United States Army in World War II
The Army Ground Forces

The Organization of Ground Combat Troops

by
Kent Roberts Greenfield
Robert R. Palmer
and
Bell I. Wiley

 

This volume is "under development" and will be completed as time allows...


. . . For Those Who Served


Contents

Foreword v
Preface vii
      Page
Origins of the Army Ground Forces:
General Headquarters, United States Army, 1940-42
iii
I. The Development of General Headquarters, United States Army 1
    Organization of the Military Establishment in 1940 1
    GHQ in the Mobilization Plan of 1940-42 5
    Separation of the Field Armies from the Corps Areas 6
    Training Tasks of GHQ 9
    The GHQ Staff 12
    GHQ as a Training Division of the General Staff 13
    Expansion of the Functions and Authority of GHQ, 3 July 1941 15
    Planning Activities 20
    Command Problems 22
    Expansion and Reorganization of the GHQ Staff 24
    GHQ Activities 26
    The Split within GHQ between Training Functions and Operational Functions 30
II. The Administration of Training 32
    Authority of GHQ over Training 32
    State of Training in August 1940 33
    Preparation for the Citizen Army 34
    General Proficiency versus Specialism in the New Army 38
    Large-Unit Training and Testing 40
    GHQ-Directed Army Maneuvers, 1941 43
    Morale 47
    Leadership--the Officer Problem 48
    Reemphasis on Essentials 51
    War Plans for the Creation of New Divisions 51
    Summary of Training Principles under GHQ 55
III. GHQ and the Armored Force 56
    Establishment of the Armored Force 56
    Relation of GHQ to the Armored Force 58
    Training Directives and Maneuvers 58
    Organizational Problems 61
    Status of the Armored Force 68
IV. GHQ and Tank Destroyer Elements 73
    Views at GHQ on Antitank Measures 74
    Delay in Preparing Antitank Measures 75
    Creation of the Planning Branch, G-3, WDGS 78
    Creation of the Provisional Antitank Battalions 78
    The Antitank Conference of July 1941 79
    Testing of Antitank Weapons in GHQ-Directed Maneuvers 80
    Progressive Acceptance of Principles Favored at GHQ 81
    The Tank Destroyer Center and the Tank Destroyer Battalions 82
V. The Relation of GHQ to Amphibious Training 85
    The Role of GHQ 86
    The Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet 87
    Training on the Pacific Coast 90
    An Army Amphibious Training Center Projected 90
VI. The Role of GHQ in the Development of Airborne Training 93
    The Transport Shortage and its Effects on Organization and Training 94
    Airborne Elements in the GHQ-DIrected Maneuvers, 1941 95
    Projects for Further Development of Airborne Troops 96
VII. GHQ and the Development of Air-Support Training and Doctrine 99
    Responsibilities of GHQ for Air and Air-Ground Training 99
    Basic Problems in Combined Air-Ground Training 101
    Observation Aviation 102
    The Problem of Air-Support Tests, 1940-41 102
    Execution of Air-Support Tests, February-June 1941 106
    The Air-Support Commands and the 1941 Maneuvers 107
    Aviation in the 1941 Maneuvers 109
    Disagreements over Air-Ground Command relations 110
    FM 31-35, Aviation in Support of Ground Forces 113
VIII. GHQ and the Defense Commands in the Continental United States 115
    The Role of GHQ in Planning the Defense of the United States 115
    The Principle of Territorial Command Unity and the Air Problem 116
    Creation of the Four Defense Commands 119
    Coordination of Antiaircraft Weapons and Pursuit Aviation 123
    Reluctance of Air to Accept Command over Ground Forces 125
IX. Failure to Develop the Plans of 1921 128
    The Outlook of GHQ on its Mission 130
    Limited Powers of GHQ as a Planning and Operational Headquarters 131
    Problems of Incomplete Tactical Control 132
    The Air Problem 134
    Measures Taken to Improve the Position of GHQ 141
X. The Dissolution of GHQ and the Establishment of Army Ground Forces 143
    Reform of GHQ versus Reorganization of the War Department 143
    The Point of View at GHQ on Reorganization 144
    Basic Problems Encountered int eh Attempt to Strengthen GHQ, August-November 1941 146
    Development of the War Department Reorganization Plan, November 1941-March 1942 148
    Summary 153
Roster of General Staff and Special Staff, GHQ, 1941-42
156
Charts
1. Organization of the War Department, June 1941 14
2. GHQ in the Chain of Command after 3 July 1941 18
3. Organization of GHQ after 3 July 1941 28
4. Defense Commands Established 17 March 1941 118
5. Organization Plan for field forces, 28 April 1941 120
6. Command Functions, GHQ, 1 December 1941 136
Illustrations
General McNair and General Marshall 8
Army War College 12
Air View of the Army War College 16
Staff of GHQ at the Army War College, 29 November 1940 24
Command and Staff Officers at GHQ Maneuvers 40

Ground Forces in the Army, December 1941-April 1945:
A Statistical Study
159
I. Note on the Compilation of the Table 163
II. Analysis of the Table 172
III. Sources of the Table 182
Table
1. Ground Forces in the Army, December 1941-April 1945 161

