Infantry Doctrine

[AngrySwan]

Infantry is the ''queen of battlefield'', so they say, although in reality it is more similar to Cinderella - it must first earn the queen's position by hard work.

It is the infantry that faces tank attacks, holds lines, kills bunkers and does most fighting. Regular battles on the field are fought with 3:1 superiority; if there are some enemies left they may be finished off by tanks or air force. Artillery support is provided in many but not all cases.

Strongly fortified positions like cities are taken by combined attacks in several waves. Artillery weakens the enemy and then the first wave of infantry (at least 2 divisions) weakens it further. If the enemy position still holds - and many of them do - an airstrike comes, followed by more infantry/tanks/mechanized infantry. This approach was chosen to minimize the losses in tanks and aircraft which are the main strike force in this war. Running enemy groups may be hunted down by fighters.

There is not much cavalry left, only one division but it will also see its last moments of glory before it becomes history. In a perfect world each panzer group would have a cavalry division; in reality only 2nd panzer group has one. It will fight together with mechanized infantry or on its own and will be used for exploiting success, just like other mobile units.

It is 1941 and infantry officers specialize in attacks. Then divisions get extra MGs, antitank guns, flaks and even more experienced officers. That is theory. In practice many divisions by the end of 1941 have received additional MGs and some have antitank defense.

That is the career path for line and mechanized infantry and cavalry. Mountain divisions get officers specialized in attacks, a MG company, another MG company, mortars and even better cavalry.

The Eastern front also sees a special type of light divisions. They start as regular infantry and develop as mountain divisions - MG company, MG company, mortars and even better staff. By the end of 1941 these divisions have seen little action and there is no difference between them and line infantry - in the best case they have specialized staff and additional MG company.

There are two special formations -

Grossdeutschland. Technically it is an Army unit but a very special one, the only one of its kind. In 1941 it is just a motorized infantry regiment. If the war goes on, it looks like an elite panzergrenadier unit by 1943.

78th infantry division. By the end of 1941 it looks just like any other infantry division but later (early 1943) it would become a Sturm division with a mechanized AT unit (like those of panzer divisions) and 2 additional mortar units - that means creating another special unit type. Otherwise it would have extra MG company and 2 mortar companies.