Field Artillery Journal - Sep 1942

7/31/2019 Field Artillery Journal - Sep 1942

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ATTACKby F. O. MIKSCHE

The American printing of

BLITZKREIG

See page 410 of the May, 1942, JOURNALand page 730 herein

has just been published. It is one of the

most stimulating and important books

we have seen, and has justly met with

wide favor abroad. Miksche

uncompromisingly champions the

doctrine of attack, and studies modern

warfare realistically. With a wealth of

detail, including 39 diagrams, he

describes the organization and especially

the tactics essential for lightning

warfare. The price, as anticipated, is

$2.50

(See discount offer on page 728)

THEU. S. FIELD ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION

1218 Connecticut Avenue Washington, D. C.

OFFICER CANDIDATES:These books will help you:

Officers' Guide ...................................................... $2.509th edition just off the press.

FAB-161, Gunnery .................................................... .60For sale only to members of the military service.

Company Administration and Personnel RecordsCloth ..................................................................... 2.00Paper.................................................................... 1.50An easy, authoritative reference for the multitude of

problems confronting all commissioned andnoncommissioned officers of a battery.

Drill and Ceremonies for Field Artillery ................. 1.00Based on the latest official publications. Added arenumerous excellent illustrations which greatly clarify thetext.

Soldier's Handbook for Field Artillery ..................... .50Customs, practices, and language of the Field Artilleryhave been added to FM 21-100 to give the full story andtraditions of the field artillery.

How to Produce an Efficient Firing Battery ............ .20Practical advice for the battery executive and all membersof the firing battery. Reprinted from The Field ArtilleryJournal.

Battery Duties: A Practical List ................................ .25

Recommended background material:

Signposts of Experience ....................................... $2.75

What the Citizen Should Know About the Army .. 2.50

For discounts and more complete descriptions of theabove books see our larger advertisements. Above

all

JOIN THEUNITED STATES FIELD ARTILLERY ASS'N

$3 Annual Membership Brings You A Full Year(12 issues) of

THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNALthe only professional journal of the arm.

Engraved Visiting Cards can be supplied at prices substantially lower than commercial rates. For engraving only, prices run from $1.15per line to $2.70 per line, depending on the style; we suggest you send for style card showing the fifty-four styles

available, and price list. Cost of imprinting cards from these copper plates is $1.65 per hundred for plain cards,

$2.20 per hundred for parchment. We also suggest you do as many others: leave plates on file here, and whenyou need more cards write or wire.

ORDER THROUGH

U. S. FIELD ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION1218 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D. C.


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MAJOR JOHN E. COLEMAN,EditorCAPTAIN A. V. RUTLEDGE,AssistantLENNA PEDIGO,Business Manager

OUR NEW 81ST DIVISION takes all honorsfor membership. All new divisions have realizedthe importance of the JOURNAL and havecooperated thoroughlybut the 81st'sartillerymen became 100% members promptlyupon activation, and the Special Service Officersubscribed for 37 additional copies for

distribution among other units. In view offormation of infantry cannon companies, this is astep that other divisions could well follow.

DISTRIBUTION OF MANUALS appears tobe a problem. Officers, noncoms, and privates areconstantly buying technical and field manuals,and frequently state that the regular issue hasfailed to catch up with their outfits.

The JOURNAL wants to cooperate in everyway. Manuals which we can lay our hands on atall, are sent promptly. It should not be necessary,however, to spend personal funds in order thatyour battery can get much-needed information.FM 21-6 shows the official distribution of allmanuals; if you fail to receive your copies, let usknowwe'll try to locate and break the

bottleneck. Understand, however, that this is not a

plea against ordering anything you want; we justfeel you are entitled to get what the officialdistribution calls for.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE JOURNALremains a problem, and will as long as the warcontinues. Illegible signatures (why not print yourname?) and delayed mailing of changed addressesare beyond our control, though. So too is a newone that has bobbed up: well meaning butsomewhat misguided families who instruct us notto renew memberships because "Mr. Smith is nowin the army and won't need the JOURNAL," or "Lt.Brown is so far away the magazine won't reachhim." Wrong on both counts, for reasons tooobvious to recount. We try to straighten out thesecases, but if your JOURNAL stops in mid-air

perhaps your family has taken such action.

TO REDUCE the trunkful of manuals neededfor field reference by the best of us. the JOURNALis preparing a condensed Field Artillery Guide.With this in his musette bag, the field artillerymanwill need only firing tables and manuals on his

particular weapon in order to function effectively.

Details will appear in the October issue.

The United StatesField Artillery Association

ORGANIZED JUNE 7, 1910President

Brigadier General George R. Allin

Vice-PresidentMajor General Lewis B. Hershey

Executive CouncilBrigadier General George R. AllinBrigadier General William H. SandsBrigadier General C. C. Haffner, Jr.Brigadier General Rex W. BeasleyColonel Alan L. CampbellColonel Thomas NorthColonel Ralph C. BishopColonel Maurice W. DanielLt.-Col. George L. Hart, Jr.

Secretary-TreasurerMajor John E. Coleman

The Field Artillery Journal"Today's Field Artillery Journal is tomorrow's training regulations."

