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.
British Commandos is a British special unit that gave its name to the Polish word for commandos. The unit was formed by the order of the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1940, after the defeat and the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Forces from France in the same year. By definition, the unit was to operate in German-occupied Europe and conduct broadly understood subversive, sabotage and intelligence activities. Initially, soldiers from the British Army were recruited to Commandos. It is assumed that in the period 1940-1945, about 25,000 people passed through the ranks of this unit, including not only the British, but also volunteers from countries such as Greece, France, Poland and the USA. In commando units, a lot of emphasis was placed on the initiative of a single soldier, the ability to act independently and to cope with extremely difficult combat conditions. The training was very difficult, demanding and in the course of World War II - it kept changing, over time, including, among others, recalling artillery or air support. One of the most famous actions performed by Commandos was the 1942 raid on Saint-Naziere, but the commando units also operated on a large scale during the Normandy operation in 1944.