Contents Introduction & Acknowledgements, 9 c. Artillery, 42 d. Reconnaissance, 43 1 EARLY DAYS (1891-1918), 11 e. Engineers, 43 Beginning as an Infantryman, 11 f. Anti-Tank, 43 A typical Swabian, 11 g. Anti-Tank/Anti-Aircraft, 43 The Imperial German Army, 12 h. Signals, 43 The Great War Begins, 13 i. Supply, 43 First Battle, 14 j. Administrative Units, 44 Company Commander, 16 Attached Luftwaffe Units, 44 Service with the Mountain Battalion, Divisional Headquarters Staff, 44 18 Personalities, 45 Uniform and Personal Equipment, 19 Otto Heidkamper, 45 Weapons and Equipment, 19 Major Ziegler, 46 Mountain artillery, 21 Personal staff, 46 Into Battle Once More, 21 Gefechtsstaffel, 46 Pour le Merite, 23 ADCs, 46 NCOs, 46 2 BETWEEN THE WARS (1919-1939), Batman, 47 26 Nazis, 47 Peacetime Soldiering, 26 Other means of transportation, 47 A New Beginning, 26 The German Soldier, May 1940, 47 Infantry Division Establishment, 27 Basic Dress and Equipment, 47 Command, 28 Personal Weapons, 49 Enter Adolf Hitler, 29 Blitzkrieg Tactics, 49 In the Service of the Fiihrer, 30 Planning the Assault in the West, 52 Expansion, 30 'Fall Gelb', 52 Liaison Officer to the Hitler Youth, 31 7th Panzer Division's Position in the Fuhrerbegleitbataillon, 32 Assault, 53 Major-General and Headquarters The Campaign, 54 Commandant, 32 Phase 1, Across the Meuse (9-14 May Hitler's train, 33 1940), 54 Organisation of the Escort Battalion, 34 Phase 2, Breakthrough from the Meuse Uniform, 35 (15-19 May 1940), 57 Special Weapons, 35 Phase 3, Success at Cambrai, Reverses at Arras (19-21 May 1940), 62 3 THE GHOST DIVISION Phase 4, Stops and Starts on the Way to (1939-1940), 37 Lille (22 May-2 June 1940), 64 A Field Command (September 1939 - Phase 4 (continued), The Somme and June 1940), 37 on to the Seine (3-10 June 1940), 66 Getting Back into Trim, 38 Phase 5, St-Valery-en-Caux and after Organisation of Seventh Panzer (10-15 June 1940), 68 Division c.1940, 38 Phase 6, The End at Cherbourg, then on a. Tanks, 39 to Bordeaux (17-25 June 1940), 69 b.Motorised Infantry, 41 Die Rechnung, 71 CONTENTS 4 NORTH AFRICA: OPERATION Private Secretary, 95 SUNFLOWER (SONNENBLUME) Interpreter, 96 AND THE AFRIKAKORPS War Correspondent, 96 (FEBRUARY 1941 -JULY 1941), 73 Vehicles and Vehicle Crews, 96 'It's One Way of Getting My Kampfstaffel, 96 Rheumatism Treatment', 73 Radio Intercept, 97 Problems in Europe, 73 Senior Officer Casualty Rate, 97 Problems in North Africa, 74 A Soldier of the Deutsches 'Could you obtain some magnificent Afrikakorps, 98 German tanks?', 74 Dress, 98 Preparations for North Africa, 76 Equipment, 100 Journey to Africa, 77 Insignia, 100 Basic Organisations, 78 Personal Weapons, 100 Rommel's First Headquarters, 78 Vehicles and Heavy Weapons, 101 The Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK): Tanks, 101 Order of Battle, 81 Other AFVs, 101 Corps Commanders, 81 Artillery, 102 Corps Headquarters staff (Stab des Mines, 106 Korps), 81 Specialised Units, 106 5 Light (leichte) Division, 82 The Brandenburgers, 106 15th Panzer Division, 83 Secret Field Police, 107 Corps Commanders (in addition to Paratroops, 107 Rommel), 84 German Red Cross, 107 Lieutenant-General Ludwig Criiwell, Supporting arms and services, 