SEPTEMBER, 1942 Vol. 32, No. 9PAGE

THE COVERILLUSTRATION: SERVICE PRACTICE IN ICELAND (Signal Corps Photo)

HINTS FOROFFICERINSTRUCTORS.................................................................................................... 658

By Lt.-Col. A.E. Bagwell Purefoy, p.s.c., R.A.

CHECKLIST ON METHODS................................................................................................................. 662

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE IN THE GERMAN ARMY...................................................................... 663Translated by Capt. M. C. Helfers, Inf.

TEACHING ENEMY TANKIDENTIFICATION ....................................................................................... 667By Lt. Robert B. Rigg, Cav.

THEY TOO SPEAKENGLISH ............................................................................................................... 669By Wells Church

GLOSSARY OF U. S. AND BRITISH ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................... 672

WHY HITLERATTACKED RUSSIA...................................................................................................... 675By Lt. Andrew M. Kamarck, FA

WHAT TO TAKE.................................................................................................................................. 680

PERSONAL PROBLEMS:Iceland......................................................................................................... 682By Major John W. Haines, FA

PERIMETERS IN PARAGRAPHS............................................................................................................ 685By Col. Conrad H. Lanza

FIRING TESTS FORCORPS ARTILLERY............................................................................................... 693By Col. Lowell M. Riley, FA

THROUGH THE MILL: IV.................................................................................................................... 695By Lt. John Hughes, FA

SURVEYSPRO AND CON

A GRAPHICAL COMPUTER FORQUICKERSURVEY .................................................................. 699By Lt. Lowell Gregory, FA

EASY DOES IT ........................................................................................................................... 705By Lt. Robert E. Bernhard, Jr., FA

SURVEY COMPUTATION BETWEEN GRID ZONES ..................................................................... 707By Capt. Byron B. Jones, FA

FORMEN ONLY ................................................................................................................................. 708By Capt. T. N. Dupuy, FA

AXIS BORN YANKS ............................................................................................................................ 713By Lt. William D. Kilduff, FA

RUSSO-GERMAN WAR: PARTIV ....................................................................................................... 715By Col. Conrad H. Lanza

FIRE VOLUME .................................................................................................................................... 723By Lt. Charles W. Clark, Jr., AC

DIARY OF WAREVENTS .................................................................................................................... 726

NOT IN THE BOOK.............................................................................................................................. 727

BOOKREVIEWS.................................................................................................................................. 728

Authors alone are responsible for statement s made. No art icles are off icial unless specifical ly so described.

Published monthly by the United States Field Artillery Association. Publication office 3110 Elm Avenue,Baltimore, Md. Business and editorial office, United States Field Artillery Association, 1218 Connecticut Ave.,Washington, D. C. Address all communications to the Washington office. Entered as second class matter August20, 1929, at the post office at Baltimore, Md. Copyright, 1942, by The United State Field Artillery Association.Subscription price $3.00; Canada $4.00; foreign $3.50; single recent copies to members, 25 cents; nonmembers, 35cents. THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL does not accept paid advertising. It does pay for original articles accepted,but unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by return postage if they are to be returned. Addresses, andchanges of rank, will be changed as frequently as desired, upon notification; not otherwise. Changes should

reach the editor three weeks before date of next issue. Immediate notice should be given of any delay in the

receipt of the magazine.


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British Press Service

HINTS FOR OFFICER INSTRUCTORS

LECTURES

There is little doubt that the lecture is the hardest formof instruction with which to hold the student's interest, butit has not been found possible to get away from the lecturealtogether and a small crop of them almost invariablyoccurs at the beginning of a course. Thus the new memberof the D.S.1 may well find that his first task is the one inwhich success is hardest to attain, even though his position,being as it is comparatively free from assault by argument,may appear to him less alarming than those he will have tooccupy later. Success is important, for if he can hold hislisteners' attention thus early in the proceedings he will haveachieved a flying start in the more intimate things to come.

The TitleAn interesting and practical title will focus the attention

of the audience beforehand, so that they will come into theroom expecting, even if only subconsciously, to hearsomething of practical interest to themselves. Secondly,before he can compose his lecture, the instructor must have

before him a title which clearly defines its terms. To takean example, too often on the program for a course appearssuch an item as "LectureArtillery." No lecturer can hopeto cover such a subject in three quarters of an hour, and ifhe tries toand people sometimes dothree quarters ofwhat he says will be wasted on his audience. If instead,assuming a course at a Company Comanders' school, thesubject of the lecture was shown as "Artillery MattersWhich Company Commanders Must Know," the attentionof the audience would be focussed from the start, while thetask of the officer who has to compose the lecture would bemade easier through his terms of reference having beenclearly defined for him.

Use of the Blackboard

Illustrating a small example on the blackboard atintervals during a lecture is a great help for pinning theattention of the audience. For one thing it stops theireyes wandering 'round the room and permits these aswell as the cars to take in the instruction; for another, itforces the lecturer to give a practical example. Forinstance, it is easy for him to say that anti-tank guns

1Directing Staff.

By LT.-COL. A. E. BAGWELL PUREFOY, p.s.c., R.A., in theJournal, R.U.S.I., Feb., 1942658


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1942 HINTS FOR OFFICER INSTRUCTORS 659

should have defilade from the front or that machine-gunsmay fire on a time program; what he is driving at will stickin the minds of his hearers far better if he draws, with halfa dozen lines, a bird's eye view of the front line, a wood, afold in the ground and a couple of anti-tank guns, or makesup on the spur of the moment a tiny fire plan which he

shows in table form on the board. But as soon as he passesto another subject he should rub it out.

Diagrams prepared beforehand have similar uses, butthese again should not be displayed till they are actuallyneeded, nor should they be left exposed after they haveserved their purpose.

Delivery

Rehearsal is essential if the flow of speech is to benatural; this does not mean reading through the lecturesitting in a chair, but standing up with the written work inmuch the same position as it will be on the day, andmaking the same gestures towards the imaginary

blackboard, diagrams, or audience. It always takes longerto deliver a lecture properly than it does to read it through,and it is therefore necessary to time this performance. Ifsuch a rehearsal is carried out once or twice, it will besurprising how free and spontaneous the delivery willbecome. No attempt, however, should be made to deliverthe lecture without reference to the written matter. To do sois to risk either omitting some important point or, byforgetting one's words, expressing clumsily a carefullythought-out sentence. At the same time no appearance ofreading must be given, and this is best avoided by having,where possible, one's papers nearly at eye-level, andstanding with the desk slightly to one's left so as not to behidden from the audience.

The Prcis

There are two kinds of lecture prcis: the kind whichcontains the detailed framework of the lecture, arranged inthe form of short notes under the various main headings,and the kind comprising only the bare bones, or mainheadings, with gaps in between in which students may, ifthey like, make notes themselves. Which type is used islargely a matter of taste, but if a detailed prcis is issuedbefore the lecture care must be taken that it does not showtoo much, or the lecturer may expose himself to thecriticism, sometimes heard, of having "simply read outhis prcis." It is often safer to issue such a paper

afterwards.In addition to that part of the prcis which deals with the

lecture itself, there is usually room for certain appendicesshowing such things as organizations, detailed procedure,specimen tables, and so on. The lecturer should alwaysconsider carefully what the possibilities are in this respect,and his aim should be to turn out a prcis which will be ofreal value to the student later on. This may easily involveseveral hours of careful work, but the result will certainlyjustify it.

DEMONSTRATIONS

Only indoor demonstrations are dealt with here, but thesame principles apply to all. There are three main types:the single-handed demonstration; the conversational typein which two or more take part; and the large scale play,

which is not discussed here as no brand-new instructorwould be called upon to run one. In each case it isnecessary for one member, who may or may not beactually taking part, to act as showman, or compre.

Single-handed Demonstrations

These are of great value for teaching a subject which,while of importance to all arms, verges on the technical.Examples are the deployment of an artillery regiment orthe system of supply in the field. Subjects like these are farbetter taught on a model than by lecture and diagram, andcare must be taken that they are not turned into lectures.The demonstrator should make his preliminary talk as shortas possible, his main object being to arouse a barrage of

questions, the answers to some of which may be lecturettesin themselves. Near the end of the period the studentsshould be allowed to crowd 'round the model, and thedirecting officer should have assistants ready to cope withthe many more questions which will be asked during thisphase.

The Conversational Type

This has much to commend it. It is a change from themonologue of the single instructor, the type lends itself to avery wide range of subjects, and it is much easier to stagethan the more ambitious play. One great advantage is that itis comparatively easy to introduce some humor into the

proceedings. To be able to be funny in a lecture is a gift,and those who do not possess it must not try, but two orthree officers conversing together must be dull indeed ifthey cannot raise an occasional laugh. To do so is worthwhile for, no matter what the austere school may say, yourteaching is a success if you can make your audience laugh.There is no need for any forcing; all that is necessary is forthe participants to enter the fray in a cheerful frame ofmind, and the laughs will followhumor is infectious.

The instructor who is told off to run a demonstrationof this kind has before him a wide field of possibilities. Itcan be used to show the planning stage of almost everytype of operation, for exploring the possibilities of a new

weapon or type of unit, the giving out of orders, and ahost of other things. Methods which may be employedinclude the straight-forward conversation over a model,the making of a plan followed by the crestfallencommander explaining to his superior why the planfailed, the wrong way and the right way in word pictures,and many variations of these. Needless to say, carefulrehearsal is essential, but it is rarely necessary for theparticipants to know their lines by heart, as memoriescan be refreshed by realistically consulting map or


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660 THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL September

notebook whilst another member of the team is speaking.The officer who is detailed to run such a demonstrationmust definitely take charge, and must remember twoimportant points: first, that whether he makes a winding-upspeech or not, some form of introduction, either verbal orwritten, is always necessary; and second, that the audience

must always be given the opportunity to ask questions.One other point is that, in order that various points

which it is desired to bring out may be explained aloud,players acting as commanders have often to show asomewhat lamentable degree of ignorance. This does notmatter very much when the audience consists of officers,but the reason for it should be explained when performingbefore other ranks.

TACTICAL EXERCISES WITHOUT TROOPS

T.E.W.T.'s form the hard core of the instruction at anyschool where tactics is the principal subject taught, andthey are usually the items which the novice on the directing

staff approaches with the greatest trepidation. This isunderstandable, for the successful conduct of a T.E.W.T.involves far more than the delivery of a prepared speech orcarefully rehearsed part, followed by the answering of afew questions. The instructor has now to hear and take noteof answers often long, involved, and quite unexpected; hehas to perceive and expose weaknesses in those answers,and convince the offenders, who will certainly defend themstoutly, that they really are weaknesses; he has at the sametime to recognize merit which may be contained equally inwidely different solutions, and last, but not least, he has to"put over" convincingly the official solution, on which therest of the exercise probably hangs. Add to this that, in the

strictly limited time at his disposal, he has to give everyonea fair run for his money and also cope adequately with atorrent of argument, and it can be easily understood that theprospect appears formidable.

Actually, however, the T.E.W.T. is one of the easierforms of instruction to conduct, the main reason being thatthe attention and interest of the audience, who feelsomewhat on their mettle, is easy to hold from the start.Practice naturally gives greater confidence and producesbetter results, but the novice, whether at a school or in aunit, need have no fear of his first attempt provided he isguided by certain principles.

Let the Students Do the Talking

In the case of lectures and demonstrations, most of thetalking has necessarily to be done by the directing staff. Ina T.E.W.T., the instructor should do his utmost to keep hisremarks to a minimum until the time to sum up is reached.A useful hint towards achieving this is to try to frame suchremarks as must be made, in the form of questions, ratherthan statements, thereby forcing students to think forthemselves. For example, having discussed thecomposition of a mopping-up party, do not say: "One of its

troubles will be prisoners; how will it deal with these?" Sayinstead: "What picture have you of this party while it iscarrying out its work?" Prisoners will soon be mentionedand this will create the required opening for the questionregarding their treatment. More often than not the sameprocedure should be followed when the instructor is asked

a question; instead of answering it directly he should turn itover to another student to answer. Again, a solution havingbeen given out by one syndicate, comments on andcriticisms of it should come from other syndicates ratherthan from the directing staff, and it is in fact noexaggeration to say that the less the instructor says themore he teaches.

Keep Notes of Student's Answers

No matter how good the instructor may think hismemory is, in order to make sure no point is missed heshould take brief notes of the main answers given to all butthe quickest of problems. Not only will these enable him to

pick out faulty or controversial points to feed into thesubsequent discussion; they will often provide the onlyanchor for keeping argument within bounds. It is highlyadvantageous if, when one member accuses another ofhaving made some particularly outrageous statement andthe defendant replies indignantly that, far from having doneso, his plan was almost in exact accordance with the latestmanuals, the instructor can, quoting from his notes withcold realism, remind the opposing parties of the exactwords.

Prepare Thoroughly Beforehand

This maxim applies not only to the instructor's notes, but

also, which is sometimes overlooked, to the actualnarratives which are issued to the students. Whendiscussing a problem it is disconcerting to say the least, tobe pulled up by a student for basing one's argument on datadifferent from that issued to the syndicates, and yet, strangethough it may seem, it is quite an easy trap to fall into. Forexample, a narrative is issued in the form of orders for abattalion attack. The fire support includes a machine guncompany less one platoon. During the course of anargument about the fire plan the instructor, if he does notknow the narrative well, may forget the missing platoonand base his argument on a complete company. This mayappear far-fetched but it does happen, and the moral is

study the white paper beforehand at least as well as, if notmore carefully than, the pink.

As regards the instructor's notes, while he shouldhave studied these thoroughly, he should on no accountattempt to do without them altogether when conductinga problem. If the scheme has been well prepared thenotes will be very thorough, and if the instructor doesnot refer to them occasionally he will run the risk ofmissing some important point, thus detracting from thevalue of the instruction. If the notes are used quite


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openly, for the obvious purpose of ensuring that no point isomitted, the instructor need have no fear of gaining thereputation of being "helpless without the pink paper."

Presenting the School Solution

This is the stage with which the beginner is likely to

have the most difficulty. It is important that he shouldexpound the solution convincingly, in order that his hearersmay go on to the next problem, which will usually bebased on the school's answer to the previous one, with thefeeling that they have been given sound lines to work on.Nothing is so calculated to destroy interest as the thoughtin a student's mind that a sound commander would neverhave put him in the position where he is faced with theproblem in question. The instructor must therefore marshalhis reasons for the course chosen very carefully, and giveout the final answer concisely and with conviction. If theanswer consists of verbal orders or an appreciation, for thedelivery of which there is a set sequence, this is easy to do.

For other types of answer, such as describing action whichwould be taken under certain circumstances, the best wayof expounding it must be carefully thought out, for thedelivery of the answer should be instruction in itself.

Having heard the approved solution, students shouldalways be allowed an opportunity of criticizing it. Some ofthese criticisms may be very sound ones, and when theyare the directing staff must always be ready to admit thefact. The correct line to take is that it is by no means theonly possible answerthe problem is a poor one if it isbut that in the opinion of the directing staff it is the bestanswer, because it best applies the principles needed tosolve the problem.

