This is a follow up to my previous post about infantry organization in the great War. Now I am going to look specifically at a German infantry regiment that is acting as a Trench garrison in the later part of the war. This order of battle is based upon Martin Samuel's book Doctrine and Dogma, indeed the book acted as a catalyst for this whole idea of creating more specialized structures for the armies in the trenches. Since I am also interested in the battle of Cambrai, I will be focusing on late 1917.
The regiment holds an average front of 1500 meters, with each battalion being deployed one behind the other. The first battalion occupies the area between the front line and the main line of resistance. Behind it in the battle zone is the second battalion which is tasked with supporting the first battalion with small counterattacks. It also has most of the regimental and divisional assets in this area. Furthest back is the third battalion having a nice rest.
Lets start with the third battalion as it is organized as a normal battalion. It has a battalion headquarters with 4 rifle companies each of three platoons and a machine gun company of between 1-3 stands. Now each company nominally has 4 LMG's which is not enough to allow for a breakdown into platoons to occur especially for poorer units. So they can still be company sized stands perhaps with a ROF of three to represent the extra LMG's. Better units could have an infantry platoon and two grenadier platoons.
The second battalion has the same structure but has a different mission as well as more resources. Three of its companies are supposed have a counter attack mission so they can be organized as third battalion above. In poor quality units the counter attack mission will dropped an extra static companies deployed. The fourth company will be divided into three strong point stands to be organized into a single fortified area. Apart from the battalions machine gun company, an extra machine gun company from divisional assets may be attached along with the regimental minenwerfer company and guns from the artillery regiment acting as battalion guns. This gives the second battalion a number of options in its structure, extra strong points may be created to cover gaps in the front line or increase the firepower in existing strong points.
Finally there is the first battalion which is deployed in the front line. Here the first troops encountered are sentry stands whose main task is to observe the front line and to call fire onto any concentration of enemy troops in the area. Supporting them will be a strong point and a recce grenadier stand. Behind them on the main line of resistance is the rest of the battalion can be found. Here can be found 4 companies each with a Command Infantry and a Strong Point. The battalion headquarters acts as a Staff stand as its commander acts as the sector commander.
So in summary this is how the regiment should look like.
First Battalion
Since none of this has been tested yet. I'll provide some comments and variations that can be explored later, if it does not work according to plan.
Granatenwerfers
The role of the Granatenwerfers is a still a bit nebulous in my head at the moment. Their primary function is to provide indirect fire capability down to the local unit and by the end of the war they are directly attached to companies. In CD4 they are usually a battalion weapon pushed down to companies to convert MMG stands to weapons stands. But here they are concentrated both as a regimental asset and in being in being attached to the second battalion.
This does raise a number of possibilities. The first is to send some to the strong points giving them some indirect capability. But this will cover a few of the 18 nominally assigned to the second battalion.
You can assume that only the Minenwerfer is meant to be concentrated with the second battalion thereby allowing all strong points to gain some indirect fire. I like this idea as to the best of my current knowledge nobody makes 15mm Granatenwerfers so I can avoid modeling them for the moment. To reject this means that they are all with the second battalion, which probably means that instead of three company stands I'll have nine platoon stands.
Sentry stands
These and the staff stand should be the only troops within the regiment who can call artillery fire. Unfortunately without access to telephones they can only call fire onto pre-registered points though the use coloured flare rockets.
Otherwise treat them as patrol stands.
Divisional HMGs
These divisional assets are allocated to the second battalion at the main line of resistance. They can be used to provide more strong points or to reinforce existing stands. This is based in Over the Top model of variable strength HMG stands.
Strong Points
These function as the garrison for the various bunkers and pillboxes on the battlefield. At their core is a stand of HMGs and a platoon of infantry. There are a number of possible variations listed here the first doubles the Rate of Fire as a stand of HMGs is added to the Strong Point, the second adds a battalion gun of 77mm guns to provide a direct fire option. In theory the number of options are limitless, well a slight exaggeration, but you are restricted only by your imagination and ability to manage a lot of different stands.
Staff Stands
You may notice that their is no regimental headquarters. The book provides no clear insight but I would assume regimental assets are moved forward to the 1st battalion to create the staff stand. Leaving the actual regimental headquarters with more of an admin role.
Recce Grenadier Stands
Basically a specialist close assault stand with a ROF of 2, though it could shoot as other with a ROF 1 if you are insistent that it has some range capability. It could also be a better class and morale grade than the rest of the battalion.
Now if I get organized there will be a nice HTML table placed here to show all ratings.
Right that's enough for the moment. Time to do the British and build some trenches.
