The Mortar Platoon
The Volksgrenadier Division of 1944
A Grenadier battalion of a Volksgrenadier division of the 32nd Wave rated a single mortar platoon. More formally known as the ‘4th (medium mortar) platoon’ [4. (mittlerer Granatwerfer) Zug], of the ‘heavy company’ [schwere Kompanie], this unit consisted of three identical squads, each of which employed two 8cm mortars, and a small headquarters.
The organization of the mortar platoon reflected a bias towards the employment of the platoon as a single battery. To that end, the platoon headquarters included two ‘aiming circle sergeants’ [Richtkreisunteroffiziere] and a ‘position sergeant’ [Stellungsunteroffizier]. That said, each squad enjoyed the ability to operate on its own. That is, when augmented with radioman or two, it could find and fire upon targets without the help of the platoon headquarters.
The platoon headquarters consisted of six radiomen, two ‘aiming circle sergeants’, one ‘position sergeant’, a medic, an armorer, and a mounted platoon commander. Of these, the platoon commander was either a second lieutenant [Leutnant] or a senior non-commissioned officer [Feldwebel], the sergeants ranked as junior non-commissioned officers [Unteroffiziere], and the rest belonged to the category of ‘rank-and-file soldiers’ [Mannschaften].
Each squad consisted of a squad leader, two five-man mortar crews, five teamsters, five carts, and six horses.
The table of organization for the mortar platoon made mention of a leader for each mortar crew. When combined with the designation of one of the ten mortar men as the ‘mortar leader’ [Werferführer], that absence suggests that the designers of the unit saw little advantage in splitting a squad into two one-gun teams.
The platoon headquarters lacked a cart of its own. Thus, the two-horse wagon of the first squad carried the tools and repair parts used by the armorer. Likewise, the biggest cart of the third squad toted the drugs and dressings of the medic.
Source: General der Infanterie beim Chef Generalstabs des Heeres, Nr. 3160/ 44g vom 5.9.44, microfilmed at the U.S. National Archives, Captured German Records , Series T-78, Reel 763.
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