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German Military Glossary
A-J |
last update: 20 September 2003
| a la suite: special honorary regimental command granted to deserving generals; the general has no command authority but may wear that regiment's colors; also has influence over promotions, awards, etc |
| Abt: Abteilung |
| Abteilung (Abt): detachment, unit, battalion (artillery) |
| Abwehr: defense |
| a.D.: außer Dienst |
| Adjutant: adjutant, aide-de-camp |
| Adjutantur: administrative staff |
| AK: Armeekorps |
| AKA: Artilleriebekaempfungsartillerie |
| Alpenkorps: Alpine Corps; an elite mountain division composed of light infantry and Bavarian guard troops |
| AOK: Armee-Oberkommando |
| Arko: Artillerie-Kommandeur |
| Armee: field army; composed of two or more corps (see AOK) |
| Armee-Abteilung: army detachment; usually not translated, there were four main detachments during the war, lettered A through D and going by the name of the commander. |
| Armee-Gruppe: group, army roup; elements of a field army formed for a specific period or task. (compare with Heeresgruppe) |
| Armee-Inspektion: army inspectorate; there were eight pre-war inspectorates, from which the field armies were formed. |
| Armeekorps (AK): army corps; 25 army corps at outbreak, usually comprised two divisions with various corps-level support troops. Normally commanded by a General or Generalleutnant. |
| Armee-Oberkommando (AOK): field army; in August 1914 the largest autonomous formation was the AOK, of which there were eight based on the eight pre-war inspectorates. Ten more AOKs were formed as the war progressed. |
| Armierungs~ : equipment |
| Artilleriebekämpfungsartillerie (AKA): artillery countery battery |
| Artillerie-Kommandeur (Arko): artillery command(er); in early 1917, field and foot artillery assets were combined into the ARKO which controlled all big guns within a divisional sector. |
| Attila: Hussar's jacket with embroidered frogging on the front |
| Ausgehanzug: walking out dress; one of the four main orders of formal dress - 1914 |
| außer Dienst: permanent retirement status |
| Bataillon: battalion; usually comprised of four rifle companies (approx. 1000 soldiers); in 1915 a machine-gun company was added to each battalion. Normally commanded by an Oberstleutnant or Major. |
| Batterie: artillery battery; company-size artillery unit (4 - 6 guns) |
| bayerisch: bavarian |
| Befehlshaber: commander |
| Bergmütze: mountain cap |
| Blauer Max: Blue Max; highest Prussian award for bravery |
| Bluse: field-gray tunic; worn in field, see M1910 and M1915 |
| Brigade: brigade; comprised of two regiments, one cavalry regiment and one Jaeger battalion; in 1915 the brigade was reduced to administrative staff function. Normally commanded by a Generalmajor or Oberst. |
| Brückentrain: bridging (pontoon) train |
| Chef: chief, commander (of a company) |
| Chef des Generalstabes: Chief of General Staff of the Field Army ; general in charge of Germany's Supreme Army Command (see Oberste Heeresleitung); also chief of general staff is the title for the general who was second in command of a numbered army high command (AOK) or an army corps (AK) |
| Chevaulegers: Bavarian light cavalry; similar to the Dragoons, eight regiments at mobilization |
| Degen: dagger, sword |
| Deutscher Krieg: Austro-Prussian War 15.06.1866 to 23.08.1866 (lit: German War) |
| Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg: Danish-Prussian War 01.02. to 30.10.1864 |
| Deutsch-Französischer Krieg: Franco-Prussian War 19.07.1870 to 10.05.1871 |
| Dicke Berta: "Big Bertha"; the Krupp 420mm heavy howitzer |
| Dienstgrad: rank |
| Dienstmütze: service cap; visored cap in dress or crusher style; see Schirmmütze |
| Dienstpflicht: mandatory military service |
| diensttuender Generaladjutant: senior aide-de-camp to the Kaiser (see vortragender Generaladjutant) |
| Division: division; comprised of two brigades and one field arty brigade...in 1915 changed to three regiments and one field arty regiment (one brigade-level staff remained); in 1914 a cavalry division was comprised of three cavalry brigades. Normally commanded by a Generalleutnant or Generalmajor. |
| Divisions-Stabs-Quartier: divisional headquarters |
| Dragoner: dragoon; heavily armed mounted soldier, originally employed as mounted infantry, but by WW1 the 26 Dragoon regiments were part of the cavalry |
| Drillichanzug: fatigue dress; very light-gray in color |
| Einheit: unit |
| Einjährig-Freiwilliger: one-year volunteer; educated reserve officers who reduced their period of service to one year by purchasing their own equipment and clothing. |
| Eisenbahn: railway |
| Eisernes Kreuz: The Iron Cross; a military decoration for outstanding heroism instituted in 1813 by Friedrich Wilhelm III. There were three basic classes of the medal: Iron Cross Second Class, Iron Cross First Class, Grand Cross (only 5 recipients during Great War), and Iron Cross with Gold Breast Star (2 recipients: von Bluecher and von Hindenburg) |
| Erkennungsabzeichen: dog tags |
| Ersatz~ : replacement~; ie: Ersatzbataillon = replacement battalion |
| Ersatz Reserve: replacement reservists; these were generally untrained contingency soldiers who were fit for military service but had not been called up, either due to domestic reasons or minor disabilities; they trained three times per year and after twelve years passed to the Landsturm. |
| Eskadron: cavalry squadron |
| Etappe: transport and communications troops |
| Etappen~ : line of communication |
| Fähnrich: officer cadet, ensign; included with senior NCOs. He was senior to a sergeant and upon passing exam was senior to Vize-Feldwebel. |
| Fahnenjunker: officer cadet |
