The Great War Association
Central Powers Handbook:
Methods
Beta v.0.96
Updated 3.XII.2013
This section not
comlete.
Methods
M
ethods are necessary to marry the “Man”
to his “Minutia”, and are a critical ingredient of a truly historical impression.
What we are referring to here are the things that
the Soldat did as a part of his military life: drill,
combat techniques, routine camp chores, etc. To
have a totally authentic uniform, for instance, will
not make you look like the historical soldier unless
you wear it like he did. The following segments
describe the skills and topics which would have
been familiar with the historical German recruit.
We don’t expect our members to learn all this
right away, we realize it takes time (especially
for non-German speakers), and we conduct training
events to help the learning process along. Specialized training, such as trench-raiding, grenade
tactics, and any other specialty instruction will be found
in forthcoming appendices.
Readers who have prior military service will recognize
that there are better, more modern military techniques
available and will doubtlessly advocate their use during
reenactments. The fact is, however, that what we are
trying to do is be as authentic in the field as possible,
“winning” is of secondary importance in our time period
because in Great War reenacting EVERYBODY DIES!
The true connoisseurs of modern combat techniques will
be most likely be much more happy playing paintball than
they will be with us. On the other hand, the authentic
period German tactics, when skillfully executed, will
almost always give up that professional “edge” during
tactical events!
Think on that... we are trying to do it like THEY did,
not like we do today. The plan is to put a number of good
articles on how things were done then, together in one
place—not everyone is a researcher... We all have different talents and should pool them together. Help your
Kameraden—by helping them, you help all of us.
2—Methods
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Hints on how to Wear the Uniform and Project
a Military Bearing!
Members of the CP side possess a spirit of „Kameradshaft” which is passed onto new members as they become
more and more involved. This spirit must be held by the
individual, who strives to maintain it and leads the way
for others to follow. The spirit is reflected by the impression you have when seen in the field. The key to a good
impression is an eye for detail in all you do as a reenactor. Leave behind the modern world and physically step
back to the Kaiserzeit. Our goal is to look and act as
a soldier of the Imperial German Army would have!
This manual lists the correct uniforms and equipment
to obtain, but the little extra items to give your impression depth can be found for nearly nothing, at pawn shops
and local garage sales. Items which would enhance your
impression can be period jewelry, (ie. watches, rings, cigarette
cases, bracelets, etc.), pocket knives, German war time money,
wallets, letters written in German, and photographs
carried by a soldier. In most cases you can just use your
imagination and refine your impression to the point where
you’ll even feel like a true “Frontschwein.”
Your uniform dress is also important. To present a military looking impression, especially when in formation, you
must remember to check yourself for the following items:
6. The German hand salute is
somewhat between a British
full hand salute and an
American flat hand
salute. To salute just
rotate your right
hand to a 45 degree
angle and touch your right
eyebrow.
7. The first and generally the
last formations of the day
require service dress only
and no combat gear unless
otherwise ordered by the ranking man.
8. When placed at rest (Rührt
Euch ) while in formation, remain in the formation. When
at rest the Soldat is not permitted to speak or turn around.
Rührt Euch is a position to
rest the body, not a position
to be free.
1. The helmet should be square on the wearer’s
head and not pushed back, riding on the neck and
exposing the forehead.
2. Rank and awards worn correctly.
3. ALL buttons are properly buttoned, including
the top button and hook at the neck — act not like
sloppy Frenchman.
4. Belt buckle centered on the tunic buttons.
Things to remember when falling in or while in formation which will enhance your impression, as well as that
of the unit’s:
l. Unless given the order „Antreten,” always fall-in
at attention.
2. If you have a weapon, fall-in at order arms.
3. When called to Stillgestanden (attention) while in
formation, click your heels together.
4. Always fall-in with a Feldmütze on your head
unless you are in a combat zone or you are ordered
to wear your Stahlhelm.
5. When you speak, always address your superior
properly, ie: Herr Leutnant, Herr Sergeant, or
Herr Unteroffizier.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Methods—3
Wear of Uniform and Equipment here
Check w/ article on DSM site... good info
there.
4—Methods
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Wear of Uniform and Equipment here
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Methods—5
Rangabzeichen
(Rank Insignia)
by Lou Brown
8./J.R. 459
he evolution of distinctive rank insignia in armies
is not as old as many suspect. Of the major combatants of the American Revolution, e.g., only one
nation—France—had evolved a system of distinctive
insignia whereby the exact rank of an individual could be
discerned by looking at the uniform. As armies became
more cosmopolitan following the Napoleonic wars, the
need to identify individuals by rank outside their particular regiment became necessary, and by the middle of the
19th Century, most European armies had adopted specific
insignia, which designated the exact rank of the wearer.
While the Germans were somewhat behind this trend
(the Empire was not proclaimed until 1871, and until that time, most
German states continued to use their own peculiar rank systems), by
the end of the century, German rank insignia had been
formalized throughout the Army.1 In any discussion of
rank insignia, it is worthwhile to admit the Germans
themselves were not always sure, particularly regarding
the many exceptions and the perplexing array of Beamten (Administrative Officials) insignia. Though not from the
Imperial period, the following anecdote is, nonetheless,
illustrative of the problem.
T
An Example of Germaness
Although this is WWII, it serves as an example of
the complexities of the German rank system. Upon
retirement from the Wehrmacht in the late 1930’s (he
was later recalled to active duty for wartime service), General
Gerd von Rundstedt was afforded one of the Army’s
most prestigious honors in being named Chef (Honorary
Commander) of Infanterieregiment 18, a unit with which
he had earlier served. From that point on, including his
service after promotion to Generalfeldmarschall (GFM),
Rundstedt habitually wore the “regimental uniform”—
an infantry officer’s blouse in the Reichsheer pattern
(most noticeable in his wear of infantry officers’ collar patches) with
General Officer’s shoulder boards.
During an inspection, v.Rundstedt was introduced to
a noncommissioned officer who, confused by the GFM’s
unique insignia, addressed him as Herr Oberst (Colonel).
After the NCO’s gaffe—one imagines a bevy of incensed
staff officers descending on the unfortunate individual
and soundly chewing his ass—the luckless NCO again
1 As with anything in the German Army, it is impossible to be absolute.
Exceptions existed for various reasons in several very old and distinguished
regiments. Most exceptions were in non-Prussian contingents to the Imperial
Army, being made in deference to the military accomplishments of some of
the smaller states which, after 1871 had been amalgamated into he Prussian
sphere.
6—Methods
met the GFM. Acutely conscious of his previous error,
the sergeant this time addressed Rundstedt as Herr
Reichsmarschall—the term specific to Reichsmarschall
Hermann Göring. Rundstedt—whose wry wit was well
known throughout the Army—is credited with having
responded that, all things considered, he would rather
have been addressed as “Colonel….”
Enlisted Ranks
Gemeiner
Privates wore no insignia of rank. There existed a confusing
plethora of “titles” for privates based on their branch of
service (Gemeiner meant private, but it was generic). In infantry
formations,
they were
k n o w n —
depending
on the unit’s
Gemeiner collar
designation—
as Grenadier (Grenadierregiment), Füsilier (Füsilierregiment),
or Musketier (Infanterieregiment).
Another part of the insignia for a Gemeiner (and
the Gefreiter too) was the Troddel, or
bayonet knot. There was a
different colour combination
for each Komagnie in the
Regiment. This colourcoding system will be
covered in other parts
of this Handbuch.
Gefreiter
Gemeiner and
Gefreiten
Gefreiten M.1907/1910 w e r e
n o t
Brandenburg $uff
noncommissioned officers;
rather, the rank was a sort of
“trusted private” to whom some
Gemeiner and
Gefreiten 1. Komp.
Troddel
Gemeiner and
Gefreiten National Korkade on the left,
Prussian on the right.
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leadership responsibilities
could be given. Gefreiter was
afforded those who, in the
peacetime Army, had exhibited
leadership traits which
marked them as possible future
noncommissioned officers.
They were the best among the
Gemieiner of any given yearly
“class,” and were promoted
at, or near, the second year of
their two-year conscription.
Only Gefreiten were
allowed to reenlist
as aspirants for the
status of Berufsoldat
(career soldier; following
Gefreiterknopf
reenlistment, they became
NCO candidates.) The number of Gefreiten permitted in a unit
was governed by the table of
organization, and individuals
could be promoted to the
rank provided they were
deemed qualified by the
company (battery, squadron)
commander and “billets”
were available. During
the war, individuals
deemed qualified
could be promoted to Gefreiter in excess
of available slots—these were known
as uberzälige Gefreiten ( literally,
“excess Gefreiters”). In either case, the
promotion came with a small pay
raise. Gefreiten were identified by
the wear of a small button (called a
were difficult and time
consuming to train, so an
extra year was added to
the time of conscription).
The rank was conferred
on those Gefreiten who,
at or near the beginning
of the third active year
continued to display
outstanding performance
and potential. The
Obergefreiter wore the
Sergeantenknopf
Sergeantenknopf (sergeant’s
button) on both sides of the collar; it was the same design
as the Gefreiterknopf, though noticeably larger. The
Obergefreiter’s status was the same as that of a private
or Gefreiter.
Noncommissioned OfficerS
Clip orig pix Gefreiter
Gefreiterknopf bearing the state symbol [an eagle
in Prussia]) worn on both sides of the Rock
or Bluse collar. Other privates were not
Gemeiner and
obligated to address them “Herr
Gefreiten 1. Komp.
Gefreiter” as they were themselves
Troddel
“privates.”
Obergefreiter
This rank existed
only in the artillery
in recognition
of that branch’s
three year active
Gemeiner and service requirement
Gefreiten National Korkade on the left, ( t h e t e c h n i c a l
Prussian on the right. skills associated
with the artillery
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Methods—7
Rock collar
with Uffz. Treße
Unteroffizier.2
This was the lowest ranking noncommissioned officer
in the Imperial Army. In peacetime, those Gefreiten who
were deemed NCO material and re-enlisted became NCO
candidates. Following selection and training in the unit,
they were eventually sent to one of the Unteroffizierschulen
(NCO Academies) to complete their training as NCOs and,
upon return to the unit, were promoted Unteroffizier
following a short probationary period. Though the
training was spottier (and not as leisurely), the system was
generally maintained during the war.3
Unteroffiziere were immediately recognizable as NCOs
by the use of Treße (metallic lace) or Borte (tape) on the
uniform. For infantry units, Treße was in the color of the
Rock buttons—either gold or silver. It was applied down
the front and entirely around the lower edge of the stand
and fall collar worn by the infantry, by regulation, 8mm
from the piping. On the early style tunic with Brandenburg
cuffs, a single band was applied along the top of the cuff
and tangent to the front side of the cuff patch. On later
2 Great care in examining German language sources must be exercised
regarding the use of the word Unteroffizier, which has two distinct meanings.
Unteroffizier was a specific rank—the lowest ranking NCO in the German
army—as well as being the name for the entire class of personnel (ranking
from Unteroffizier to Feldwebel inclusive) called “noncommissioned officers” in
English.
3 The Germans generally included a “cooling off” period as an integral
part of their training programs. This usually consisted of the individual being
returned to his unit as an “approved candidate” or “graduate,” with final
promotion being delayed until the approval authority had-had sufficient time
to consider and deal with any reservations he might have. The Germans accepted that, occasionally, a commander had second thoughts, even over those
who had successfully completed training. Commanders were encouraged not
to promote anyone unless they were one hundred percent certain it was the
right move. This philosophy carried over into wartime in that, unlike some other
armies, the Germans did not believe in “battlefield promotions.” Their view
was that it was far better to have, e.g., a Sergeant commanding a company
than to promote an unqualified individual to Leutnant just to have the “right
rank for the position.” NCOs, e.g., could apply for and obtain commissions as
reserve officers, but only after undergoing the required courses. In the German
Army it was really not possible to “come up from the ranks” in the sense most
understand.
8—Methods
style tunics with turnback cuffs, though sometimes
sewn completely
around the top of
the cuff, NCO trim
was most often
omitted on the
cuffs. The practice
of “abbreviating”
the application to
a small bit of lace
applied only to
the front and first
few centimeters
of the collar, as
well as a short
piece on each cuff
originated because
the Treße was
extremely bright
and too easily seen.
Original ersatz After 21 September
Original gold
“paper-cloth" 1915, Treße was
woven pre-war
Treße—late- discontinued and a
Treße
war.
new, less brilliant
Borte, usually
made of artificial silk (called Rayon after 1924) in various
shades of silver-grey or tan, was introduced. NCOs were
ordered to change out their lace for the new tape as it
became available. In most
cases, the less-obtrusive tape
seems to have introduced a
trend back to full application
( i.e., completely around the
collar, which was what the
regulations specified), though
the abbreviated version
is encountered in period
photographs. Abbreviated
application of NCO trim
on the turnback cuffs of
later Röcke and Blusen, not
withstanding the drawings
found in Osprey’s The
M.1910 Rock sleeve
German Army 1914-18, if
with Uffz. Treße
done at all, appears to have
been extremely rare based
on available photographic evidence.