DISCUSSIONS

Besides forcing students to read their books, discussionsare a means of obtaining a general airing of views on asubject, and they provide useful practice in expressingthose views clearly and concisely. They usually take theform of two or three questions on a particular subject, suchas Attack, which are issued as agenda a few days inadvance. Their value rests largely in the discussion whichtakes place within each syndicate of students in preparationfor the main meeting. As far as the directing staff areconcerned they are probably the hardest things of all toconduct, and the beginner should, where he can, watch anolder hand manage one or two before attempting to takethe chair himself. This may not always be possible, but thetyro should come through fairly creditably if he rememberscertain principles.

To begin with, as in the case of T.E.W.T.'s, his aimshould be so to handle matters that nearly all the talkingis done by the students. When two of them expressopposite views, they and their supporters should be madeto argue it out between them. The great difficulty comeswhen either the views of nearly all the students coincideor when they are all unwilling to talk. It is then that the

instructor with a gift for this type of work can start thewheels turning by a provocative remark or question, andthe novice must try his best and in time he will acquiresome skill, though the real experts are born, not made.Before starting the discussion, it is a good plan toannounce that any one of the students may be called upon

to sum up at the end; this ensures attention from all, andis also very good practice, since to give a fair summingup requires considerable skill.

If a question involves the giving out by a student of aseries of points, such as, for instance, points for specialattention when training for night operations, the chairmanmust take great care not to allow the first speaker merely togive out a long list of headings. If he does he will rum thediscussion, as everyone will have an almost exactly similarlist and there will be little or nothing to discuss. The onlyway to deal with such listsif there must be questionswhich involve themis to break them up by making thespeaker enlarge upon and give reasons for each point in

turn. Although all syndicates may have the same points ontheir lists the chairman is very unlucky if there is nodivergence of views on the methods of implementing thosepoints.

As in the case of lectures, the blackboard is a usefulaid to holding students' attention and keeping their feet onthe ground. The chairman should endeavor to make use ofit continually in order to illustrate diagrammaticallycourses of action put forward during the discussion. It issometimes a good plan to make a student illustrate hisown thesis on the board; this frequently helps to keep thedebate alive.

The school notes for a discussion usually take the form

of a short summing up, with or without a conclusion. As ina T.E.W.T., they should be consulted in order to ensurethat no important point has been left out, but during theactual debate the instructor will be well advised to putthem aside, and concentrate his attention on the speakers.

CONCLUSION

The foregoing notes are not intended as an essay on howto teach. Their object is to help the officer newly posted tothe directing staff to come creditably through the first fewoccasions on which he will be in charge of the instruction.There is of course much that he will have to learn forhimself as time goes on, but given a good start he will gainconfidence and gradually acquire a technique of his own.The same applies to an officer who is called upon to givesimilar instruction in a unit, and who has had little or noprevious experience of the type of work involved.

Finally, the newly-joined member of the school staffmay be reminded that his position resembles that of theprisoner at the bar, who is assumed to be innocent untilproved guilty; the students will assume him to be a capableinstructor unless and until he proves himself to be anincapable one.


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CHECK LIST ONMETHODSGENERAL

Is the time of day suitable for the type of instruction?Is theoretical instruction augmented by practical

demonstration?Are practical examinations given wherever possible?Is the supervision effective?

TRAINING AIDS AND CLASSROOM FACILITIES

Is the area or classroom used for two or more groups,resulting in mutual distraction?

Is the instruction being conducted near other distractingactivities?

If instruction is held outside, are the students seated to thebest advantage (backs to the sun, close enough togetherto hear the instructor, no trees or other obstacles toprevent the students from seeing the instructor, theinstructor standing up-wind, etc.)?

If inside, is the ventilation satisfactory?Is the lighting adequate?Are suitable writing surfaces available for instruction

requiring writing, plotting, arithmetic, etc.?

Life

Are blackboards available to the instructor forexplanations?

Are blackboards well-painted and clean?Blackboards, charts, diagrams, etc., should be placed

against a blank wall. If this is not practical, the windowsadjacent to the blackboard should be covered to prevent

light shining toward the students. Is this principlefollowed?

Are there proper seating facilities for all students and arethey arranged for all to face the instructor?

Are the charts, diagrams, etc., large enough to be seen bythe students in rear of the room without effort?

STUDENTS

Are the students attentive?Do they sleep or doze during instruction?Do they smoke during instruction?

INSTRUCTORS

Is the instructor properly prepared for his period ofinstruction?

Does he make the instruction too academic?Does the instructor digress from the scheduled subject?

Charts, diagrams, pictures, etc., which are used toemphasize or clarify a point or phase of instructionshould be removed as soon as they have served theirpurpose. Is this done?

Does the instructor speak firmly and loud enough to beheard in the rear of the room without conscious effort onthe part of the students?

Does the instructor write or draw on the blackboard largeenough to be easily read by all students in the class?

Does the instructor know his subject or does he read from amanual?

HINTS TO INSTRUCTORS

Remember that men learn by all five of the senses, and byactually doing. The real test is, how well can they do it?

If you are to conduct a demonstration, practice severaltimes prior to the class period.

Know what you are to teach and how you are going toteach it before coming to class.

