
Operations of the Infantry Divisions
1939 - 37.5 divisions took part in the Polish campaign, 38 divisions were