Fanteria Tedesca Tactics

Reichswehr e Wehrmacht 1932–1945

The section leader e his gruppo mitragliatrice leggera of quattro men advancing across open ground in Schützenrudel formation, maintaining the required minimum distance of 5 paces between them during a wargame exercise in scala 1:72. Schütze 1 is the mitragliere leggero, Schütze 2 is his caricatore, Schütze 3 e 4 carry additional boxes of belted ammunition for the mitragliatrice MG 34 o MG 42.
The rifle squad of seven Schützen e the assistant section leader are advancing along a parallel route, but maintaining visual contact con the section leader o a member of his squad.

Key Terms

Linear o Napoleonic

Many aspect of fanteria combat have remained virtually unchanged since the days of Frederick the Great; the game is still one of pinning the defender frontally, maneuvering against his flanks, e bringing overwhelming firepower to bear at the main point of attack. Battaglioni still deploy in line con other battaglioni from their division, they advance on a fixed frontage, e guide their forward movement on a designated lead formation. Like Frederick’s cannoni reggimentali, modern mitragliatrici deploy forward of the line to soften up identified enemy formations until they are ready to be assaulted. The triangular formation of modern plotoni, compagnie, battaglioni, e brigades is a Napoleonic improvement which provides excellent articulation on the battlefield.

Pre-war German fanteria training stressed the importance of a methodical approach to small unit tactics. The fanteria section used only due simple formations to maneuver in battle, but it had a repertoire of choreographed tactical responses which produced predictable results in a given situation. Company e platoon commanders, section e squad leaders, even lead mitraglieri were trained to recognize opportunity, ed act on it. In theory, the tactical ed operational concepts worked well, e they are valid today, but this kind of expertise is only one aspect of warfare. The Wehrmacht was a well-oiled machine involved in the wrong purpose, it had to fail.

1.) Organization e Articulation

Schützengruppe - Fanteria Section: Fanteria sections consisted of a leader e 12-14 men, who normally advanced into combat in due separate squads, using different routes of advance:

• Gruppenführer - Section Leader
• l.M.G.-Trupp - gruppo mitragliatrice leggera (4 mitraglieri con 1 mitragliatrice leggera)
• Truppführer - Squad Leader
• Schützentrupp - Rifle Squad (7-9 riflemen)

The section leader took command of the most important squad in his section, based on the tactical situation. If the entire section advanced, the section leader commanded the gruppo mitragliatrice leggera. If an enemy position had been identified, the section leader would direct the fire of the gruppo mitragliatrice leggera while the squad leader maneuvered the rifle squad into an assault position close to the enemy, but in cover. If the enemy position was to be assaulted, the section leader went forward e took command of the rifle squad, either keeping the squad leader by his side o sending him back to command the gruppo mitragliatrice leggera. If both leaders accompanied the rifle squad in the assault, mitragliere Nr. 1 took command of the gruppo mitragliatrice leggera temporarily.

Schützenreihe - Single File: The entire fanteria section advanced in single file only at a safe distance from the enemy. If enemy contact was expected, the section split into its due component squads, e maintained a safe distance between them, either by advancing along parallel routes o by keeping up to 80 metri distance between squads. Unless otherwise instructed, the men would keep a distance of 5 paces between them in single file. I gruppi mitragliatrice leggera e rifle squad rarely deployed at the same time. Typically, il gruppo mitragliatrice leggera might form Schützenrudel, while the rifle squad continued to advance in Schützenreihe.

Schützenrudel - Pack: Schützenrudel was used to cross open terrain. If ordered to deploy into a pack formation, the squad would dress on the Anschlussmann (lead man) ed adopt a staggered formation. Unless otherwise instructed, pack frontage would be 15 paces, e the men kept a distance of 5 paces from eachother. If the entire section o the gruppo mitragliatrice leggera deployed, mitragliere 1 was the Anschlussmann. If only the rifle squad deployed, from single file, the lead rifleman had Anschluss. Otherwise, if the rifle squad deployed from line, the squad leader o section leader would designate the rifleman on the right o left flank as the Anschlussman.

Stellung! - Firing Position!: A verbal command o visual signal instructing the squad to adopt a firing position in the Feuerkette - Firing Line. "Stellung!" from single file o pack would require the squad to dress on the Anschlussmann, e form a firing line facing the enemy, keeping a distance of 5 paces between each man, unless otherwise instructed. The command would be followed by Feuer frei! - Open fire! followed by Stopfen! - Cease fire!, and Volle Deckung! - Take full cover!

