World War II German Motorized Infantry & Panzergrenadiers

by Nigel Thomas, Johnny Shumate (Illustrator)

Overview

In World War II Germany's doctrine of mobile warfare dominated the battlefield. By trial and error, the Germans were the first to correctly combine the strength in tanks and in mobile infantry and artillery. This integration of mobile units, equipment and tactics underpinned Germany's successes in the first half of the war. As the war dragged on, the Allies sought to copy German tactics but German armies remained supreme in this type of warfare until their losses had seriously degraded their capabilities.
This study traces the development of the different types of unit that came together in the Panzergrenadier branch from the inter-war years through World War II. Using colour plates to display the changes in uniform, equipment and insignia in all theatres of operations throughout the conflict, this is a complete account of Hitler's elite armoured infantry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472819451
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	04/20/2017
Series:	Elite , #218
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	28 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Dr Nigel Thomas is an accomplished linguist and military historian, formerly a Principal Lecturer at Northumbria University, now a freelance military author, translator and military uniform consultant. His interests are 20th century military and civil uniformed organizations, with a special interest in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. He was awarded a PhD on the Eastern enlargement of NATO.

Johnny Shumate works as a freelance illustrator living in Nashville, Tennessee. He began his career in 1987 after graduating from Austin Peay State University. Most of his work is rendered in Adobe Photoshop using a Cintiq monitor. His greatest influences are Angus McBride, Don Troiani, and Édouard Detaille. His interests include karate, running, Bible reading, history, and making English longbows.
NIGEL THOMAS PhD is an accomplished linguist and military historian, formerly at Northumbria University, now a freelance military author, translator and military uniform consultant. His interests are 20th-century military and civil uniformed organizations, with a special interest in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. He has written widely for Osprey with titles such as MAA 518 Polish Legions 1914–19 and Elite 227 Armies of the Baltic Independence Wars 1918–20. He was awarded a PhD for the study of the Eastern enlargement of NATO.

Johnny Shumate works as a freelance illustrator living in Nashville, Tennessee. He began his career in 1987 after graduating from Austin Peay State University. Most of his work is rendered in Adobe Photoshop using a Cintiq monitor. His greatest influences are Angus McBride, Don Troiani, and Édouard Detaille.

Table of Contents

Origins 4

Background, and definitions

Infantry in Panzer Divisions, 1935-45 8

Pre-war composition, 1935-39

First Panzer expansion, 1939-40 - second expansion, 1940-41 - third expansion, 1941-42

Panzergrenadiers, 1942-45

Panzer Divisions, 1943-44

The Panzer-Division 45 - formations and final deployments

Field uniforms: National Socialist symbols

Headgear - tunics & legwear - overclothing - winter clothing - camouflage clothing - footwear

Insignia: Ranks & field rank insignia - branch insignia - unit insignia

Equipment & personal weapons: Officers - senior NCOs - junior NCOs and men

Infantry in Light Divisions, 1938-43 38

Pre-war composition, 1934-39

At war, 1939

North Africa, 1941-43

Tropical field uniforms, 1941 -43: Headgear - tunics & overclothing - legwear & footwear

Tropical field uniforms, 1943-45

Light Div & tropical insignia: Ranks & field rank insignia - branch insignia - other insignia

Equipment

Infantry in Motorized Infantry Divisions, 1937-43 48

Pre-war composition, 1937-39

Expansion, 1940-41

Eastern Front, 1941-42 Reorganization, 1943

Field uniforms & insignia: Ranks - branch & unit insignia

Infantry in Panzergrenadier Divisions, 1943-45 55

Reorganization - the Panzergrenadier-Division 43

Retreat, 1944 - the Panzergrenadier-Division 44

1945: the final months

Field uniforms & insignia: Ranks - branch & unit insignia

Select Bibliography 63

Index 64