THE GERMAN COMBAT DIVISIONS WERE OF several types. The principal ones were:
Infantry divisions, consisting after D-day of three infantry regiments of two battalions each, with an authorized strength of approximately 12,000 officers and men.
Panzer Grenadier divisions, comprising two motorized infantry regiments of two battalions each, a motorized artillery regiment, and six battalions of supporting troops, with an authorized strength of approximately 14,000 officers and men.
Panzer divisions, corresponding to our armored divisions, consisting of two Panzer Grenadier regiments, a tank regiment, a Panzer artillery regiment, and five battalions of supporting troops, plus service troops, a personnel total of 14,000 officers and men.
Within the German forces a sharp distinction was made between the Wehrmacht, or ordinary army units, and the Schutzstaffel units which bore the prefix SS. The latter originally enrolled only specially selected members of the Nazi party, constituting a political and military elite which enjoyed special favors and privileges not accorded the Wehrmacht. The SS units were considerably stronger in both complement and fire power than comparable army units. Combat attrition and the frantic recruiting of replacements reduced the political and racial “purity” of the SS toward the end of the war but its troops continued until the end the most fanatical German fighters.
Equally fanatical in their resistance were the Volksgrenadier (People’s Infantry) divisions, organized in September 1944; the personnel of these was interchangeable with the SS divisions. The use of the words “People’s” and “Grenadier”—an honorary name bestowed upon the infantryman by Hitler in 1942—signified that these outfits were composed of elite fighters chosen for the defense of Germany in a mortal emergency. Although the Volksgrenadier divisions usually numbered less than 10,000 in personnel, they were extremely strong in automatic weapons, particularly submachine guns, and consequently could put up effective last-ditch resistance. This composition contrasted sharply with that of the Volkssturm units organized later in the war.
Strongest of the various types of infantry were the parachute divisions, part of the ground combat forces, but controlled by the German Air Force. These were carefully selected, well-trained and -equipped crack infantry divisions, with only a small percentage of the troops trained as parachutists. Because they had an authorized strength of 16,000 officers and men and a larger allotment of machine guns than the normal infantry divisions, the parachute troops were the best fitted of the German units for stout resistance on an extended and open front.
Assault troops and units that had distinguished themselves in combat were given the honorary title “Sturm.” Only a few divisions were so honored. In the closing months of the war, however, this distinction was given for morale purposes to the frantically organized groups of old men and young boys who were known as the Volkssturm (People’s Assault) troops.
Troops chosen for a special assault mission or one of a desperate character were usually formed into battle groups known by the name of their commander, e.g., Kampfgruppe Stoeckel. These varied from less than company to division strength and rarely remained independent for more than a month, but often retained as an honorary award for successful performance their battle-group designation even after their incorporation into a larger unit. Toward the end of the war they lost their specific-mission character and usually were composed of remnants of badly mauled regiments.