2.) Reconnaisance

Späher - Scouts: 2 o 3 riflemen per platoon acted as Sicherer - Security when the platoon advanced. The scouts would be 200–400 metri ahead of the platoon, ed it was their job to uncover enemy positions in the attack corridor of their platoon, typically by drawing fuoco nemico.

Spähtrupp - Patrol: It was the company’s responsibility to patrol the corridor of the frontline assigned to it. One o several patrols might be sent out, depending on the terrain e the tactical situation. A patrol consisted of a Spähtruppführer e 3-6 riflemen. Individual riflemen would be sent back to company headquarters to report. These messengers were instructed to use the fastest communication method available to get the message through, even borrowing a company wireless o telephone operator they happened to run into on the return journey.

3.) Attack

Gefechtsstreifen - Attack Corridor: sezioni, plotoni, compagnie, e battaglioni were assigned permanent corridors for attack, e they maintained fixed attack frontages based on the ordered Ausdehnung - Dispersal:

• Bataillon: 400–1000 m Angriffsbreite - Battalion Attack Frontage
• Kompanie: 200–400 m Angriffsbreite - Company Attack Frontage
• Zug 100–200 m Angriffsbreite - Platoon Attack Frontage
• Gruppe 50–100 m Angriffbreite - Section Attack Frontage

Squads e sections advanced inside their designated attack corridors, maintaining visual contact con eachother e con their neighbours, but avoiding interpenetration con friendly plotoni on either flank. Mitragliatrici leggeri ed attached HMG supporting the platoon from a rearward position had to be able to clearly identify the tre sections operating inside their designated platoon corridor in order to avoid friendly fire caduti.

The actual attack frontage depended on the mission of the unit. Narrow frontages were used at the designated Schwerpunkt - Main Point of Attack, e wider frontages elsewhere. If an unanticipated Schwerpunkt developed in the course of an attack, reserves would be moved forward to increase the density of troops in that attack corridor, thereby reducing the attack frontage of the sub-units engaged in it. The unit which formed the Schwerpunkt received the most support armi e the largest ammunition supply, its success was reinforced vigorously.

By definition, the Schwerpunkt had the deepest penetration of the enemy line, ed it also had Anschluss – The Lead. A single man had the lead in a squad, everyone else guided their movement on the Anschlussmann. In a platoon attack corridor, one section had Anschluss e the others guided on it. Likewise, in larger attack corridors, one platoon had the lead in a company, one company had the Anschluss in the battalion, e the lead battalion had Anschluss in the brigade. The formation o subunit con the deepest penetration automatically had Anschluss ed adjacent units guided on it. Anschluss avoided friendly fire caduti, because the borders of the assigned attack corridors were not to be crossed by friendly fanteria.

Anschluss was an important concept in attack e defence, it prevented gaps in the line by mandating physical/visual contact between the lead unit e the units on its immediate flank. By definition, the unit con Anschluss had a deeper penetration than its neighbours, ed it received the combined flank support from HMG e cannoni anticarro firing parallel to the flank lines of its attack corridor. HMG e pooled mitragliatrici leggeri assigned to this corridor would be able to bypass identified enemy positions in adjacent corridors, e bring them under flanking fire. The constant chiseling at the enemy line would eventually lead to a significant Einbruch - Penetration. If the penetration was chosen as a Schwerpunkt, it would receive further support con which to effect a Durchbruch - Breakthrough. Exploitation of the breakthrough would allow reserves to roll up the front, e mobile formations might punch through to initiate a strategic encirclement.

Entfaltung - Operational Deployment: Depending on terrain, visibility, ed enemy strength, formational attack corridors would be assigned. Company commanders would move into their sectors from march column formation, ed order Kompanie-Keil - Wedge con one platoon forward e due in reserve, o Kompanie-Breitkeil - Inverted Wedge con due up ed one in reserve. If Keil was used, the lead platoon automatically had Anschluss, whereas Anschluss had to be designated in Breitkeil formation. The company HQ section deployed immediately behind the Anschluss platoon. Similarly, plotoni deployed their sections into platoon e section corridors, using Keil o Breitkeil.

Keil was considered the better formation in the opening stages of an engagement, because it gave the company commander the flexibility of deploying either one of the unengaged plotoni forward, to flank an identified enemy position. In this case, the remaining platoon would move to the central reserve position. This maneuver is a convenient formation change from Keil to Breitkeil in combination con a Flügelangriff - Wing attack o maybe even a Flankenangriff - Flank attack. The pinned, e pinning, lead platoon is the pivot.

