Thank you for a great explanation! I've often wondered the same thing. I'm going to make a chart and keep it on my "ongoing genealogy" wall. Lori Ellis Hosbach <ewh@adelphia.net> wrote: Daryl Ann, I hope this will help you understand the Army Units used during WW II: SQUAD (Sqd) = the smallest of all Units. It was any small number of men who could be easily directed to do a specific task. Commanded by a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO), usually a Corporal (Cpl or Sergeant (Sgt) PLATOON (Plt) = usually three or four sqds. Commanded by a 1st or 2nd Lieutenant (Lt) COMPANY (Co) = usually four plts (numbered designations 1,2,3,4) plus a Headquarters (Hq) Commanded by a Captain (Capt) INFANTRY BATTALION (Inf Bn) = 4 Cos (Alpha Designations. Each had a Hq & Hq Co plus four others. Co A,B,C,& D were in lst Bn; E,F,G & H were 2nd Bn; I,K,L & M were 3rd Bn [I do not know why there was not a J Co]). Commanded by a Lt Colonel (Lt Col) INFANTRY REGIMEMT (Inf Regt) = 3 Bns plus Hq & Hq , Antitank Co(Antk Co), Cannon (Cn Co), Service (Svc Co) and a Medical Detachment (Med Dtchmt). Commanded by a Col. ARTILLERY BATTALION (Arty Bn) = Not as many units as Inf and they were called Batteries (Btry) and were identified as A,B & C [firing btrys] plus a Hq and Service (Svc). INFANTRY DIVISION (Inf Div) = Hq & Hq Co, 3 Regts, 4 Arty Bns under command of Div Arty Commander (Brigadier General [Brig Gen], Medical (Med Bn), Engineer (Engr Bn), Special Troops Hq (Spec Trps) consisting of Hq & Hq Co, Reconnaissance Troop (Recon Trp), Signal (Sig Co), Quartermaster (QM Co) and Ordnance (Ord Co), Military Police (MP Plt), Band and Counter Intelligence Detachment (CIC Dchmt). CORPS = Usually 3 Divs and a Hq & Hq Co. ARMY = Usually 2 or 3 Corps and an Hq. All of these Units are staffed according to a Table of Organization (T/O), however personnel and equipment usually depended on need. A combat Inf Div with attached units was 16000/18000 men. Ellis Hosbach Bethel Park, PA ==== WORLDWAR2 Mailing List ==== We are an international list! Please, always tell the list what country your ancestor is from. This helps all of us, especially you! If you give dates please help us understand the date you are referring to. For example: 4 Nov 1944 or Nov 4, 1944. ============================== Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx --------------------------------- Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1¢/min.