Adivision is a largemilitary unit orformation, usually consisting of between 10,000 and 50,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of severalregiments orbrigades; in turn, several divisions typically make up acorps.
Historically, the division has been the defaultcombined arms unit capable of independentoperations. Smaller combined arms units, such as the Americanregimental combat team (RCT) during World War II, were used when conditions favored them. In recent times, modern Western militaries have begun adopting the smallerbrigade combat team (similar to the RCT) as the default combined arms unit, with the division to which they belong being less important.
A similar word,divizion/divizijun/dywizjon, is also used inSlavic languages (such as Russian, Serbo-Croatian, and Polish) for abattalion-size artillery or cavalry unit. In naval usage "division" has a completely different range of meanings. Aboard ships of British Royal Navy tradition, the terms "division" or "department" are often used interchangeably and refer to the administrative organization used to manage personnel. Aboard US Navy ships (includingUS Coast Guard vessels), in shore commands and in US naval aviation units (including US navy, marine corps, and coastguard aviation) it refers to an administrative/functional sub-unit of a department (e.g., fire control division of the weapons department). Alternatively it refers to a sub-unit of several ships within aflotilla orsquadron, or to two or three sections of aircraft operating under a designated division leader.
In 1577, theDevon Trained Bands of England were divided into three divisions, each with two colonels and six captains.[2] Among Western military theorists, one of the first to think of organizing an army into smaller combined-arms units wasMaurice de Saxe (d. 1750),Marshal General of France, in his bookMes Rêveries. He died at the age of 54, without having implemented his idea.Victor-François de Broglie put the ideas into practice. He conducted successful practical experiments of the divisional system in theSeven Years' War.
The first war in which the divisional system was used systematically was theFrench Revolutionary War.Lazare Carnot of theCommittee of Public Safety, who was in charge of military affairs, came to the same conclusion about it as the previous royal government, and the army was organised into divisions.
It made the armies more flexible and easy to maneuver, and it also made the largeFrench Revolutionary Army manageable. UnderNapoleon, the divisions were grouped together intocorps, because of their increasing size. Napoleon's military success spread the divisional and corps system all over Europe; by the end of theNapoleonic Wars, all armies in Europe had adopted it.
The composition of divisions varied significantly during the two world wars and, in addition, there was no uniformity of quality, even when divisions had the same composition.
The size of infantry divisions deployed by the major belligerents at start of the Great War ranged from about 26,000 in the French[3] and Russian armies to 27,500 in the German imperial army[4] and about 28,000 in Austro-Hungarian[5] and British armies.[6]
As World War I went on, the size of divisions decreased significantly from those of 1914, with both British and Germans reducing the number of divisions' sub-units.[7] But, while the number of soldiers was lower, by 1917, divisions were much better armed.[8]
On the other hand, in 1917, the American infantry divisions that arrived in France numbered 28,061 officers and men, of which 17,666 were riflemen.[9][10]
The divisional system reached its numerical height during theSecond World War. Beside the infantry and cavalry divisions created since Napoleonic era, new division types appeared during the Second World War, such as airborne, tank, mechanized, motorized.
The Soviet Union'sRed Army consisted of more than a thousand division-sized units at any one time, and the number of rifle divisions raised during theGreat Patriotic War of 1941–1945 is estimated byDavid M. Glantz as 482.[11]Nazi Germany had hundreds of numbered or named divisions, while the United States employed up to 91 divisions.
A notable change to divisional structures during the war was completion of the shift fromsquare divisions (composed of two brigades each with two regiments) totriangular divisions (composed of three regiments with no brigade level) that many European armies had started using inWorld War I.[12] This was done to increase flexibility and to pare down chain-of-command overhead. The triangular division structure allowed the tactic of "two forward, one back", where two of the division's regiments could engage the enemy with one regiment in reserve.
All divisions in World War II were expected to have their own artillery formations, usually (depending upon the nation) the size of a regiment. Divisional artillery was occasionally seconded by corps-level command to increase firepower in larger engagements.
During the war the US also usedregimental combat teams, whereby attached and/or organic divisional units were parceled out to infantry regiments, creating smaller combined-arms units with their own armor and artillery and support units. These combat teams would still be under divisional command but had some level of autonomy on the battlefield.
Organic units within divisions were units which operated directly under divisional command and were not normally controlled by the regiments. These units were mainly support units in nature, and included signal companies, medical battalions, supply trains and administration.[13]
Attached units were smaller units that were placed under divisional command temporarily for the purpose of completing a particular mission. These units were usually combat units such as tank battalions, tank-destroyer battalions or cavalry-reconnaissance squadrons.
In modern times, most military forces have standardized their divisional structures. This does not mean that divisions are equal in size or structure from country to country, but divisions have, in most cases, come to be units of 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers with enough organic support to be capable of independent operations. Usually, the direct organization of the division consists of one to fourbrigades orbattle groups of its primary combat arm, along with a brigade or regiment of combat support (usuallyartillery) and a number of direct-reportingbattalions for necessary specialized support tasks, such asintelligence,logistics,reconnaissance, andcombat engineers. Most militaries standardize ideal organization strength for each type of division, encapsulated in aTable of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) which specifies exact assignments of units, personnel, and equipment for a division.
