German infantry types

[Zipper]

Can someone provide some references or just a short summary explaining the various German infantry types (does searching work for anyone?? ).

I'm looking for background on what the unit type's purpose was and where they were used historically. For example, are security platoons just garrison troops or what?

Thanks,

Zipper

[lcm1947]

Oh I'm glad you asked the question. I've been curious myself but wouldn't dare ask. I hope for your sake you searched first.

[Pvt. Ryan]

Check this site out:

http://www.feldgrau.com/

[JasonC]

"just a short summary explaining the various German infantry types"

Volksturm (VS) are home guard units, old men and young boys, some poor health cases. They should be mostly conscript or green. They have small squads and are not particular well armed, except they have plenty of AT weapons (Schrecks and Fausts). They should appear in Germany only and in 1945 (a few late 44 border fights perhaps). Roadblocks, road ambushes, defense of German villages and towns. They have no heavy weapons (beyond MGs), vehicles, or artillery.

Gebirgsjaegers (GB) are mountain troops. Picked men in excellent condition. They are heavy on the SMGs, limited support weapons and artillery, no vehicles or tanks - if a mule can't carry it, they don't have it. They should appear in Alpine terrain, Swiss border, Italy, etc. Occasionally fought outside their special areas.

Fallschirmjaegers (FJ) are paratroopers. Picked men in good condition. Very heavily armed infantry squads, only limited vehicles. They were not airdropped but fought in the line as standard infantry. More heavily armed in small arms and better quality men than standard infantry units, but not always as well equipped in guns, artillery support, or vehicles.

Waffen SS (SS) - come in all types, an army within the army, but mostly mobile troops, meaning Panzer or Panzergrenadier. Picked men, tend to be lavishly equipped in all respects, likely to have tank support, heavier tanks, etc. The SS Pz Gdr squads (motorized) are particularly heavily armed. More on the various subtypes when I get to Heer (standard army), as many are duplicated. Use in areas of heaviest action, counterattacks especially. By late war, around half of the Panzer divisions were SS.

Heer (H) = standard army. The bulk of the force. These come in several varieties.

Standard infantry (H) - used everywhere, especially on defense. The plain vanilla, line infantry. Variable quality, green to vet. Little supporting armor (mostly StuG or Marder), many towed guns and support weapons, adequate artillery, many mortars. Not particularly well armed.

Security (S) - older men, lower quality, green to regular. Rear area troops, anti-partisan, installation guards, fortress defenders. Armor support rare (a few halftracks perhaps), limited artillery.

Volksgrenadier (VG) - late war, new pattern infantry formations. Many personnel transfered in from Luftwaffe or rear echelons after the collapse of mid-to-late 1944, also older and younger men (40s, teens). Decent officer and NCO cadres, but highly variable quality overall, conscript to veteran. Almost exclusively SMG armed (fewer LMGs than standard, far fewer rifles), to give high close-range firepower without too much training. Usually without vehicle support, but guns, teams, mortars plentiful. Used as ordinary infantry, but relies more on Hvy weapons for range combat. Also more likely to use reverse slope defenses (behind ridge, inside woods rather than edge, interior of a village) to maximize effect of SMGs and fausts.

Volksgrenadier Fusilier (VGF) - the foot recon units of the VG divisions. 1/7 VG infantry battalions. Slightly bigger squads, sharpshooters, even fewer LMGs than standard VG. Still variable quality but a better "floor", green to vet. You'd be more likely to find them leading infiltrations, on night missions, or rear guards for retreating VG formations.

Sturmkompanie (SK) - special assault unit of picked men, formed out of a larger unit. Usually veteran, sometimes regular. Heavily armed, with big squads. Used for attacks, and in urban fighting. Often supported by Pioneers as well.

Pioneers (P) - come in many types - VG, Heer, Waffen SS, etc. Always, they are combat engineers. Fewer automatic weapons than some squad types, but equipped with flamethrowers and demo charges to destroy strongpoints. Also have mine-clearing abilities. Quality variable, from green to vet - some units mostly dug entrenchments etc, some became special assault units. Often one platoon or company of them attached to a company or battalion of another infantry type, for attacks.

Mobile troops means the infantry of the Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions. It includes both Heer and Waffen SS Panzergrenadiers, (armored), (motorized), pioneer, etc. These tend to be heavily armed and heavily supported. Armor, vehicles, good artillery support.

Essentially all the tanks in the German army supported just these types - the Tigers, Panthers, and Panzer IVs, as well as the heavier TD types, Jadgpanzer and up. All the other infantry types saw StuGs, Hezters, Marders, and occasional halftracks, but that is about it.

Fewer towed guns than the other types and generally fewer mortars, but more likely to have heavier 120mm mortar support. Quality generally regular to veteran.

Panzergrenadier (armored) - halftrack mounted infantry of the Panzer divisions, usually just 1 battalion per division only, in rare cases a 2nd. Smaller squads to fit in their halftracks, but heavily armed with 2 LMG per squad + SMGs. These units come with halftracks sufficient to carry them, which are a large portion of their higher price tag. Also use these for the armored recon battalions of Panzer divisions, attaching armored cars in that case.

Panzergrenadier (motorized) - the standard type, trucked units. Or use these for infantry riding on tanks, or dismounted before entering combat.

1 company of Pioneers per mobile division were generally armored, the rest motorized.

You would find mobile troops, SS and Heer, wherever the front is hottest or most fluid, in attacks or trying to stop Allied breakthroughs. Naturally, with the tanks.

I hope this helps.

[BloodyBucket]

Jason-

Great post. I will show this to some of my friends who have asked this very question on seeing CM and were more perplexed than informed by my rambling answer.

[Warmaker]

JasonC, great post. As many times as I play the Germans there's some units in the Heer in particular that I wouldn't pick since I was quite unfamiliar with them, esp. the Volksgrenadier/Volksturm.

For anyone new wanting to try some fun German infantry formations, try the Fallschirmjagers and set them to at least veteran status. Great stuff I tell 'ya.

[Head Mahone]

Very nice JasonC! But let us not forget about this wonderful little jewel....

http://members.tripod.com/johnnocmdow/unit1.htm

-Head

[Zipper]

Yes, awesome post, Jason. Thanks a lot - that was exactly the info I was looking for.

Thanks to the others for the links, too!

Zipper

[Olle Petersson]

Just a minor correction:

The Fusiliers weren't VG only, but appeared as light recon in all types of divisions. On foot or bicycle.

Cheers

Olle

[JasonC]

"The Fusiliers weren't VG only"

That is correct, as to the history and the meaning of the term. But CM only has a seperate type for the VG Fusiliers. Fusilier or not both use the standard vanilla "rifle 44" or "rifle 45" squads, for formations besides VG.

In other words, the statement is true but CM doesn't make the distinction, except for the VG units. Where the VGF have 9 man squads rather than 8, and a somewhat different small arms mix.

[JasonC]

To everyone - thanks for the kind comments. I am glad some found it useful.

[Smaragdadler]

correct spelling: Volkssturm (with to 's' - not Volksturm) = des Volkes Sturm. [= the storm of the peoples]