There are certain limitations the base game has in regards to historical units. The biggest one being the Artillery unit has 36 guns and 500 manpower (ideally a battalion should be 12 guns and 650 manpower). The others being the unit sizes. The below is based on those constraints.
German Infantry Division
9 x Infantry Battalions
1 x Artillery Battalion
1 x AntiTank Battalion
1 x AntiAir Battalion (attached)
Support units
Engineer
Recon
Artillery
Signal
Field Hospital
Note that the AntiAir Battalion is usually Luftwaffe, not Army. German infantry divisions were raised by "waves". While ideally, every infantry division should be equivalent to a 1st wave, lack of equipment dictated otherwise.
Pre-1939, there were thirty-five (35) infantry divisions.
By 1939, an additional fifty-one (51) infantry divisions and three (3) mountain divisions were formed. They were not fully equipped (ie were wave 2, wave 3 and wave 4 divisions). In game terms it would be like having the above infantry divisions deployed before being fully trained. Or creating divisions that don't have all of the above units. Sixteen (16) of those fifty-one (51) were used for Poland. Thirty (30) of those fifty-one (51) were fully equipped by Barbarossa (June '41).
An additional eleven (11) divisions were raised in 1939, but there were second rate divisions (wave 5, wave 6). In game terms, they should be represented as "static" divisions.
In 1940, a increase of four (4) infantry divisions and three (3) mountain divisions. Occurred by having twenty (20) of the existing infantry divisions converted to Panzer, Motorized or Security divisions or disbanded and raising another twenty-four (24).
Late 1940, another sixteen (16) infantry divisions were raised (wave 11, wave 12), but strained the ability of Germany to fully equip them. Four (4) Jager divisions were raised (basically a light mountain division). I'll address those in a separate posting for Mountain divisions. And finally another seventeen (17) "static" divisions (wave 13, wave 14).
Typical HoI4 German Static Division
6 x Infantry Battalions (obsolete or captured equipment)
1 x Artillery Battalion (obsolete or captured equipment)
Support units
Engineer
Artillery (if used, remove Artillery Bn)
These static divisions were meant to be occupation troops, not front line combat troops. Should also be immobile, but that isn't something we can easily represent in the game.
In 1941, a further four (4) infantry divisions were disbanded or converted into security divisions. An additional fifteen (15) static divisions and eleven (11) security divisions were raised
Typical HoI4 German Security "Division"
3 x Infantry Battalions
3 x Militia Battalions (not a unit in the base game, but want to show these six (6) battalions are sub-par).
Support units
Military Police
In game terms, probably more accurate to use three (3) to six (6) cavalry battalions for the Security Division.
This is what Germany entered Barbarossa with.
Infantry Divisions ....... 102
Static Divisions ............ 43
Security "Divisions" ...... 11
Mtn/Jager Divisions ..... 10
Once Barbarossa started, things became much less clearer. How the German Army handles its East Front losses and whether or not it should be able to raise new divisions is another discussion. But there are two (2) significant events.
In 1942, twenty (20) Luftwaffe Field Divisions were formed. Manpower came from the Luftwaffe (mainly the Flak units) and as such, suffered from a lack of competent cadre (ie divisions were equivalent to "green").
In 1944, the German Infantry division was reduced to six (6) Infantry battalions. Some would argue that the support engineer unit should be removed as well.
German Infantry Division
9 x Infantry Battalions
1 x Artillery Battalion
1 x AntiTank Battalion
1 x AntiAir Battalion (attached)
Support units
Engineer
Recon
Artillery
Signal
Field Hospital
Note that the AntiAir Battalion is usually Luftwaffe, not Army. German infantry divisions were raised by "waves". While ideally, every infantry division should be equivalent to a 1st wave, lack of equipment dictated otherwise.
Pre-1939, there were thirty-five (35) infantry divisions.
By 1939, an additional fifty-one (51) infantry divisions and three (3) mountain divisions were formed. They were not fully equipped (ie were wave 2, wave 3 and wave 4 divisions). In game terms it would be like having the above infantry divisions deployed before being fully trained. Or creating divisions that don't have all of the above units. Sixteen (16) of those fifty-one (51) were used for Poland. Thirty (30) of those fifty-one (51) were fully equipped by Barbarossa (June '41).
An additional eleven (11) divisions were raised in 1939, but there were second rate divisions (wave 5, wave 6). In game terms, they should be represented as "static" divisions.
In 1940, a increase of four (4) infantry divisions and three (3) mountain divisions. Occurred by having twenty (20) of the existing infantry divisions converted to Panzer, Motorized or Security divisions or disbanded and raising another twenty-four (24).
Late 1940, another sixteen (16) infantry divisions were raised (wave 11, wave 12), but strained the ability of Germany to fully equip them. Four (4) Jager divisions were raised (basically a light mountain division). I'll address those in a separate posting for Mountain divisions. And finally another seventeen (17) "static" divisions (wave 13, wave 14).
Typical HoI4 German Static Division
6 x Infantry Battalions (obsolete or captured equipment)
1 x Artillery Battalion (obsolete or captured equipment)
Support units
Engineer
Artillery (if used, remove Artillery Bn)
These static divisions were meant to be occupation troops, not front line combat troops. Should also be immobile, but that isn't something we can easily represent in the game.
In 1941, a further four (4) infantry divisions were disbanded or converted into security divisions. An additional fifteen (15) static divisions and eleven (11) security divisions were raised
Typical HoI4 German Security "Division"
3 x Infantry Battalions
3 x Militia Battalions (not a unit in the base game, but want to show these six (6) battalions are sub-par).
Support units
Military Police
In game terms, probably more accurate to use three (3) to six (6) cavalry battalions for the Security Division.
This is what Germany entered Barbarossa with.
Infantry Divisions ....... 102
Static Divisions ............ 43
Security "Divisions" ...... 11
Mtn/Jager Divisions ..... 10
Once Barbarossa started, things became much less clearer. How the German Army handles its East Front losses and whether or not it should be able to raise new divisions is another discussion. But there are two (2) significant events.
In 1942, twenty (20) Luftwaffe Field Divisions were formed. Manpower came from the Luftwaffe (mainly the Flak units) and as such, suffered from a lack of competent cadre (ie divisions were equivalent to "green").
In 1944, the German Infantry division was reduced to six (6) Infantry battalions. Some would argue that the support engineer unit should be removed as well.
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