The Unteroffizier also wore the Unteroffiziertroddel
( NCO bayonet tassel ) in place of the enlisted version.
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Unlike the latter, the NCO tassel was
executed in the state colors and denoted
the individual’s ranks status vice his
company. For Prussian Unteroffiziere,
the strap was white with three narrow
black bands along either edge; the slide
and stem were both covered in white
material with rows of black zigzags;
the “pom” was made of intermingled
white and black yarn; and the tassels
were white. All personnel beginning
at Unteroffizier up to and including
Generalmajor were addressed by
subordinates as “Herr... (rank).” In Jäger
formations, the special title Oberjäger
was used instead of Unteroffizier.
Visored Dienstmütze with NCO Kokarden
Sergeant
The Sergeant’s uniform was the same
as that of an Unteroffizier with the
addition of the larger Sergeantenknöpfe at either side
of the collar. He likewise wore the Unteroffiziertroddel.
Unteroffiziere and
Sergeanten as a group
constituted what in the
US Army are referred
to as “junior
Fähnric
Sergeantenknopf
NCOs.” Contrary to popular
belief, this class of individuals
could wear the normal
enlisted Feldmütze, though
the option seems to have
been only rarely exercised.
Instead, most appear to
have spent the money
and outfitted themselves
with the optional visored
Dienstmütze, upon which
they displayed smaller
stamped cockades painted
in the state and national
colors; these were pinned
to the cap with wire.
Fähnriche were officer candidates. Individuals who
had not attended one of the military academies but were
accepted upon application as officer aspirants entered
the military as a volunteer and underwent training as
a private; during this
period they were known
as Fahnenjunker.4
Upon confirmation
of selection following
the required training,
the Fahnenjunker
was named Fähnrich
and served in an NCO
position in the unit,
the Germans believing
that in order to be a
successful leader,
one must first know
his subordinates’
responsibilities.
The Fähnrich wore
the uniform of an
Officer’s Portepeé
Unteroffizier, but had
the distinctions of
wearing officers’ cockades and the officers’ Portepeé (see
below).
4
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From the old practice of having aspirant officers carry the battalion colors.
Methods—9
Vizefeldwebel (Vizewactmeister)
The Vizefeldwebel/wachtmeister (the latter
title was exclusive to the
cavalry and artillery) wore
the same uniform and
uniform distinctions as a Sergeant, his exact rank being
denoted by two subtle but important differences. As a
senior NCO, the Vizefeldwebel/-wachtmeister wore the
officers’ Portepeé on his side arm5 and utilized officerquality cockades on
his cap. The Portepeé
differed considerably
from the Troddel; the
strap was of black
leather with three silver
wire “stripes” along its
length, and the Portepeé
ended in a wooden ball
with a stem, both of
which were covered in
silver wire. In Prussia,
the cockades were
made of two separate
pieces—a fiberboard
or leather serrated
backing and a separate
ring with a center hole,
Officer’s Portepeé usually of silvered or
nickeled brass. In the
center of the ring, the “third
color” (either black or red, the latter
for the Reichskokard) was achieved
by placing a piece of wool or felt
between the
components
b e f o r e
assembling
the cockade.
Feldwebel/Wactmeister
M.1910 Rock sleeve
with Vzfw. Treße
Allegedly, there was one per
company, battery or squadron, and
he was what we know as a “Company
First Sergeant.” By title, he was
officially known as the etatsmäßiger
Feldwebel/Wachtmeister.6
5 As a rule, senior NCOs wore the Seitengewehr (side arm, meaning
“bayonet”) in the field during the war. For formal occasions, parades, etc., they
carried the officers’ sword/saber with Portepeé (in the case of the infantry,
the Infantry Officers’ Degen). While officers wore the sword suspended from
beneath the tunic, senior NCOs wore it suspended externally from the uniform
belt. Fähnriche wore the officers’ sword untergeschnallt, i.e., suspended from
beneath the tunic like an officer.
6 Etat is a “budget,” and mäßig means, roughly, “in conformity with”; taken
together, this seems to convey a meaning of “authorized” Feldwebel according
to the unit payroll. It also begs the question of whether, like Gefreiten, there
were perhaps “excess” Feldwebel?
10—Methods
The Feldwebel/Wachtmeister
wore the same distinctions as a
Vizefeldwebel/wachtmeister ( i.e.,
officer’s sidearm knot and cockades), but
had the distinction of a second ring
of NCO trim around each cuff. Given
this status (and the fact he was not really
a front line soldier), this double ring
of trim was
likely the
Feldwebel Treße r u l e m o r e
so than
the exception with any form of
tunic, allowing the individual
to unmistakably display his
rank. In lieu of cuff rings, as
Sergeantenknopf
a way of denoting their rank
some individuals opted—against
regulations—to wear the special insignia for Feldwebel
used on the Litweka7,three point-down Treße chevrons
worn on the left sleeve.
Offizierstellvertreter
In wartime, NCOs entrusted to perform junior officer
duties (but who lacked the qualifications to become an officer) were
promoted to the rank of “acting officer.” Classified as
NCOs, these individuals wore the same uniform as a
Vizefeldwebel, but with the added distinction of special
shoulder straps. These straps were of plain feldgrau
material with the appropriate Waffenfarbe trim.
Instead of the red embroidered
numbers/ciphers of the usual
strap, Offizierstellvertreter wore
the metal numbers/ciphers
worn by commissioned officers.
Additionally, the strap was
bordered along the outside long
edges and pointed end with NCO
Treße or Borte. Theoretically,
these individuals were otherwise
to wear the issue enlisted
uniform, though it appears some
“liberties” were occasionally
taken, the wearing of officer legand foot-wear being tolerated
to some extent. It was also a
common “trick” to have the
shoulder straps made narrower
than usual; in this way, the NCO
trim almost met in the center
and afforded the impression of
Offizierstellvertreter
an officer’s board—at least from
Achselklappen
a distance.
7 In the pre-war army, NCOs and men who wished to were permitted to
purchase Litewkas for informal off-duty wear. The enlisted version was made
of slate grey wool, had plain “barrel” cuffs, stand-and-fall collar, slit hip pockets,
and a fly front. In many respects it was the forerunner of the Bluse introduced
in 1915.
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Subalternoffiziere
Feldwebel-Leutnant
Another wartimeonly rank, these individuals were retired
Feldwebel8 who were
recalled to active duty
to perform officer duties, thereby freeing
up younger officers
for troop duty. Unlike the Offizierstellvertreter, FeldwebelLeutnante were classified as belonging
to the officer ranks.
Promotion above this
rank, appointment
as a regular officer,
or retention after the
cessation of hostiliA young Feldwebel-Leutnant
ties were not possible.
Feldwebel-Leutnante
wore a mixture of the officer and NCO uniform. In general, they wore the same uniform styles as officers, but
had the distinctions of a Vizefeldwebel (i.e., NCO trim and
Seargeantenknöpfe) in addition to the wear of lieutenant’s
shoulder boards (see below). They used officer-quality cockades and carried the officers’ sidearm/sword and wore the
Portepeé.9 They also wore the offices’ belt, at first made
of silver brocade with (in Prussia) two black stripes and a
circular buckle with Wilhelm II’s cipher in the center.
After September 1915, the belt was changed to brown
leather and the buckle was “subdued” to a grey or olive
finish. Whereas most Offizierstellvertreter performed functions in combat units, Feldwebel-Leutnante seem to have
been employed more often in headquarters and units in
the Etappe (rear zone).
8 In the peacetime German Army, an enlisted career lasted 12 years, and
ended with the rank of Feldwebel. The individual received a small pension but
was entitled to preferred acceptance into government service with the police,
civil service, etc. One popular option was to apply back to the Army for appointment as part of the Administrative Corps (Beamtenkorps) which provided services to the army (e.g., as paymasters, supply depot administrators, ordnance
specialists, etc.)
9 After the first few months of conflict, officers were ordered to cease
wearing their swords. In their place, the short bayonet—the 84/98; it was this
version which was universally carried in WWII—was selected. Made in various
finishes, officers often carried a nickeled version. It was theoretically supposed
to be functional so that, should the officer need a rifle, he could take one from
a wounded soldier and would have the capability to affix his bayonet. With the
Portapeé attached, the bayonet was, however, far more a symbol of rank than
a weapon. Photographs sometimes show officers wearing the earlier “feather
bayonet”—perhaps done during the “transition period” away from the sword
when the shorter version was not readily available. It also became popular to
substitute a small dagger or trench knife, usually worn with the Portepeé.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Leutnant
Lieutenants wore multi-piece cap cockades; the
officers’ belt; officers’ sidearm/sword; and the Portepeé.
Shoulder boards were constructed of two rows of silver
braid laid side by side, forming an inverted “U,” and sewn
to a cloth backing.
State colors were
indicated as
regularly spaced
chevrons woven
into the braid; in
Prussia, single
black chevrons
were used. After
September 1915,
the braid was
changed to matte
grey, and the use of
double chevrons—
Prussian Officer’s Belt buckle
one white and one
black—was begun. The cloth
backing, initially in the Korps
color (there were exceptions), was
changed after September
1915 to white for most
infantry regiments (again, some
exceptions remained). Initially,
the numbers/ciphers10 and
stars (see below) were of brass.
The unit numbers or cipher
were placed in the center
of the board. After the 1915
regulation change, they were
supposed to be “subdued”
by being lacquered a dark
brown, or being painted grey
or olive. Often, after that
date, they were made of pot
metal vice the earlier brass.
As with enlisted uniforms,
standardization was difficult,
and bright metal on subdued
boards was not uncommon;
they appear to have used
whatever they had. All
officers, from Lieutenant
Prussian Leutnant’s to Colonel wore the same
shoulderboard uniform.
10 Officers assigned to regimental duties wore the unit numbers or cipher.
Those assigned to higher level commands generally wore the regimental
uniform and designations. Some assignments—specifically assignment to
the General Staff, War Ministry, Military Cabinet, or as Aides de Camp to high
ranking officers/officials—had specific uniforms, and unit numbers or ciphers
were generally not worn with these.
Methods—11
board majors used. It was placed below the number/
cipher.
Oberst
Repeating the star pattern for company grade
officers, Colonels added a second star above the
numbers or cipher.
Shoulder Boards, from left to right, Major, post 1915, J.R.56; Leutnant,
post 1915, Füs.R.86; Hauptmann, pre 1915, I.R.9; Offizierstellvertreter,
pre 1915, GrenR.2. The latter strap displays the Treße as worn on earlier
uniform pieces. The Major’s strap is for the right shoulder.
Oberleutnant
Orig pix plus
more colour clip
of rank insignia
First Lieutenants added a single Stern (star—often called
a “pip” in English language sources) to the lieutenant’s shoulder
board. It was placed at the shoulder end of the board below
the numbers/cipher.
Hauptleute/Rittmeister
Because of his relative importance in the military
structure, the Hauptmann (Rittmeister in the cavalry) was
categorized into a singular rank category. Captains wore
the same distinctions a subalterns, but added a second
Stern to each shoulder board. The first star was below,
and the second was added above the numbers or cipher.
Stabsoffiziere
Major
Majors wore the same uniform as junior officers, but
from this grade up used a plaited shoulder board. For field
grade officers, the braid—of the same design, but slightly
thinner than that used for company grade officers—was
twisted into a pattern which displayed five “bends” along
the outer edges. Post September 1915 straps maintained
the same form, but used two narrow braids sewn together
in place of the one wider one. The straps were made in
pairs, with the buttoning loop different for each shoulder;
the braid coming from the top of the board was supposed
to be placed at the rear. Photographic evidence shows
many examples of field grade boards being worn “on the
wrong shoulders.” Numerals and ciphers were as for other
officers (fig.4).
Oberstleutnant
Lieutenant Colonels added a single pip to the same
12—Methods
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Generalmajor had no star. A Generalmajor was addressed
as “Herr Generalmajor.”13
Generale
Generalmajor
Brigadier Generals wore the same basic uniform as
commissioned officers, though the details of the Rock and
Blouse were distinct. Most noticeably, general officers’
tunics displayed breast pocket flaps. To the collar,
Prussian generals
added red patches
with golden stylized
comets embroidered
on them11. General
officers also added
Besatzstreifen (trim
stripes—sometimes
called Lampassen ) to
all trousers. About
4 cm. in width and
made of ponceau red wool, one was added at each side
of the trouser/breeches seam piping.12 After September
1915, the collar patches worn with the field uniform
were changed to feldgrau and general officers serving
with combat formations
were, theoretically, to
wear breeches without the
Besatzstreifen (both of these
changes were probably almost
universally ignored). General
officers repeated the Stern
system of the company
and field grade officers on
their own shoulder straps.