The modern division became the primary identifiable combat unit in many militaries during the second half of the 20th century, supplanting thebrigade; however, the trend started to reverse since the end of theCold War. The peak use of the division as the primary combat unit occurred duringWorld War II, when the belligerents deployed over a thousand divisions. With technological advances since then, the combat power of each division has increased.
Divisions are often formed to organize units of a particular type together with appropriate support units to allow independent operations. In more recent times, divisions have mainly been organized ascombined arms units withsubordinate units representing various combat arms. In this case, the division often retains the name of a more specialized division, and may still be tasked with a primary role suited to that specialization.
An "infantry division" is a military formation composed primarily ofinfantryunits, also supported by units from othercombat arms. In theSoviet Union and Russia, an infantry division is often referred to as a "rifle division". A "motorised infantry" division is a division with a majority of infantry subunits transported onsoft-skinned motor vehicles. A "mechanized infantry" division is a division with a majority of infantry subunits transported onarmored personnel carriers (APCs) orinfantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) or both, or even some other class ofarmored fighting vehicles designed for the transportation of infantry. Mechanized infantry divisions in Nazi Germany were called "Panzergrenadier divisions". In Russia, they were known as "motor rifle divisions".
Because of the ease and simplicity involved in forming divisions of infantry compared to other formations, infantry divisions have often been the most numerous in historical warfare. MostUS divisions during World War II were infantry divisions.
Infantry divisions were also expected to travel by foot from place to place, with transport vehicles or pack horses used to augment their travel. Divisions evolved over the course of time. For instance, in 1944, Nazi Germany designated some of their infantry formations asVolksgrenadier divisions, which were slightly smaller than the regular divisions, with wider issue of sub-machine guns, automatic and anti-tank weapons to reflect the reality that they were to be used in defensive warfare. In 1945, Nazi Germany seconded members of theKriegsmarine to create "naval divisions", which were of lower quality than the infantry divisions of theHeer. They also created "Luftwaffe field divisions" from members of theLuftwaffe.
Infantry divisions were sometimes given the responsibility ofgarrison work. These were named "frontier guard divisions", "static infantry divisions" and "fortress divisions", and were used often by Nazi Germany. The Soviet Union organised Machine-Gun Artillery Divisions of artillery, multiple rocket launchers, and static gun positions for use East of the Urals. A 1997 report said they were generally composed of four brigades, though later data suggests this was inaccurate.[14]
For most nations,cavalry was deployed in smaller units and was not therefore organized into divisions, but for larger militaries, such as that of theBritish Empire, United States,First French Empire, France,German Empire,Nazi Germany,Russian Empire,Empire of Japan,Second Polish Republic andSoviet Union, a number of cavalry divisions were formed. They were most often similar to the nations' infantry divisions in structure, although they usually had fewer and lighter support elements, with cavalry brigades or regiments replacing the infantry units, and supporting units, such as artillery and supply, being horse-drawn. For the most part, large cavalry units did not remain afterWorld War II.
While horse cavalry had been found to be obsolete, the concept of cavalry as a fast force capable of missions traditionally fulfilled by horse cavalry made a return to military thinking during the Cold War. In general, two new types of cavalry were developed:air cavalry or airmobile, relying on helicopter mobility, andarmored cavalry, based on an autonomous armored formation. The former was pioneered by the11th Air Assault Division (Test), formed on 1 February 1963 atFort Benning, Georgia. On 29 June 1965, the division was renamed the1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), before its departure for theVietnam War.
After the end of the Vietnam War, the1st Cavalry Division was reorganised and re-equipped with tanks and armored scout vehicles to form armored cavalry.
The concept of a fast-moving, armored reconnaissance force has remained in modern armies, but these units are now smaller and make up a combined arms force used in modern brigades and divisions, and are no longer granted divisional status.
"Light divisions" were German horse cavalry divisions organized early in World War II which included motorized units.
The development of thetank duringWorld War I prompted some nations to experiment with forming them into division-size units. Many did this the same way as they did cavalry divisions, by merely replacing cavalry withAFVs (including tanks) and motorizing the supporting units. This proved unwieldy in combat, as the units had many tanks but few infantry units. Instead, a more balanced approach was taken by adjusting the number of tank, infantry, artillery, and support units.
The terms "tank division" or "mechanized division" are alternative names for armored divisions. A "Panzer division" was an armoured division of theWehrmacht and theWaffen-SS of Germany duringWorld War II.
Since the end of the war, most armoured and infantry divisions have had significant numbers of both tank and infantry units within them. The difference has usually been in the mix of battalions assigned. Additionally, in some militaries, armoured divisions are equipped with more advanced or powerful tanks than other divisions.
