Number of Divisions in Heer, Waffen SS, Volkssturm

[eaglestar78]

I'm researching the number of Divisions per Axis and Allied countries

[Christoph Awender]

Hello,

That is impossible to answer in general. The only posibility is to give these numbers for a certain date.
Otherwise it would be nonsense because the number of divisions changed constantly with new formations, reformations etc...

/Christoph

[eaglestar78]

I see the Waffen-SS had 38 Divisions.

[Larry D.]

I'm researching the number of Divisions per Axis and Allied countries

There is a postwar joint U.S./Canadian study called the Manpower Study that addresses and comprehensively answers your question. It's hundreds of pages long, has never been published and can be obtained in manuscript form as a microfilm or a DVD from the U.S. National Archives in WashDC. The authors used captured German records exclusively, so the study is accurate.

L.

[RJ55]

You may also want to look up the Luftwaffe field Divisions, which numbered up to 21 I think, but about half were disbanded and the troops transferred to other units. And of course the Luftwaffe parachute divs and the Fs.Pz.Div. "Hermann Göring" [2]

[Christoph Awender]

I see the Waffen-SS had 38 Divisions.

Not in 1940, 1941 1942 etc...
When taking the end of the war you will have several divisions not existing any more etc... We could help you when you would explain to us what you want to know exactly. Just the plain number of divisions ever existing makes no sense.

/Christoph

[Ironmachine]

For the Germans, you can begin here:
Number of divisions by front: http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=7288
Number of divisions by type: http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=7289

[eaglestar78]

I found it in Dirty Little Secrets of WW2 by J. Duggan
He lists the Order of Battle (Divisions) for 1930 and and 1939-1945.
Germany raised 761 Divisions during the war:
670 Heer (Army)
48 Waffen SS
40 Luftwaffe
3 Kriegsmarine
also included are the 22 Luftwaffefeldivisionen (air force field divisions) and 11 fallschirmjager (paratrooper) divisions.
I have read that Waffen SS divisions varied from 3000 to 22,000 soldiers and that in 1941 German Heer (Army) had 210 Divisions of authorized strength of 17,734 men and by 1945 300 divisions of 12,772 men, while a fallschirmjager division was 15,976 men.

[eaglestar78]

I do not have the Volkstrum (militia) statistics

Werewolf were 2000 trainees

[ljadw]

A lot of divisions (especially in the 400 ,500 and 600 numbers were only HQ controlling administrative units /recruits.

Other divisions received different names:exe:386 mot ID became 3 PzG division in may 1943,4 Light division became 9 PzD in january 1940.

Divisions were disbanded;destroyed...
Other divisions had no number,only a name (the one of the division commander):the division Gümbel(commander general Gümbel) became division Karl (commander general Karl)

[AHK]

You are missing Flak and Searchligth divisions.
AHK

[Ironmachine]

And the Kriegsmarine formed more than 3 Marineinfanteriedivisionen (that is, at least on paper).

[Christoph Awender]

What a nonsense number - 670 divisions!
Which purpose does this kind of listing have?
What is for example with divisions which were reorganized e.g.
13.Inf.Div. - 13.Inf.Div.(mot) - 13.Pz.Div. - Three units but basically
just one. Etc..etc...

/Christoph

[Kelvin]

I found it in Dirty Little Secrets of WW2 by J. Duggan
He lists the Order of Battle (Divisions) for 1930 and and 1939-1945.
Germany raised 761 Divisions during the war:
670 Heer (Army)
48 Waffen SS
40 Luftwaffe
3 Kriegsmarine
also included are the 22 Luftwaffefeldivisionen (air force field divisions) and 11 fallschirmjager (paratrooper) divisions.
I have read that Waffen SS divisions varied from 3000 to 22,000 soldiers and that in 1941 German Heer (Army) had 210 Divisions of authorized strength of 17,734 men and by 1945 300 divisions of 12,772 men, while a fallschirmjager division was 15,976 men.

Regarding 670 Heer divisions, you should know that many divisions changed so many times, I have many many examples for that :

2. Motorized divison changed to 12. Pz.Division
3.motorized division changed to 3. PG. Division
4. infanterie division became 14. Pz.Division
5. infantry became 5. light infantry, then 5. Jäger-Division
6. infantry became 6. Volksgrenadier-Division
8. infantry became 8. Light infantry then 8. Jäger
9. infantry became 9. Volksgrenadier(VGD)
10. infantry became 10. motorized then,10. PzGren.
12. infantry became 12. VGD
13. infantry became 13. Pz.
14. Landwehr became 205. Infanterie
16. infantry became 16. Pz
18. infantry became 18. motorized then 18. PzGren.
19. infantry became 19. Pz.
20. motorized became 20. PG
23. infantry became 26. Pz
25. infantry became 25 motorized then 25. PzGren.
26. infantry became 26. VGD
27. infantry became 17. Pz
28. infantry became 28. LIght then 28. Jäger
29. infantry became 29. motorized then 29. PG
31. infantry became 31. VGD
33. infantyr became 15. Pz.then rebuilt as 15. PzGren.
36. infantry became 36. motorized then 36. infantry then 36. VGD
44.infantry became Reichs-Grenadier-Division Hoch und Deutschmeister
45. infantry became 45. VGD
60. motorized became PG FHH and then Pz FHH
62. infantry became 62. VGD
78. infantry became 78. Sturm then 78. Volks-Sturm
79. infantry became 79. VGD
90. Afrika lIght became 90. PzGren.
97. Light became 97. Jäger
99. Light infantry became 7. Gebirgs
100. light became 100. Jäger
101. light became 101 Jäger
167. infantry became 167. VGD
183. infanty became 183. VGD
187. Reserve became 42. Jäger
203. Sicherungs became 203. infantry
211., 212., 246., 256., 257., 271., 272., 276., 277. infanterie all became VGD with same numbers
281. 286. Sicherung became 281. 286. infantry
320., 326., 337., 340., 349., 352., 353., 361., 363., 460. infanterie became VGD with same numbers
541., 542., 544., 545., 547., 548., 549,. 551., 553., 558., 559., 560., 561., 562., 563. Grenadier divisions became VGD with same numbers
704 .infantry became 104. Jäger
708. infantry became 708. VGD
714., 717., 718.infantry became 114., 117., 118. Jäger
16., 18., 19. Luftwaffen-Feld division became 16.,18., 19. VGD
1. Gebirgs became 1. Volks-Gebirgs
1., 2., 3., 4., 5. Leichte divisions became 6., 7., 8., 9., 21. Pz divisions repectively
1. Kavallerie division became 24. Pz.Division
16. PzGren. became 116. Pz division
Leibstandarte, Das Reich, Totenkopf, Wiking motorized divison became PG then 1., 2., 3., 5. SS-Pz divisions
Hohenstaufen, Frundsberg and Hitlerjugend PzGren. became 9., 10., 12. SS-Pz with same name
Pz-division "Hermann Göring" became Fallschirm-Pz-Division "HG" then Fallschirm-Pz-Divison "HG" 1