The latter were made of
three strands of metallic
braid. The central braid
was silver and woven in
the same “Russia braid”
pattern as that used on
other officer’s shoulder
boards; for Prussian
Generals, it had regularly
spaced black chevrons. On either side of this were round
gold cords. The braid was arranged similar to the shoulder
boards of field grade officers and mounted on a ponceau
backing. Because of their larger size, general officer
shoulder boards had only four vice the five “bends” of
the Stabsoffiziere. Additionally, the ponceau backing was
actually smaller than the plaited braids and did not show
from beneath as did the Waffenfarbe of other officers. Like
field grade boards, they came in matched pairs. Generals
did not wear numerals or ciphers on their boards, and the
11 Known as “Alt Larisch” embroidery, it had been the pattern with which
officers’ buttonholes of Infantrieregiment 24 were laced during the reign of
Fredrick II (the Great). Unlike the collar patches of soldiers and other officers,
generals’ collar tabs were part of their rank insignia.
12 Staff officers assigned to the War Ministry and General Staff wore similar
stripes in karmin (carmine), while staff officers assigned to the Kaiser’s Military
Cabinet wore the same ponceau stripes as a general.
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Generalleutnant
Major Generals added a single silver star to each board.
He, and all subsequent general officers, were addressed
as “Eure Exzellenz” (“Your Excellency”).
General einer Waffengattung. Only three
classification of this rank existed: General der Infanterie;
General der Kavallerie; and General der Artillerie. They
wore two silver stars arranged one above the other on
each board.
Generaloberst. Full Generals wore three silver stars
on each board. Two were placed side by side on the lower
end of the board, while the third was centered above
them. There also existed a rank known as Generaloberst
mit dem Range eines Feldmarschalls. This rank utilized
four silver stars arranged in a rectangle. It was conferred
on those Generalobristen serving as GFMs who could not
legitimately be “promoted” to that rank.14
Generalfeldmarscall
GFMs wore crossed silver Marshal’s batons on
the shoulder boards; they were an accurate representation of the actual baton conferred on them
by the Kaiser. In addition, they carried the baton,
which constituted part of their rank insignia. For
formal occasions, they employed the actual baton,
which was approximately a foot and a half long.
Covered in purple velvet with golden end caps,
small enameled Iron Crosses and Hohernzollern
Eagles were interspersed along the shaft. For
other duties, an Interimstab (interim baton—also called
a Reitstock (riding crop)) was carried. This was a brown
wooden staff with a large metallic silver-and-gilt
pommel and tip. There was a representation of
the imperial crown on the top of the pommel,
and a raised Garde eagle on the sides. Attached
below the pommel was a silver and black twist
cord lanyard which ended in a tassel.
13 German practice was similar to British custom—though both the Brigadier
and Generalmajor were general officers, they were addressed differently from
the other ranks. (In British custom, major generals and above are addressed
as “General” while it is considered bad form to address a Brigadier as anything
but “Brigadier.”)
14 In order to legitimately be named a GFM in the German Army (as in most
others), one had actually to have won a major battle or campaign. Von Hindenburg, e.g., was created Field Marshal for his victory at Tannenburg in 1914.
Because of the number of years between the Franco-Prussian war and WWI,
few met the requirement before the war broke out and most peacetime GFMs
were, in fact, “acting” Generalobristen.
Methods—13
Military Courtesy:
there were three rifle companies and one heavy weapons
company containing mortars and heavy machine guns.
The German Army was very “correct”, and military
courtesy was usually strictly observed. The following are
the important elements for the reenactor to learn:
Regiment (Regiment): Two or three battalions made
up the regiment along with some specialized companies,
commanded by an Oberst.
Saluting: In the German army, both officers and Unteroffizier mit Portepeé (Vizefeldwebel and above) were saluted.
Division (Division): The various battalions and regiments of different arms of service were combined in the
Division.
Hats, helmets: Remove caps while indoors unless on
duty. The level of preparedness of a German soldier on
duty was indicated by his headgear. If he came up to you
bareheaded, he probably just wanted to talk. If he came
up to you with his cap on (indoors), he is probably on official business. If he came up to you with his helmet on,
he means action; perhaps he is there to arrest you, or the
outfit is preparing for battle.
Address: NCOs are addressed as “Herr ... (UnterofOfficers are also addressed in the
same manner.
fizier, Sergeant, etc..)”
Organization of the
Military:
The prewar German military was organized
into xxx branches: The Heer (Army) and the
Marine (Navy).
The Army itself was further divided into two
main components: The Ersatzarmee (Replacement Army) and the Feldarmee (Field Army).
The first one was the component which trained,
convalesced, and processed soldiers for the second
one which comprised the combat elements.
The basic sub-divisions of a German military
unit were much like their US counterparts, with
only the names different. The basic infantry units
were as follows:
Gruppe (Squad): 9 men made up a squad,
which was normally led by an Unteroffizier.
Zug (Platoon): 3 Gruppen plus a platoon troop
normally made up a Zug, normally commanded by
a Leutnant (for the first platoon in a company),
or some grade of Feldwebel.
Kompagnie (Company): 3 Züge plus a company
HQ made up a Kompanie, normally commanded
by either an Oberleutnant or Hauptmann. In the
Füsilier Company, there were 3 rifle platoons,
one heavy-weapons company, and an infantry
howitzer platoon.
Batallion (Battalion): For the various arms,
a number of companies would make up the battalion, normally led by a Major. Another name
for these, especially amongst non-infantry units,
was Abteilung. In the typical infantry battalion,
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The Basic Infantry
Weapons
Infanteriewaffen
The Gewehr 98 (the “Mauser”) was the basic weapon of the
German Army and one which was familiar to all of Germany’s servicemen. The following is a condensed version
of what the recruit would have been required to know:
Basic Parts (including serial number)
Dissassembly & Cleaning: In our group, the member has
to be able to disassemble the bolt and dismount the floorplate. Further disassembly is not necessary. To clean his
weapon, the Landser was issued a small
cleaning kit which contained a brush,
an oil can and a cord-type pull-through.
The Gewehr 98 was also issued with a
Seitengewehr (bayonet).
Other rifles occasionally seen in the
hands of the Landser would have included
the Kar98AZ carbine and the Gewehr 88.
Marksmanship instruction was called
Schießlehre. The trainee would fire a
certain number of rounds from various
positions and ranges and would have the
results logged in a small book called a
Schießbuch.
Pistols were meant as a self-defense
weapon for soldiers who did not carry a
rifle or sub-machine gun. Many different
types were used, including many foreign
models. The primary models were the
P.08 “Luger” and the C.96 “Broomhandle”
Mauser. Typical soldiers who carried
pistols included machine gunners and
their assistant artillerymen and mortar
crewmen.
There were many types of grenades
among the most common were the small
ovoid “egg” grenades, and the infamous
“potato masher” stick grenade.
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Methods—15
Closed Order Formations and Marching
Individual Drill and the
Manual of Arms
Gesclossene Ordnung Marsch
Einzelausbildung ohne Gewehr,
Gewehrgriffe
There were two elementary close formations: The Reihe
(rye-eh), and the Linie (lin-yeh). The Reihe was a line with
the men facing front-to-back, and the Linie was a line with
the soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder. The interval
when in Reihe was called Abstand and was 80cm, and
when in Linie it was called Zwischenraum and unless
otherwise ordered was with the elbows just touching on
each man. In each formation the end man on the right (or
front) was called the Flügelman (in open order called the Anschlußman); the lines always formed on him.
Individual Drill
Einzelausbildung
These would be the “positions of the soldier”, or the
basic commands the recruit would have to master before
training in groups or with weapons.
Raustreten! (ROWS-trayten)—Everbody out! This
was used to get recruits out of the classroom or barracks.
The command to dress the ranks (to the right) is Richt
Euch! (You might hear it as Nach rechts, richtet
EUCH!) Everyone except the Flugelman turns his head to
the right and dresses the ranks. Heads remained turned
until Augen gerade-aus! is commanded.
Stillgestanden! (SHTILL-guh-stahnden)—Heels
togther, toes pointed out at not quite a right angle. Shoulders squared. Arms are thrown slightly forward, with
the hands flat, with the middle finger resting against the
trouser seam. Eyes forward.
The normal command for eyes right (or left) is Augen
rechts! The head should be turned smartly. The command for eyes front is Augen gerade-aus!
Rührt Euch! (ROOORT oik)—Left foot slightly forward,
body at rest. Talking is still forbidden.
The German command for forwards, march, is Marsch!
This may be prefixed with a particular command such
as Ohne Tritt (route step), Gleichschritt (march step), or
Laufschritt (double time). The standard German marching
cadence was 114 steps per minute.
The German command for right (or left) turn was Rechts
(Links) schwenkt, Marsch!. The leading man or rank
commences the turn on the Marsch command.
Links, um! (leenks OOM)—Left face.
Rechts, um! (reckts OOM)—Right face.
Kehrt, um! (kairt OOM)—About face. In the German
Army, this is done by turning to the left.
Hinlegen! (heen-laygun)—Lie down.
Auf! (OWF)—Get up.
Laufen/gehen/halt (lowfen/gayun/hahlt)—run, walk,
stop.
Other Exercises:
There were also a number of physical training exercises
which were common to the German trainees. One was
called the Kniebeugen (k’-nee-boy-gen), or knee bends.
This exercise was usually done with a rifle in the following
manner: From a standing position, the rifle is grasped in
both hands and held horizontally in front of the chest. On
the first count, the rifle is pushed away from the body as
the knees are bent until the soldier is squatting on his
haunches and the rifle is held at arm’s length. On the
second count, the soldier rises up and pulls in the rifle.
This completes one Kniebeugen. This exercise was the
German version of our push-ups, and was used in much
the same manner.
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Selection@ from the
German
Drill Regulation@
of 1906
Taken from the US War Department translation
of the 1906 German Army drill regulations.
Members should study this booklet and practice the movements individually, at home, between the events. With the aid
of this booklet, the member will learn the basics of German close-order drill (and really all he needs to know—just like the original
Frontsoldaten, who were taught only the basics). Practice in front of a mirror!
It works best if you read through this booklet first. Then, practice these movements in front of a mirror until they become
“second-nature”—do this BEFORE you get to the event. All of this “mirror-study” will insure that we do not have to spend more
than a minimum amount of time on the basics, but instead can simply work on our timing, details of the movements, etc. This
practice will also ensure that we do not catch you unawares with some feature of the German drill.
Rudolf Weiß
Sergeant and Training Officer, 1./Inf.Rgt. 23
drill clip here
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Methods—17
Grundstellung
 The Basic Position is called „Grundstellung“
[groont-shtay-loong] (figure-1): Either at the command: Achtung!—Stillgestanden! [ahk-toong…
shtill-ge-shtaanden] (Attention) or if fallen-in at Angetreten! [ahn-gah-trayten]: The man observes silence.
He stands in place, with his heels as near each
other as his conformation permits. The toes are
turned out equally, the feet forming nearly a right
angle. The weight of the body rests equally on
the heels and the balls of the feet. The knees are
straight without stiffness [do NOT lock your knees].
The upper part of the body is upright, the chest
thrown out moderately; the shoulders are at the
same height and slightly thrown back, but not
raised. The arms hang without constraint; the
elbows are slightly bent and carried somewhat
forward. The hands touch the thigh with the
palms and points of the fingers. The fingers are
joined and bent naturally with the little finger
touching the seam of the trousers. The neck is
held free and without restraint. The head is
erect, the chin slightly drawn in, and the eyes
directed straight to the front.
 Attention with arms: The piece is to be
vertical, the sling to the front, the butt close to
the right foot, the heel of the butt being on line
with the toes. The right arm is extended and
both elbows are at the same height. The right
hand grasps the barrel or hand guard (depending
on the size of the man), the other fingers being bent
naturally but joined [like holding a taco], index and
middle fingers resting upon the rifle sling.
 Ruhrt Euch! [roohrt…oik] (at ease): The left foot
is advanced and planted solidly. The man is
permitted to move, but not allowed to speak
without permission.
As you can see, the left figure is the position done correctly “Richtig” and the right
one, wrong i.e. “Falsch”
Wendung (facing movements)
 Rechts—um! [reckts…oom] (Links—um! [leenks…oom]) (right & left face):
Pressure is exerted on the ball of the left foot while the left heel
is somewhat, raised, and the body is turned about 90 degrees
to the right. The right heel, upon which the weight of the body
rests, pivots in-position, the right toes being somewhat raised.
The left foot leaves the ground and after the facing is completed
is placed smartly by the right. Hips and shoulders take the new
direction at the same time as the feet.
Rechts-um!
18—Methods
Links-um!