Mobilization of the Ground Army 185
I. General Problems of Mobilization 189
II. The 1942 Army 198
    The First Troop Basis of 1942 198
    Operational Needs 201
    The Manpower Crisis of the Summer of 1942 206
    Change of war Plans 208
    Summary of Mobilization in 1942 209
III. The 1943 Army 212
    Reduction of the AGF Program: the 100-Division Army 214
    Reduction of Tables of Organization and Equipment 217
    Further Deceleration and the AGF Pool Plan of April 1943 220
    Revision of the Military Program: the 90-Division Army 225
    End of Expansion of ground Forces 227
IV. The 1944 Army 231
    Implementation of the 1944 Troop Basis 235
    Economics and Conversions in 1944 237
    The Struggle to Maintain the 90-Division Army 244
V. Summary 252
Tables
1. The Army in Two Wars 191
2. Deployment of the Army in 1918 and 1945 194
3. Growth of the Army by Branch, 1941-45 203
       Annex to Table No. 3 204
            A. Growth of the Army by Branch 204
            B. Percent of Each Branch in Total Army 204
          Rate of Growth of the Army by Branch 205
4. Mobilization after 1942: Enlisted Strength 210
5. Ground Combat Units Mobilized after 1942 211
6. Development of the Heavy Artillery Program, 1942-44 232
7. Ratios of Nondivisional to Divisional Field Artillery, 30 June 1943-1 July 1944 233
Chart
1. Authorized and Actual Enlisted Strength of Troop Units, Army Ground Force, by Month, 1942-45 191

Reorganization of Ground Troops for Combat 261
I. Tactical Organization Before 8 March 1942 265
    Role of the Army Ground Forces 268
    Guiding Ideas of General McNair 271
    Tactical Organization in March 1942 276
II. The Tightening Pinch, March-October 1942 281
    Mobility versus Transportation 281
    Crucial Decisions: September-October 1942 286
III. The Period of Economy, October 1942-October 1943 290
    Pooling: The Critical Cases--Tank, Tank Destroyer, and Antiaircraft Artillery 293
    Streamlining: Work of the AGF Reduction Board 297
IV. The Infantry Division 300
    The AGF Tables of March 1943 300
    Reaction to the AGF Tables 314
V. The Armored Division 319
VI. Experimental Divisions 336
    Cavalry and Motorized Divisions 336
    Airborne, Mountain, Jungle, and "Light" Divisions 339
VII. Army and Corps 351
    Abandonment of the "Type" Army and "Type" Corps 352
    The Battalion-and-Group System 356
    Higher Headquarters 359
    Theory of Army and Corps 363
VIII. Summary 372
AGF Letter on Revised Organization, 21 July 1943 374
Tables
1. Organic Composition of the Infantry Division, 1936-45 274
2. Troops in Divisions and in Nondivisional Units, by Branch, 31 December 1943 and 31 March 1945 306
3. Organic Composition of the Armored Division, 1942-45 320
4. Composition of the "Type" Army and "Type" Corps, 31 July 1942 354
5. Evolution of Corps Headquarters, 1942-45 361
6. Composition of the Third Army, 1 October 1942 366
7. Composition of the Third Army, 10 November 1943 368
Chart
1. The Armored Division, 1 March 1942 and 15 September 1943 330

Organization and Training of New Ground Combat Elements 383
I. New Weapons and Old Principles 387
    The Idea of Balance in AGF Policy 388
    Mobilization Planning in 1942 391
    Tactical Reorganization for Economy and Balance 394
II. Organization for Training 396
    Growth of the Special Establishments 396
    decline of the Special Establishments 408
    Tactical Reorganization for Economy and Balance 411
III. Problems of Weapons and Equipment 418
    The Antiaircraft Question 418
    The Tank Destroyer Question 423
    Tanks, Tank Destroyers, and Antiaircraft Guns as Field Artillery 430
IV. Summary 433
Tables
1. Assignment of Armored Divisions in the Army Ground Forces, 1942-44 398
2. Assignment of Tank Battalions (Other than in Armored Divisions) in the Army Ground Forces, 1942-44 399
3. Assignment of Tank Destroyer Battalions in the Army Ground Forces, 1942-44 400
4. Assignment of Antiaircraft Artillery Battalions in the Army Ground Forces, 1942-44 401
Charts
1. Arms and Quasi Arms in the Army Ground Forces, May 1943 406
2. Arms and Quasi Arms in teh Army Ground Forces, May 1944 407

Reorganizing for Redeployment 435
I. Basic Redeployment Problems 439
    Personnel Readjustment Planning 439
    Redeployment Movements 446
    Equipment 449
    The Redeployment Troop Basis 450
II. Changes in Organization 454
    The AGF "R" Tables 456
    The WD "R" Tables 476
III. AGF Liaison at War Department and ASF Installations 484
    Port Liaison 484
    Liaison at Personnel Centers 487
    Liaison at Hospital and Redistribution Centers 491
    Administration of Liaison Activities 495
IV. The Redeployment of "D" Division 231
Tables
1. Changes in the Division Proposed by AGF Plan 1, 28 February 1945 457
2. Comparison of Changes in the Division Proposed by AGF Plans 1 and 2, 26-28 February 1945 458
3. Comparison of Changes in the Division Proposed by AGF Plans 1, 2, and 3, 26-28 February 1945 459
4. Changes in the Infantry Regiment Proposed by AGF Plan 3, 26 February 1945 465
5. Comparison of "R" Table Infantry Division with Old Division and That Proposed by AGF Plan 3 478
Chart
1. Organization and Equipment of Infantry Division, 1 June 1945 (Proposed T/O&E 7R) 480

Glossary of Abbreviations  
Guide to Footnotes 507
Bibliographical Note 510
Index 519



Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation