ISBN 1-874622-95-7
243 pages

Publishers' note and acknowledgements; Introduction; Background; tables; charts; diagrams; organigrams; TOEs; Bibliography

Appendices: US Army Ranks; US Army Unit Symbols; US Army Abbreviations; Examples of casualties and replacements in an infantry regiment; Organization of the 5th Infantry Division; Command Roster of the 5th Infantry Division; Command Roster of the 11th Infantry Regiment

   Yves Bellanger tells us in his Introduction that some years ago he was unable to find any books that contained detailed TOE data for American units in World War II, to which we say "Thank goodness!" because he goes on to explain that was the motivating factor behind writing his very nice new book.
   Helion & Company, relatively new to the publishing business, has been making quite a splash lately, and US Army Infantry Divisions is another big winner for them. Bellanger's book is the best to come down the pike on this subject in a long time, and certainly the most extensive compilation of American TOE data of which we're aware.
   Assembled mostly from Department of the Army publications, the book is divided into nine chapters:

• Infantry Division, Division Headquarters, Headquarters Company, Reconnaissance Troop
• Infantry Regiment
• Infantry Battalion
• Infantry Doctrine
• Division Artillery, Motorized
• Engineer Combat Battalion
• Special Troops, Infantry Division
• Medical Battalion, Infantry Division
• Equipment

   Each chapter is sub-divided into multiple sections. Here's what's covered in the chapter on infantry regiments:

• Regimental Headquarters
• Regimental Headquarters Company
• Service Company, Infantry Regiment
• Infantry Cannon Company
• Infantry Anti-Tank Company
• Medical Detachment, Infantry Regiment
• Command Post, Infantry Regiment
• Train Bivouac, Infantry Regiment

   For each of these parts, Bellanger provides TOE data as a list and as an organigram. In most cases, he also writes several paragraphs of explanatory text. As an example, here's one of the shorter sections:

*3 - INTELLIGENCE & RECONNAISSANCE PLATOON (1 Officer, 24 Enlisted Men)

*3-1 - Platoon Headquarters
   1 1st Lt, Platoon Commander-C
   1 S Sgt, Platoon-C; became Tech Sgt, Platoon Intelligence (table of 26 February 1944)
   1 Techn 5th, Draftsman, topographic-R
   1 Pvt, Light truck driver-R
   1 Techn 5th, Radio operator-R
   2 Pvts, Scout, observer, Intelligence-R

The platoon sergeant (Tech Sgt), the topographic draftsman (T/5) and both scouts (privates) assigned to the reconnaissance platoon headquarters were attached to the S-2 section of the regimental headquarters (see section 2.7, Command Post, Infantry Regiment).

Weapons:
   1 MG, HB, M2, caliber .50, flexible

Vehicles:
   1 Truck, 1/4-ton

Equipment:
   4 luminous dial compasses, with case (Off, S Sgt, scout)
   2 wrist compasses, liquid-filled (driver, Radio operator)
   1 transparent map template, M2 (Off)
   2 binoculars, M1 3 (Off, S Sgt)
   1 grenade launcher, M7 (driver)
   1 truck mount, pedestal, M31 per MG, caliber .50 GA-ton truck)
   1 wristwatch, 15 jewels (Off)
   2 whistles, thunderer (Off, S Sgt)
   1 tool equipment, TE-33 (Radio operator)
   1 lineman's equipment TE-21 (lineman)
   2 radio sets SCR-300-( ) (replaced SCR-511, 26 February 1944)
   4 flashlights, TL-122-( ) (Off, S Sgt, driver, Rad opr)

*3-2 Reconnaissance Squad (x 2)
   1 Sgt, Squad Leader-R
   1 Cpl, Squad Leader assistant-R
   2 Techns 5th, Light truck driver-R
   1 Pvt, Light truck driver-R
   1 Techn 4th, Radio operator-R
   3 Pvts, Scout, observer, intelligence-R

Vehicles:
   3 Trucks, 1/4-ton

Equipment:
   1 lineman's equipment TE-21 (lineman)
   1 radio set SCR-300 (replaced SCR-511, 26 February 1944)
   1 tool equipment, TE-33 (Radio operator)
   2 wrist compasses, liquid-filled (1 per driver, Radio operator)
   5 luminous dial compasses, with case (1 per Sgt, Cpl, Scout)
   2 binoculars, M1 3
   1 wristwatch, 7 jewels (Radio operator)

The composition of the headquarters company was little altered between 15 July 1943 and 1 June 1945. At this date, the table was renamed T/O&E 7-12-OS.

   The chapters include page after page of this kind of material, detailing the organization of every component of an infantry division—including chaplains (with assistants) and the band (five tubas, among other instruments)—with text and charts. Lists of equipment go so far as to include items such as t-squares and plastic triangles for drafting, flashlights, typewriters, and clipboards. The section on clothing and personal gear issued to enlisted men runs two pages and in addition to items such as helmet, boots, and sleeping bag delves into fork, spoon, shaving brush, tooth brush, comb, and razor.
   Lest that sort of personal hygiene make it sound like this is all frivolous information, rest assured that Bellanger pays equally close attention to vehicles, weapons, and assorted fighting equipment. Nor is doctrine ignored. Complementing an entire chapter on infantry doctrine, most of the components of the division have lengthy explanations of how they operated. Here's part of the material covering "cavalry reconnaissance troop, mechanized."

