This is the second article on the organization of Allied and German units in Drop Zone: Southern France. Part 1 was a discussion of the organization of the Allied and German infantry from squad level moving up to battalion level. Part 2 will focus on regiment and brigade level organization.

Regiment and Brigade

A group of three infantry battalions, along with a HQ, and supporting service support and heavy weapons elements, formed an infantry regiment or brigade. There was only one US Parachute Infantry Regiment (the 517^th PIR) in this campaign, and one British brigade, 2^nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group (IPBG).

US 517^th Parachute Infantry Regiment (Colonel commanding)
            HQ Company, includes Demolition Platoon
            Service Company
            1^st Battalion
                        HHC
                        A Parachute Rifle Company
                        B Parachute Rifle Company
                        C Parachute Rifle Company
            2^nd Battalion
                        HHC
                        D Parachute Rifle Company                                      
                        E Parachute Rifle Company
                        F Parachute Rifle Company
            3^rd Battalion
                        HHC
                        G Parachute Rifle Company
                        H Parachute Rifle Company
                        I Parachute Rifle Company

This structure varied from the standard US Army infantry regiment. In the regular infantry, each battalion had three rifle companies and a weapons company: 1^st Battalion had A, B and C rifle and D weapons companies; 2^nd Battalion was E, F, G, H and 3^rd Battalion I, K, L, M. For example, H Company would be a rifle company in the 3^rd Battalion of a parachute infantry regiment, but H Company would be the weapons company of 2^nd Battalion of a leg infantry regiment.

British 2^nd Parachute Brigade (Brigadier commanding)
            HQ, including a Defence Platoon
            751^st Composite Company, RASC
            Signals Company
            4^th Parachute Battalion
                        A Parachute Company
                        B Parachute Company
                        C Parachute Company
                        Support Company
            5^th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
                        B Parachute Company
                        C Parachute Company
                        D Parachute Company
                        Support Company
            6^th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
                        A Parachute Company
                        B Parachute Company
                        C Parachute Company
                        Support Company

Elements of four German Grenadier regiments fought against the allied airborne in southern France. The 765^th Grenadier Regiment of the 242^nd Division; the 932^nd and 933^rd Grenadier Regiments of the 244^th Division and the 239^th Regiment of the 148^th Division (Reserve). Although none of these regiments was committed in total to this campaign, we will take a look at the structure of the 239^th Grenadier Regiment (Reserve) of the 148^th Grenadier Division (Reserve).

239^th Grenadier Regiment (Colonel/Oberst commanding)
            HQ Company
            Regimental Trains
            327^th (I) Grenadier Battalion
                        1^st Grenadier Company
                        2^nd Grenadier Company
                        3^rd Grenadier Company
                        4^th Heavy Weapons Company
            372^nd (II) Grenadier Battalion
                        5^th Grenadier Company
                        6^th Grenadier Company
                        7^th Grenadier Company
                        8^th Heavy Weapons Company
            444^th (III) Grenadier Battalion
                        9^th Grenadier Company
                        10^th Grenadier Company
                        11^th Grenadier Company
                        12^th Heavy Weapons Company
            13^th Light Artillery Company, armed with 6x 7.5-cm infantry howitzers and
                        2x 1.05-cm infantry howitzers
            14^th Anti-Tank Company, armed with 6x 7.5-cm anti-tank guns

All these infantry regiment/brigade configurations had similar numbers of infantrymen in three infantry battalions. However, the German regiment was larger (at full strength) with far more heavy weapons. The addition of infantry howitzer and anti-tank companies gave the grenadier regiment significantly more heavy firepower than the parachute regiment/brigade.  

*On hand personnel strength reflects the pre-invasion plus-up of US airborne units (up to 105%) and shortfalls in German manning assessed by allied intelligence (down to 80% for the 148^th Division).

Allied and German infantry regiments did not fight as completely independent units. Regiments on both sides were routinely supported by attached combat support units. We will also consider here the British. The 517^th PIR was the core of the semi-permanent 517^th Parachute Regimental Combat Team (PRCT), which also included the 460^th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB) and the 596^th Parachute Engineer Company (PEC). The Regimental Combat Team (RCT) was a fairly flexible task force organization in the US Army by 1944. A leg (non-airborne) infantry regiment was typically assigned a 105-mm howitzer field artillery battalion, a combat engineer company and a company of tanks and/or tank destroyers for a specific mission. The 517^th PRCT was more permanent as it included only elements that could be dropped by parachute. The 517^th PRCT was further reinforced with a number of ad hoc heavy weapons units brought in by glider. These included 6-pounder anti-tank guns and 4.2-inch heavy mortars.  