An airborne division is an infantry division given special training and equipment for arrival on the battlefield by air (typically via parachute or glider-borne).
The US, Britain, and Germany experimented during World War II with specialized light infantry divisions capable of being quickly transported by transport aircraft or dropped into an area by parachute or glider. This required both high-quality equipment and training, creating elite units in the process and usually crewed by volunteers rather than conscripts.
TheSoviet Union developed the concept of the specialized "artillery division" during theEastern Front of theSecond World War in 1942, although plans were in place since the later stages of theRussian Civil War. An artillery division serves as a specialized division using only artillery howitzers, anti-tank guns, rocket artillery (MRLs and tactical missiles) and mortars (both towed and self-propelled) (and historically siege artillery) and are usually tasked with providing concentrated firepower support to higher combined arms formations. They are mainly combat support formations most performing operations in support of the infantry and armor.
Nazi Germany organized Security divisions to operate in captured territory to provide rear-echelon security againstpartisans and maintain order among civilians. Structured like an infantry division, a security division was more likely to contain lower quality troops and was not intended to serve directly at the front. SS units of this type were called "SSPolizei divisions".
The Soviet Union's People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (theNKVD) organized security divisions (seeCategory:Divisions of the NKVD in World War II). In a few cases, NKVD divisions were employed in front-line combat as rifle divisions.[15]
Divisions are commonly designated by combining anordinal number and a type name (e.g.: "13th Infantry Division"). Nicknames are often assigned or adopted, although these often are not considered an official part of the unit'snomenclature, with divisions of theItalian Army being one of the exceptions. In some cases, divisional titles lack an ordinal number, often in the case of unique units or units serving as elite or special troops. For clarity in histories and reports, the nation is identified before the number. This also helps in historical studies, but due to the nature of intelligence on the battlefield, division names and assignments are at times obscured. However, the size of the division rarely makes such obfuscation necessary.
In the years leading up to the end of the cold war and beyond, the type names of various divisions became less important. The majority of US Infantry divisions were now mechanized and had significant numbers of tanks and IFVs, becoming de facto armored divisions. US armored divisions had more tanks but less infantry than these infantry divisions. Moreover, the solecavalry division was structured the same way as an armored division.
With the introduction of modular brigade combat teams (BCT) in modern divisions, the nomenclature type is even less important, since a division can now be made of up any combination of light infantry, Stryker and armored BCTs. For example, the US 1st Infantry Division currentlyconsists of two armored BCTs along with support troops, with no light infantry units at all. By contrast, the current 1st Armored Divisionconsists of two armored BCTs and a Stryker BCT along with its support troops.
Nevertheless, some US division types will retain their mission: The82nd and11th airborne divisions have airborne infantry BCTs, while the10th Mountain Division has only light infantry BCTs.
Historically, theAustralian Army has fielded a number of divisions. During World War I, a total of six infantry divisions were raised as part of the all-volunteerAustralian Imperial Force:1st,2nd,3rd,4th,5th and6th. The 1st Division and part of the 2nd saw service during theGallipoli Campaign in 1915 before later taking part in the fighting on theWestern Front between 1916 and 1918 along with the 3rd, 4th and 5th.[16] The 6th Division existed only briefly in 1917, but was disbanded without seeing combat to make up for manpower shortages in the other divisions.[17] Another infantry division, known as theNew Zealand and Australian Division, was also formed from Australian and New Zealand troops and saw service at Gallipoli.[18] Two divisions ofAustralian Light Horse were also formed – theAustralian Mounted Division (which also included some British and French units) and theANZAC Mounted Division – both of which served in theSinai and Palestine Campaign during the war.[19]
Members of the Australian 6th Division atTobruk, 22 January 1941
In the inter-war years, on paper the Australian Army was organised into seven divisions: five infantry (1st through to 5th) and two cavalry, albeit on a reduced manning scale.[20] During World War II, the size of Australia's force was expanded to eventually include 12 infantry divisions: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th,7th,8th,9th,10th,11th and12th. Of these, four – the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th – were raised as part of the all-volunteerSecond Australian Imperial Force, while the others formed part of theMilitia, and were maintained through a mixture of volunteers andconscripts. In addition to the infantry divisions, three armoured divisions were formed:1st,2nd and3rd. The Australian divisions were used in various campaigns, ranging fromNorth Africa,Greece,Syria and Lebanon, to theSouth West Pacific.[21]
The Australian army currently has two divisions. The 1st Division is a skeleton organisation that acts as a deployable force headquarters, while the 2nd is a Reserve formation.[22][23]
Headquarters of 11th Infantry Division of Bangladesh Army nearBogra
The9th Infantry Division was raised on 20 November 1975 inDhaka as the first division of theBangladesh Army. Currently, Bangladesh Army hasten infantry divisions under its command. Each infantry division consists of one artillery brigade, 3 or 4 infantry brigades/regiments. In addition, few divisions have one armored brigade each. The active infantry divisions are:
The other military forces of the Brazilian Army are subordinated directly to the area military commands, not having a commanding division. In this case, the employment of these troops is coordinated by the operations coordinating center of the area military commands.
