World War II Infantry Tactics: Company and Battalion

Osprey Elite #122

by Stephen Bull, Peter Dennis (Illustrator)

Osprey's study of German, British and American company and battalion tactics during World War II (1939-1945). The second World War is often seen as a confrontation of technology – tanks and aircraft, artillery and engineering. But at the heart of the battlefield was the struggle between infantrymen, and the technology was there to enable them to capture ground or hold it. This second of two books on the organization and tactics of the German, US and British infantry in Europe focuses on national differences in the development of company and battalion tactics – including those of motorized units – and the confrontation and co-operation between infantry and tanks. Contemporary photos and diagrams and vivid colour plates illustrate what tactical theories actually meant on the ground at human scale.

Genres: History, Military History, World War II, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, War

64 pages, Paperback

First published May 25, 2004

Reviews

[Filipe Amaral · Rating 5 out of 5]

In World War II Infantry Tactics: Company and Battalion, Dr Stephen Bull goes up the next two levels of command from where he left in the last book (about squads and platoons). In these new levels of complexity of Company and Battalion the Infantry will receive more support which will include new formations, such as heavy machine guns, mortars, anti-tank weapons and armour. This level of complexity is easier for a civilian to understand, making it easier for Dr. Bull to present his case. The descriptions really improved when compared to the first book.

The plates are also better, showing the different attack forms such as mortars giving smoke cover and suppressing fire, the units moving to breach and exploit success forward and sideways. There is a plate showing an armoured attack against a Soviet position by the Germans (the only appearence of the Soviets in the book) with the concentric movements and also the dismounting of infantry at differente phases. Another armoured assault shows Panzers subduing US bunkers in the snow during the Battle of the Bulge. There are plenty of photographs to satisfy readers and Dr. Bull makes a good case for the difference of mindset between the British and the Germans regarding mechanized/motorized infantry, with the Germans being more daring. The plate showing the Fallschirmjäger defense of Ortona, which is also the cover of the book, with interlocking fields of fire of multiple rapid firing weapons like the MG42 and FG42 plus well-placed anti-tank weapons makes for a deadly killzone for the Canadians to brave.

This is a rich follow up to the first volume, and I believe Company/Battalion surpasses its predecessor. The book really deserves its 5 stars.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Companies and battalions were important organizational units among British, German, and American armies in World War II. The book begins with a somewhat vague description of the battalion. But organizational charts on pages 6 (British) and 11 (American) and 12 (German) begin to exemplify the battalion. Key building blocks are companies, smaller units.

The book describes tactical operation of battalions. The work also examines other aspects of the units considered here: machine gun support, mortars, mines, anti-tank tactics and their evolution, and motorized infantry (including the role of armor).

This Osprey volume in the Elite series does a nice job or providing a sense of tactics at the company/battalion level. Nice illustrations and photographs provide useful context.