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Nachschub versus Versorgung units
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 11:01 am
by dak4482
Hi all,
I am in the process of using Google translate to understand the unit listings in Mueller-Hillebrand's "Das Heer". Have run across several unit descriptions that appear to translate the same but I'm sure are different meanings. Can anyone explain the difference between a Nachschub versus a Versorgung unit? I have seen Nachschubfuhrer, Nachschub.Kol, etc and then Versorgungstruppen, Versorgungsdienste,etc. The "Kriegsprache" book lists them both as meaning "supply".
Also he uses the various unit descriptions different. For example he shows a Werkstattkomp and a Pion.Komp. and a Nachr.Zug and a Krankenkw.Zuge and a Pz. Spahzug Are they both company units and platoons or is there a difference in his notation?
Any help?
Thx in advance
Dan
Re: Nachschub versus Versorgung units
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 1:41 pm
by John W. Howard
Hello Dan:
As far as I know Nachschub and Versorgungs mean the same thing. There may be a subtle difference between the two terms, but I do not know of it. Perhaps there was just a change of terminology within the Wehrmacht at some point. As to the second part of your question a Zug is a platoon and a Kompanie is a company as far as I know. Best wishes.
Re: Nachschub versus Versorgung units
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 10:21 pm
by dak4482
John,
Thx for the reply. I was looking for the meaning of the different uses of zugs and Kom's. I do know the difference between a zug and company haha. Sorry if my request was a little confusing. I knew I'd mess that up. Anyway, thx again. I wonder why they would have changed the terminology for "supply" over time? Maybe it depended on what area they were supplying - HQ, regiments or divisions, or supply Parks etc.
Re: Nachschub versus Versorgung units
Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:07 am
by Leo Niehorster
Nachschub = Supply
Versorgung = Service — includes supply, medical, veterinary, commissary, military police, post, etc. (all non-combat) units. Note, although some armies consider engineer and signal troops to be service units, the German Army considered them as combat units.
Re: Nachschub versus Versorgung units
Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:02 am
by dak4482
Leo,
Thx for the explanation. Makes alot of sense. Any ideas on the different uses of zug and Kom's?
Dan
Re: Nachschub versus Versorgung units
Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:59 am
by Leo Niehorster
Sorry, I don't exactly understand the question.
There were independent platoons, as well as platoons belonging to companies and larger units.
You say you know the difference between company and platoon. So where's the problem?
Re: Nachschub versus Versorgung units
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 9:23 am
by dak4482
I was specifically looking at the period to make sure it just showed that what is before it is an abbreviation and not something different. But still wondering about zug and zuge.
Dan
Re: Nachschub versus Versorgung units
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 11:03 am
by Leo Niehorster
Zug = (singular) platoon
Züge = (plural) platoons [note the umlaut]
Both the singular and plural can be abbreviated as Zg.
Note that the word Zug can also mean a whole lot of other things, like a (railroad) train, or (wind) draft, draw (like in pull), traction (like towing), etc. Consult a German-English dictionary.
There were no official abbreviations for many words, and people made them up as they went along. For example for Kompanie, there was Kp. and Komp.
Sometimes confusingly, is that the Germans use the "." (dot) as an ordinal indicator, (the st, nd, rd, and th added to numbers).
Re: Nachschub versus Versorgung units
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 7:29 am
by Soldat7128
dak4482 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 28, 2018 11:01 am
Hi all,
I am in the process of using Google translate to understand the unit listings in Mueller-Hillebrand's "Das Heer". Have run across several unit descriptions that appear to translate the same but I'm sure are different meanings. Can anyone explain the difference between a Nachschub versus a Versorgung unit? I have seen Nachschubfuhrer, Nachschub.Kol, etc and then Versorgungstruppen, Versorgungsdienste,etc. The "Kriegsprache" book lists them both as meaning "supply".
Also he uses the various unit descriptions different. For example he shows a Werkstattkomp and a Pion.Komp. and a Nachr.Zug and a Krankenkw.Zuge and a Pz. Spahzug Are they both company units and platoons or is there a difference in his notation?
Any help?
Thx in advance
Dan
It seems like your question has been answered but one thing I can contribute is that you shouldn't use Google Translate, it's not a very good resource (although easy to use I know because it's easily integrated into your browser).
My German professor recommended either dict.leo.org or dict.cc (I use the latter); I believe both also offer the ability to post terms you want help with and people (native speakers) sometimes respond.
Re: Nachschub versus Versorgung units
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:34 pm
by dak4482
Soldat 7128,
Thx for the information. Up to now I was limited to Google translate and Houlihan's "Kriegsprache".
Dan