| FEKA: Fernkampfartillerie |
| Feldabzeichen: field badge; worn on headgear to show state of origin |
| Feldartillerie: field artillery |
| Feldartillerie-Brigade: field artillery brigade; comprised of two field arty regiments; this level of command disappeared in mid-1915 |
| Feldartillerieregiment: field artillery regiment; comprised of two Abeilungen (sections); in 1915 comprised of three Abteilungen and directly subordinate to the division |
| Feldbäckerei: field kitchen |
| Feldbluse: field-gray tunic, field blouse; worn in field, see M1910 and M1915 |
| Feldgendarmerie: military police |
| feldgrau: field gray; standard german military uniform color adopted by 1907 |
| Feldhaubitze: field howitzer |
| Feldkanone: field gun |
| Feldlazarett: field hospital |
| Feldmütze: field cap, fatigue cap; circular cap without visor; see Krätzchen |
| Feldpost: Army Postal Service |
| Feldrock: dress tunic, uniform jacket; same as Waffenrock |
| Feldwebel: company sergeant-major; administrative posting at company HQ |
| Feldwebelleutnant: sergeant-major-lieutenant; usually commands company or platoon. |
| Fernkampfartillerie (FEKA): long range artillery; tasked with hitting command posts, ammo dumps and reserve concentrations |
| Fernsprech~ : telephone |
| Festung : fortress |
| FLAK: Flugabwehrkanone |
| Flammenwerfer: flame thrower |
| Flugabwehrkanone (FLAK): anti-aircraft gun |
| Flügeladjutant: aide-de-camp; an assistant to a prince (in a general's rank) |
| Freiherr: baron; hereditary title of nobility - General Walther Freiherr von Lüttwitz |
| Friedensuniform: peacetime uniform |
| Füsilier: fusilier, rifleman |
| Fuhrpark: supply park |
| Funker-Abteilung: radio detachment |
| Fußartillerie: foot artillery |
| Garde: guard |
| Garde du Corps: an elite Prussian heavy cavalry regiment formed in 1740 |
| Garderegiment zu Fuß: foot guards regiment |
| Gardist: guardsman; serving with guard regiments |
| Gebirgs~ : mountain |
| Gefreiter: lance corporal, senior private |
| Gemeiner: common foot soldier |
| General der Artillerie: general of artillery; usually commands field army or army corps |
| General der Infanterie: general of infantr; usually commands field army or army corps |
| General der Kavallerie: general of cavalry; usually commands field army or army corps |
| Generaladjutant: adjutant general; an assistant to a general (see: Flügeladjutant; diensttuender Generaladjutant; and vortragender Generaladjutant) |
| Generalfeldmarschall: field marshal; usually commands army group or field army |
| Generalintendant: intendant general |
| Generalität: general grade officers |
| Generalkapitän: captain general; Bavarian senior commander of the "Hartschiere" |
| Generalkommando (GenKdo): general command, corps |
| Generalleutnant: lieutenant general; usually commands army corps or division |
| Generalmajor: major general; usually commands division or brigade |
| Generaloberst: colonel general (senior general); usually commands field army |
| Generalstab: general staff |
| Generalstabs-Offizier: general staff officer; head of division-level general staff |
| GenKdo: Generalkommando |
| Geschütz: gun |
| Gewehr: rifle |
| Gliederung: structure, order of battle |
| Graf: count; General Felix Graf von Bothmer |
| Granatenwerfer: grenade launcher, mortar |
| Grenadier: grenadier |
| Großer Generalstab: Great General Staff |
| Gruppe: squad, group; usually eight foot soldiers within a squad, the basic tactical infantry unit |
| Gruppen~ : group |
| Halbzug: half-platoon (see Zug) |
| Hartschiere: honorary company serving the bavarian king (see Generalkapitän) |
| Hauptkadettenanstalt: see Preußische Hauptkadettenanstalt |
| Hauptleute: company grade officers; captain |
| Hauptmann: captain; usually commands battalion or company. (see also Rittmeister) |
| Hauptquartier: headquarters |
| Heer: army |
| Heeresgruppe: army group; two or more field armies (AOK) |
| HKK: Höhere Kavallerie Kommandeur |
| Höherer Kavallerie Kommandeur (HKK): senior cavalry commander, cavalry corps |
| Husar: hussar; member of an elite cavalry regiment originally modeled after the brightly-dressed Hungarian light cavalry of the 17th century. The mounted soldier often carried a lance, but the scope of Hussar activity was fairly limited by 1914. The word originates from the obsolete Hungarian term for highway robber. There were 20 Hussar regiments at mobilization. |
| ID: Infanteriedivision |
| IKA: Infanteriebekaempfungsartillerie |
| Infanteriebekämpfungsartillerie (IKA): artillery which specifically engaged infantry units. 75% of German artillery guns were assigned to IKA |
| Infanterist: infantryman; serving in Bavarian infantry regiments |
| Inspektion: inspectorate |
| Intendant: intendant; administrative officer on a general staff |
| Intendantur: intendance; quartermaster general's department |
| IR: Infanterieregiment; sometimes appears as "J.R." in german script |
| Jäger: chasseur, light infantryman; usually not translated, a soldier who was more lightly equipped than a standard infantryman. In mid-1700s specialist troops were recruited from the ranks of hunters (Jaeger = hunter). The very elite Jaeger battalions (only 18 during WW1) were attached to cavalry divisions and were often used for skirmishing and scouting. Also referred to as chasseur (Fra) or scout (U.S.) |
| Jäger zu Fuß: foot Jäger; |
| Jäger zu Pferde: mounted Jäger; grouped in regiments |
| JR: see IR |
| Junker: squire; member of the Prussian landed aristocracy. The German officer corps of 1914 was largely an aristocratic, landowning elite. Term originates from Old High German word for Young Lord. |
| ä ö ü ß |
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