When Germany started rebuilding its army after WWI, they were very limited in what they could have in terms of numbers and material. One thing that carried over were horse-mounted calvary units. In fact, pretty much every nation with a standing army used these forces. They were good for reconnaissance, getting in and out of an area in a hurry, and for quickly flanking enemy ground units. In fact, these were often the best units in the army and often used in parades.

As the mid-1930s came around, the move was away from horse-mounted units to motorized units. You didn't have to put as much effort into keeping vehicles operating and a truck rarely sh*t on the floor of the motor pool. Eventually, these units also got armor in the form of armored cars or even light tanks. Prior to the start of WWII, all but one of the pre-war light divisions had swapped over to motorized transport with only one still keeping horses.

This book looks at the history of the light division and goes into each of the six that were initially developed. It then covers the transition periods of these units with the various places they were based and the equipment they were operating. Some of the units within the division might be operating motorcycles and some might be on bicycles. The latter makes a lot more sense that travelling on foot, but has the drawback of not being useful when not on a road.

In addition to covering all the equipment, there are also sections on how they did during the prewar conflicts and during the invasion of Poland. That takes the reader through 1938 and 1939. In addition to a goodly number of period photographs, there are also a nice number of full color profiles for those who like that feature. In all, it makes for a great book on these units and one that I can easily recommend to you.

April 2026

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