Canada had nominal divisions on paper between the wars, overseeing the Militia (part-time reserve forces), but no active duty divisions. On 1 September 1939, two divisions were raised as part of the Canadian Active Service Force; a Third Division was raised in 1940, followed by a First Canadian (Armoured) Division and Fourth Canadian Division. The First Armoured was renamed the Fifth Canadian (Armoured) Division and the Fourth Division also became an armoured formation. The 1st and 5th Divisions fought in theMediterranean between 1943 and early 1945; the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Divisions served inNorthwest Europe. A Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Division were raised for service in Canada, with one brigade of the Sixth Division going toKiska in 1943. By 1945, the latter three divisions were disbanded as the threat to North America diminished. A Third Canadian Division (Canadian Army Occupation Force) was raised in 1945 foroccupation duty in Germany, organized parallel to the combatant Third Division, and a Sixth Canadian Division (Canadian Army Pacific Force) was undergoing formation and training for theinvasion of Japan when the latter countrysurrendered in September 1945. All five combatant divisions, as well as the CAOF and CAPF, were disbanded by the end of 1946.
A First Canadian Division Headquarters (later renamed simply First Division) was authorized once again in April 1946, but remained dormant until formally disbanded in July 1954. Simultaneously, however, another "Headquarters, First Canadian Infantry Division" was authorized as part of the Canadian Army Active Force (the Regular forces of the Canadian military), in October 1953. This, the first peacetime division in Canadian history, consisted of a brigade in Germany, one inEdmonton and one atValcartier. This division was disbanded in April 1958.
The First Canadian Division was reactivated in 1988 and served until the 1990s when the headquarters of the division was transformed into theCanadian Forces Joint Headquarters and placed under the control of theCanadian Expeditionary Force Command. The CFJHQ was transformed back intoHeadquarters, 1st Canadian Division, on 23 June 2010, under command of theCanadian Joint Operations Command. The unit is based atKingston. Canada currently has four other divisions and all these are under command of theCanadian Army.
ThePeople's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) is divided into fiveTheater Commands. The regular forces of the ground forces consist of 18 group armies: corps-size combined arms units each with 24,000–50,000 personnel. The group armies contained among them:
25 infantry divisions
9 armored divisions
2 artillery divisions
As of 2011, the PLA went from a division-dominated structure to a brigade-dominated one. Until 2017, there were a further three airborne divisions in the15th Airborne Corps, but these were reformed into six airborne brigades and a special operations brigade as part of a reform program aimed at reorganizing all PLA divisions into brigades.
The NRA Division (Chinese:整編師, 編制師) was a military unit of theRepublic of China. The original pattern of the infantry division organization of the early Republic was asquare division. It was formed with two infantry brigades of two infantry regiments of three infantry battalions, an artillery regiment of fifty-four guns and eighteen machineguns, a cavalry regiment of twelve squadrons, an engineer battalion of four companies, a transport battalion of four companies, and other minor support units.[24][25]
In the mid-1930s, the Nationalist government with the help ofGerman advisors attempted to modernize their army and intended to form sixtyReorganized Divisions and a number of reserve divisions. Under the strains and losses of the early campaigns of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese decided in mid-1938 to standardize their Divisions astriangular divisions as part of their effort to simplify the command structure and placed them underCorps, which became the basic tactical units. The remaining scarce artillery and the other support formations were withdrawn from the Division and were held at Corps or Army level or even higher. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Republic mobilized at least 310 infantry divisions, 23 cavalry divisions, and one mechanized division (the200th Division).
In theColombian Army, a division is formed by two or more brigades and is usually commanded by a major general. Today, the Colombian Army has eight active divisions:
1st Division (Santa Marta) – Its jurisdiction covers the Northern Region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Cesar, La Guajira, Magdalena, Sucre, Bolívar and Atlántico.
2nd Division (Bucaramanga) – Its jurisdiction covers the north eastern Colombia in which there are the departments of Norte de Santander, Santander and Arauca.
3rd Division (Popayán) – Its jurisdiction covers the South West of Colombia in which there are the departamentos of Nariño, Valle del Cauca, Cauca, Caldas, Quindio, part of Santander and the southern part of the Chocó.
4th Division (Villavicencio) – Its jurisdiction covers the eastern region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Meta, Guaviare, and part of Vaupés.
5th Division (Bogotá) – Its jurisdiction covers the Central Region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Cundinamarca, Boyaca, Huila and Tolima.
6th Division (Florencia) – Its jurisdiction covers the southern region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Amazonas, Caquetá, Putumayo and southern Vaupés.
7th Division (Medellín) – Its jurisdiction covers the western region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Cordoba, Antioquia, and part of the Chocó.
8th Division (Yopal) – Its jurisdiction covers the northeastern region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Casanare, Arauca, Vichada, Guainía, and the municipalities of Boyaca of Cubará, Pisba, Paya, Labranzagrande and Pajarito.