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Das Gewehr…über! (left Shoulder Arms)
 Das Gewehr…über! [dass gahvair…ew-bair] (Shoulder arms): This
movement is done in five counts, and only the hands and
arms must move; the body stays absolutely rigid.
The command is: Das Gewehr…über!
Fig. 1—Grundstellung
Fig. 2—The right hand raises the piece and brings it vertically, barrel to the right, in front of the center of the
body, lower band [the wider one] at the height of the collar.
The left hand grasps the piece immediately below the
right [the left hand covering the rear sight].
Fig. 3—The right hand then grasps (and covers) the magazine
well about two finger breadths above the bolt handle.
The thumb lies extended along the stock [perpendicular
to the rear sight].
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Fig. 4—Simultaneously, the right hand raises the piece
to the left shoulder and rotates the piece, barrel to
the front. The left hand then grasps the butt in such
a manner that the heel lies between the thumb and
index finger, and the palm as well as the ends of the
fingers are pressed against the flat part of the butt. The
piece lies parallel with the blouse buttons, the ball of
the bolt about the height of the second button of the
blouse. The butt is held immediately in front of the
left cartridge box.
Fig. 5—The right arm smartly resumes its position at the
side.
Methods—19
Gewehr ab! (Order Arms)
This movement is done from the „Das
Gewehr… über“, and again, the body
must stay absolutely rigid.
The command is: Gewehr—ab! [gahvair…
ahp] (order arms):
Fig. 1—The left hand simultaneously
drops the butt toward the left
thigh, turning it slightly toward
the body, the right hand grasps
the piece at the height of the
shoulders, the elbow pressed
slightly downward.
Fig. 2—The right hand carries the
piece in a vertical position
across the body, turns it slightly
outward, and permits the piece
to slide through the hand if the
height of the man requires it.
The thumb lies behind the barrel or hand guard. The left arm
then resumes its position at the
side. The butt is placed even
with the toe of the boot.
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„Achtung... präsentiert das—Gewehr!“
(Present Arms)
The command is: „Achtung... präsentiert das—Gewehr!“
[ahk-toong pray-zenteert dah-s-s…gahvair] (present arms):
Fig. 1—The „das Gewehr über“ position.
Fig. 2—At the command: „Achtung!“ The left hand
rotates the piece to the right (so that the man can
still, with the left eye, look straight ahead on the right side
of the piece [barrel side]) and at the same time, the
right hand grasps the small [wrist] of the stock
with the thumb toward the body.
Fig. 3—The left hand grasps the piece so that the
end of the thumb, which lies extended along
the rear sight, is even with the front end of the
sight, and together with the right hand smartly
turns the barrel toward the body; the fingers of
the right hand are placed extended immediately
below the guard on the small of the stock, thumb
below the lock [cocking piece]. Simultaneously, the
piece is lowered so that the lower band is at the
height of the collar, the stock touching the right
forward edge of the left cartridge box. The left
forearm forms almost a right angle with the upper arm. Lastly, the barrel should be directly in
front of the left eye.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Methods—21
For Rendering
Honors, the
Command is:
 The inspecting officer must be looked-at as he “troops the line.”
First, the men are at „Präsentiert—das Gewehr!“ position.
When honors are necessary, the command is:
 Augen—Rechts (die Augen—Links) Eyes right (left) must be
added. The man follows the inspecting officer with his
eyes, turning his head for the purpose, until the inspector
is opposite the third man past him, then he snaps his head
straight back to the front.
 Then, to recover from „Präsentiert…“, the command is:
Gewehr—Über! (shoulder arms from the present) is given: The left
hand turns the piece so the barrel is toward the right, the
right hand grasps the magazine about two finger breadths
above the ball of the bolt in such a manner that the thumb
lies extended along the stock, and raises the piece as far as
necessary to bring it to the lift shoulder as in the normal
„Das Gewehr über“ movement.
der Gruß
(the Salute)
While rendering honors without arms, a
Gruß (hand salute) must be rendered. When
the senior comes within six (6) paces, the
Soldat gives the Gruß and holds it until he
is past the senior.
The German hand salute does differ
from that of other nations such as the
United States.
The hand is held with the fingers
closed and the outside (heel) of the
hand held at a very slight angle away
from the horizontal with the palm facing out. The forearm is brought smartly
horizontal with the ground with the elbow
at shoulder height—the index and middle
finger are brought to rest under the rim of
the headgear visor.
After the senior returns the Gruß, the
hand is brought sharply back to the side.
[This is all much less complicated than it sounds!]
Real photo of
this here
Bayonet Commands
 Seitengewehr—Pflanzt auf! (fix bayonet) If the man is standing, he draws the bayonet with the left hand, back of the
hand toward the body, from the scabbard, and fixes it in its
support, during which the muzzle of the piece is inclined
about two hand breadths to the front. The bayonet is pressed
down until the click is heard at the catch enters its recess,
and the spring is fully seated.
 Seitengewehr—an Ort! (unfix bayonet): The execution takes
place at the Ruhrt Euch (at ease) position, and usually at
Gewehr ab (the order). The right hand grasps the piece at
the height of the upper band, inclines it about two hand
breadths toward the front, and presses back the catch with
the thumb. The left hand raised the bayonet and places it
in the scabbard, the man looking toward it while so doing.
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Ganze Abteilung—kehrt!
 Ganze Abteilung—kehrt! [gaahn-tzah ahp-tai-loong…kairt]: This
movement is executed by a turn of 180 degrees to the left, on
the heel of the left and ball of the right foot. When the turning
is completed, the right foot is placed smartly by the side of the
left. Again, remember: in the German Army, this movement
is ALWAYS to the LEFT!
Note: This movement is often referred to as “About Face”—in the
American military, it is done to the right, but… a problem occurs in
that the Germans do it the opposite way, to the LEFT. Most Americans
are used to going to the right and there is a natural tendency to do it
this way when hearing (or even thinking) “About face.” I have found that
it helps to always think of this command as: „Kehrt… um“ or „Ganze
Abteilung… Kehrt“
2.
1..
3.
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4.
5.
Methods—23
Land Navigation
Geländedienst
Here are the most important and basic German names for
landmarks:
German
Phoenetic
English
Gebäude
geh-boy-deh
building
Laubbaum
lowb-baum
Weg
vek
Baumreihe
baum-rye-eh
Strasse
strah-seh
Busch
boosh
Dorf
dorf
Buschgruppe
boosh-groo-peh
Graben
grah-ben
ditch
Stein
shtine
stone
Bach
bahk
creek
Mulde
mool-deh
Fluss
flooss
Höhe
hoe-eh
Brücke
bryu-keh
bridge
Waldrand
vald-rand
edge of the wood
See
zee
Dorfrand
dorf-rand
Sumpf
zoomf
Gabel
gah-bell
Waldstück
vald-shtook
Baumgruppe
bowm-groo-peh
Wald
vald
woods
Dorf
dorf
village
Baum
baum
tree
Feld
felt
field
Nadelbaum
nah-dell-baum
Waldecke
valt-eck-eh
deciduous tree
path, small road
line of trees
main road
bush
village
patch of bushes
depression
river
height, hill
lake
edge of village
swamp
road fork
woodlot
group of trees
evergreen
corner of woods
A map is called a Karte
A compass is called a Kompass, and the directions
are called Norden, Osten, Westen, Süden. Oftentimes,
direction is called in Grad (degrees). 0 degrees is north, 90
degrees east, 180 is south, etc.. In the case of indirect-fire
weapons, a finer unit of measure was developed called
Neugrad (mils) which was measured in Strich. 360 degrees
equals 6400 Strich.
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Identification of a Target, Ranging
Ansprechen des Zieles, Entfernungschätzen
Objects in the fore-ground are in the Vordergrund,
and the back-ground is the Hintergrund.
To indicate a position either to the left or right of a
visual reference point, you can use your thumb to give
a relative distance to another person. A Daumenbreite Links (rechts) is one thumb’s width left (or right) of
a certain point when viewed over your thumb held at
arm’s length. A greater distance can be measured with a
Daumensprung. If you are given a point, for example
which is a Daumensprung rechts of a certain tree, hold
your thumb out at arm’s length with your right eye open
and line up the tree on the right side of your thumb. Now
close your right eye and open your left eye. The indicated
point is on the right side of your thumb.
The situation is called the Lage.
The enemy is called the Feind.
The frontline is called the Front.
A pair of binoculars is called a Fernglas, or a Doppelfernrohr.
Range is called Entfernung and is measured in meters
Combat Techniques
Gefechtsdienst
An attack was called an Angriff (ahn-griff), and the
objective was called an Angriffsziel (ahn-griffs-tseel). The
boundaries of a unit’s zone were called Grenzen (gren-zen).
A counterattack (which the Germans are noted for) was
called a Gegenstoss (gay-gen-shtoss).
Defense was called Verteidigung, and a German
commander would typically be asked to halten (meaning
to hold, not to stop) a particular terrain feature or position.
The reserve was called the Reserve (ray-zair-veh).
A breakthrough was called an Einbruch (ein-broohk).
Close combat was called Nahkampf (nah-kahmpf).
An assault troop was called a Stoßtrupp (shtoss-troop).
To entrench was to schanzen (shahn-zen).
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Methods—25
Add some more art/white space.
Fighting in Trenches
by Louis Plack
Leutnant d. Reserve bei 4. Oberschl. Jnf. Regt. Nr. 63
M
uch has been written during the current conflict
regarding the issue of tactical movement on the
battlefield. With the now-apparent demise of
open order warfare in this war, many minds continue to
grapple with the inherent problems and geometries associated with the need to manoeuvre and the imperative to
remain covered against the effects of enemy machine-guns
and artillery. While many brilliant minds have provided
thoughtful insight to the difficult and many-faceted aspects of this dilemma, to my mind, the current discussion1
deals with only half the problem. As it is the task of the
Infantry to close with the enemy by means of maneuver
and destroy, or capture him by means of firepower in close
combat, much has been written about the former, while
the latter tends totally to remain neglected. Too often, a
unit successful at closing with the enemy discovers only
too late their training, though admirably having prepared
them to traverse No-Man’s Land with minimal damage,
has left them totally ignorant of how to press the close
fight to the same degree of success. The following
discussion and examples are drawn from my own
experience as an Infantry Officer in the Western
Theatre of War since late 1914. I trust they may
serve as a point of departure for those interested
in the application of first-hand tactical experience
to real problems encountered on the battlefield.
lose sight of the intent to arrive at a pre-selected point
so as to enter the enemy trenches under conditions
most favorable to the attacker. Entering long, straight
expanses of enemy trench must be avoided as it places
the attacker at an immediate disadvantage; one is faced,
under the most difficult conditions, with great numbers
of enemy defenders who can bring to bear their weapons
against the attacker. Likewise, the entering of enemy
lines at the juncture of trenches or saps is to be avoided
as it presents the defender with more potential enemy
avenues of advance than can adequately be covered by the
forces available. The most promising point of ingress into
an enemy trench is at the point where the trench forms
a “finger” toward our own lines. Upon such a protrusion,
effective fires can be brought to allow close approach and
subsequent gaining of entry against a limited number
of defenders. As well, after entry has been gained, it offers the attacker momentary shelter against the bulk of
enemy forces.
Organization and Training. Before an attack against
the enemy is undertaken, the attacking force must be organized to successfully clear the enemy trenchline when
ingress is achieved. As well, the attacking troops must be
thoroughly trained and rehearsed in executing the actions
In preparing for combat, unit leaders must
ever remember that the desired end effect is the
clearing and seizure of the enemy trenchline and,
thereby, the elimination of all resistance. While
the crossing of the battle area must be planned
and discussed in detail (as well as thoroughly supported by the fires of artillery and machine-guns),
such planning addresses only half the envisioned
battle. Leaders must ensure their soldiers retain
uppermost in the collective consciousness the
Fig. 1. Organization of the Gruppe for combat in trenches, with the Gruppenfühidea that the sole purpose of crossing No-Man’s
rer leading. The arrow denotes the direction of advance.
Land is to close with the enemy so that he may be
decisively defeated at close quarters. The soldiers, even
necessary to successful trench combat.
as they manoeuver across that deadly expanse, must be
a) Organization. The basic and most adaptable unit
contemplating what they shall do when they reach the
for
fighting within trenches is the Gruppe. An effective
enemy line. An ad hoc plan, developed upon arrival by
method
of organization flows from envisioning the Gruppe
those making the traverse without becoming casualty, is
as
analogous
to a snake, which must move through the
bound to fail, for the business of trench clearing requires
trenches.