Avoid profanity.Never use obscene language.Never talk down to the class.Never decide that the student is stupid.Do not try to bluff. If a question is asked and you do not

know the answer, tell the students that you will find outthe correct answer and tell them later.

Remember that the instruction given has but one ultimatepurposeVictory on the Field of Battle.

To facilitate constant and efficient supervision of instruction, theFARTC at Fort Sill has prepared this excellent list.

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INSTRUCTIONALPROCEDUREINTHE GERMAN ARMY

Translated by

CAPT. M. C. HELFERS,Inf.

REGULATIONS FOR THE

INSTRUCTOR

With the exception of such pointsas are strictly military, instruction inthe army is not bound to any singledistinct outward form. Instructionwhich resembles drill is to beavoided. Instruction should be aliveand brisk, but not harsh.

Instruction must be givenregularly. The instructor stands sofar distant from his group that hecan observe it well. As a rule, he

does not sit down. neither does hewalk about. Instead, he standsbefore the center of the group. A good posture, a neatuniform, and a keen eye especially distinguish the militaryinstructor. Inattention is not to be tolerated.

Life

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE: These passages on German instructional procedure aretaken from Reibert's "Der Dienstunterricht im Heere: Ausgabe fur den

Pionier," Berlin, E. S. Mittler und Sohn, 1939. Taken in conjunction with FM

21-5, "Military Training," they have proved of great value to officers whose

main duty is the conduct or supervision of military instruction.

The instructor should speak in a brisk manner, usingshort and clear sentences. A voice which is raised andlowered in accordance with the importance of the subjectmatter produces results. The bearing and voice of theinstructor can do much to bring about the desired alertnessduring instruction. Shouting during instruction intimidatesconstrained pupils; a monotone fails to produce results;difficult grammatical construction and a bombastic mannerof speech hinder the understanding. Short and clearsentences are military. Every unavoidable foreign(uncommon) word should be written on the blackboard andexplained.

The instructor must instruct "personally," which meansthat not only his excellent manner of instruction, but alsohis personality forces the pupil to pay attention.

Basically, instruction must be carried on so that thepupils are forced to follow mentally. Instruction must beimparted spontaneously (without notes) as much as

possible. If a script is needed for the difficult points of thesubject, it must be placed aside immediately after use.

When a superior enters the classroom or approaches thegroup, the instructor reports to him at once. He then carrieson immediately with that part of the instruction where hestopped.

REGULATIONS FOR THE PUPIL

The pupil must make up his mind that his mentalcooperation is the decisive factor, whether the instructionconsists of a stimulating discussion or of a military drill.The real soldier, therefore, studies all sections of hismanual referred to and applies himself with greatattentiveness. During the class he sits with his body erect,keeps his eyes on the instructor, and pays strict attention tothe instruction. When he does not understand a point, hemakes this fact known at once. This he does by increasingthe erectness of his posture and by raising his head andchin, not by raising his hand.

When the pupil is asked a question, he at once comes toAttention and answers in a clear, loud voice, withoutrepeating the question. He answers with a complete

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sentence, or he makes a short comprehensive statement ofhis own. When the pupil is not certain of the correctness ofhis answer, he answers as much as he can. It is wrong, forexample, if the pupil remains silent altogether because heis too much concerned with the correctness of his answer.He will, in most cases, know something, and if he is not

quite successful in answering the question the instructorwill surely help him. If the pupil does not know any part ofthe answer, he shall say: "I do not know, sir."This answeris much more becoming of a soldier than a stubbornsilence. While answering, the pupil looks at the instructorand not on the floor or into space.

When the pupil is called to the front of the class to writeor to explain something on a chart, he halts smartly, comesto Stand at Ease, and, as a general rule, carries out hisinstructions in this posture. He steps aside to call attentionto anything on the chart or blackboard.

THE PRESENTATION

During the first part of the instruction period, theinstructor must acquaint the pupils with the subjectmatter. To do this properly, the instructor must know thereceptibility of his pupils. Pupils with or withoutprevious instruction, or pupils of a higher or lowereducated group, are not to be instructed in the samemanner. Experience shows that often too much ispresupposed of the pupils.

As a rule, an instruction period should be divided intothe following parts:

1. A presentation of the objective of instruction and anintroduction.

The stating of the objective of a course of instructioncan take the form of an announcement (writing the themeon the blackboard), a question (who is the commander-in-chief of the army?), or a problem. The purpose of this is totear the pupils loose from the thoughts which fill theirminds and to direct their thoughts to the theme (subjectbeing taught). Hereupon, the introduction is given, which isto be as short as possible. It is of great value when thisintroduction is tied to a generally known or a practicalexample. It should arouse the interest of the pupils for theprocedure which is to follow.

2. A presentation of the subject matter by means of agradual development of the main points.

It is best to transport the pupil mentally by means ofshort questions to the first of a series of systematicallyarranged points. While doing this, the instructor must makepertinent comments. Even the false answers of the pupilsmust be gone into without, however, using too much timefor that and thereby losing entirely the thread of theinstruction.

It is to be noted that in this manner of instruction thepupils are to be led. They do not direct the course whichthe instruction follows. In this manner, the complete theme

is presented to the pupils by every systematically arrangedpoint.

