Light Infantry Forces

This annotated bibliography was initially developed in conjunction with
the initiative of the Department of the Army in 1983 to develop the force
structure for 10,000-man light infantry divisions. Its goals were to
provide annotated historical references for the combat experiences of
previous light divisions and to list historical sources on the force design
process, especially in regard to attempts to lighten the force or to respond
to improvements in technology on the battlefield. The first draft of this
bibliography was distributed in September and October 1983 as a quick
reference to force planners across the Army.

Since that time, the bibliography has been expanded, but the general
focus remains the same, historical light divisions and the force design
process. It addresses light infantry forces of the twentieth century with
primary emphasis on World War II and later. This document can serve as a
starting point for force designers' research into the origins,
organizations, capabilities, and combat experiences of light infantry forces.
In order to permit widespread distribution of this bibliography, only
unclassified sources have been cited. However, additional classified
documents on the subject exist, particularly in regard to technical analyses
of force capabilities. A number of these are available in the Combined Arms
Research Library (CARL) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

The enclosed charts describe light infantry and close combat forces of
World War II as well as some of those in being today.