Tactical Symbols on Organizational Diagrams - 78th Assault Division

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Hoplophile
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Tactical Symbols on Organizational Diagrams - 78th Assault Division

Post by Hoplophile » 30 Oct 2023 18:55

In the organizational diagrams for the grenadier companies of the 78th Assault Division of 1943 that I found in the records of that formation, machine gun symbols appear twice. In particular, they appear at the top of the rectangle representing a company and at the bottom of that rectangle.

The following diagram, which I copied from an original, depicts this arrangement.
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Sturmregiment 78. ID .007.jpeg
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This pattern of depiction appears in all of the organizational diagrams for the 78th Assault Division of the first half of 1943 that I have yet to find. Here are some examples.
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Sturmregiment 78. ID .006.jpeg
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I have not seen this manner of doing things on any other German organizational diagram.

Can anyone shed any light on this mystery?
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jpz4
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Re: Tactical Symbols on Organizational Diagrams - 78th Assault Division

Post by jpz4 » 30 Oct 2023 20:02

You sometimes see things like this in a Stabskompanie. In this case I would guess that these extra MG's were with the motorized Pak, but I'd need more context to be sure.

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Hoplophile
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Re: Tactical Symbols on Organizational Diagrams - 78th Assault Division

Post by Hoplophile » 30 Oct 2023 22:13

Thank you. The machine guns depicted on the top of each rectangle correspond to those in the three grenadier platoons (six times three for a total of eighteen light machine guns) and the heavy platoon (two heavy machine guns.) Thus, any machine gun issued to the anti-tank platoons would have to be listed somewhere else.

Gary Kennedy
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Re: Tactical Symbols on Organizational Diagrams - 78th Assault Division

Post by Gary Kennedy » 01 Nov 2023 17:25

The centre one of the three examples posted above is in line with the support weapons on KStN 131g of 01 Jan 1943, which had 18 LMGs with the three Rifle Pls and two LMGs with each of two Pak Pls, plus two HMGs and two 8-cm mortars.

Gary

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