Much stress is to be placed during every instruction onthe practical value, on the reason (the "why"), and on theabundant use of charts and diagrams. The exact followingof these requirements forms an excellent foundation for the

interesting and convincing period of instruction.3. Review of the Main Points. At the end of the period

of instruction or at the end of a section, the main points ofthe subject should be collected by the instructor and, bymeans of questions, once more impressed upon the pupils.Also, a short written or oral examination can take place. Atthe close of this reviewing of points, the instructor must becertain that the pupils have possession of the practical useand the significance of the material covered. In case thereis doubt in the mind of the pupils, they should be givenopportunity to ask questions.

The taking of notes while the instruction is going on isof little value. Notes, if used, are best dictated at the close

of the period or at the end of a section.During the review instruction period, the instructor must

stick to the originally presented objective and give thepupils an opportunity to talk in a short comprehensive formon the assigned lesson. During this discourse, the instructorshould allow the pupil to speak freely. He should see to itthat the pupil is on the right path, that he builds up histhoughts in the proper procedure, and that he expresseshimself in a brief, clear, and soldierly manner. Theinstructor interferes only when extremely false statementsare made. Misstatements should be corrected when thepupil is through speaking (this is best done by the otherpupils.) It is of great value to have pupils come to the front

and address the group. Their ability to appear before agroup and to speak freely is thus enhanced.At no time should the instructor allow a question-and-

answer play to take place. Nor should a thoughtlessresponse with answers learned by heart occur. Theinstructor should not ask his questions by turn. Thename of the pupil to answer the question should not begiven until the question has been stated. In this mannerall the pupils are forced to pay attention and to think. Inevery question, the instructor should emphasize the factthat the pupil must decide on the correct answer.Instruction is good when each question is tied to thepreceding answer.

It is wrong:a. When the instructor begins the sentence and allows

the pupil to end it, orvice versa.b. When the question already contains the answer.c. When the instructor repeats the answer or answers

the pupil with the question.d. When the instructor rudely rejects a false answer

without attempting to draw the right one out of thepupil.

e. When the instructor becomes impatient.


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1942 INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE IN THE GERMAN ARMY 665

f. When the instructor allowsthe best pupils only toanswer or concerns himselfwith only one pupil.

g. When the instructor usesexpressions such as next,

continue, without giving aclear order.

4. The Examination Period(Inspection).

This period consists of a generalreview, in case no other objective isgiven. Although, during theexamination the instructor is in thebackground, the spiritual connectionbetween the instructor and the pupilsmust be noticeable. Instruction, withthe exception of explicit questions,is to be foregone. In order to

accustom the pupils to the presenceof more than one superior officer itis the duty of the instructor torequest his superior or comrades toattend the classes.

Life

CONCLUDING COMMENTS

After every instruction period, theinstructor should analyze (judge) his instruction. Forexample, he should ask himself, "Have I reached myobjective? Were the methods and outward form of theinstruction proper? What result did I achieve?" This self-criticism is an unending duty which benefits instruction. Ifit is carried out seriously and properly, it is the beststimulation to bring about improvements.

Dull pupils can hinder instruction very much. Becauseof lack of time and other reasons, the instructor cannotconcern himself entirely during the instruction period with

them. They should be placed in the front rows and askedquestions oftener. Besides that, the instructor must take thetrouble to further prepare them by private conference orsimilar means. On the other hand, a proper adjustment is tobe made for the more intelligent and clever pupils. Forexample, they can be required to give talks on difficult

sections of the subject, or they can be used to help the morebackward pupils. In any case, the first thought must be tocarry out the main principle of instruction in the army,namely: THE TEACHING OF EVERY ONE.


12/83


Figure 1See board for description. All photographs are by Lt. R. B.Rigg except Figure 2, which is a U. S. Army Air Corps photograph.Figure 2Rear view of Japanese medium tank M2594 (1934).Figure 3The armor thickness of the front surface of a Japanese

M2594 is shown by diagram on the actual surface.Figure 4The Japanese M2594 (1934). This medium tank used inBurma campaign. Full sized model of the vehicle shown here.

Figure 5See board for description.


13/83

TEACHING ENEMY TANK IDENTIFICATION

By Lieut. Robert B. Rigg, Cav.

The teaching of enemy tank identification is not suitablefor classroom instruction because the student cannot graspvarious vehicle proportions. Photographs and sketches arevaluable in teaching details, but nothing short of full sizedmodels or silhouettes can teach the soldier to immediatelyrecognize enemy tanks from a distance. This is one subjectwhich must be taught with the idea of obtaining practicalresults the average photo of an enemy tank is a close-up, 'though it is most likely that the average soldier willfirst see these tanks from a distance.

It is of utmost importance to know not only whether ornot it is an enemy tank, but also what type it is so that thisinformation can be reportedaccurately. In its Intelligence

training the 106th Cavalry (Mecz) found it worthwhile toconstruct a series of "three-quarterview" full sized enemytank models. The accompanying photographs are of thesetank dummies.

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION

Such tank models should be placed in positions wherethe unit personnel can have maximum opportunity toobserve them; in most cases this will be on or near the drillfield. If possible it is well to park a U. S. tank or vehiclenear the enemy ones to establish a known medium ofcomparison.

