Heer - Third Reich land armed forced branch
Posted by webmaster
The Heer was the land forces component of the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) from 1935 to 1945, which also included the Navy (Kriegsmarine) and the Air Force (Luftwaffe). During the Second World War, a total of about 15 million soldiers served in the German Army, of whom about three million perished.
During the period of its rebuilding by Hitler the German Army continued to develop concepts pioneered during the First World War, combining ground (Heer) and air (Luftwaffe) assets into combined arms teams. Coupled with operational and tactical methods such as encirclements and the "battle of annihilation", the German military managed several quick victories in the two initial years of the Second World War, prompting foreign journalists to create a new word for what they witnessed, Blitzkrieg.
The Wehrmacht entered the war with a minority of its Army infantry formations relying on the horse for transportations while the
infantry remained foot soldiers throughout the war, artillery also remaining primarily horse-drawn. The motorized formations received
much attention in the World press in the opening years of the war, and were cited as the reason for the success of the German
invasions of Poland (September 1939), Norway and Denmark (April 1940), Belgium, France and Netherlands (May 1940), Yugoslavia
(April 1941) and the early campaigns in the Soviet Union (June 1941). However their motorised and tank formations accounted for
only 20% of the Heers strength at their peak strength.
To read more about Heer organisation, composition and planning please click here...
Divisionen - Divisions Types in German Armed Forces
| Division Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Panzer-Divisionen | Armored Divisions |
| Panzergrenadier-Divisionen | Armored Infantry Divisions |
| Infanterie-Divisionen | Infantry Divisions |
| Infanterie-Divisionen (motorisierte) | Motorized Infantry Divisions |
| Leichte-Divisionen | Light Divisions |
| Leichte Infanterie-Divisionen | Light Infantry Divisions |
| Leichte Afrika-Divisionen | Light Africa Divisions |
| Grenadier-Divisionen | Grenadier Divisions |
| Gebirgs-Divisonen | Mountain Divisions |
| Jäger-Divisionen | Jager Divisions |
| Artillerie-Divisionen | Artillery Divisions |
| Feld-Divisionen (L) | Infantry Divisions from the Luftwaffe |
| Luftlande Infanterie-Divisionen | Airborne Infantry Divisions |
| Divisionen Nr. | Numbered Divisions |
| Named Divisionen | Named Divisions |
| Divisionen z.b.V. | Divisions for special use |
| Kavallerie-Divisionen | Cavalry Divisions |
| Kosaken-Kavallerie-Divisionen | Cossack Cavalry Divisions |
| Sicherungs-Divisionen | Security Divisions |
| Sturm-Divisionen | Assault Divisions |
| Volksgrenadier-Divisionen | People's Grenadier Divisions |
| Küste-Abwehr-Infanterie-Divisionen | Coast Guard Infantry Divisions |
| Festungs-Divisionen | Fortress Divisions |
| Reserve-Divisionen | Reserve Divisions |
| Training Divisions | Training Divisions |
| Feldersatz-Divisionen | Replacement Divisions |
| Reichsarbeitdienst-Divisionen | Labor Service Infantry Divisions |
Heer organisation, composition and planning system
After the war
Confronted with a huge number of German prisoners of war after VE Day, the Western Allies kept Feldjägerkommando III (a regimental-sized unit of German military police) active and armed to assist with the control of the POWs. Feldjägerkommando III remained armed and under Western Allied control until 23 June 1946, when it was finally deactivated.
| Organisation of the Heer field forces |
|---|
| High Commands in the field |
| Field Armies |
| Panzer Groups/Armies |
| Army Corps |
| Panzer Corps |
| Divisions |
| Kampfgruppen |
| Other units |
Foreign volunteers in German Army (Heer)
Among the foreign volunteers who served in the Wehrmacht during World War II were ethnic Germans, Dutch, and Scandinavians along with people from the Baltic states and the Balkans who were either volunteers or later conscripted for service. Russians recruited from prisoner of war camps fought in the Russian Liberation Army or as Hilfswilliger. Non-Russians from the Soviet Union formed the Ostlegionen. These units were all commanded by General der Kavallerie Ernst August Köstring and represented about five percent of theWehrmacht.