The
“tongue” which guides the serpent’s moveboth a plan and organization.
ments is the Gruppe’s advance guard; usually the GrupThe Schwerpunkt. The site intended for ingress into
penführer and another experienced Musketier. These will
the enemy trenchline must be carefully chosen lest the
move carefully, weapons at the ready, before the body of
undertaking begin without hope of success. In planning
the snake, “feeling and sensing” the ability of the body
the manoeuver to approach the enemy, one must never
to continue its movement. The teeth of the serpent—
1 For a detailed discussion, see the article entitled: „Toward Restoring
Battlefield Movement,” by Maj. d. Res. Buchrucker published in Truppenpraxis, Vol. III, Number 4, April 1917.
26—Methods
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
which will deal most effectively with its enemies—is the
Grenadier.2 This individual is chosen upon his ability to
accurately and skillfully place grenades consistently where
aimed. While useful in the defense, the ability to hurl
bombs great distances is of little consequence in trench
fighting. Of far more import is the ability to accurately
deliver the grenade to the point where its effects are most
needed. The Grenadier travels immediately behind the
advance guard with rifle slung, so as to leave his hands
free to the accomplishment of his task; he does not carry
the supply of grenades himself as these might hamper his
performance at throwing them. Two stout and experienced
soldiers follow the Grenadier with the Gruppe’s supply of
grenades. Like the poison sacks in the jaw of a serpent,
these feed the venom—in this case, hand grenades—to
the fangs, the Gruppe’s Grenadier. Each of these should
be outfitted with a pair of sandbags joined together by
a string or band whereby they may be worn water-wing
fashion about the base of the neck with the bags resting
beneath the arms, their openings forward. It is in these
bags the Gruppe’s supply of grenades is carried.3 These
individuals travel with weapons slung across the back
immediately behind the Grenadier. Their task is to supply
the Grenadier as needed with grenades in such condition
that he need only ignite the fuse and hurl the bomb without
further preparation. The remainder of the Gruppe follows
the serpent’s head, weapons at the ready, prepared and
trained to make good on such losses as might occur by
moving forward to take the place of fallen Kameraden.
b) Training. Such an organization will only be effective
if each soldier knows by heart not only his own role, but
the tasks of at least one other designated individual in the
Gruppe. Losses will inevitably occur, and the successful
Gruppe will possess the ability to seamlessly replace those
who fall in the fight and continue the momentum of the
attack. Such proficiency can only be achieved by repetitive execution of Gruppe actions after each individual has
been thoroughly drilled in both his primary and secondary
tasks. During this training, it is essential that casualties
be simulated so as to exercise the facility of rapidly replacing individuals who fall during the fighting. As such, it
2 The supremacy of grenades as the most effective weapon for fighting within
trenches cannot be overstated. Just as the machine-gun rules the terrain
above the trenchlines, the grenade is supreme once within the trenches. As
such, hand grenades must be conserved and used where they can effect
maximum influence on the course of battle. Profligate expenditure of this resource, such as the oft-encountered issue of 1 or 2 grenades to each individual
(appropriate in the defense only), must be avoided at all costs in undertaking offensive operations. Grenades must not be wasted in being thrown by
individuals incapable of achieving with them proper effect, nor frittered away in
endeavours of doubtful value, such as being thrown in circumstances in which
advancing troops cannot advance immediately into the momentary devastation
created by the grenade’s blast.
3 In the case of the newer stick hand grenade with screw on safety cap, this
later is removed before the grenades are loaded into the bags so as to avoid
delays in providing a grenade, ready for immediate arming, to the Grenadier.
Removed caps should be placed into the bottom of one of the bags. In the
event all grenades are not exploded, the safety caps of those remaining may
then be replaced to preserve the grenade for future employment.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
is vitally important each member of the Gruppe knows
the objective and intent of the commander’s orders so
that, should leaders become casualties, the Gruppe may
confidently continue to execute the mission. Additionally,
even a Gruppe which is well-trained on these routines
and procedures should, in the planning time available
before an attack, be removed to a practice trench so that
they may rehearse them again to ensure the best possible
chance of the success ensured by smooth coordination
among the Gruppe during the attack.4
Ingress into the Enemy Trench. As the Gruppe approaches the spot at which it has been decided to enter the
enemy trench, the Grenadier shall prepare the forced entry
by throwing one or two grenades into the trench atop its
defenders. To this end, he should carry with him during
the advance a grenade in each hand, thereby not needing
to rely upon being adjacent to an assistant Grenadier and
a ready supply of grenades at this critical juncture. The
Gruppe members must be aware with absolute certainty
how many grenades the Grenadier has thrown; this he
may even consider announcing verbally, for at the detonation of the last grenade, the Gruppe must rise as one and,
with a spirited “hurrah,” hurl themselves into the enemy’s
trench. Any hesitation whatsoever in this step will most
assuredly result in additional and unnecessary casualties.
In the Enemy Trench. The first task upon gaining
the enemy trench is to ensure an efficient and rapid end
to enemy resistance in that trench section. To this end,
the vigorous employment of weapons of close combat
promise the most success in eliminating remaining enemy resistance. Having committed to the trench, under
no circumstances must anyone leave the trenchline; all
subsequent fighting will occur below ground level.
This bit of enemy “real estate” having now been secured,
the Gruppe must, with lightning speed, lest the enemy
have time to regroup and offer resistance, organize itself
into the rehearsed formation and begin operations in the
desired direction so as to take advantage of the full effect of the surprise and shock imposed on the enemy by
the Gruppe’s violent ingress into his trench. This is done
best by placing a rear guard at the first trench juncture
away from the desired direction of advance. This element
has the task of ensuring the enemy does not follow and
4 Two practical notes recommend additionally discussion. Every member of
the Gruppe should be trained to be aware, at all times, of the whereabouts
of the assistant Grenadiers and, therefore, the Gruppe’s supply of grenades.
Should one of these stalwarts fall to enemy fire, particularly during the advance
across No-Man’s Land, his precious cargo of bombs must be recovered and
brought forward lest the Gruppe’s potential for success be proportionately
reduced. Additionally, in deciding secondary task assignments, practical experience indicates that a potential replacement for the Grenadier should not be
an assistant Grenadier, nor should the Grenadier nor assistants be designated
replacements for the Gruppenführer or other Gruppe members. This is so
because of the effort necessitated in changing the tasks of two rather than only
one person. It is instead recommended as more expedient that a casualty be
replaced by another trailing member of the Gruppe without the necessity of two
persons undertaking to change tasks in the heat of battle.
Methods—27
destroy the attacking force.5 Organization of the Gruppe
must take place without the necessity of orders being
given. Each soldier must know his place and be aware of
losses which might have occurred; substitutes must move
smartly and without direction to take the place of fallen
Kameraden. It cannot be overstressed that this must occur
as rapidly as humanly possible, for the enemy’s attention
will surely be unnaturally drawn to this section of trench
now no longer his own. Strong enemy use of grenades
directed toward the point of ingress should be reckoned
with; the only effective prevention against this is to drive
the enemy back from this location as rapidly as possible.
Driving Back the Enemy. The Gruppe advances only
behind the cover of grenades. As the advance guard approaches junctures in the trench line, the Grenadier shall
hurl a grenade or grenades across the trenchline and
into the section occupied by enemy troops. His direction
shall come from the Gruppenführer. As the final explosion
resonates, the advance guard shall round the corner at
the quick-time prepared to engage any enemy remaining by means of rifle fire. This procedure is repeated as
subsequent sections of the trench are cleared in turn. As
a rule, even if the Gruppenführer does not believe there is
enemy around the next bend in the trenchline, he should
nonetheless not deviate from these sensible procedures
and should continue to direct the Grenadier to clear the
enemy side of the bend with bombs before advancing
around the juncture. The cost of a grenade more than
outweighs the security and certainty achieved by this
sensible precaution.
Gruppenführer attempt to rectify his mistake by re-tracing
his route as only confusion can result as the lead Gruppe
attempts to reorient, retake the lead, and continue the
attack. Instead, the lead Gruppenführer must send word
back along the chain that further progress along that route
is not possible. The first Gruppenführer uncommitted
to the false route must then assume the lead along the
proper attack route with his Gruppe so as to maintain the
momentum. As the attack continues with the new lead
Gruppe, those Gruppen committed to the false route shall
reverse direction, passing back through themselves, and,
having regained the main route of advance, follow and
support the lead Gruppe’s attack along the proper route
leading to the specified objective.
Conclusions. As with any lessons learned in others’
experience, the full value is only in that which the observer
can deduce himself from the related account. The aforementioned practices have been successful in the circumstances encountered by the writer. This is not meant to
assert that other methods will not be equally, or perhaps
more successful, nor that these suggestions represent an
immutable formula for the successful conduct of offensive
operations within the enemy’s trenchlines. Rather, they
are presented so that the educated reader may deduce from
them insights which may provide useful in the successful
prosecution of future offensive operations.
Special attention must be given places where
trenches intersect, as the possibility of attack by
the enemy from unexpected directions is to be
reckoned with. At the intersection of two trenches,
the perpendicular trench, at least in the immediate vicinity of the crossing, must be cleared and
secured so as to ensure following elements are not
attacked by surprise from the flank as they advance.
Several Musketiere positioned at the first bend in
these trenches so as to prevent enemy surprise
admirably fulfill this need for security.
Fig. 2. “Turning the corner” in a trenchline. The advance guard destroys by fire
Even the most experienced and seasoned Grupwhat grenades have not decisively rendered hors de combat.
penführer when in the lead may become disoriented
during an attack and discover he has taken a blind
sap, leading his Gruppe to a dead end. As disconcerting as
this discovery may be, under no circumstances should the
5 In the attack of a platoon or company, the task of rear guard may be assigned an entire Gruppe. Consideration should be given to equipping this element with a machinegun which will more effectively ensure their ability to hold
off determined probes or counterattack attempts by the enemy. At a minimum,
consideration ought be given to providing the lead Gruppe extra personnel
from another Gruppe or other Gruppen for the accomplishment of this task
so as not to deplete their ability to conduct the advance. At any time the lead
Gruppe lacks sufficient combat power to continue the attack, the next-following
Gruppe should be passed through to continue the pace of the effort. To this
end, the initiative of junior leaders in being well forward so as to make these
decisions is immeasurably important.
28—Methods
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Gasmaske Stowage
by Rudolf Weiß, 1./Inf.Rgt. 23
T
his article was taken from an original German (probably
Reichswehr??) article that Herrn Kasimir Heska had put
in the old Frontsoldat! The text was translated using
Alta-Vista’s Internet translation website and then corrected by
Dr. Donald Crosby and his Kamerad, Wally Derickson. I’ve also
included the German text instructions for your information.
Eins! Bild a. Die rechte
Hand bringt die Gasmaske
vor die Mitte des Körpers; TStück zwischen Zeigenfinger und Daumen (Daumen
oben), linkes Augenglas
dem Körper zugekehrt.
Atemeinsatz nach unten.
One! Fig. A. The right
hand brings the gas mask
before the center of the
body; T-fitting between
index finger and thumb
(thumb above), left eyepiece facing the body. Filter
downward.
Zwo! Bild b.
Die linke Hand
erfaßt die Maske;
Daumen dicht unter dem linken, die
übringen Finger
unter dem rechten
Augenglas.
Two! Picture b. The left hand
holds the mask; left thumb closely under the left eyepiece,the
other fingers under the right
Drei! Bild c. Die rechte Hand
schlägt das Bandgestell so weit über
die Maske auf den linken Handrücken hinüber, bis das T-Stück glatt
aufliegt.
Three! Fig. c. The right hand moves
the tape rack the over the mask onto
the top of the left hand until the Tfitting sits smoothly.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Vier! Bild d. Die rechte Hand zieht das TStück auf das rechte Augenglas, wo es unter
leichtem Druck mit dem linken Zeigefinger
festgehalten wird.
Four! Fig. d. The right hand pulls the
T-fitting onto the right eyepiece, where
it is held under light pressure with the
left index finger.
Fünf! Bild e. Die rechte Hand legt
das Stirnband von oben über den
Maskenrand hinweg und die Kopfbänder seitlich um die Maske auf das
linke Augenglas, wo sie mit dem linken
Daumen festgehalten werden.
Five! Fig. e. The right hand puts
the front tape from
above past the mask edge and the
head straps laterally around the mask onto the left eyepiece,
where they are held with the left thumb.
Sechs! Bild f. Die rechte Hand erfaßt die Maske
am Kinnteil (Finger innen, Daumen außen). Die
linke Hand klappt das Oberteil der Maske
so auf das Kinnteil, daß das rechte
Augenglas nach oben zeigt; Trageband
(bei der Maske 18 auch Festbinde- und
Nackenband) hängt frei herunter.
Six! Fig. f. The right hand holds the
mask at the chin section (finger inside,
thumb outside). The left hand folds the
upper section of the mask in such a way onto
the chin section that the right eyepiece shows
upward; the carrying strap (in the case of Mask 18
also the lashing and neck strap) hangs down freely.