In theEgyptian Army, a division has four or five brigades and is usually commanded by Major General, however, a Brigadier General can also command a division. Today theEgyptian Army has 14 divisions (8 mechanized, 1 infantry, 4 armored, 1 Republican Guard). Mechanized divisions have more infantry and fewer tanks than armored divisions while armored divisions have less troops and more tanks than mechanized ones.
18th Mechanized Infantry Division – formed in 1972 and played a vital role in theOctober 1973 War as it accomplished its task of storming the El Qantara fortified points of theBar Lev Line and liberating the town of El Qantara itself within 6/7 October and successfully halted & destroyed several Israeli counterattacks on its sector. Currently part of theSecond Army (Egypt)
19th Infantry Division – Formed in 1972 and participated inOctober 1973 War and considered one of the most notable units of theEgyptian Army due to its heroic actions duringOctober 1973 War where it was the only division to not lose a single battle. One of these battles wasBattle of Suez. Currently part of theThird Army (Egypt).
4th Armoured Division (Egypt) – the Division is considered one of the greatest, respected and oldest active formations in theEgyptian Army. It was formed in 1956 and participated in all of Egypt's modern conflicts and because of that, the division is nicknamed theKnights of Egypt andCrown of the Third Army. Its most notable service was duringOctober 1973 War when the 3rd Armored Brigade advanced 12 kilometers deep into Sinai (over the actual sector) without the air, anti-tank and infantry support it requested.[citation needed] As the brigade surprise attacked the much larger Israeli forces, they gave them heavy casualties but since the Israeli units had air support, the brigade couldn't survive and lost its commander and most of its tanks in action.[citation needed] Still part of Third Army.
9th Armored Division – formed in 1987 with the main objective of protecting SouthernCairo and currently serves as part of theCentral Military Region (Egypt).
On 1 July 1999, all French divisions were disbanded or converted into brigades. FourTask force headquarters (état-major de force) were created in order to overseeNATO standard divisions in case of emergency.
The divisional level (niveau divisionnaire) was reintroduced on 1 July 2016. TheFrench Army has now two active combined divisions:
Each division consists of 25,000 personnel and is made up of three brigades (one light, one medium, and one heavy). The 1st Division also included the French elements of theFranco-German Brigade.
There are also several "divisional level" (niveau divisionnaire) specialized commands:
Commandement des actions dans la profondeur et du renseignement (Strasbourg)
Commandement de l'appui terrestre numérique et cyber (Cesson-Sévigné)
Commandement de l'appui et de la logistique de théâtre (Lille)
An Indian Army division is intermediate between a corps and a brigade. Each division is headed by aGeneral Officer Commanding (GOC) holding the rank ofmajor general. It usually consists of 15,000 combat troops and 8,000 support elements. Currently, the Indian Army has 40 divisions: four RAPIDs ("Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Divisions"), 16 infantry, 14 mountain, three armoured, and three artillery. Each division consists of several brigades.
TheIndonesian Army has 3 infantry divisions (Indonesian:Divisi Infanteri) within theKostrad strategic reserves command which plays a role for strategic defense operations. Aside from the infantry divisions, the Indonesian Army also hosts operational combat units from the territorial commands known as "Kodams", which are equivalent to divisions and are similarly organized as infantry divisions. The infantry divisions from theKostrad are:
Kostrad infantry divisions are organized into two brigades of infantry (Raider qualified) and a field artillery regiment (the 3rd Division has no artillery regiment, instead it has artillery battalion, the 6th Field Artillery Battalion) as well as combat and service support elements. The regional commands' combat and combat support formations, organized operationally as infantry divisions, have one infantry brigade, an operational second brigade made up of battalions administratively under Military Areas and directly reporting infantry battalions under divisional command, and combat and service support battalions, plus an optional armoured cavalry reconnaissance troop. This organization may be adjusted to the individual needs of the regional commands,Kodam Jayakarta's infantry division is made up of one infantry brigade, one armored cavalry brigade and one air defense artillery regiment, together with the support elements. The Marine Corps divisions are organized into an infantry brigade, an armored regiment (assault amphibian), an artillery regiment and a combat support regiment, plus an administrative regiment responsible for Marine Corps battalions deployed in support of naval bases and shipyards.
TheIsraeli Defense Forces operates 13 divisions of various sizes that are separated into three categories: regular, territorial and reserve. Regardless of type divisions are organized into brigades.
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force divisions arecombined arms units with infantry, armored, and artillery units, combat support units and logistical support units. They are regionally independent and permanent entities. The divisions strength varies from 6,000 to 9,000 personnel. The division commander is alieutenant general.
JGSDF currently has nine active duty divisions (one armored, eight infantry):
An Army division in thePakistan Army is an intermediate between a corps and a brigade. It is the largest striking force in the army. Each division is headed by a General Officer Commanding (GOC) holding the rank of major general. It usually consists of 15,000 combat troops and 8,000 support elements. Currently, the Pakistani Army has 29 divisions: 20 infantry, two armoured, two mechanized, two air defence, two strategic and one artillery. Each division consists of several brigades.
