Quote:
Originally Posted by Legbreaker
While this may or may not be true, the creation of new units while allowing existing ones to fade away is madness. Existing units have exisiting support netowrks, command structures, etc. A new unit needs all those things created.
In my opinion, it's probably about ten times harder to create a new division than to simply assign the same personnel to exisiting units as replacements.
If the Germans had the manpower to do both, then the idea has some serious merit. Alternatively, simply renaming exisiting units would have a similar confusing effect without many of the associated problems.
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About Germany in WW2, the organization was much more complicated that what you describe.
1) Several of the core units were never allowed to fade away and remained in action through the entire war (the 7th Panzer, for exemple).
2) Others were allowed to fade away and were recreated later. In fact, that essentially occured when a unit was entirely destroyed. I think that was the case for the 15 Panzer which was lost in Africa and rebuilt in France later.
3) Several were paper division that never existed really, sometimes with no personnel assigned at all. Many of these units were rear area units with little combat capability.
4) Other units were changing name as they were upgraded. going from infantry to motorized, then to panzergrenadier and eventually to panzer. These units had a tendancy to keep the same number assigned to a different denomination.
5) Units truly fading away appeared only during the last stage of the war (late 1944-1945). Then, this occured only at the division level. Surviving elements of the previous division (Regiments, Battalions...) Were simply taken from the previous division and reassigned to the new one. As a result, the 233 Division became the 233 reserve panzer in late 1943 (about that) to finally become the Holstein Panzer in 1945. Regiments that had not been destroyed being reassinged to the Holstein Panzer. In addition (since 1943), when it was needed, some elements were assigned to a kampfgruppe for some times (I think that the first ones appeared in Africa in 1943).
Here is an excellent site on German Panzer Division. Sorry it's in french but for once, a frenchman has been better than anyone in making a site (too bad he never made a translation of it). Nevertheless, hit "Unités" on the oppening page, then chose between "Heer, Waffen SS or Herman Goering". At last, chose any unit and you'll find its composition with changes made overtime (you might not understand the comments but you should be able to find your way around).
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/did.panzer/depart.html
Here is another excellent site but it is not focused on the German army. It includes elements on every country participating in the war.
http://www.orbat.com/site/ww2/drleo/