107 84 Tactics, 107 Lieutenant-General Walther K. The DAK In Battle, 107 Nehring, 84 Divisional Signs and Symbols on Major-General Gustav von Varst, 85 vehicles, 109 Gen d.Pz.Tr. Wilhelm Ritter von Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine Support, Thoma, 85 111 Gen d. Pz. Tr. Gustav Fehn, 86 Support from air and sea, 111 Major-General Kurt Freiherr von The Campaign, 112 Liebenstein, 87 Phase 1, Arrival and First Offensive, Gen d. Pz. Tr. Hans Cramer, 87 February-April 1941, 113 Divisional Commanders, 87 Phase 2, 'Brevity' and 'Battleaxe', 5 leichte, 87 May-June 1941, 119 21st Panzer, 88 15th Panzer, 89 5 PANZERGRUPPE Initial Staff List of the DAK, 90 AFRIKA/PANZERARMEE AFRIKA, 21st Panzer Division Order of Battle (AUGUST 1941 - AUGUST 1942), (wef 1 October 1941), 92 124 DAKHeadquarters Personalities, 92 Panzergruppe Afrika Lieutenant-Colonel von dem Borne, (August-December 1941), 124 92 Outline Organisation of Axis Forces, Lieutenant-Colonel von dem Borne, August 1941, 125 92 Commanders of the Panzergruppe, 125 Colonel Fritz Bayerlein, 92 Main staff officers, 126 Major Siegfried Westphal, 93 Organisation of Main Units of Major Otto, 94 Panzergruppe Afrika, November 1941, Rommel's Personal Staff, 94 127 Adjutant, batman and ADCs, 94 Afrika Division z.b.V., 127 Nazis, 95 55 Savona Infantry Division, 129 Private Medical Adviser, 95 Other Italian Units, 129 CONTENTS The Italian Soldier: Equipment, Senior Commanders and Outline Weaponry and Uniforms, 131 Organisation of Armoured Fighting Vehicles, 132 PanzerArmeeoberkommando 5, 170 Artillery, 133 AOK Commanders, 170 Infantry weapons, 134 AOK Staff, 171 Uniforms, 134 AOK Orbat (17 December 1942), 172 Rations, 135 Panzerarmee Staff, 172 Panzergruppe Operations, 135 10th Panzer Division, 172 Operation 'Crusader', 137 Main divisional staff, 172 Panzerarmee Afrika Operations 10th Panzer Division Orbat as at 1 (January-July 1942), 142 January 1943, 172 Operation 'Venezia', 143 Panzerarmee Orbat (1 March 1943), 173 A Tactical Advantage, 146 Orbat changes, 175 'Rommel an der Spitze!', 146 Division von Manteuffel, 175 Strike for the Delta!, 147 Weapons, Uniforms and Equipment, Casualties, 148 176 Alam el Haifa, 148 Rifle Grenade Device (Schiessbecher), 176 Maschinengewehr 42 (MG42), 176 6 PANZERARMEE AFRIKA: ALAMEIN Clothing, 176 TO TUNISIA (SEPTEMBER 1942 - 999 leichte Afrikadivision, 176 JANUARY 1943), 152 Operations, 177 The Lull before the Storm, 152 Annex 'A': Order of Battle of Panzer- Orbat of Panzerarmee Afrika, 155 Armeeoberkommando 5, 179 Army Headquarters, 155 German formations, 155 8 ON TO ITALY, 181 Italian formations, 155 Out of Africa, 181 Army Troops and supporting units, A New Command, 182 155 Corps Commanders, 184 New Formations, 157 LI Mountain Corps, 184 164th leichte Division, 157 LXXXVII Corps, 184 Parachute Brigade Ramcke, 158 II SS Pz Corps, 185 Sick leave, 158 Divisional Commanders, 185 PzKpfwVI, 159 44th Inf Div, 185 Nebelwerfer, 159 65th Inf Div, 185 Montgomery attacks!, 160 71st Inf Div, 185 The Battle, 161 76th Inf Div, 185 The Great Withdrawal, 162 94th Inf Div, 185 Withdrawal from Mersa el Brega, 164 305th Inf Div, 186 3rd Pz Gren Div, 186 7 TUNISIA AND ARMY GROUP 2nd Para Div, 186 