Sieben! Bild g. Die linke Hand steckt die Maske so in die
Bereitschaftsbüchse daß Trageband auf dem Boden der Bereitschaftsbüchse zu liegen kommt, das Kinnteil gegen den Körper
des Mannes gerichtet und das T des T-Stückes von ihm zu lesen
ist. Die rechte hand klappt den Deckel der Bereitschaftsbüchse
zu, die linke Hand schließt den Flaschenverschluß.
Seven! Fig. g. The left hand puts
the mask into the canister so that the
carrying strap is at the bottom, the
chin section faces toward the body of
the wearer; and the “T” of the T-fitting
is visible. The right hand closes the
cover to of the readiness can, the
left hand secures the latch of the
carrying bag.
Methods—29
Fußlappen sind
wärmer als Socken
(Footwraps are warmer
than socks)
by Johannes Steiner
3./J.R. 124
T
he German Soldat in both World Wars was frequently issued a pair of Fußlappen or footwraps,
in addition to a pair of socks. Many of you have
heard of Fußlappen but don’t know exactly what they
are or how they are worn, or even what they can do for
you. I hope to impart some information on Fußlappen to
you in this article.
Footwraps are simple square or rectangular pieces of
soft, flannel-like wool or wool-blend cloth that are wrapped
around the feet. They may be worn over socks, or less
often, by themselves.
Now I know it sounds absurd to suggest that you wrap
a scrap of cloth over your socks, but not only are they easy
to make, they’re easy to wear, are quite comfortable, and
are also quite warm. At my last WWI event, under my
boots, I wore only a pair of thick Fußlappen and my feet
felt wonderful! Another advantage of Fußlappen is that
you can arrange folds of cloth to protect a sore spot on
your ankle or heel.
A U.S. Army Quartermaster report form WWII states
that among German prisoners, men who wore Fußlappen
in leather boots seldom had trench foot, and that men who
wore only shoes and Fußlappen seemed to be able to keep
their feet warm and dry in any weather.
You can make your Fußlappen out of any sort of fine
flannel material; just cut out two squares about 16-18”
square. You need not hem the edges, just let them fray
out a little.
30—Methods
To wear
To wear the Fußlappen, rotate the square into a diamond
and place your foot on it so that your instep is along a
centerline from top to bottom (fig.1). Your foot isn’t exactly
in the middle, but a little off to one side. Now, fold up the
front (fig. 2), then the inside (fig. 3), then the outside (fig.
4). Now, hold the folded part in place, and stuff your foot
into your Stiefel (boot for the non-German speakers). Unlike
socks, Fußlappen won’t bunch up around your toes, and
they don’t seem to creep around on you at all. In cold
weather you can put a sheet or two of newspaper under
the Fußlappen, to increase your insulation.
Armed with this info, you can now be authentic where
no one can see you! Have fun, and if you can’t make the
Fußlappen work, ask me for help!
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
First World War German
Assault Packs
By Gilles Bernard
from Militaria Magazine, English edition
A
s with other warring nations, the German
staff headquarters had everything planned
before the beginning of the conflict... except
what was actually going to happen! The stalemate
of a war of movement resulted in the armies digging in a murderous confrontation.
Large-scale offensives were now out of the question,
rather, at best, leaps of a few hundred meters or perhaps a few kilometers in extreme cases. These changes,
together with the appalling condition of the terrain on
which the fighting was to take place, led the German
Infantryman to leave his load behind in the
trench in order to carry the bare minimum.
Only in 1918, when the major pushes and
lightning advances resumed, will he take it
with him again (on this subject, see the French edition of Militaria Magazine No. 84).
Plate 1: In an aggressive pose, more likely for a souvenir
photograph then a candid shot, the some man as in Plate
5. The made-up pack is without doubt lightened, but certainly no less cumbersome than the issue knapsack itself.
The salvaged British webbing straps are passed through a
breadbag strap, enabling the Stürmgepäcke to be adjusted
at the shoulders. This strap is gray whilst the other one,
being used as suspenders for the ammo pouches, is of
prewar manufacture and is what is termed “ochre” by collectors. The bread bag strap has thus two distinctive uses,
which initially led to many man picking up a second one.
The quartermaster later responded to this and started
distributing supplementary ones.
Stahlhelm on his head, our Landser wears the
Bluse adopted by the regulations of September
21st, 1915 but which, we should remember, only
began to appear in large quantities
at the front at the end of 1916.
The gray cloth stock protects
the neck. On the chest the
metallic Gummimaske box
which took over from a canvas
haversack. The piped 19110
pattern Feldgrau trousers,
originating from a stock that
remained unissued on
mobilization, are tucked
into the traditional 1866
pattern boots, easily
recognizable by the
side stitches. The menacing bayonet Is a very common Ersatz model. Its sheath is
attached to the Beilpicke (pickhatchet) handle by a leather
loop specially affixed to the tool
carrier.
Background photo: The German infantryman in this photograph
have just been taken prisoner during
the taking of Courcellos In 1918. The
MG 08/15 gunner, still armed, probably wasn’t deluding himself despite
his jubilant look and his cigarette;
he is most definitely captured. After
all, at least for his friends and him,
the war Is over. Also smiling, in the
background, one of the poilus, ARS
gas mask on the chest, seems to be
keeping at bay the entire Landser group with
his Ruby pistol (somewhat light compared to
the formidable 08/15). The machine gunner
and one of the four Feldgrauen, who are
trying to carry 9 wounded men in a tent
section, are wearing the assault pack
most commonly found In the summer of
1918. Strictly speaking, this is no longer
an assault pack, rather a lightened pack.
The tables are turning and the days of
assaults by the Imperial army were over.
Note the light machine gun’s large webbing strap with reinforced leather ends:
also the connecting condenser tube which
the gunner is holding in his right hand.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Methods—31
Plate 1 (left): In this first Image, a grenadier of the 12th
regiment (Prinz Karl von Preussen, 2nd Brandenburg)
wears the assault uniform in use since the beginning of the
war. It is then fairly common to see the gray 1907 or 1901
pattern overcoat worn over the shoulder with the mess tin
strapped around it. The tied ends of the overcoat could also
be placed at the waist. It Is In fact a pack prescribed as part
of the exercise kit for recruits when taking part in obstacle
courses. Completing the equipment is a light brown 1887
model bread bag of prewar manufacture, a 1907 model water
bottle and a 1909 model entrenching tool In Its holder with
two loops. We can see around the collar of the Feldrock the
strap of the Brotbeutel, here acting as suspenders for the
ammunition pouches. The camouflaged helmet cover is worn
back to front. This practice was supposed to render the unit
less easily Identifiable and began in the very first months
of the war. It is not until October 1916 that the highly visible
regimental number, having already changed from red to
green In August 1914, was done away with. Some readers
may have immediately noticed that a small error has crept
In to our reconstruction; In 1914 the 12th grenadiers actually belonged to the 3rd army corps and therefore wore red
piped shoulder straps, not white.
needed to crawl and also made it impossible for him to
lie flat on the ground; these were two major drawbacks
in trench warfare. It therefore became clear as early as
1915 that the pack elements had to be moved to the back
to avoid these problems. However, the wearing across
the chest continued until at least 1916 in certain units.
On the eve of the attack on Verdun these infantrymen
are described in Werner Beumelburg’s book, Douaurnont:
Paraphernalia — the list of which would fill several
pages in the manual — judged indispensable by the prewar
leaders, had to be discarded in favor of the assault pack,
which was much more practical. This subject, already
briefly looked at in two articles (French issue Militaria
Magazine Nos. 65 & 73) now needs a closer study. This
assault pack (Stürmgepäcke) was already in existence
in 1914 regulations as per. In fact, it did not differ from
that previously used in the war of 1870, the greatcoat
being carried over the shoulder together with the tent
section (a new accessory adopted in 1892), the mess tin
strapped to the top. We can notice in the paintings of the
1870 Franco-Prussian war by German artists that the roll
formed by the greatcoat was worn equally with its ‘ends’
at the shoulder or at hip level; these practices continued
into the next conflict. More variations occurred when the
need to completely modify the pack equipment arose.
The Landser used his imagination
This method of carrying the pack as a roll inconveniently
created an irritating hindrance when the infantryman
32—Methods
“Indeed, on this same evening of
February 10th, some of the frontline units of the three German attacking corps leave their Loison and
Othain camps to join their starting
points: infantrymen with assault
packs, overcoat and tent section in
a horsehoe roll, haversack containing two days’ fresh food and two
emergency rations, one hundred and
fifty in the pouches, two or three
stick grenades, a bundle of empty
earth sacks, an entrenching tool,
a gas mask on the belt.”
But, like their opponents, the German soldiers were
imaginative and capable of making the most of their
issued equipment. Once again the Brotbeutel (breadbag)
strap as put to use. Already used as suspenders for the
ammunition pouches, they will also be used to strap the
pack in the manner of a rucksack. Its hooks could easily
be attached to the short straps holding together the various elements that form the Stürmgepäcke.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
The headgear is a 1915 model helmet. The base of the spike,
which can be removed, is visible through the opening of the
camouflaged cover. This is made of a gray substitute cloth of poor
quality, which has a striped appearance due to the visible weft. The
1910 model mess tin is rather loosely secured to the tent section
by a single strap. This is not neglect on our part, rather a desire to
show things as they were. Examination of documents of the time
often show that, in use, the elements forming the Sturmgepäcke
tend to come apart, the mess tin hanging precariously from what
after all remains a makeshift thing, however ingenious it might be.
The German soldier therefore needed two breadbag
straps, which meant that this item was now issued separately from the breadbag itself.
It would be wrong to think that the ‘traditional’ horseshoe layout around the mess tin, firstly because there
were several methods of linking together the mess tin
immediately prevailed, overcoat (or often, blanket) and tent
section. Each man had in total the five short straps associated with the issue knapsack (Tornister), not counting
those picked-up here and there. Two layouts were most
prominent: either the use of the tent section as an covering sack around the personal effects, or that of the ‘roll’,
but this time worn at the back. In order to avoid lengthy
descriptions we should look at the photographs which
illustrate the principal variations of the assault pack.
Plate 2 (above): Another way to wear the pack over the shoulder,
this time attached at the hip with a short strap. The infantrymen
were soon to never be without their tent sections whose multiple
uses rendered them Indispensable; in particular they could be
worn as raincoat, using the tightening tapes provided for his very
purpose. It was much preferred in the continuously damp trenches
to the heavy overcoat which quickly became sodden.
Here the tent section contains the blanket, also more useful
than the overcoat, which is abandoned when the weather permits.
The Brotbeutel is of gray cloth war-time manufacture onto which is
attached an 1893 model water bottle, itself covered in a substitute
gray felt cover. The 1893 model aluminum mug is attached to
the water bottle hook. Our Landser, still equipped with the long
and fragile 1898 model bayonet, decorated with the sword-knot
of the 4th company, has a Beilpicke (pick-hatchet) tool, as do
ten men per company. The strap which passes over the collar
of the Feldrock is the Brotbeutel’s, used as suspenders for the
ammunition pouches. The disadvantage of this method, officially
advocated, is the weight resting the base of the neck; the cervical
vertebrae were therefore subjected to too much hardship. This
problem was later, and only partially, resolved with the introduction
in the infantry of a Y strap, similar to that used by the cavalry at
the beginning of the war.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
The second reason for the variety of assault packs, even
within a single unit (the photograph of I.R.108 speaks for itself on
this subject), comes from there being few official guidelines
on the matter; there were no official controls and the
German soldiers were forced to manage on their own,
something which he was capable of doing marvelously
well when given the chance.
Arranging one’s assault pack was not part of the soldier’s
training, as is recalled in a passage from another of Werner Beumelburg’s books, German soldiers at Verdun:
“’Shun! shouts the Captain in a dry
pitch. The whole company will go
over the top with assault packs.
Tomorrow at dawn, we will attack the
fort taken by the French. At ease!
Wammsch helps the young recruit to
prepare his assault pack. He hasn’t
been taught how to at the depot.
First the mess tin is secured. then
a blanket around it, and then the
tent section, all tied together
with the breadbag strap. Wammsch
gets hold of a piece of sailcloth
to cover the lad’s rifle breech and
goes off to find a better fitting
Methods—33
Plate 3: This particularly spectacular pack is Inspired by a series
of well-known photographs showing Sturmtruppen of the Füsilier
Regiment No 40 “Fürst Karl-Anton von Hohenzollern” In 1915.
