A German tank assault moved rapidly forwards and this required a motorised infantry which could keep pace with the attack and provide all necessary support. This motorised infantry element for a Panzer division was an integral Schützenbrigade (rifle brigade), and it was equipped with a suitable means of transport - the Schützenpanzerwagen (armoured personnel carrier).

During Operation Barbarossa, German forces were faced by the Red Army and unforeseen weather conditions. With the onset of the harsh Russian winter the operation failed, and the war in the east entered a new phase. From experience gained from the operation, a new arm of the military was created: the Panzergrenadier. This groundbreaking book describes the development and evolution of the armoured infantry force that accompanied the German Panzers as they crossed the battlefields of Europe, as well as detailing the vehicles and equipment that were developed to support their specialized role.

Introduction
1. 1936 - A New Infantry
2. The Schützenpanzerwagen
3. 1939 - Poland
4. 1940 - France
5. 1941 - New Challenges
6. 1941 - Variants
7. 1942 - Armoured Infantry
8. 1943 - In Combat
9. 1944 - Defending the Reich
10. Weaponry
Index