Cover, AGF Study Number 8 - Reorganization of Ground Troops for Combat


REORGANIZATION
OF
GROUND TROOPS FOR COMBAT

Army Ground Forces

Study No. 8

 

By

Dr. Robert R. Palmer

Historical Section - Army Ground Forces


HEADQUARTERS ARMY GROUND FORCES
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.

314.7(1 Sept 1946)GNHIS
1 September 1945

 

SUBJECT:     Studies in the History of Army Ground Forces

TO:                All Interested Agencies

      1. The history of the Army Ground Forces as a command was prepared during the course of the war and completed immediately thereafter. The studies prepared in Headquarters Army Ground Forces, were written by professional historians, three of whom served as commissioned officers, and one as a civilian. The histories of the subordinate commands were prepared by historical officers, who except in Second Army, acted as such in addition to other duties.

      2. From the first, the history was designed primarily for the Army. Its object is to give an account of what was done from the point of view of the command preparing the history, including a candid, and factual account of difficulties, mistakes recognized as such, the means by which, in the opinion of those concerned, they might have been avoided, the measures used to overcome them, and the effectiveness of such measures. The history is not intended to be laudatory.

      3. The history of the Army Ground Forces is composed of monographs on the subjects selected, and of two volumes in which an overall history is presented. A separate volume is devoted to the activities of each of the major subordinate commands.

      4. In order that the studies may be made available to interested agencies at the earliest possible date, they are being reproduced and distributed in manuscript form. As such they must be regarded as drafts subject to final editing and revision. Persons finding errors of fact or important omissions are encouraged to communicate with the Commanding General, Army Ground Forces, Attention: Historical Section, in order that corrections may be made prior to publication in printed form by the War Department.

BY COMMAND OF GENERAL DEVERS:

 

 

1 Incl:
     Historical Study

J. L. TARR
Colonel, AGD
Acting Ground Adj General

Contents

Chapter
..
Page
I.

Definitions and Explanations

1
I-1.

The Importance of Tactical Organization

1
I-2.

Role of the Army Ground Forces: Successive Periods

3
I-3.

Guiding Ideas of General McNair

4
I-4.

Tactical Organization in March 1942

6
II. 

First Period: The Tightening Pinch
March-October 1942

10
II-1.

Mobility vs. Transportation

10
II-2.

Crucial Decisions: September-October 1942

13
III.

Second Period: The Age of Economy
October 1942 - October 1942

16
III-1.

Streamlining and Pooling

16
III-2.

Pooling: The Critical Cases--Tank, Antitank and Antiaircraft

18
III-3.
Streamlining: Work of the Reduction Board, AGF 20
III-4.
The Infantry Division 22
III-5.

        The AGF Tables of March 1943

22
III-6.

        Reaction to the AGF Tables

30
III-7.

The Armored Division

33
III-8.

Experimental Divisions: Cavalry and Motorized

40
III-9.

Experimental Divisions: Airborne, Mountain, Jungle, Light

42
III-10.

Army and Corps Troops

48
III-11.

        Abandonment of the Type-Army and Type-Corps

49
III-12.         The Battalion-and-Group System 51
III-13.

        Higher Headquarters

52
III-14.

        Theory of Army and Corps

54
III-15.

Summary: Net Effect of Reduction and Reorganization in 1943

56
 

References

59

 

 No.
ANNEXES
Page
I.

The Infantry Division: Organic Composition, 1936-1945.

71
II.

The Armored Division: Organic Composition, 1942-1945.

72
III.

The Armored Division: Showing Effects of the Reorganization of 1943.

73
IV.

Composition of the "Type" Army and "Type" Corps, 31 July 1942.

74
V.

Composition of the Third Army, 1 October 1942.

75
VI.

Composition of the Third Army, 10 November 1943.

76
VII.

Evolution of Corps Headquarters, 1942-1945.

77
VIII-A.

Troops in Divisions and in Non-divisional Units, 31 December 1943.

78
VIII-B.

Troops in Divisions and in Non-divisional Units, 31 March 1945

79
IX.

AGF letter: "Orientation with Reference to Revised Organization," 21 July 1943.

80



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