Infanterietruppen

Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on discipline, fitness, physical strength and aggression.

Infantrymen are distinguished from soldiers trained to fight on horseback (cavalry), in tanks, or in technical roles such as armourers or signallers, but basic infantry skills are fundamental to the training of any soldier, and soldiers of any branch of an army are expected to serve as auxiliary infantry (e.g., patrolling and security) when necessary. In the Landeswehr, this is taken further, in that every soldier is required to go through the School of Infantry, no matter what their future assignment or trade.

Infantry can access and maneuver in terrain inaccessible to vehicles and tanks, and employ infantry support weapons that can provide firepower in the absence of artillery.

History
The Infantry Regiments of Bexar are the direct decendants of the Infantry Regiments of the former Royal Prussian Army. These Regiments were foot mounted in the main until 1940 withe the formation of the Panzertruppe. At that point, it was realised that the Infantry support for the tanks needed to be able to keep up with them, thus a number of regiments were converted to Armoured Infantry (Panzergrenadier) and transfered to the Panzertruppe. With the reabsorbtion of the Panzers into the Kavallerie, these regiement were returned to the control f the Inspekteur der Infanterie.

Organisation
The Infanterie is headed by a Inspekteur der Infanterie and consists of the Branch Headquarters, Infanterie-Schule (Infantry School), and several units, either integrated or single field of service. There are types of Infantry unit; light infantry trained to fight on foot and in specialist terrain and heavy infantry which are trained to fight alongside the Panzertruppe in Infantry Fighting Vehicles.

Equipment

 * StG08 5.56mm Assault Rifle
 * SKS 7.62mm Rifle (Ceremonial Only)
 * AG95 40mm Grenade Launcher
 * MG05 5.56mm Light Machine Gun
 * MG60 7.62mmm Machine Gun
 * MP01 4.6mm Submachine Gun
 * P94 9mm Pistol
 * G96 7.62mm Sniper Rifle
 * GMG95 Automatic Grenade Launcher
 * Panzerfaust 92 Anti Tank Rocket Launcher

Units
(Active units in bold)
 * Grenadier-Regiment Kronprinz (1. Ostpreußisches)
 * Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich Wilhelm I (2. Ostpreußisches)
 * Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich der Grosse (3. Ostpreußisches)
 * Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich I (4. Ostpreußisches)
 * Grenadier-Regiment Graf Kleist von Nollendorf (1. Westpreußisches)
 * Grenadier-Regiment König Wilhelm I (2. Westpreußisches)
 * Füsilier-Regiment Graf Roon (1. Ostpreußisches)
 * Füsilier-Regiment von Steinmetz (1. Westpreußisches)
 * Infanterie-Regiment von Boyen (5. Ostpreußisches)
 * Infanterie-Regiment Herzog Karl von Mecklenburg (6. Ostpreußisches)
 * Infanterie-Regiment Graf Dönhoff (7. Ostpreußisches)
 * 8. Ostpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment
 * Danziger Infanterie-Regiment
 * 3. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment
 * 4. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment
 * Kulmer Infanterie-Regiment
 * 1. Ermländisches Infanterie-Regiment
 * 2. Ermlandisches Infanterie-Regiment
 * 7. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment
 * 8. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment
 * 9. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment

Training
Officer

On completion of their Initial Officer Training at the Military Academy in Königsberg, all officers irrespective of Branch or Command attend the Basic Infantry Officers Course at the Infantry School. This course is divided into three phases.

In Phase 1 the Officer Candidate builds upon the leadership training he received in the Military Academy and will learn the skills required of all Combat Arms soldiers, including more advanced weapons-handling, fieldcraft, and section-level tactics.

In Phase 2 he will acquire the skills, knowledge and experience to command and lead a platoon in dismounted operations. He will learn the characteristics and uses of weapons, and how to command a dismounted platoon in all phases of war both in theory, in the classroom, and in practice in the field. He will be assessed in leadership roles while conducting arduous field exercises. On conclusion of this phase, Officers of other Branches and Commands transfer to their respective schools.

In Phase 3 the Infantry Officer Candidate will learn to command and lead a mechanized Infantry platoon equipped with the Schützenpanzer 09 Löwe infantry fighting vehicle. This phase concentrates on more advanced platoon tactics, and the techniques of co-operating with the other Combat Arms in fast-paced, skill-testing field exercises. His ability to command troops and solve complex tactical problems will be confirmed. Phase IV completes his Basic Infantry Officer Training. As he will be ready to take command of your first platoon, you will at this point be commissioned into an Infantry regiment of the Landstreitkräfte at the rank of Sekonde-Leutnant.

Soldiers

The Phase 1 training for every Landeswehr recruit is the 13-week Basic Training (Grundausbildungs) course at the Infanterie-Schule. This training provides the basic core skills and knowledge common to all trades. It is also physically demanding. A primary goal of this course is to ensure that all recruits attain the Landeswehr physical fitness standard. BT covers the following topics:


 * policies and regulations of the Landeswehr;
 * Landeswehr drill, dress and deportment (the “three Ds”);
 * basic safety;
 * first aid;
 * personal survival in nuclear, biological and chemical conditions;
 * handling and firing personal weapons;
 * cross-country navigation; and
 * personal survival in field conditions.

On successful completion of BT, all Soldiers attend the Basic Infantry course (Phase 2 training), which lasts 20 training days and covers the following topics:


 * Landeswehr physical fitness;
 * dismounted offensive and defensive operations;
 * reconnaissance patrolling;
 * advanced weapons-handling (working with grenades, machine-guns and anti-tank weapons); and
 * individual field-craft.

On conclusion those soldiers belonging to other Branches and Commands transfer to their respective schools. Infantry Soldier move on to Phase 3 training in the Training Battalions of their assigned Regiments. It takes about 17 weeks, and covers the following material:
 * Use and care of personal and section-level weapons, including rifles, machine guns and anti-tank weapons;
 * Field-craft, including personal hygiene and meal preparation, camouflage, sentry duties, signalling, selecting firing positions, tactical movements and lines of advance;
 * Construction of field defences, such as trenches and roadblocks, and laying and marking of minefields;
 * Navigation by day and by night;
 * Patrolling operations; and
 * Infantry section and platoon tactics, including offensive, defensive and transitional operations.

Links

 * Bexar
 * Kriegsministerium
 * Bexarische Landeswehr