German Pionier 1939-45: Combat Engineer of the Wehrmacht

The German Army of World War II (1939-1945) collectively referred to its various engineer units as Pioniere - what would be called combat engineers in the West. This organization included Pioniertruppen (Pionier Troops), Bautruppen (Construction Troops), Eisenbahntruppen (Railway Troops), and Technische Truppen (Technical Troops). They were first and foremost assault troops, and construction workers second. They were tasked with overcoming manmade and natural obstacles, and in the attack they…