"German army unit strength and effectiveness gradings" Topic

I'm just reading the excellent Jason Marks book Island of Fire and there's a reference to a report on the 60th infantry division:

"A report from 2 November, 1942 states it had 6 grenadier battalions: 2 medium-strength, 1 average, 2 weak and 1 battle-weary, plus 9 artillery batteries: 6 light, 3 heavy. It was ‘Bedingt zum Angriff geeignet' – conditionally suited for attack"

Excerpt From
Island of Fire: The Battle for the Barrikady Gun Factory in Stalingrad
Jason Mark

Does anyone know how these gradings were assessed? What constitutes "weak" "battle weary" etc. Obviously I can make a guess at it but there was obviously a methodology to it which I'd like to understand. I've tried googling but can't find anything.

I thought the combat ratings were 1-4 (strong, average, weak, exhausted – or their german equivalents).

I don't know what the actual criteria used were. Finger in the air by the regimental commanders?

I seem to remember it was something like,

Capable of offensive action
Capable of limited offensive action
Only capable for defense
exhausted

Agree with jdginaz, but can't for the life of me remember where I read it. Zetterling maybe? Dupuy?

In the 1956 British Army Tactical Wargame it is based on losses:

0-20% losses no effect on efficiency
20-40% losses half combat effect
40-75% losses retire from battle, 7 days to reorganise. Wiped out if overrun
75% or over wiped out, cannot be reorganised

these are for battalion sized elements (so 600-1000 men).

jdginaz is correct but cant source it.

This is a really interesting book on combat effeciency ratings if your interested in more detail.

link

There is an explanation in Zetterling, for which incidentally, there is a new "revised" edition out. Apparently it's hardly revised at all, so don't rush out and get a new one if you already have it. However, if you don't have an original, then it's a great opportunity to get one of the "must have" books for Normandy- reasonable price and on kindle

There's a little detail on another forum;

link

And another one here;

link

Gary

Thanks for all of the replies.

I'll probably get the Zetterling book don't know how I've missed that.

It's been reissued. Normandy 1944: German Military Organization, Combat Power and Organizational Effectiveness. By Niklas Zetterling. Hardcover. 402 pages.

Review on HMGS.org:

Normandy 1944 Book Review

(second book down)