Organizational Structure of an Army

Components of an army, for the break down of the actual numbers of men per suad, per platoon, per company, per battalion, per regiment, per brigade, per division, per corps per army.

Questions to be asked and answered besides a German division being smaller than an Allied one, except perhaps the Soviet ones I would like to know.

Try to keep it WWII, perhaps we can then see todays structures a bit later?

 

Before I'm able to come with some numbers, try James Lucas' Last year of the German army. There are structures of German divisions in 1944/45. There are some other good books but I fear you can't get them in the western Europe or America.

 

From Stephen E. Ambrose's "D-Day":

"Airborne and infantry divisions in World War II armies were made up of:
Squads (usually nine to twelve men)
Three squads to a platoon
Three or four platoons to a company
Three or four companies to a battalion
Three or four battalions to a regiment
Three or four regiments to a division
plus attached engineers, artillery, medical, and other support personnel.

US, British and Canadian infantry divisions were from 15,000 to 20,000 strong on D-Day. Allied airborne divisions were about one-half that size. Most German divisions were less than 10,000."

 

Ah, Grasshopper, you have returned.

 

"Paper organization and strength" are rarely achieved.

For actual OB information you can purchase see:

http://home.fuse.net/nafziger/

 

Most WWII powers didn't have a fixed organizations above divisions. The Soviet Tank and Mechanized "Corps" were more like divisions in the western (including German) sense.
A corps would nominally be composed of a headquarters, three divisions and supporting troops, such as (heavy) artillery, engineers, AA, ,independant armor (tank and TD) formations (such as the Brit regiments and US GHQ battalions). A Japanese Army was roughly similar to a western corps.
An Army (Japanese Area Army) would nominally be a headquarters, three corps and supporting troops. A U.S. Army in NW Europe in 1944/45 would have a Tactial Air Command (TAC) assigned to support it, such as the XIX TAC supporting Third Army.
An Army Group (Soviet Front) again is nominally a headquarters, three armies and supporting troops. Command structure above an Army Group varies widely, SHAEF, OB West, OB Sud, Stavka, etc.

For a WWII U.S. Infantry Division the "paper" TO&E was:
A 12 man squad in three teams;
1) Team Able (2) : two Riflemen (scouts) (M1)
2) Team Baker (4): Asst Squad leader (M1) + BAR + Asst BAR (M1)
+Ammo Bearer (M1)
3) Team Charlie (6): Squad Leader (M1) + 5 Riflemen (M1)
A 41 man platoon was composed of three squads and a five man HQ (Platoon Ldr (M1 Carbine); Platoon Sgt (M1); Platoon guide (M1); and two messengers (M1). One man in the platoon was to be equipped with an M1903 sniper rifle.
A Rifle company of 193 men was composed of three Rifle Platoons, a 35 man weapons platoon (2 x .30 cal LMGs, 3 x 60mm mortars and one .50 cal HMG and 4 jeeps), and a 35 man Company HQ. The comapny HQ equipment included 5 bazookas and could have an extra 6 BARs available.
A battalion of 871 men consisted of three rifle companies, a heavy weapons company of 166 men (8 x .30 cal HMGs, 1 x .50 cal HMG, 6 x 81mm mortars, six bazookas and 34 vehicles), and a HQ Company of 122 men (2 x .50 cal HMGs, 8 bazookas, 3 x 57mmAT guns and 23 vehicles) and a 6 man HQ unit.
An Infantry Regiment was 3119 men in 3 battalions, an AT company (165 men, 9 x 57mm AT, 9 bazookas, 3 x .50 cal HMGs and 22 vehicles), a Cannon Company (118 men, 6 x M3 105mm howitzers, 4 bazookas, 3 x .50cal HMGs, and 20 vehicles), a Service Company (115 men, 9 x .50cal HMGs, 8 bazookas and 56 vehicles), a Regimental HQ Company (100 men, 2 x .50 cal HMGs, 4 bazookas, and 29 vehicles) and a 8 man command group.
At division level there were three infantry regiments, a 155 man recon troop (company), an combat engineer battalion of 649 men, a divisional artillery HQ (117 men) and four field artillery battalions (3 with 12 x 105mm howitzers (509 men), one with 12 x 155 mm howitzers (527)), a medical battalion (954 including normal attachments), and 995 in the support units (HQ Coy (107), Ordinance Coy (147), Quatermaster Coy (186), Signal Coy (250), MP Platoon (71), Chaplins (13), Band(58!), Special Troops HQ (9) and Divisional HQ (154). A mid 1944 U.S. Infantry Division had 14,281 men. An infantry division could normally have attached any or all of the following: a tank battlion 953 x M4, 17 x M5, 6 x M4-105), a tank destroyer battlion (36 guns, 3" M5 if towed or M10 or M18 or M36 if SP), an AA battalion, a Chemical Mortar company (12 x 107mm mortars).