The general layout of the tent section (in this case a war-time
manufacture already very washed-out) around the mess tin corresponds to the method which will be adopted by the majority of
soldiers In 1916 and which will totally replace the other devices In
1917-1918. The stowing of the general service shovel would not
seem to be very practical, particularly If the user needs to use It at
a moment’s notice) We should not forget that the straps enabling
this tool to be carried on the belt were originally equipment specific
to the engineers. At the time of this photograph, It Is more than
likely that these spade straps had not yet been distributed to the
Infantry. Moreover, other photographs of the J.R.40 show general
service pickaxes being carried in the same manner. At the beginning of the conflict each Infantry regiment had at its disposal 260
spades and 80 pickaxes but, being general service tools, they were
to be carried on vehicles. An earth sack is slipped under the upper
middle strap of the pack, therefore enabling the soldiers to quickly
erect a provisional retrenchment, notably when It is necessary to
construct a barricade within a trench or to turn the firing pits the
other way around. To the gray cloth bread beg Is attached a 1907
model water bottle covered In the best quality corduroy, proof that
all possible fabric swatches were used. We can spot, this time under
the right ammunition pouch, the cloth pouch for the Gummimaske
with the stenciled number 2, indicating the size.
helmet than the one he has been
given by the quartermaster. Wammsch
checks that the young soldier has
sewn his two first field dressings
into the inside front of his tunic
and adds two in his own haversack,
which he doesn’t normally do.”
One had to wait until the eve of the Second World War
for the issuing of a uniform Gefechtsgepäcke (‘combat pack’)
to the foot infantry in April 1939. The German army had
at last found a regulation solution, twenty years late, to
the problem that the Great War soldiers had already been
able to solve by their ingenuity.
Finally, we should forget the idea that the German
army was monolithic. Individualism flourished the same
way as in other armies, the atrocious conditions making
the obeying of regulations less critical. One only needs to
examine the photographs of the era to notice that, without exaggeration, no two men are dressed in exactly the
same manner. The pack featuring the roll folded around
the mess tin appears to be the most common however,
being without doubt the easiest to assemble and the most
homogeneous. Even so, there will remain the inevitable
variations revealed in this study.
34—Methods
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Plate 4 (right): One of the first methods used for arranging
the Sturmgepäcke is shown here by this Infantryman who
could be at the beginning of the Battle of Verdun. The tent
section, a prewar manufacture recognizable by its light brown
color and statutorily abandoned In April 1911, serves as a
wrapping for the folded overcoat inside. This sort of sack is
tightened by two straps onto which is attached the mess tin
(a substitute for the 1910 model in enameled metal, painted
Feldgrau, to economize on the increasingly scarce aluminum) by means of a smaller third strap. Below this pack is
the cloth haversack for the Gummimaske, worn at the belt
below, over the war-time manufacture bread bag. Because
of this, it Is less accessible than when attached under an
ammunition pouch, but less cumbersome when running. The
water bottle, an old 1893 model but put back into production
as it was simpler than its successor, is covered In velvet,
a fabric much used at this time. The mug is a substitute in
enameled metal with a single handle slipped over the water
bottle hook. The sheath for the 98/05 bayonet, decorated
with the Troddel of the 7th company Is attached by a strap to
the handle of the 1874 model entrenching tool, Itself carried
In an old one belt-strap 1887 model case.
Plate 5 (left): Return to the tent section used as a cover to
carry the overcoat. To this is attached the mess tin, a substitute
for the 1910 model, in metal with Feldgrau paint. Following
the example of the other belligerents, the German soldiers
salvaged a number of Items from their enemies, whenever
given the chance. Although this practice remained relatively
discreet we nevertheless encounter examples here and
there. Our man has obtained some British webbing straps,
as well as a mug of the same origin. These straps have the
double advantage of being easy to undo and are also more
resilient then the leather straps which cannot withstand well
the humidity of the trenches. As for the mug, it is larger than
the issue German, but It will not escape the vigilant eye of
the Feldwebel in a next distribution. The contrast in shades
between the tent section and bread bag is obvious; it explains
why the German army adopted a more discreet gray color
for its tent sections in 1911.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Methods—35
Plate 7 (below): This variation of the preceding pack is
directly inspired by the Füsiliers in the photograph of the
I.R. 108. The overcoat showing — the cloth feldgrau Mantel
adopted in 1915 — under the tent section, recalls the layout of the personal effects on the issue knapsack, with the
difference that this item is not worn! The use of Iwo small
straps to gather the ends of the Sturmgepäcke is judicious
as it prevents it from opening should any slippage occur
inside. The water bottle, a substitute for the 1893 model,
is covered in a fairly unusual striped fabric which gives the
appearance of a well-worn corduroy; it is in fact one of the
most ordinary fabrics. It is a substitute for a substitute, so
to speak. At collar level we note the small square buckle,
enabling the length adjustment for the strap of the gas mask
container, worn on the chest.
Plate 6 (above): The most traditional pack, and only one
published in studies up until now, is demonstrated by a
grenadier of Füsilier-Regiment. 86. This is the most solid
type of stowage and will end in supplanting the “sack” version shown elsewhere (page 29 and 30). We can clearly
distinguish the typical dish-shaped buttons, made of zinc,
of the tent section. The utensil fitted under the mess tin is
a stove specially adapted to its shape. It is probably an accessory available on the market rather than issued. As in all
the countries involved in the war, an Industry developed in
Germany, offering diverse objects for the troops, supposedly
improving their comfort and making up for the deficiencies
of regulations supplies meager which were becoming more
and more. The carrying of two water bottles is not surprising, thirst being one of the constant preoccupations for front
line soldiers. Our man thus has 1.5 Liter in all (the French
soldiers carry two Liter in a single bottle, and sometimes
more, with the addition of another Liter bottle in assault
uniform). The two water bottle covers shown here could
not be more different, one being made of a fairly solid light
gray fabric whilst the other is made of a substitute fabric
of deplorable quality.
36—Methods
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Plate 8 (right): This last Stürmgepäcke variation is the
result of a simplification of the most common type shown
in photograph No 6. The roll formed by the tent section and
blanket is no longer assembled around the mess tin but
under it, simply folded in half. Because of this, the pack is
much easier to fit into place and the binding does not slip
when the straps are lightened. Behind the P08 pistol holster,
worn on the left according to regulations, is the 1917 model
Lederschutzmaske gas mask container, worn around the
neck. To the other side of the pack we can see the pouch
containing a spare filter cartridge. The 1907 model water
bottle is in this case covered in good quality genuine corduroy.
An identification label is sewn to the gas mask strap, here
placed on the Bluse collar. As from the summer of 1918 the
mask was to be worn on the chest in the alert position, that is
to say out of its box, under strict obligation in the front lines.
WERNER BEUMELBURG AND THE GREAT
WAR
Werner Beumelburg is the author of three essential
works (see bibliography) in understanding the conflict through
the eyes of the German soldier. His translator, French
Lieutenant Colonel Koettz, introduces him thus, “A front
line soldier, thrown very young into the storm, Beumelburg
understood his fellow soldiers. Like them, he suffered,
shook, prayed; like them, he sometimes felt the distress of
the being faced with death and the intense exhilaration of
being alive on getting through the furnace of war.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Douaumont, February 25th-October 25th 1916
The World War recalled by a German, 1914-1918
German Soldiers at Verdun
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Methods—37
Plate 9 (above): The I.R. 108 at Bapaume. This magnificent photograph of the Saxon infantry regiment No. 108 (Schützen
Regiment Prinz Georg No. 108) marching through Bapaume during the summer of 1916, illustrates perfectly our subject.
The variations in assault packs speak for themselves, varying from the man at the rear using that introduced at the beginning
of war, to various other layouts, used in the ranks, who have adopted more modern methods. We can split these various
other layouts into two categories: that which involves using the tent section to form a sort of bag to carry the personal items,
and the other which involves using it to make a roll, doubled back to form a horseshoe. These variations are detailed in our
reconstruction photographs.
Certain other details should be noted. The variety of headgear is typical of the period, with some of the men already wearing
the steel helmet whilst others are still equipped with their regiment’s specific shako, adorned, above the camouflaged cover,
with the black horse hair Haarbusch, displayed even when on campaign. This 1891 pattern shako, which had remained
almost unchanged since 1867, was also worn by the battalions of the 12th and 13th axon rifles. Only the metal trimming,
yellow for the I.R. 108 and white for the rifles, differ. In 1914 the I.R. 108 were still wearing the same uniform as when they
were formed by the amalgamation of rifle battalions, in 1867. Because of this, I.R. 108 was the only infantry regiment in the
entire German army who didn’t wear the spiked helmet. Finally, we can note that several riflemen have rolled their trousers
over the tops of their boots, which would appear to be normal practice within Saxon units.
38—Methods
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Fine-Tuning Your WWI German Uniform
©1997 by Steve Fisher, 2./J.R.111
illustrations ©1997 by Bill Marsh, 2./J.R.111
Note: this article was discussed with Rick Keller of Great War Militaria and has
his blessing. The uniform improvements detailed in this article (if GWM were to
do the work) would add substantially to the cost of a basic uniform.
S
o, you’ve bought yourself a German WWI tunic, trousers, and overcoat from GWM. They are, in my opin
ion, the best quality product of their kind available;
but… you can make them just a little better. If you are
a perfectionist like me, you may want to make it a little
closer to the real thing, and after all, that’s what this
hobby is all about—doing it right, being just as authentic
as possible, and (dare I say it?) having fun. Sometimes
that last part gets forgotten. The steps described in this
article are generally applicable to all German uniforms
that have the particular features referred to. The first
two steps are required by J.R. 111 [and J.R. 23 too!] and
the rest are highly recommended.
1. Brass buttons, side and rear hooks
Unless these buttons have been painted as on the
m.1915 or some simplified M.1910 tunics, you will need
to do something about the bright yellow color. Option #1
is to replace them with original tombak buttons (highly
expensive). Option #2 involves chemically subduing the
color. Use Birchwood Casey’s “Super Blue” gun bluing
solution on a cotton ball and wipe
down all of the hooks and buttons
until they turn black. Use a piece
of cardboard with a “V” cut into it
for a button board to avoid getting
bluing on the cloth. Then rinse off
the buttons and buff them with a
dish-scrubbing pad or furniture re-
finishing pad (steel wool will work too, if you don’t rub too hard) to
bring out the highlights. The effect is very close to that of
original buttons. Last, the original buttons were issued
with a goldish laquer and that works and the German
regulations called for buttons not to be shined while in
the field—on the other hand, the buttons should not be
black, crusty and look 80 years old.
2. Replace all of the plastic buttons
Replace all of the plastic cuff, collar tab, overcoat skirt,
and inside pocket buttons with either original horn,
bakelite, celluloid, or hard rubber buttons in brown or
black. Many antique shops have jars of antique buttons for cheap or… you can use modern, period-looking
buttons—I recommend “LaPetite” #325 in size 5/8” from
your local fabric store. Sew them on using an “X” pattern stitch, not the modern machine “||” stitch. Trouser
buttons, with the general exception of the suspender
buttons, were often of horn.
3. Replace the collar hooks and overcoat
front hooks
Replace the collar hooks and overcoat front hooks with
larger and longer ones. These are hard to find, but look
more like the originals. The long ones won’t slip out of
the loops like the short ones will. Amish dry-goods stores
sometimes carry these. Be sure to sew them on using
heavy hand-sewing thread in tan or grey.
4. The reinforcement bar
The reinforcement bar was a very common feature on
all German uniforms and some fabric equipment. These
were used anywhere the garment may be subjected to
stress, such as the ends of the pocket slits or cuff slits.
They were also used on overcoats to hook the large front
flap closed. If you wear the Iron Cross First Class or other awards, you can sew these bars on the uniform to hold
the heavy pins so you don’t have to put them through
the cloth itself. These bars are made by taking a piece of
doubled thread and making three or four stitches over
the spot to be reinforced. The length of these stitches
will determine the length of the bar. The stitches should
be just a little shorter than you want the bar to be, as
they will stretch a bit. Then, without cutting the thread,
Short collar hooks: bad!
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Long collar hooks: Good!
Methods—39
make buttonhole stitches over the
bar until the supporting stitches
are completely covered. To make a
buttonhole stitch, start at the left
side. Hold the thread above the bar
and bring the needle under the bar,
then through the loop formed by
the thread you are holding. Make
it snug, then repeat. Start on the
right side if you are left-handed.
as the ends of the pocket slits or
cuff slits. They were
also used on overcoats
to hook the large front
flap closed. If you wear
the Iron Cross First
Class or other
awards, you can sew these
bars on the uniform to
hold the heavy pins so
you don’t have to put
them through the cloth
itself. These bars are
made by taking a piece
of doubled thread and
making three or four
stitches over the spot
to be reinforced.
Reinforcements
Reinforcements may go on
the following locations: And
on either side of the collar,
reinforcing the points where it
attaches to the tunic body. You
can also put them on either side
of the side hooks, particularly
if they are the removable type.
