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Men-at-Arms

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The German Army 1939– 45 (1) Blitzkrieg

Nigel Thomas

•

Illustrated by Stephen Andrew

Men-at-Arms • 311

The German Army 1939–45 (1) Blitzkrieg

Nigel Thomas

•

Illustrated by Stephen Andrew

Series editor Mar tin Windrow

TABLE 3 Rank insignia of the German Army 1 September 1939 – 9 May 1945 Staff and Infantry ranks are normally given, but are in brackets where the insignia illustrates a rank variant. Most Bandmaster Officer and both Technical NCO ranks are omitted, and insignia on camouflage and fatigue tunics are excluded.

1.Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal) (1.9.1939 – 2.4.1941)

2. Generaloberst (General)

3. General der Infanterie etc. (Lieutenant General)

4. Generalleutnant (Major General)

5. Generalarzt (General Major) (Brigadier)

6. Oberst (Colonel)

7. Oberfeldrichter (Oberstleutnant) (Lieutenant Colonel) Judge Advocate Service

8. Major (Major) Infantry Regiment Hoch und Deutschmeister’

9. Stabszahlmeister (Hauptmann) (Captain) Administrative Service

10. Oberveterinär (Oberleutnant) (Lieutenant) Veterinary Corps

11. Obermusikmeister (Oberleutnant) (Lieutenant) Bandmaster

12. Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) Army AA Artillery

13. Stabsfeldwebel (WOII, RQMS) 21 Engineer Battalion

14. Hauptfeldwebel (WOII, CSM)

15. Oberwachtmeister (Oberfeldwebel) (Colour Serjeant) 11 Division Recce Battalion

16. Wachtmeister (Feldwebel) (Serjeant) Artillery

17. Unterfeldwebel (Lance-Serjeant) Infantry Regiment ‘Großdeutschland’

18. Oberjäger Unteroffizier (Corporal) Light Infantry

19. Stabsgefreiter (Lance-Corporal 5 years total service) 24.4.1942 – 9.5.1945

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20. Obergefreiter mit mehr als 6 Dienstjahren (Lance-Corporal 6 years total service)

21. Obergefreiter mit mehr als 6 Dienstjahren (Lance-Corporal 2 years total service)

22. Gefreiter (Lance-Corporal 6 months total service)

23. Obersoldat (Private 6 months total service)

24. Schüze/Grenadier (Private) Infantry Regiment ‘Feldherrnhalle’

INDEX (References to illustrations are shown in bold. Plates are shown with caption locators in brackets: e.g. A1 (37).)

Abwehr (Army Intelligence) 37, 39 armies of occupation 12, H (55) armoured forces 5, 6 army groups 5 Army Patrol Service 20, 50 artillery 8, 23, 39 Austria, annexation of, 1939: 7, 50 Bandmaster Officers 13 (table), 36 (table), 40, 46, 50 bandsmen 50 Belgium, invasion of, 1940: 11, 21, E2–3 (53–54) belts 17, 18, 23 Blitzkrieg 7, 11–12 Blomberg, Generalfeldmarschall Werner von (1878–1946) 3 branch colours 41–44 (table), 47 Brauchitsch, Generalfeldmarschall Walter von (1881–1948) 4, 18 camouflage 20 captured clothing 15 cavalry 39, B3 (52), 55 Czechoslovakia, occupation of, 1939: 7–8 Denmark, invasion of, 1940: 9, 12, D1 (53) dispatch riders 12, 35, 39, D1 (53) Dress Regulations 14, 15 engineers 15, 46, G1 (54–55) equipment 8, 14, 16, 20–21, G2 (55) establishment 3, 4 Fechtende Truppen (combat troops) 4, 41–43 (table) Field Army, the 4, 5–6, 48 Flower Wars, the (Blumenkriege) 7–8 France, Battle of, 1940: 11, 40, 45, 47, 48, 49, F (54), G (54–55) gas masks 9, 15, 34, 35 general officers 13 (table), 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 39, 45 General Staff 7, 35 greatcoats 6, 11, 12, 17–18, 19, 20, 23, 34, 35, 39 Großdeutschland Infantry Regiment 49, 52, F3 (54) Gruppe Imker 8, 49 Guard of Honour 19, 33 Guderian, Heinz (1888–1954) 6, 7 Halder, Generaloberst Franz (1884–1972) 4, 18 headdress 20, 23–24, 34–35, 37 officers 6, 16, 19, 21, 24, 33, 53

