''Abteilung'' (; abbrv. ''Abt.'') is a German word that is often used for

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

military formations and depending on its usage could mean detachment,

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

; it can also refer to a

military division A division is a large military unit or formation, usually consisting of between 6,000 and 25,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades; in turn, several divisions typically make up a corps. Historic ...

. In German, it is used both for military and civilian departments (as in "office department"). In the military of the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and the Wehrmacht (during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

), the term ''Abteilung'' was generally a

equivalent in the

armoured Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

and

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

arms of the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

and

Waffen-SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...

. For example, ''Schwere Panzerabteilung'' refers to

German heavy tank battalion A German heavy tank battalion (german: "schwere Panzerabteilung", short: "s PzAbt") was a battalion-sized World War II tank unit of the German Army (1935–1945), equipped with Tiger I, and later Tiger II, heavy tanks. Originally intended to fi ...

s. However, when the term was used for large military formations, it generally meant "detachment". For example, '' Armee-Abteilung'' translates to "army detachment" and ''

Korpsabteilung {{no footnotes, date=March 2013 A Korpsabteilung (engl. Corps Detachment) was a division size infantry formation established by the German Wehrmacht during World War II. History During summer and autumn 1943, Wehrmacht suffered heavy losses in men ...

'' to "corps detachment".Walter Dunn, ''Kursk: Hitler's Gamble, 1943'', 1997, p. 61. The German term ''Abteilung'' is used in the same sense as the Russian term ''divizion'' (''дивизион'') or the Polish term ''dywizjon.''

Abteilung in the East German military

Both terms are used most often for artillery battalion (field, air defence, coastal) or a flotilla of ships and this was also used in the

Nationale Volksarmee The National People's Army (german: Nationale Volksarmee, ; NVA ) were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. The NVA was organized into four branches: the (Ground Forces), the (Navy), the (Air Force) an ...

(East Germany's military).

Ground Forces

Examples of the various types of ''Abteilungen'' in the East German ground forces are found in the ''11. Motorisierte Schützendivision'' (11th Motor Rifle Division) and the ''7. Panderdivision'' (7th Tank Division). The ''11. Motorisierte Schützendivision'' (based in Halle/Saale) consisted of the 16th, 17th and 18th Motor Rifle Regiments, the 11th Tank Regiment, the 11th Artillery Regiment and various combat and service support units. Each MRR had an organic ''Artillerieabteilung'', designated by its mother-regiment, like the ''Artillerieabteilung/MSR-16'' (the field artillery battalion of the 16th MRR). Each ''Artillerieabteilung'' of an MRR consisted of 3 artillery batteries (in this example the ''1., 2.'' and the ''3. Artilleriebatterie/AA/MSR-16'' (1st, 2nd and 3rd Artillery Battery) of 6

2S1 Gvozdika The 2S1 ''Gvozdika'' (russian: link=no, 2С1 «Гвоздика», "Carnation") is a Soviet self-propelled howitzer based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose chassis, mounting a 122 mm 2A18 howitzer. "2S1" is its GRAU designation. An alternative Rus ...

self-propelled howitzers each, although in some cases the 3rd Battery could be downgraded to a wartime mobilization unit. The ''Artillerieregiment 11 „Wilhelm Koenen“'' based in Wolfen consisted of the ''I.'' and the ''II. Artillerieabteilung/AR-11'' of 3 artillery batteries (2 active, 1 wartime mobilization) of 6 D-30 towed howitzers each and the III. Artillerieabteilung/AR-11 of 3 artillery batteries (all active) of 6 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers each. The division also had a ballistic missile, a multiple rocket launch and an anti-tank ''Abteilungen''. The ''Raketenabteilung 11 „Magnus Poser“'' (ballistic missile battalion) based in Tautenhain included the ''1.'' and the ''2. Raketenbatterie/RA-11'' of two 2K6 Luna (NATO reporting name FROG) ballistic missile launch vehicles each. The ''Geschosswerferabteilung 11 „Hermann Falke“'' (MRLS battalion) based in Wolfen included the ''1., 2.'' and ''3. Geschosswerferbatterie/GeWA-11'' of 6

RM-70 multiple rocket launcher The RM-70 (''Raketomet vzor 1970'') multiple rocket launcher is a Czechoslovak Army version and heavier variant of the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, providing enhanced performance over its parent area-saturation rocket artillery system th ...

vehicles each. The ''Panzerjägerabteilung 11 „Hermann Vogt“'' (

ATGM An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder ...

battalion) based in Halle included the ''1.'' ''Panzerjägerbatterie/PJA-11'' of 9 ATGM Konkurs launchers and the ''2.'' and ''3. Panzerjägerbatterie/PJA-11'' (1./PJA-11) of 6

MT-12 MT-12 or 2A29 is a Soviet smoothbore 100-mm anti-tank gun, which served as the primary towed anti-tank artillery in the Soviet army from the early 1970s to the late 1980s. It is in significant use in the Russo-Ukrainian War (2014-present). H ...

