In World War II Germany's doctrine of mobile warfare dominated the battlefield. By trial and error, the Germans were the first to correctly combine the strength in tanks and in mobile infantry and artillery. This integration of mobile units, equipment, and tactics underpinned Germany's successes in the first half of the war. As the war dragged on, the Allies sought to copy German tactics but German armies remained supreme in this type of warfare until their losses had seriously degraded their capabilities.

This study traces the development of the different types of units that came together in the Panzergrenadier branch from the interwar years through World War II. Using color photographs to display the changes in uniform, equipment, and insignia in all theaters of operations throughout the conflict, this is a complete account of Hitler's elite armored infantry.

Dr Nigel Thomas is a linguist and military historian, was formerly a principal lecturer at Northumbria University, and is now a freelance military author, translator, and military uniform consultant. He was awarded a Ph.D. on the Eastern enlargement of NATO.

Johnny Shumate works as a freelance illustrator living in Nashville, Tennessee. He began his career in 1987 after graduating from Austin Peay State University.