   The reconnaissance units, committed to any type of mission, had to give at all times a complete report concerning the terrain over which the unit operated, and on contacts with the enemy situated either between the unit and hostile forces, or between adjacent friendly forces and hostile forces.

Reports on terrain included:

   roads and bridges, their types and condition and load limit
   location of possible landing fields
   location and the condition of communication systems, both military and commercial
   location of contaminated areas
   location and type of supplies, both civil and military, particularly gas, oil, and subsistence
   location of high ground and the routes thereto
   location of railroads, spurs, switches, crossings, turntable, repair shops, and rolling stock
   location of streams, including information on depth, width, and current, and possibilities of crossing them by means of available boats and rafts

Reports on contacts with the enemy had to cover the following information:

   emplacement, time, and direction of movement of the first enemy contact
   information on the movements, contacts and observations which had been gathered since the last visit to friendly troops, and which could not be sent for lack of means of communication
   movements of friendly troops that were cut off from their own headquarters
   information on enemy movements, transports, vehicles, troops was to be gleaned from the local population
   location, type and the direction of movement of enemy planes should they appear
   each message concerning hostile troops had to answer the following questions: What were they? Where were they? What time were they observed?

Reconnaissance units were to avoid battle unless it was necessary for the success of their mission. Their mission was observing and reporting. Time spent fighting the enemy was lost time. In a zone patrolled by the enemy, the reconnaissance unit was to stay at a sufficient distance to reduce the effect of hostile fire. However, the unit was always to be ready for action, and was to have its weapons loaded and available.

Once hostile forces were discovered, they were to be kept under surveillance until they entered battle. A reconnaissance unit was to maintain a constant liaison with units on its left and on its right. It had to know where they were and what they were doing. This prevented gaps in reconnaissance screens to appear through which hostile patrols could infiltrate.

Before starting a reconnaissance mission, a unit had to know:

   the situation of its own forces
   the situation of the enemy
   its mission and the mission of the higher formation of which it was part
   the zone in which it was to operate
   the adjacent friendly forces and the direction of their movement
   the contacts that it planned to make with its own forces
   its axis of movement
   how long it would be away from a supply base
   the initial location of the command post, the axis of movement of the commander of the unit and his command post

The section commander of a reconnaissance section was to know the axis of movement and the initial command posts of his platoon commander, troop commander and division commander. Before starting a mission, the unit destroyed its reconnaissance notes, its orders and annotated maps. A reconnaissance unit was trained to perform any mission at any moment.

When the reconnaissance unit met resistance, it took cover. When the vehicles and their crews were under cover, the reconnaissance was to discover the size, strength, and disposition of the enemy that had opened fire on the unit. It was necessary to detect types of weapons used, presence, and if so caliber, of machine guns, and type of artillery support. It was also tasked with discovering the enemy unit's branch of service and exact identification (division, regiment, company). As soon as possible this information was to be sent to the rear.

If resistance became stronger, or its patrols more aggressive, the reconnaissance unit could enter combat. The enemy would be engaged for two main reasons, either to force him to reveal his dispositions, or to break the enemy security screen and thus to continue the reconnaissance more deeply into his territory. The support elements, infantry, armor, artillery, were committed quickly, and would be attached to a designated commander or to the commander of the reconnaissance unit.

If the hostile position was too strong, the reconnaissance unit was to be prepared to break combat and to withdraw, leaving one or two patrols for observation purposes. The enemy would be obliged to fight, revealing his positions and strength. These actions were aimed at permitting the reconnaissance unit to provide the information requested on the enemy force.

In the presence of the enemy reconnaissance was done on foot. Vehicular reconnaissance was necessary when reconnoitring farther distances, although little information could be gleaned by remaining in the vehicles.

The reconnaissance unit of the infantry division was called a reconnaissance troop up to 6 July 1944 (C2 to T/O&E dated 15 July 43), on which date it was redesignated a cavalry reconnaissance troop.

   Readers familiar with British and Commonwealth Armies, 1939-43 by Mark Bevis, also from Helion, will find much that is similar in the two books. However, while Bevis looks at "real" TOEs of specific British units as they actually existed on selected dates, Bellanger's material is far more generic and theoretical because it looks at authorized TOEs. (Bellanger's appendices add to the theoretical TOEs with actual organizational data and command rosters for 5th Infantry Division during 1943-1945.) Bellanger's book also differs because it provides substantially more—some might say an awesome amount—of information on exact numbers of men and all their equipment and various personal gear.
   Helion reports that volume two of US Army Infantry Divisions will cover OB data with army and corps assignments and lists of commanders for all American infantry divisions, and that sounds like an excellent companion to this volume. Meanwhile, we can highly recommend this data-heavy book, especially to wargamers, reenactors, and anyone else intrigued by exceedingly detailed TOE information. Given what Bellanger has accomplished, no one should be able to complain ever again about a dearth of books on the exact organization US infantry divisions!
   Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Helion or its US distributor, Casemate.
   Thanks to Casemate for providing this review copy.