ThePhilippine Army is currently organized into 11 Infantry Divisions and 1 Mechanized Infantry Division across the Archipelago. A division is usually led by amajor general and comprises 3–4Brigades of infantry or armor.
In theSoviet Armed Forces, any of the armed services may have had formations termed 'division' (Russian:дивизия,Russian:diviziya), which included subunits appropriate to the service such as regiments and battalions, squadrons or naval vessels. Almost all divisions, irrespective of the service branch, had the 3+1+1 structure of major sub-units, which were usually regiments.
There is also a similarly named unit of military organization in Russian military terminology, calledRussian:divizion (Russian:дивизион). ARussian:divizion is an artillery or cavalry battalion, a specific part of a ship's crew (korabel'nyy divizion, 'ship battalion'), or a group of naval vessels (divizion korabley).
In Imperial Russia, infantry formations were designated as (Russian:pekhoty), 'infantry'. But on 11 October 1918, all such formations in the newRed Army were re-designated as (Russian:strelkovaya), 'rifle'. This was deliberately chosen as a means of breaking with the Imperial past, while also giving these troops a sense of being an elite; in the Imperial Army, the riflemen had been the best of the foot soldiers outside the Guards.[26] The new designation also hearkened back to theStreltsy of the 16th to early 18th centuries, which were also elite troops.
All Soviet Army infantry, cavalry (until the 1950s) and tank divisions were organized in accordance with aRussian:shtat ("state"; establishment):
Division HQ
3 infantry, cavalry or tank regiments (with an additional infantry (motor rifle) or tank regiment depending on divisional specialization)
Divisional artillery brigade or later just one artillery regiment (horse artillery regiment and tachanka battalion for cavalry)
One light and one heavy howitzer field artillery regiment for brigades
Divisional tactical ballistic missile battalion
Divisional anti-air defense artillery regiment or battalion (air defense guns, later argumented by air defense surface to air missile battalions)
Divisional anti-tank artillery battalion
Combat and service support companies or battalions
Before the Second World War, besides themechanised corps, there were independent tank battalions within rifle divisions. These were meant to reinforce rifle units for the purpose of breaching enemy defences. They had to act in cooperation with the infantry without breaking away from it and were called tanks for immediate infantry support (Russian:tanki neposredstvennoy podderzhki pekhoty).
After 1945, some Red Army rifle divisions were converted to mechanised (infantry) divisions. From 1957, all rifle and mechanised divisions became "motor rifle divisions" (MRDs). These divisions usually had approximately 12,000 soldiers. During the Soviet era, 25 different MRD staffing and equipage tables existed to reflect different requirements of divisions stationed in different parts of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact countries and Mongolia. From 1970 to 1983, a motor rifle regiment was added to tank divisions and an independent tank battalion to motor rifle divisions, and major increases in artillery, mortars, andarmoured personnel carriers, in line with the evolution of Soviet doctrine, which began to recognise the need for a conventional phrase, away from the previously expected purely nuclear operations.[27]
A typical tank division had some 10,000 soldiers, less than those of the infantry, with near identical organization. During the Soviet era, 15 different TD staffing and equipage tables existed to reflect different requirements of divisions stationed in different parts of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact countries and Mongolia.
The Soviet Union organised Machine-Gun Artillery Divisions of artillery, multiple rocket launchers, and static gun positions for use East of the Urals from 1989.
A typical Soviet "frontal aviation division" consisted of three air regiments, a transport squadron, and associated maintenance units. The number of aircraft within a regiment varied. Fighter and fighter-bomber regiments were usually equipped with about 40 aircraft (36 of the primary unit type and a few utility and spares), while bomber regiments typically consisted of 32 aircraft. Divisions were typically commanded by colonels or major generals, or colonels or major generals of aviation in the Air Force. Soviet Naval Aviation and the Strategic Missile Forces divisions had either colonels or major generals as commanding officers while the ship divisions were led by captains 1st rank or captains 2nd rank.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russian tank and motor rifle divisions were reduced to near-cadre state, many being designated "bases for storage of weapons and equipment" (Russian acronym BKhVT). These bases, or "cadre" divisions, were equipped with all the heavy armaments of a full-strength motor-rifle or tank division, while having only skeleton personnel strength, as low as 500 personnel. The officers and men of a cadre division focus primarily on maintaining the equipment in working condition.[28] During wartime mobilization, such a division would be reinforced up to full manpower strength; however, in peacetime, a cadre division is unfit for any combat.
From 1989 the Soviet and Russian Ground Forces organized a total of eight Machine-Gun Artillery Divisions: the18th Machine Gun Artillery Division; 122nd Guards Machine-Gun Artillery Division;126th; 127th;128th;129th Guards;130th; and 131st Guards Machine-Gun Artillery Divisions.[29] A 1997 report said they were generally composed of four brigades with a total of 12 battalions, including a mechanized regiment in each brigade, though later data suggests this was inaccurate.[30] Later data indicates that fortified areas were disestablished and converted to Machine-Gun Artillery Regiments which then joined the new MGADs.[31]
British soldiers from the 1st Armoured Division engage Iraqi Army positions with their 81mm mortar in Iraq, 26 March 2003.
