The decisive influence on the shaping of the organization and tactics of the German infantry before the outbreak of World War II was, on the one hand, the experience of the previous World War, but also theoretical works created in the 1920s and 1930s, which often emphasized the need to perceive the German infantry as a tool waging an offensive war. This affected both the equipment and the organization of the German infantry division, which during the September campaign of 1939 consisted of 3 infantry regiments, each of which was divided into 3 infantry battalions, an artillery company and an anti-tank company. In addition, there were numerous support units, including: an artillery regiment with 4 artillery squadrons (including one heavy), an anti-tank battalion, a sapper battalion and a communications battalion. In total, the so-called infantry division In the first mobilization wave, there were approximately 17,700 people and had a significant artillery component, but also was abundantly equipped with machine guns. It also had modern and efficient - for those times - means of communication and command. In the course of the war, infantry divisions underwent transformation - in 1943 some of them were transformed into armored grenadier divisions. However, from 1943, the standard division of the "traditional" infantry consisted of approx. 12,500 men (and not approx. 17,700 as in 1939), and its artillery component - especially heavy artillery - was also reduced in it, while its anti-tank defense was significantly improved. It is assumed that during the entire Second World War, about 350 infantry divisions served in the Wehrmacht.
During World War II (1939-1945), the German army tried to attach the greatest possible role to providing medical care to its wounded soldiers, continuing in some way the traditions of the Great War. For example, in a German infantry division there were two medical companies (sometimes motorized), two ambulance platoons (motorized) and one field hospital. The motorized infantry division had the same medical services as that of the infantry division, but the number of ambulance platoons was increased to three. Interestingly, the armored division had 2 medical companies and 3 ambulance platoons - they were fully motorized and most often used armored vehicles. In the event of a more serious wound, a German soldier was evacuated to, for example, a battalion medical care point (German: Verwundetennetz), the so-called ambulance station (German Wagenhatleplatz), field medical care point (German Hauptverbandplatz) or division field hospital (German Feldlazaret). It is worth adding that while in Verwundetennetz, first of all, more advanced first aid was performed, in Hauptverbandplatz it was possible to perform more advanced surgeries or blood transfusions. In the case of seriously injured people, efforts were made to stabilize them before they were taken to Feldlazaret. It is also worth adding that every soldier of the German armed forces had a personal dressing.
