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German
Military Unit Composition |
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Infantry |
| die Armee | Army: commanded by Generaloberst |
| composition: 3 - 7 army corps | |
| das Korps | Corps: commanded by General der Infanterie or Generalleutnant |
| composition: 2 infantry divisions per corps (25 active corps) | |
| die Division | Division:
commanded by Generalleutnant or Generalmajor composition: 2 - 3 brigades per division |
| die Brigade | Brigade:
commanded by Generalmajor or Oberst composition: 2 - 3 regiments per brigade |
| das Regiment | Regiment:
commanded by Oberst or Oberstleutnant composition: 3 battalions per regiment (1 machine gun company (6 guns) per regt) |
| das Bataillon | Battalion:
commanded by Oberstleutnant (ind. bns, ie
Pionier
or Jäger)
or Major composition: 4 companies per battalion (1 machine gun company per bn, from Sept 1916) |
| die Kompanie | Company:
commanded by Hauptmann or Rittmeister (cavalry) composition: 3 - 4 platoons per company |
| der Zug | Platoon:
commanded by Oberleutnant or
Leutnant or Feldwebel-Leutnant composition: 4 sections per platoon; 2-3 sections per half-platoon (Halbzug) |
| die Sektion | Section:
commanded by Unteroffizier
(Korporal) or Sergeant composition: 2 - 3 groups per section (Korporalschaft during peacetime) |
| die Gruppe | Group, Squad:
commanded by Unteroffizier or Gefreiter composition: 2 - 3 squads per section (smallest tactical unit; sometimes split into 8-man squads = Trupp) |
| * note: over the course of the war, due to attrition and other tactical necessities, units were commanded more and more by officers of lower ranks. For instance, by 1918 a Captain could find himself controlling the three battalions of his regiment along with any reserves sent to his sector. |
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