The regiment holds an average front of 1500 meters, with each battalion being deployed one behind the other. The first battalion occupies the area between the front line and the main line of resistance. Behind it in the battle zone is the second battalion which is tasked with supporting the first battalion with small counterattacks. It also has most of the regimental and divisional assets in this area. Furthest back is the third battalion having a nice rest.
Lets start with the third battalion as it is organized as a normal battalion. It has a battalion headquarters with 4 rifle companies each of three platoons and a machine gun company of between 1-3 stands. Now each company nominally has 4 LMG's which is not enough to allow for a breakdown into platoons to occur especially for poorer units. So they can still be company sized stands perhaps with a ROF of three to represent the extra LMG's. Better units could have an infantry platoon and two grenadier platoons.
The second battalion has the same structure but has a different mission as well as more resources. Three of its companies are supposed have a counter attack mission so they can be organized as third battalion above. In poor quality units the counter attack mission will dropped an extra static companies deployed. The fourth company will be divided into three strong point stands to be organized into a single fortified area. Apart from the battalions machine gun company, an extra machine gun company from divisional assets may be attached along with the regimental minenwerfer company and guns from the artillery regiment acting as battalion guns. This gives the second battalion a number of options in its structure, extra strong points may be created to cover gaps in the front line or increase the firepower in existing strong points.
Finally there is the first battalion which is deployed in the front line. Here the first troops encountered are sentry stands whose main task is to observe the front line and to call fire onto any concentration of enemy troops in the area. Supporting them will be a strong point and a recce grenadier stand. Behind them on the main line of resistance is the rest of the battalion can be found. Here can be found 4 companies each with a Command Infantry and a Strong Point. The battalion headquarters acts as a Staff stand as its commander acts as the sector commander.
So in summary this is how the regiment should look like.
First Battalion
- 1x Staff stand
- 2x Sentry stands
- 1x Recce grenadier stand
- 4x Command Infantry stands
- 5x Strong points
- 1x Command stand
- 3x Infantry company stands
- 3x Strong Points
- 2x HMG stands
- 1x Minenwerfer
- 3x Granatenwefer
- 1x Command stand
- 4x Infantry company stands
- 1x HMG Stand
Since none of this has been tested yet. I'll provide some comments and variations that can be explored later, if it does not work according to plan.
Granatenwerfers
The role of the Granatenwerfers is a still a bit nebulous in my head at the moment. Their primary function is to provide indirect fire capability down to the local unit and by the end of the war they are directly attached to companies. In CD4 they are usually a battalion weapon pushed down to companies to convert MMG stands to weapons stands. But here they are concentrated both as a regimental asset and in being in being attached to the second battalion.
This does raise a number of possibilities. The first is to send some to the strong points giving them some indirect capability. But this will cover a few of the 18 nominally assigned to the second battalion.
You can assume that only the Minenwerfer is meant to be concentrated with the second battalion thereby allowing all strong points to gain some indirect fire. I like this idea as to the best of my current knowledge nobody makes 15mm Granatenwerfers so I can avoid modeling them for the moment. To reject this means that they are all with the second battalion, which probably means that instead of three company stands I'll have nine platoon stands.
Sentry stands
These and the staff stand should be the only troops within the regiment who can call artillery fire. Unfortunately without access to telephones they can only call fire onto pre-registered points though the use coloured flare rockets.
Otherwise treat them as patrol stands.
Divisional HMGs
These divisional assets are allocated to the second battalion at the main line of resistance. They can be used to provide more strong points or to reinforce existing stands. This is based in Over the Top model of variable strength HMG stands.
Strong Points
These function as the garrison for the various bunkers and pillboxes on the battlefield. At their core is a stand of HMGs and a platoon of infantry. There are a number of possible variations listed here the first doubles the Rate of Fire as a stand of HMGs is added to the Strong Point, the second adds a battalion gun of 77mm guns to provide a direct fire option. In theory the number of options are limitless, well a slight exaggeration, but you are restricted only by your imagination and ability to manage a lot of different stands.
Staff Stands
You may notice that their is no regimental headquarters. The book provides no clear insight but I would assume regimental assets are moved forward to the 1st battalion to create the staff stand. Leaving the actual regimental headquarters with more of an admin role.
Recce Grenadier Stands
Basically a specialist close assault stand with a ROF of 2, though it could shoot as other with a ROF 1 if you are insistent that it has some range capability. It could also be a better class and morale grade than the rest of the battalion.
Now if I get organized there will be a nice HTML table placed here to show all ratings.
Right that's enough for the moment. Time to do the British and build some trenches.
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