Heer Operations officer

[jf42]

Greetings,

Please forgive if this is basic but, my study of German ending when I was three, I have been having difficulty pinning down the answer to this question.

What terms or terms might a German Divisional commander (Panzer) use to refer to a 'GSO' on his staff, specifically his Operations Officer. By that I mean, what might the original German equivalent have been for those English translations? The context is Tunisia 1943.

Many thanks.

[hucks216]

The Operations Officer (or Chief Of Operations) was referred to as the Ia.

[jf42]

Many thanks for that. Just to be sure, that is letter 'I' in "Ia"not number '1'?

[hucks216]

Many thanks for that. Just to be sure, that is letter 'I' in "Ia"not number '1'?

It is the Roman Numeral for 1.

Here are the others...

Ia Erster Generalstabsoffizier (Chief of Operations)

Ib Zweiter Generalstabsoffizier (Quartermaster)

Ib/Kfz Kraftfahrzeugoffizier (Division Motor Pool Officer)

Ib/WuG Waffen- und Geräte-Offizier (Arms and Equipment Officer)

Ic Dritter Generalstabsoffizier (Chief Intelligence Officer)

i.G. im Generalstab (of Generalstaff)

IIa Divisionsadjutant (Division Adjutant)

IIb Officer for personnel means, enlisted men and NCOs

IVa Divisionsintendant (Division Commissariat Section)

IVb Divisionsarzt (Division Surgeon)

IVc Divisionsveterinär (Division Veterinarian)

IVd Divisionspfarrer (Division Chaplains)

IVz Stabszahlmeister (Monetary matters)

Edited September 17, 2012 by hucks216

[jf42]

Ah, now we are talking. Perfect.

Danke schon.

JF

[Morgan]

Hello,

Also, we can see Ia/F for a Armee or a Heeresgruppe. What is the difference with the "classical" Ia ?

[jf42]

"I.II. III. IV. etc" as opposed to "1.2.3.4"? I couldn't say. 19th century kultural snobbery, perhaps? The Staff Corps were an elite within an elite.