The length of these
stitches will determine
the length of the bar. The
stitches should be just a little
shorter than you want the
bar to be, as they will stretch
a bit. Then, without cutting
the thread, make buttonhole
stitches over the bar until the supporting stitches are
completely covered. To make a buttonhole stitch, start
at the left side. Hold the thread above the bar and bring
the needle under the bar, then through the loop formed
M.1910 tunic:
Top of rear cuff adjustment
slits;
On either side of the rear
belt hooks;
40—Methods
Front and rear of the front pocket flaps;
M.1910 simplified and
M.1915 „Bluse“
Front and rear of the turnbacks to anchor them up; On
either side of the rear belt
hooks; On the ends of the front
pocket flaps;
Along the front fly on the M.1915
tunic to hold the fly to the buttonhole flap.
Important note: When making loops
for hooks or the Iron Cross, do not catch
any of the wool fabric in the bar. When
reinforcing the fabric at stress points,
you will want to stitch into the wool, as
this helps hold the bar to the fabric and
makes it stronger.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Overcoats
Front and rear of the
pocket flaps;
Used as a loop
for the top and
waist hooks for
the coat’s closure;
Used along the
sides of the skirt
to hook up the
skirt corners
(French style).
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Trousers
Used on front and back of the pocket slits
and at the base of the rear waist split.
Methods—41
5. Internal stampings
Most stampings were located on the inner left breast
of coats and on the front inside right of trousers. Unless
you have access to the proper rubber stamps, these will
be difficult to duplicate. Typical stamps include:
B.A. VI 1916 Which stands for: Bekleidungsamt des VI
(6th) Armeekorps; indicates Army Corps acceptance,
accompanied by a date.
J.R. 23 Which stands for: Infanterie-Regiment 23 (the
German printed “I” looks like a “J”); Unit designation, frequently used.
1.K. Which stands for: 1te. Kompagnie; Often, the company is indicated.
I, II, III, IV Garnitür stamp; Roman numeral indicating issue grade (suitability for various duties) of
the item.
I=Field Service
II=Parade
III=Walking-out
IV=Daily duty
B.J.A. If the garment was repaired, it was stamped like
7. Support Hooks
German uniforms utilize
four hooks to help support
the weight of the belt and its
equipment. The two straight
side hooks and the two rear
“button” hooks are sewn into the tunic itself in order to better
distribute the weight. Needless to say, the hooks get a lot of wear
and tear, and after a time, they may come loose. If you need to
repair these, or if you are “A-R”, you may want to replace them
in the same manner in which the originals were installed. First,
they were sewn to a piece of heavy wool shaped like an upsidedown “U”. Cut the wool about ½” larger around than the back
plate of the hook. Use heavy hand-sewing thread and sew the
hook plate onto the wool patch. Then, sew the patch onto the
inside of the uniform, letting the hook come out through the
seam. Use small stitches. Add the reinforcing bars (item #4 above)
on either side of the hook to hold the seam closed, if you wish.
Follow the same procedure for side hooks. Be sure to use heavy
hand-sewing thread, preferably
in linen, cotton, or silk. Ordinary
thread used in sewing machines
will not be strong enough.
this to indicate it had been repaired.
Size stampings for the tunic may be found inside.
Lastly, the soldier may sew in a laundry label with his
name and unit indicated on it [available from different people
inthe GWA]. The name may also be written on the lining
itself. If this is your choice, please use a period pen or
indelible (purple) pencil to mark it with—no ballpoints!
A final note on stampings; uniforms often included some
of the above markings, but not always all of them.
6. A Unique Feature on German Trousers
A unique feature on German trousers was a strip of white
cotton twill (approx. 2” wide) sewn to the inside of the cuff and
tacked in place, thus preventing (I assume) the cuff from filling
with dirt and protecting the
wool from boot polish. The
white twill is easy to replace when it gets too dirty.
This feature may have been
dropped from late production trousers.
The twill can be sewn on
with a whipstitch (overcast
stitch) and should cover the
raw edge of the wool.
42—Methods
NOTE: The above construction details
have been noted through the careful study
of items in both my own and in the Great
War Militaria Collection (consisting
of 40 tunics, 5 overcoats, 8 trousers). The
features discussed seem to be common on
most of the uniforms studied, but not on
all. My thanks go to GWM for generously
allowing me access to their collection.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Verhalten auf Posten
Conduct at Outposts
Contributed by Marc Benedict and Erich Tobey
Foreword by Marsh Wise
A
t many events it seems, there is always an enemy
attack that succeeds because one of our (usually
not the 23rd’s) outposts failed in its duty. Of course,
this also happened during the real war and the following
lessons come from a book called Kriegskunst in Wort
und Bild, published in Berlin, in August 1927. I believe
that you will find this info very useful for your training.
One of the first things you will notice, when you look
at the pictures, is that the „Falsch“ series always has
French soldiers screwing-up. Later German training
manuals used drawings of guys from a ficticious army for
the „Falsch“ lessons; I guess that since this book came
out so close to the end of the war, things were still quite
clear as to just who the real enemy was (is?).
Anyway, I hope this will help you in your quest to discover the Frontsoldat. Perhaps someday, WWI reenacting
will go to a total 24 hour scenario and then for sure, we
will need to really study this kind of stuff. Of course, it
can’t hurt you to commit this to heart now, so as to be
ready when the „Schangel“ try to sneak-up on us.
Observation Posts
and Sentries
Feldposten und Feldwache
Feldwache was the equivalent of an “outpost” or the
Civil War “pickets”. They were set up forward of the main
body, of course, and were often located near road forks
or crossroads. The actual 3-man outposts were called
Feldposten. They consisted, according to regulations, of a
leader and 2 men. The actual challenge to someone trying
to come through the outpost line was:
Halt! Wer da? (halt vair da?)
If the challanged party did not answer after the third
halt, the outpost was to open fire. A password in the German Army was known as a Kennwort (ken-vort).
A messenger in the German Army was called a Melder
(mell-der), and care was usually taken to provide the
Melder with a protected route (called a Meldeweg) over which
to carry his messages. Messengers could originate from
Feldwache or from a Spähtrupp (shpay-troop) scouting
party. Scouts and messengers who were bringing their
commanders back observation reports were expected to
answer the following questions:
Wann (vahn) when was the observation made,
Wer (vair) who made the observation,
Was (vass) what was observed,
Wie (vee) how were they observed,
Wo (voh) where was the observation made.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Methods—43
Fals<!—Wrong!
Wenn ein Doppelposten weit auseinandersteht, können sich die Leute
(P) ihre Wahrnehmungen nicht mitteilen.
Ri<tig!—Right!
Die Leute eines Doppelpostens müssen so dicht zusammenstehen,
daß sie sich leise verständigen können.
When a double outpost stands some distance apart, the
soldiers (P) are not able to communicate their observations to one another.
The men of a double outpost must stand close together
so that they may quietly inform one another of what
they observe.
Es ist unzweckmäßig, wenn Posten am Fuß guter Aussichtspunkte
bleiben.
Aussichtspunkte, (z.B. Strohschober) werden zweckmäßig von dem
Doppelposten oder wenigstens von einem der beiden Leute bestiegen.
It is inefficient for outposts to stay at the base of a good
observation spot.
Good observation spots (e.g., the hay stack) should be utilized
by having either both or at least one of the double outpost
climb up to the top and observe.
Posten ohne Fernglas können vielfach wichtige Einzelheiten nicht
genau genugerkennen.
Outposts without field glasses are not able to precisely
discern many important details.
44—Methods
Es ist daher zweckmäßig, Posten mit Ferngläsern auszurüsten.
It is therefore advisable that outposts be fitted out with
field glasses.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Fals<!—Wrong!
Ri<tig!—Right!
Wenn der Posten (P) bewaffnete Überläufer (Ü) hinter sich hergehen
läßt, wird er leicht selbst niedergemacht.
Der Kriegserfahrene Posten (P) läßt Überläufer (Ü) die Waffen fortlegen und führt sie dann unter großer Vorsicht zurück.
When a sentry allows armed deserters to go behind him,
unguarded, he will find himself easily killed.
The war-experienced outpost (P) makes deserters (Ü) lay
down their weapons and then leads them back with wary
vigilance.
Posten (P), die mehr an ihre Bequemlichkeit als an Beobachtung
denken, werden leicht vom Feinde (F) überrascht.
Pflichttreue Posten (P) suchen sich stets einen Platz, von dem sie
weite Umschau halten können.
Sentries (P) who think more of their own comfort than of
observation, will easily be surprised by the enemy (F).
The conscientious outpost (P) always seeks a place to
watch from which allows him a broad field of vision.
Geht der Posten (P) bei feindl. Angriff (F) unmittelbar auf seine Feldwache (W) zurück, so hindert er diese leicht am Feuer.
An outpost (P) who, upon an enemy attack (F), immediately returns straight back to his own lines (W), hinders
the fire of his own forces.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Vor feindl. Angriff (F) zurückgehende Posten(P) weichen seitwärts um
ihre Feldwache (W) herum aus.
An outpost (P), withdrawing before an enemy attack (F),
should always retreat to the side of his own positions (W).
Methods—45
Fals<!—Wrong!
Ri<tig!—Right!
Wenn der Posten (P) sich nach Vorgesesten (V), die ihn befragen,
umdreht, kann er nicht weiterbeobachten.
Ein kriegsgeübter Posten (P) behält bei Beantwortung von Fragen das
Gesicht nach dem Feinde.
If the sentry (P) has to turn to consult with a superior (V),
he cannot observe forward.
A war-trained outpost (P) keeps his face towards the enemy when answering questions.
Nur ganz unerfahrene Posten (P) lassen eigene Späher (S) vorbeigehen, ohne ihnen ihre Wahrnehmungen mitzuteilen.
Der Posten (P) hat vorgehende Spähtrupps (S) von seinem Beobachtungen in Kenntnis zu sesen.
Only entirely inexperienced outposts (P) allow look-outs
and reconnaissance patrols (S) to go forward without informing them of their observations.
The experienced outpost (P) will inform outgoing reconnaissance patrols (S) of its observations.
Es ist gefährlich, Zivilpersonen unbeaufsichtigt durch die Postenlinie
gehen zu lassen.
Zivilpersonen sind durch einen Mann des Doppelpostens zurückzuführen.
It is dangerous to allow an unsupervised civilian to go
through the sentry line.
Civilians are to be led through by one of the men from
the double outpost.
46—Methods
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Fals<!—Wrong!
Ri<tig!—Right!
Si>ende oder liegende Posten sƒlafen bei Naƒt leiƒt ein.
Krieg<fahrene Posten legen siƒ naƒt< niƒt hin, sondern stehen.
At night, outposts who are sitting still or lying down will
easily fall asleep.
War-experienced outposts don’t lie down at night, but
remain on their feet.
In offenem Gelände werden Posten bei Tage auƒ dann erkannt, wenn
sie siƒ hinlegen.
Gewandte Posten werden siƒ überall zu tarnen wissen.
During daylight, in open land, outposts are visible even if
they lie down.
Auƒ die Bäume eine< Wege< genügen allein noƒ niƒt, um den Posten
der Siƒt zu Entziehen.
Clever outposts will know how to camouflage themselves
under all conditions.
Sorgsame Tarnung ist stet< erforderliƒ.
Careful camouflaging is always necessary.
Likewise, the trees by a road are not sufficient by themselves to hide an outpost from sight.
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95
Methods—47
Roman-German Character Reference
Roman
Fraktur (body)
Fette Fraktur
A, a
Ä, ä
B, b
C, c
D, d
E, e
F, f
G, g
H, h
I, i
J, j
K, k
L, l
M, m
N, n
O, o
Ö, ö
P, p
Q, q
R, r
S, s, [ending s]
A, a
Ä, ä
B, b
C, c
D, d
E, e
F, f
G, g
H, h
I, i
J, j
K, k
L, l
M, m
N, n
O, o
Ö, ö
P, p
Q, q
R, r
S, s, [ [ending s]
A, a
Ä, ä
B, b
C, c
D, d
E, e
F, f
G, g
H, h
I, i
J, j
K, k
L, l
M, m
N, n
O, o
Ö, ö
P, p
Q, q
R, r
S, s, < [ending s]
ß
ß [ss-lower case only]
T, t
U, u
Ü, ü
V, v
W, w
X, x
Y, y
Z, z
<
ch
ck
\
]
ß [ss-lower case only]
A, a
Ä, ä
B, b
C, c
D, d
E, e
F, f
G, g
H, h
I, i
J, j
K, k
L, l
M, m
N, n
O, o
Ö, ö
P, p
Q, q
R, r
S, s, @ [ending s]
ß [ss-lower case
T, t
U, u
Ü, ü
V, v
W, w
X, x
Y, y
Z, z
@
#
$
T, t
U, u
Ü, ü
V, v
W, w
X, x
Y, y
Z, z
@
<
>
[ss-lower case
only]
T, t
U, u
Ü, ü
V, v
W, w
X, x
Y, y
Z, z
tz
ch
ck
mm
nn
48—Methods
Schrift
only]
Great War Association CP Handbuch v. 0.95