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Today we tackle a huge misunderstanding/myth caused by more language challenges. This has been further reinforced by erroneous books and articles that repeat the myth. Confusion arises because of the translation of the word Abteilung.Many dictionaries translate Abteilungas “detachment” or even as “section.” In both cases, these translations give the impression that the Abteilungwas a subset of a unit and relatively small. This inference is incorrect. The word Abteilunghas several meanings; it is a multipurpose word in the German military language. Within a staff, it translates to “department.” In a field artillery regiment, it is “battalion.” For example, Reitende Abteilung. means the horse artillery battalion or mounted battalion of a field artillery regimentthat went to a German cavalry division upon mobilization.

Another example, a MG-Abt was a battalion that equated almost exactly to a machine-gun company. A mobilized MG-Abt was comprised of a gun detachment (Gefechtsabteilung) with six mounted guns and three ammunition wagons; a fighting baggage of one large four-horse ammunition wagon, one material wagon, and eleven surplus horses; and heavy baggage of a two-horse baggage wagon, one food wagon, and one wagon with horse rations. The oft-misused word “section” is significantly misleading in this context. The other huge surprise that accompanies this myth, is that in fact the machine gun units were wheel mounted.
            With the introduction of the Maschinengewehr08a 13^th(machinegun) company with six mounted machine guns, organized in three platoons of two guns each, was added to infantry regiments. Machine gun companies of infantry regiments had their guns mounted on two-horse carriages. The guns could only be fired when dismounted. Machine gun battalions had six guns mounted on horse driven carriages. But four horses each towed their carriages making them faster and more mobile to keep pace with cavalry units. The guns of MG-battalions could also be fired when mounted on their carriages.