Nomenclature used by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS

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The German Luftwaffe (Air Force), Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy) and the Waffen-SS used Arabic numerals as well as Roman numerals to distinguish between the different units, sub-units and organization levels of their respective military branch.

<i>Luftwaffe</i> Aerial warfare branch of the German military forces during World War II

The Luftwaffe was the aerial warfare branch of the combined German Wehrmacht military forces during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the Luftstreitkräfte of the Army and the Marine-Fliegerabteilung of the Navy, had been disbanded in May 1920 as a result of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which stated that Germany was forbidden to have any air force.

<i>Kriegsmarine</i> 1935–1945 naval warfare branch of Germanys armed forces

The Kriegsmarine was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war Reichsmarine (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches, along with the Heer (Army) and the Luftwaffe of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces from 1933 to 1945.

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Luftwaffe flying units

Example: 2./Jagdgeschwader 51 refers to the 2nd Staffel of the 51st Jagdgeschwader.
Example: III./Zerstörergeschwader 26 refers to the 3rd Gruppe of the 26th Zerstörergeschwader.

Units of the Heer or Waffen-SS

The Heer or Waffen-SS used a similar naming convention to the Luftwaffe. An Infantry, Panzer, Grenadier division was normally composed of three regiments. Each of these regiments was composed of three battalions denoted by Roman numerals. Each battalion was composed of three companies which were numbered by Arabic numerals. This naming scheme also applied to land based units of the Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe and the Waffen-SS.

Division (military) large military unit or formation

A division is a large military unit or formation, usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. Infantry divisions during the World Wars ranged between 8,000 and 30,000 in nominal strength.

Regiment Military unit

A regiment is a military unit. Their role and size varies markedly, depending on the country and the arm of service.

Battalion military unit size

A battalion is a military unit. The use of the term "battalion" varies by nationality and branch of service. Typically a battalion consists of 300 to 800 soldiers and is divided into a number of companies. A battalion is typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel. In some countries, the word "battalion" is associated with the infantry.

See also

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References

Citations
  1. 1 2 Obermaier 1976, p. 10.
Bibliography
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