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helmets 3, 12, 14, 17, 19, 20 High Command 3–4, 11–12 Hitler, Adolf (1889–1945) 3, 7, 9, 11 Hoheitsabzeichen (Sovereignty Badge) 14 infantry divisions 5, 5–6 insignia 16, 18, 35 branch 19, 41–44 (table), 48 rank 3, 38, 45–47 unit 41–44 (table), 48–50 Jäger 48 Jodl, Generalmajor Alfred (1890–1946) 3 Keitel, Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm von (1882–1946) 3 Luftwaffe, the 7, 8 Luxembourg, invasion of, 1940: 11, 55 marksman’s lanyard, the 23, 35, 54 medals and awards 21, 23, 24, 50–51, 54 Medical Corps 10, 39, 46, D2 (53) military districts 7, 9, 11 Military Police 34, 49–50 Motor Transport drivers 39 motorised divisions 5, 6 mountain troops 5, 6, 35, 37, 48, 51, D3 (53) Music Directors 46, 50 Netherlands, invasion of, 1940: 10, E1 (53) Norway, invasion of, 1940: 9–10, 12, 51, D2–3 (53) officers 4, 13 (table), 15, 36 (table), 39, 40, 45–46, 53 ceremonial uniform 15–17, A1 (52), 54 field uniform 17, 19–21, 24, 33, B1–2 (52), D3 (53), E1 (53), F3 (54) Panzer troops 21, 35, 46, F1 (54) parade uniform 17–18 service uniform 6, 18–19, H2 (55) undress uniform 18, 19 ‘walking out’ uniform 18 orders of dress 13 (table), 15 organisation 5–7, 33 other ranks 13 (table), 15, 36–37 (table), 40, 45, 46–47, 48 ceremonial uniform A2–3 (52) fatigue uniform 5, 22, 34, 47, G3 (55) field uniform 8, 9, 14, 16, 33, 48, C (52–53), E2 (53), G2 (55) guard uniform 33, 52, H3 (55)

parade uniform 21–23, 55 reporting uniform 24 service uniform 3, 23, 24, 45 undress uniform 5, 11, 20, 24, 33 walking out uniform 23–24, 54 Panzer divisions 34 Penal Battalions 39 ‘Phoney War’, the 9 pioneers 39, E3 (53–54) Polish Campaign, 1939: 5, 7, 8–9, 12, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, B (52), C (52–53) ranks 36–37 (table), 38, 39–40, 45 Reichswehr, the 3 Replacement Army, the 4, 7, 15 Rundstedt, Generaloberst Gerd von (1875–1953) 8, 10, 11 Saar, occupation of, 1939: 7 Scandinavian campaigns, 1940: 7, 9–10, 12 Sicherungstruppen (Security Troops) 4, 44 (table) Smoke Troops 39 Spanish Civil War, the, 1936–39 8, 49, 50, 51 strategy 7 Sudetenland, occupation of, 1939: 8, 50 tank crew, uniforms 21, 34–35, 45, 46, F1–2 (54) Third Reich, ideology 7 Traffic Control 34, 50, H1 (55) tunics 3, 21–22, 34, 39, 40 officers 7, 16–17, 18, 18–19, 20 uniforms, development of 13–15 Versailles, Treaty of, 1919: 3 Versorgungstruppen (Supply Troops) 4, 43–44 (table) Waffen-SS 4, 14 war correspondents 20, 49 weapons bayonets 23 machine guns 33, 40, 49, C2–3 (52–53), E2 (53) pistols 20, 33 rifles 8, 48, C1 (52) submachine guns 21, 33, E3 (53–54) Wehrmact, the 3, 4 Weimar Republic 3 Western Offensive, the, 1940: 5, 7, 10, 12

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OSPREY PUBLISHING

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First published in Great Britain in 1997 by Osprey Publishing, Midland House, West Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 0PH, UK 44-02 23rd St, Suite 219, Long Island City, NY 11101, USA Email: [email protected] Osprey Publishing is part of the Osprey Group. © 1997 Osprey Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. Transferred to digital print on demand 2010 First published 1997 13th impression 2009 Printed and bound by PrintOnDemand-Worldwide.com, Peterborough, UK A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Print ISBN: 978 1 85532 639 2 PDF e-book ISBN: 978 1 78200 481 3 ePub e-book ISBN: 978 1 78200 441 7 Series Editor: Martin Windrow Military Editor: Sharon van der Merwe Design by The Black Spot Filmset in Singapore by Pica Ltd. Dedication This book is respectfully dedicated to my late father, War Substantive Lieutenant William Rowland Thomas, Royal Fusiliers, and the late Oberfeldarzt a.D. Dr. Med. Friedrich Herrmann, formerly of 198. Infanteriedivision and the Bundeswehr – two men from whom I have learnt a lot. Acknowledgements This book would not have been possible without the generous help of many people, especially Mark Axworthy, Phillip Buss (MA), Josef Charita, Brian Davis, Dr. Friedrich Herrmann, David Littlejohn, Pierre C.T. Verheye and Stephen Andrew. The author would like to thank his family, Heather, Alexander and Dominick, for their continued support and encouragement. Artist’s note Readers may care to note that the original paintings from which the colour plates in this book were prepared are available for private sale. All reproduction copyright whatsoever is retained by the Publishers. All enquiries should be addressed to: Stephen Andrew 87 Ellisland Kirkintilloch Glasgow G66 2UA The Publishers regret that they can enter into no correspondence upon this matter. The Woodland Trust Osprey Publishing is supporting the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, by funding the dedication of trees. www.ospreypublishing.com © Osprey Publishing. Access to this book is not digitally restricted. In return, we ask you that you use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. Please don’t upload this ebook to a peer-to-peer site, email it to everyone you know, or resell it. Osprey Publishing reserves all rights to its digital content and no part of these products may be copied, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise (except as permitted here), without the written permission of the publisher. Please support our continuing book publishing programme by using this e-book responsibly. Every effort has been made by the Publisher to secure permissions to use the images in this publication. If there has been any oversight we would be happy to rectify the situation and written submission should be made to Osprey Publishing.