'AFRIKA' (HEERESGRUPPE AFRIKA), 24th Pz Div, 186 167 1st SS Pz Div, 186 Operation 'Torch', 167 Outline Organisation of Divisions, 186 Outline of the campaign, 167 'What a shameful end for an army!', Organisation of Axis forces, 168 187 Army Group 'Afrika' (Heeresgruppe Afrika), 169 9 NORTH WEST EUROPE, 189 Heeresgruppe commanders, 169 Preparations, 189 Heeresgruppe Staff, 169 The Grand Tour, 189 Heeresgruppe Orbat, 169 Army Group B Assumes Command, 192 Deutsches Afrika Korps, 170 OB West, 193 Italian XX Corps, 170 A Move to a New Location, 194 Italian XXI Corps, 170 HQ Army Group B, 195 CONTENTS Army Group B: Composition, Spring 2nd Parachute Division, 213 1944, 198 3rd Parachute Division, 214 The Netherlands, 199 5th Parachute Division, 214 LXXXVIII Army Corps, 199 Divisional Changes Before D-Day, 214 347th Infantry Division, 200 77th Infantry Division, 215 719th Infantry Division, 200 275th Infantry Division, 215 16th Luftwaffe Field Division, 200 353rd Infantry Division, 215 Fifteenth Army, 201 709th Infantry Division, 216 LXXXI Corps, 201 D-Day Organisation, 216 LXXXII Corps, 201 The Panzers, 216 LXXXIX Corps, 201 Panzer Group West, 217 LXVII Reserve Corps, 202 I SS Panzer Corps, 218 The Front-Line Divisions, 202 XLVII Panzer Corps, 218 47th Infantry Division, 202 1st SS Panzer Division, 219 49th Infantry Division, 202 12th SS Panzer Division, 219 70th Infantry Division, 202 Panzer Lehr Division, 219 344th Infantry Division, 203 2nd Panzer Division, 220 348th Infantry Division, 203 21st Panzer Division, 220 711th Infantry Division, 204 116th Panzer Division, 220 17th Luftwaffe Field Division, 204 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division 18th Luftwaffe Field Division, 204 'Gotz von Berlichingen', 221 In-Depth Divisions, 204 Organisation and Equipment, 221 64th Infantry Division, 204 Infantry, 221 85th Infantry Division, 205 Paratroops, 222 89th Infantry Division, 205 Panzer Troops, 222 182nd Infantry Division, 205 Panther, 222 326th Infantry Division, 206 Jagdtiger and Royal Tiger, 223 331st Infantry Division, 206 Panzergrenadiers, 224 346th Infantry Division, 206 The Coastal Defences, 224 712th Infantry Division, 207 Operations, 225 19th Luftwaffe Field Division, 207 5-6 June 1944,225 Divisional Changes Prior to D-Day, 207 HQ Fifteenth Army, 226 48th Infantry Division, 207 HQ Seventh Army, 226 84th Infantry Division, 208 HQ Army Group B, 227 165th Infantry Division, 208 HQ OB West, 227 245th Infantry Division, 208 The Allied Landings, 228 D-Day Organisation, 209 7-9 June 1944,229 Seventh Army, 209 10-16 June 1944,230 Army Corps, 209 17-30 June 1944,232 XXV Army Corps, 209 Conferences with Hitler, 232 LXXIV Army Corps, 210 1-16 July 1944, 233 LXXXIV Army Corps, 210 17 July 1944, 234 II Para Corps, 210 Annex 'A': Main Staff Members of Army Divisions, 210 Group 'B' as at May 1944, 234 84th Infantry Division, 210 243rd Infantry Division, 210 10 THE END, 238 265th Infantry Division, 211 Wounded, 238 266th Infantry Division, 211 Suicide or Disgrace, 240 319th Infantry Division, 212 The Legend Lives On, 241 343rd Infantry Division, 212 352nd Infantry Division, 212 Select Bibliography, 243 716th Infantry Division, 213 91st Air Landing Division, 213 Index, 245.