JEWELLLW@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU (Larry W. Jewell) (03/13/91)
From: "Larry W. Jewell" <JEWELLLW@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
One of the hardest parts of writing about the Second World War is that
the information we usually have is disjointed and "filtered" through
various other writers before we see it.
This "filtering" effect is tremendously reduced by an book that has
just been re-released after 45 years.
HANDBOOK ON GERMAN MILITARY FORCES printed for the U.S. War Department
in March 1945 was orignally a series of looseleaf booklets intended for
the leaders in the field, (I presume capt. and below), and is an incredible
collection of general information about the structure of the German military
establishment, weapons (with some firing instructions when they vary from the
equivalent U.S. model), uniform insignia, minefield patterns, floor plans for
bunkers, the amount of rations normally issued, locations of major supply
depots, specifcations for radio receivers and transmitters, common boobytraps,
armoured car turret sighting telescopes, gas countermeasure equipment, and
a gold mine of other data that has never been available to the average
person.
The book discusses tactics and strategy from corps to squad level, on
offense and defense. Morale factors are discussed.
The book was printed in March of 1945, but the open format allowed input
from Feb 1945 to be entered before it went to press.
The price is $39.95 (US) and is published by Lousiana State University
Press, Baton Rouge and London.
It's worth a look. If you have further questions you can email them to
me, and I post the most interesting, with permission. Email replies can
be tough from this stupid machine, but I hope to get a "real" account soon.
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"...before these weapons of the gods you must have seen how the proudest
palaces and the loftiest trees fall and perish."
HERODOTUS: Polymnia, Book 7, Chapter 10 (no, I didn't read it.)
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Larry W. Jewell JEWELLLW@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU