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 units that came together in the Panzergrenadier branch from the interwar years through World War II. Using color photographs to display the changes in uniform, equipment, and insignia in all theaters of operations throughout the conflict, this is a complete account of Hitler's elite armored infantry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472819437
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	04/18/2017
Series:	Elite Series
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Dr Nigel Thomas is a linguist and military historian, was formerly a principal lecturer at Northumbria University, and is now a freelance military author, translator, and military uniform consultant. He was awarded a Ph.D. 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.

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