Entwicklung - Tactical Deployment: Until enemy contact was made, fanteria sections advanced in single file inside their assigned corridors, taking advantage of the command control ed excellent articulation which this formation provided. Patrols e scouts operating well forward of the platoon e company would eventually flush out an enemy position, ed individual squads would begin to deploy into combat formations. An Anschluss section leader might deploy the gruppo mitragliatrice leggera from single file to Schützenrudel ed advance to an advantageous firing position. The rifle squad from the same section might continue to advance until it reached an assault position immediately opposite the enemy position, but still in cover. Because of their different combat assignments, gruppo mitragliatrice leggera e rifle squad rarely deployed at the same time. Depending on the importance of the identified enemy position, the platoon commander had the option of pooling i gruppi mitragliatrici leggere of all tre sections, e soften up the target. If HMG squads o sections were attached at platoon level, they might be pooled as well.

4.) Resistance e Defence

Hinhaltender Widerstand - Delaying Action: The purpose of the delaying action is to stall the strategic advance of an attacking army without completamente engaging it. The attacker is compelled to deploy his formations e prepare a formal attack, a time-consuming process. When the prepared attack is ready to go in, the defender withdraws to the next Widerstandslinie - Line of Resistance e repeats the procedure. Consecutive lines of resistance were approximately 3000 metri apart, enough to compel the attacker to re-deploy his artiglieria forward in order to support an attack against the next line. A line of resistance had to provide a deep field of fire, con engagement ranges of 1000–1500 metres, in order to give defending units enough time to fight e disengage. Units on the 1st line of resitance would fall back to the 2nd Widerstandslinie if enemy pressure mounted. Unit frontage in delaying actions was twice that of defensive actions, up to 4000 metri for a battalion.

The area between due lines of resistance was known as the Zwischenfeld - Middle Ground. Inside the middle ground, ed approximately 800 metri behind a line of restistance, was the Aufnahmelinie - Rally Position which was defended by reserve fanteria sections, e heavy support weapons. Withdrawing units from the 1st line of resistance would fall back behind the rally position in one move. They typically pulled out of the 1st Widerstandslinie when the attacker was within 800 metres of it, less if the withdrawal route was well covered. The skirmish con enemy forward elements at the Aufnahmelinie would temporarily halt the attack, buying time for the continued withdrawal to the 2nd Widerstandslinie.

Verteidigung - Defence: If suitable defensive ground was found in the rear of a formation currently fighting a delaying action, the formation had opportunity to switch to defence, ed attempt to stop the strategic attacker in his tracks. A Hauptkampffeld - Battlefield was chosen, e the definite forward line of that area became the Hauptkampflinie (HKL) - Main Line of Battle. Depending on the number of suitable lines of resistance which still separated the attacker from the HKL, the defending formation had more o less time to prepare fortified positions inside the Hauptkampffeld. Il gruppo mitragliatrice leggera of each fanteria section prepared an MG-Nest on the HKL. The rifle squad prepared one o due nests well behind the HKL, covering the gaps between the adjacent positions mitragliatrice leggera.

Surpise could be achieved by disguising the presence of the HKL, making the attacker believe he might be facing another line of resistance. Accordingly, Gefechtsvorposten - Combat Outposts were deployed up to 2500 m in front of the HKL, which made it difficult for enemy patrols to reconnoitre the line. Fanteria sections e fanteria support weapons deployed on the outpost line had prepared alternate positions to fall back to if enemy pressure mounted. In front of the outpost line were Vorgeschobene Stellungen - Forward Positions which engaged enemy formations in order to effect premature deployment e delays. Forward positions were also used by forward artiglieria observers, e they were sometimes held in strength to deny dominant terrain features to the attacker for a while.

Abschnitt - Defence Sector: In defence, battaglioni e compagnie were assigned permanent sectors, depending on the tactical situation, terrain e weather conditions:

• Bataillonsabschnitt: up to 2000 m frontage e 1000–1500 m depth in defence.
• Kompanieabschnitt: up to 700 m frontage e 400–600 m depth in defence.

Mitragliatrici leggeri, HMG, e riflemen formed defensive nests inside the designated sector, making sure that all avenues of approach were covered con interlocking fire. Alternate cannone anticarro, e fanteria gun positions were dug on the HKL, ready to be manned if the situation required it.

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Soldatini Tedeschi della Seconda Guerra Mondiale

– Pubblicato: 1996 – Aggiornato: 23.05.2007
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