US 517^th Parachute Regimental Combat Team: 2,680 personnel.
517^th Parachute Infantry Regiment: 1,970 personnel.
            460^th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, 570 men armed with 16x 75-mm pack  
                        howitzers, 24x M2 .50-cal heavy machineguns (HMG), 70x bazookas  
            596^th Parachute Engineer Company, 140 men armed with 3x flamethrowers and
                        5x mine detectors
Glider delivered attachments: about 200 personnel.
            2^nd Platoon, Anti-Tank Company, 442^nd RCT (Nisei), 40 men armed with
                        3x 6-pounder (57-mm) anti-tank guns and 1x .50-cal HMG   
            D Company, 83^rd Chemical Mortar Battalion, 167 men armed with 12x 4.2-inch
                        heavy mortars

The detailed organization of the 460^th PFAB and 596^th PEC will be covered later. The key point here is the firepower added: 16x 75-mm howitzers and 24x .50 cal HMGs. These were the heaviest weapons systems that could be delivered by parachute, anything bigger had to be delivered by glider. The flamethrowers were fearsome weapons, but all three were damaged in the parachute jump and could not be used. The glider units were critical in providing the light regiment some minimal anti-tank capability and substantial firepower from the mortars.

British 2^nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group: 2,600 personnel
2^nd Parachute Brigade: 2,000 personnel.
            64^th Airlanding Light Battery, Royal Artillery, 200 men armed with 8x 75-mm pack
                        howitzers 
            300^th Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery, 250 men armed with
                        17x 6-pounder (57-mm) anti-tank guns
            2^nd Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers, 150 men armed with 3x Portable
                        No. 2 flamethrowers
US attachment: 167 personnel
            D Company, 83^rd Chemical Mortar Battalion, armed with 12x 4.2-inch (107mm)
                        heavy mortars

Detailed organization of British airborne artillery and engineers will follow later. The 2^nd IPBG had the bulk of AT guns in the 1^st ABTF, but was somewhat weak in field artillery. The US mortar company compensated for their shortage in howitzers.

German regiments were routinely supported by a field artillery battalion, an engineer (pioneer) company and an anti-tank platoon from their parent division. The 239^th Grenadier Regiment (Reserve) was supported by the 8^th Field Artillery Battalion of the 8^th Field Artillery Regiment (Reserve), a battery of the 1036^th Anti-Tank Battalion and finally the 148^th Engineer Company of the 8^th Engineer Battalion (Reserve).

German 239^th Grenadier Regiment: authorized 2,800 personnel.
Attachments: about 1,560 personnel.
            661^st Ost Battalion (Russian), 700 men
            8^th Field Artillery Battalion, 550 men armed with 12x 1.05-cm howitzers
            3^rd Battery, 1038^th Anti-Tank Battalion, 130 men armed with 12x 7.5-cm anti-tank guns  
            8^th Engineer Company, 180 men armed with 2x flamethrowers, and SdKfz 303 Goliath
                        Remote-control Tracked Mines

The Germans had a significant superiority in firepower, with more artillery of larger caliber. This was offset somewhat by lack of transport for the guns and ammunition. The plentiful anti-tank guns were mostly used as direct fire support against dug-in infantry. Finally, the German engineers in southern France were equipped with the innovative, if not particularly effective, Goliath mini-tanks. There were four documented Goliath attacks against the 1^st ABTF, but only one fatality suffered.

Here we see how the heavy weapons of the allied airborne measure up against a standard German infantry regiment:

*On hand personnel strength reflects the pre-invasion plus-up of US airborne units (up to 105%) and shortfalls in German manning assessed by allied intelligence (down to 80% for the 148^th Division).

Playtest image of US 517^th PRCT and attached units.

Playtest image of British 2^nd IPBG and attached units.

Playtest image of German 239^th Grenadier Regiment. Only the two battalions that participated in the fight against the allied airborne are in the game. (the 9/444 should be the 7/372 company)

In the next section, we will cover the allied task force and German corps, division and kampfgruppe levels.

---

Previous Article:

Drop Zone: Southern France Organization – Part 1: Infantry Units from Squad to Battalion Level