In theBritish Army, a division is commanded by amajor general with a WO1 as the Command Sergeant Major and may consist of three infantry, mechanised and/or armoured brigades and supporting units.
Currently, the British Army has two active divisions:
Additionally, most of the infantry regiments of the British Army are organised for administrative purposes into a number of organisations called "divisions":
A divisional unit in the United States Army typically consists of 17,000 to 21,000 soldiers, but can grow up to 35,000 to 40,000 with attached support units during operations, and are commanded by amajor general. Two divisions usually form acorps and each division consists of three maneuver brigades, an aviation brigade, an engineer brigade, and division artillery (latter two excluded from divisional structure as of 2007), along with a number of smaller specialized units. In 2014, divisional artillery (DIVARTY) organizations began to re-appear, with somefires brigades reorganizing to fill this role.[32]
10th Mountaineers advance on a sniper.
The United States Army currently has eleven active divisions and one deployable division headquarters (7th Infantry Division):
TheUnited States Marine Corps has a further three active divisions and one reserve division. They consist of a headquarters battalion, two or three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, and a reconnaissance battalion. Additionally, all Marine divisions (MARDIV), except 3rd MARDIV, have an assault amphibian (AA) battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, a tank battalion, a light armored reconnaissance (LAR) battalion (two in 1st MARDIV), and a combat engineer (CE) battalion (two in 1st MARDIV). (3rd MARDIV has a combat assault battalion including one company each of AA, LAR, and CE. Tank support for 3rd MARDIV can be provided by tanks deployed with the31st MEU or directly from one of the three divisional tank battalions under theUnit Deployment Program.)
Republic of Korea Army divisions are major tactical formations led by general officers. There are currently 39 Army and two Marine divisions. Of the 41 Army divisions, six are mechanized infantry divisions (combined arms formations centered around tanks, IFVs, APCs, and SPGs), 16 are infantry divisions (motorized divisions with various levels of mechanization), 12 are "Homeland Infantry Divisions" (향토보병사단, infantry divisions kept at a 40–50% manpower level, to be reinforced during national emergencies) and seven "Reserve Infantry Divisions" (동원보병사단, infantry divisions kept at 10–20% manpower level, to be reinforced during national emergencies). There are two Marine divisions organized similarly to their American counterparts. Though similarly formed, the 1st ROK Marine Division is specialized to perform amphibious landing operations while the 2nd ROK Marine Division performs more security operations and mans a sector of the DMZ facing the North Korean border.
Republic of Korea Army divisions are typically smaller than their foreign counterparts. Mechanized infantry divisions are fully formed at around 9,900, infantry divisions are fully formed at about 11,500 men, and other types of divisions are smaller in size during normal operations according to their reserve manpower levels. There are very few articles discussingROK Marine Corps tactical organization, but an active duty force of 29,000 is divided into two divisions, twobrigades, and its supporting units.
Mechanized infantry, infantry, Homeland Infantry, and Marine divisions are led by major generals, while Reserve Infantry Divisions are led bybrigadier generals. As a general rule no major ROKAF formation contains the number four in its name due to culturaltetraphobia.[citation needed]
TheVenezuelan Army is organized into 6 divisions, four of them infantry, one armored and one being armoured cavalry. All are organized into brigades or regiments, which in turn are organized into infantry battalions, cavalry squadrons, field artillery battalions, air defense artillery battalions and combat engineer battalions. They also contain any divisional service support elements. Usually there are two to five regiments or brigades per division.
The divisions are:
1st Infantry Division – with HQ in Maracaibo
2nd Infantry Division – HQ San Cristobal
3rd Infantry Division – HQ Caracas
4th Armored Division – HQ Maracay
5th Infantry Division (Jungle) – HQ Ciudad Bolívar
^ Col. Henry Walrond,Historical Records of the 1st Devon Militia (4th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment), With a Notice of the 2nd and North Devon Militia Regiments, London: Longmans, 1897/Andesite Press, 2015,ISBN978-1-376-17881-4
^The French division of 1914 was made of two brigades, each of two regiments with three battalions, plus a reserve regiment of two battalions, an artillery regiment of nine batteries (36 x 75 mm guns), a cavalry squadron and a company of engineers. The reserve division had two infantry brigades, each with three regiments of two battalions, two cavalry squadrons and three artillery groups of three batteries."The army of 1914 in Seine-et-Marne".Archives départementales de Seine-et-Marne (in French). 20 October 2023. Retrieved27 November 2023.