anti-tank guns each. The ''7. Panzerdivision'' (based in Dresden) consisted of the 14th, 15th and 16th Tank Regiments, the 7th Motor Rifle Regiment, the 7th Artillery Regiment and various combat and service support units. The tank regiments did not have organic field artillery. The motor rifle regiment had the ''Artillerieabteilung / MSR-7'' (artillery battalion of 7th MRR), consisting of the ''1., 2.'' and the ''3. Artilleriebatterie/AA/MSR-7'' of 6 2S1 howitzers each. At division level the 7th Artillery Regiment consisted of the ''I., II.'' and the ''III. Artillerieabteilung/AR-7'' also of 3 artillery batteries of 6 2S1 howitzers each, with a fourth 2S1 ''Abteilung'' - the ''IV. Artillerieabteilung/AR-7'' to mobilize in wartime. The ''V. Artillerieabteilung/AR-7'' was also active in peacetime with 3 artillery batteries of 6 2S3 each. Also part of the division were the separate ''Raketenabteilung 7'' ''„Alfred Kurella“'' (7th Ballistic Missile Battalion) based in Zeithain and including the ''1.'' and the ''2. Raketenbatterie/RA-7 (1./RA-7)'' of 2

OTR-21 Tochka OTR-21 ''Tochka'' (russian: оперативно-тактический ракетный комплекс (ОТР) «Точка» ("point"); en, Tactical Operational Missile Complex "Tochka") is a Soviet tactical ballistic missile. Its GRAU desi ...

missile launch vehicles each and the ''Geschosswerferabteilung 7 „Ernst Schneller“'' (7th Multiple Rocket Launcher Battalion) in Frankenberg/Saale, consisting of the ''1., 2.'' and the ''3. Geschosswerferbatterie/GeWA-7'' (MLRS batteries) of 6

RM-70 The RM-70 (''Raketomet vzor 1970'') multiple rocket launcher is a Czechoslovak Army version and heavier variant of the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, providing enhanced performance over its parent area-saturation rocket artillery system th ...

each. Each East German army division also had two separate medical battalions (sing. ''Selbständige Medizinische Abteilung'') mobilized in wartime. At the district level the two military districts ''Militärbezirk III'' and ''Militärbezirk V'' each had various artillery units. Each MD had a complex artillery reconnaissance ''Abteilung'' - the ''Artillerieaufklärungsabteilung-3'' and the ''Artillerieaufklärungsabteilung-5'' of one optical reconnaissance, one radar measurement, one radio measurement and one meteorological observation battery, both ''Abteilungen'' to expand into regiments in wartime. Each MD also had a ''Geschosswerferabteilung'' (MRL battalion) and a ''Panzerjägerabteilung'' (AT battalion) also to expand into regiments in wartime. An artillery regiment of several Artillerieabteilungen under each MD was to expand into an artillery brigade in wartime. Each military district also had a ballistic missile brigade as the case with the ''Militärbezirk V'''s ''5. Raketenbrigade'' ''„Bruno Leuschner“'' based in Demen. The 5. RBr included the ''I.'' and the ''II. Raketenabteilung/5. RBr'' (I. RA/5. RBr) with two launch batteries of 2 R-300 ballistic missile launchers (NATO reporting name Scud) each and the ''III. Raketenabteilung/5. RBr'' (III. RA/5. RBr) with two launch batteries of 2 R-400 Oka (NATO reporting name Spider) each. Each military district also had an air defence missile regiment like the 3rd MD's ''Fliegerabwehrraketenregiment 3 „Kurt Kresse“'' based in Hohenmölsen. The regiment included the ''I.'' and the ''II. Fliegerabwehrraketenabteilung/FRR-3'' with 5 air defence missile batteries of 4 2K11 Krug missile launchers between the two ''Abteilungen''. The divisions also had their own air defence missile regiments, but they did not have ''Abteilungen'', instead they consisted of directly reporting air defence missile batteries.

Air Force

The East German Air Force and Air Defence also had ''Fliegerabwehrraketenregimenter'' (air defence missile regiments) consisting of air defence missile ''Abteilungen''.

Navy

In the East German People's Navy the ''Küstenraketenregiment 18 „Waldemar Verner“'' (18th Coastal Missile Regiment) based in Rövershagen had a peacetime composition of the ''I.'' and the ''II. Küstenraketenabteilung'' (coastal missile battalions) and the ''1. Fliegerabwehrbatterie'' (air defence artillery battery), adding the ''III. Küstenraketenabteilung'' and the 2''. Fliegerabwehrbatterie'' in wartime. Each ''Küstenraketenabteilung'' had 2 ''Startbatterien'' (launch batteries) of two 4K51 Rubezh (NATO codename SSC-3 Styx) missile launch vehicles each. In the fleet of the ''

Volksmarine The ''Volksmarine'' (VM, ; en, People's Navy) was the naval force of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. The ''Volksmarine'' was one of the service branches of the National People's Army and primarily performed a coastal d ...

'' a ''Flottille'' - the equivalent of an army division consisted of brigades of ships, which were made up of ''Abteilungen'' of ship. For example the ''4. Sicherungsbrigade'' (4th Security oastal DefenceBrigade) of the ''4. Flottille'', based in the Hohe Düne Naval Station in Rostock - Warnemünde consisted of the ''2.'' and ''4.'' ''Küstenschutzschiffsabteilungen'' of 4 Parchim-class corvettes each and the ''2.'' and ''4. Minenabwehrschiffsabteilung'' of 6 Kondor-II class minesweepers each''.'' The landing ships of the ''1. Flottille'' were grouped into the ''1. Landungsschiffsbrigade'' (1st Landing Ships Brigade), based at Peenemünde Naval Station and consisting of the ''1.'' and ''3. Landungsschiffsabteilung'' of 6 Frosch-I landing ships each.

Abteilung in the Bundeswehr

The

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

did not reintroduce the ''Abteilung'' term for field and naval formations, using it only to denote staff, research and education departments. The artillery uses the term ''Bataillon'' (battalion) and the navy uses ''Gruppe'' (group) for groupings of small ships of fast attack craft or landing boat size.

Citations