Typical German Infantry Division [and] Weapons of the German Infantry Division

A pair of NEWSMAP charts illustrating the size and weaponry of a typical German infantry division.

Designed to serve as visual representations of enemy forces and organization, this pair of images highlights the manpower and weaponry of a “typical” German division. (Note- there was practically no such thing – Germany had nearly 3 times the number of division types of the U.S. Army).

Explanations of various battalions and their compositions making up the division are provided on the first sheet. Note the emphasis on horsepower – the myth of German mechanized supremacy extends only as far as their armored vehicles early on in the war. The image also gives the impression of the immense need for motorized troop and supplies, an issue that would eventually be catastrophic to the Germans on both fronts.

The second sheet shows the available small arms and artillery of the German infantry division, an area where the Wermacht truly excelled. Weapons such as the 5 cm PAK 38, the MG-34 and the STG-44 (not pictured) gave the German infantry a decided advantage over their Allied counterparts during the first two years of the war.

Both posters were designed in 1943 by the U.S. War Department as part of the NEWSMAP series of publications, and printed by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. Price is for the pair.