^German infantry division in 1914 was organized into 2 brigades. Each brigade had 2 regiments; each regiment had 3 battalions (26 officers and 1050 men per battalion); and each battalion had 4 companies. Thus, the division had 12 battalions. Beside its rifle power, the division had 24 machine guns, and the field artillery numbered 72 guns (54 guns of 77mm and 18 guns of 105mm) The German corps, in addition to containing supply, communication, and hospital units, provided heavier artillery for the support of the divisions, with either 32 150mm howitzers or 16 210mm howitzers.Schilling, Warner R."Weapons, Strategy, & War: The Organization of Armies". Columbia Center for Teaching & Learning. Retrieved24 November 2023.
^The Austro-Hungarian infantry division numbered between 22,000 and 28,000 men, while the cavalry divisions averaged 5,000 fewer soldiers. Each division had a brigade of artillery (with 54 guns, but few divisions had that many guns) and two brigades of infantry or cavalry; with two regiments of infantry or cavalry per brigade. Each regiment of infantry had 4 battalions of 1,100 men at full strength, although, in practice, many regiments deployed with just three battalions. Each cavalry regiment had to divisions (a battalion-sized unit) of about 700 each. At the outbreak of war, the Austro-Hungarian army had 48 infantry divisions (including seven Landweher and eight Honved) and eleven cavalry divisions (of which two were Honved). In 1914, the Austro-Hungarian division had less artillery than most other European divisions, save the Italian. The German division had as many as 72 pieces, the Russian sixty.Schindler, John Richard (1995).A Hopeless Struggle: The Austro-Hungarian Army and Total War, 1914–1918. McMaster University. pp. 38–43.ISBN978-0-612-05866-8.
^A British infantry division in 1914 was composed of 3 brigades. Each brigade had 4 battalions (35 officers and 1000 men per battalion); each battalion had four companies; and each company had 4 platoons. Thus, the division had 12 battalions. In addition to rifle power of its battalions, the division was armed with 24 machine guns, and its field artillery numbered 76 guns (54 guns of 18-pdrs.; 18 howitzers of 4.5-inch; and 4 of 60-pdrs.).Schilling, Warner R."Weapons, Strategy, & War: The Organization of Armies".ccnmtl.columbia.edu. Columbia Center for Teaching & Learning. Retrieved24 November 2023.
^By 1918, many British infantry divisions were down to about 15,000 men. Partially because in 1918 the number of battalions per brigade was reduced from 4 to 3, and in part because reinforcements did not fully replace losses (battalions might number 800 or 900 men, significantly below the authorized 1000). In 1917, the Germans eliminated their brigade structure and reduced the number of regiments per division to 3, each regiment having 3 battalions. Furthermore, the Germans, also reduced the number of companies in a battalion from 4 to 3. As such, the number of riflemen in the division dropped from 11,520 to 6,460; however, it more than gained in other weapons.Schilling, Warner R."Weapons, Strategy, & War: The Organization of Armies".ccnmtl.columbia.edu. Columbia Center for Teaching & Learning. Retrieved24 November 2023.
^For example, a German 1917 division now had 48 mortars, a weapon not in its 1914 inventory, and by the winter of 1917–18, the number of machine guns had increased from the initial 24 to 358 (142 heavy and 216 light)Schilling, Warner R."Weapons, Strategy, & War: The Organization of Armies".ccnmtl.columbia.edu. Columbia Center for Teaching & Learning. Retrieved24 November 2023.
^Beside rifle power, the US division had 260 machine guns, and 72 guns (48 75mm and 24 155mm), along with various units for engineering, communication, and supplySchilling, Warner R."Weapons, Strategy, & War: The Organization of Armies".ccnmtl.columbia.edu. Columbia Center for Teaching & Learning. Retrieved24 November 2023.
^Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) 2nd Ed., 1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China.
^History of the Frontal War Zone in the Sino-Japanese War, published by Nanjing University Press.
^Charles C. Sharp,"Red Legions", Soviet Rifle Divisions Formed Before June 1941, Soviet Order of Battle World War II, vol. VIII, Nafziger, 1996, p 1
^British Army, Army Field Manual Vol. II, Part 2, Soviet Operations, 1986, Army Code No.73157 (Part 2), p. 3-4 & 3–5. (Declassified; original classificated 'Restricted').
^Robinson, Colin. "Suvorov's 'Invisible' Divisions: A Preliminary Assessment." The Journal of Slavic Military Studies 30, no. 3 (3 July 2017): 399–409.https://doi.org/10.1080/13518046.2017.1341771.
Palazzo, Albert (2002).Defenders of Australia: The 3rd Australian Division 1916–1991. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military Historical Publications.ISBN1-876439-03-3.
-_Unspecified_or_Composite_All-Arms_(NATO_APP-6).svg)
-_Unspecified_or_Composite_All-Arms_(NATO_APP-6A).svg)
-_Infantry_(NATO_APP-6).svg)
-_Infantry_-_Airborne_(NATO_APP-6).svg)
-_Armour_(NATO_APP-6).svg)
.jpg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.png)
_Division_badge_(2019).svg){kind=icon}
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
