AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE 1944, THE 101ST AIRBORNE Division numbered about 14,000 soldiers. As one of four infantry regiments in the 101st, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment had an initial strength of about 2,500 paratroopers, divided into three battalions of equal size, each with three rifle companies of about 200 men.
German divisional strength varied widely throughout the war. In Normandy the Screaming Eagles were opposed by the big 709th Division (14,000 coastal defense troops) and the 243rd Division, which was half that size. Dreaded panzer divisions rarely fought with their full complement of 160 tanks.
Russian divisions were even smaller than German, and were replaced by whole new divisions when they took heavy casualties. Joe guesses that the Russian tank battalion he fought with numbered about 400 men and women, not quite twice the number of his American company.