Each enemy tank should have a data board (see Figure 1)upon which is listed the tank's foreign name, its size, weight,caliber of guns, etc. Armor thicknesses need not appear here,as it is a better practice to label them right on the surfacesthey apply to (Figure 3). Note that the thickness is not given

in terms of linear dimension but by an actual diagram, as it isextremely difficult to grasp the dimension of a section ofarmor plate unless the thickness can be seen.

In order to teach complete and practical identification

German Pz. Kw. II, now used mostly for reconnaissance, liaison, and flame throwing. This model is built overa jeep, for realistic movement.

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a special course of instruction is necessary. This can beshort and dynamic and should follow after the personnelhave had a few weeks to observe the models. Instructionshould begin with the Signal Corps training films KnowYour Enemy (11-382) and Friend or Foe (11-383). Thelatter was made by the British, and we have adopted it. It

shows many English tanks, but its main value is itsshowing what to look forin identifying a tank. Both motionpictures will create interest and provide an excellentfoundation from which the instructor can proceed with adiscussion of the full sized models.

The tank mock-ups shown here make this instructioneasy because the officer need only point to the portion ofthe vehicle he is talking about in order to impress thesubject on his students. Instruction in enemy tankidentification should be of the demonstrated lecture type.Groups of men sent through the course gain maximumknowledge in a minimum of time as compared withteaching the subject by any other means. The instructor,

thoroughly familiar with the details of each tank, shouldstate only the known facts about each vehicle and notbranch off on any imaginary tangents. He should beginwith the tank's identifying and characteristic features, suchas large bogie wheels, low profile, etc. Following that heshould point out its guns, their caliber, and compare themwith our own weapons. Vulnerable areas of the tank shouldbe illustrated next, followed by an accurate description ofthe various armor thicknesses. This is the point where thelecturer should cite the German practice of applyingadditional armor strips to various surfaces, for protectionover and above the normal; also, the Italian and German"plastering" of turrets with concrete for the same purpose.

A good training aid here is a set of various pieces of woodor metal which are cut to the exact armor thickness of thetanks demonstrated; thus when a surface is described, asection showing its thickness can be passed about for thegroup to examine. Where possible it is well to explain theeffect of our guns and ammunition on these surfaces andthicknesses.

It makes for more interesting training to have a "crew"of proper number come out of each tank and stand besideit. The old Chinese proverb, "A picture is worth athousand words," is well worth considering here. Placardsplaced on the crewmen should state the job of each man,such as "gunner," "driver," etc. After coming out of their

respective turrets the crew should hold position longenough for the class to be impressed with eachindividual's exact position.

Instruction on a particular tank should conclude with thevehicle's cross country capacity, radius of action, and asimple statement as to its tactical use (combat, liaison,reconnaissance).

Upon conclusion of a lecture on these tanks with thesoldiers grouped about each model, the student bodyshould move away from the tank and view it fromsuccessive distances. Later each tank should be

approached from a considerable distance in order that itssize may be seen in relation to the terrain. In such cases itis expedient to set off a small amount of smoke as abackground screen in rear of the tank: this will let it beseen in sharp outline, and also lends more realism tomodels which do not move. If desired, the tank dummies

can be camouflaged and made objects for dismountedscouting. At all times the "tanks" should be placed wherethey would logically go; as these models are light theycan be carried by not more than a squad to variouspositions in the training area.

CONSTRUCTION

Construction of full sized enemy tank models requiresonly scrap lumber, nails, canvas, and paint. Any scrap pilewill supply such additional props as headlights, pipe forguns and exhausts, and bottle caps which make excellentbolt or rivet heads to give the "tank" a realistic appearance

close up.Canvas is stretched over a simple framework. All ports

and actual door openings should be real and not painted,although there is much which the paint brush can portrayonce the hull is built. Black, white, and OD are the onlycolors needed. One may go as far as desired in making thedetails on such models. Those pictured here represent agood happy medium. All dimensions should be accurate asconcerns the major portions. Smaller details, to save time,can be estimated by eye and still produce a good effect.One very important dimension is the vehicle height off theground; this should be carefully checked.

Sources for the details upon which to base construction

are; TM 30-450, Handbook on German Military Forces;TM 30-480, Handbook on Japanese Military Forces; FM30-42, Identification of Foreign Armored Vehicles; MIDBulletins; and photos appearing in various magazines.

In the 106th Cavalry these models were constructed by asix-man detail in an average of four days apiece. In manyinstances the working drawings were based only uponphotographs which were scaled from a knowledge of a fewover-all dimensions. Dummies were made to give a fullfront and side view, but in some cases it is well to constructthe rear part fully in the event it contains a special feature(see Figure 2).

The model of the German Pz. Kw. II illustrated here is

mounted on a Bantam, making a good target for anti-tankgun aiming exercises. This treatment does, however,require sturdier construction.

It is difficult to decide which models to construct whenit is not known which Axis enemy the unit will oppose. Forthat reason it is necessary to build both Japanese andGerman. Construction should begin with the first vehicleswhich will be seen in actionreconnaissance ones. Thereis another reason, too: experience gained in building thesesmaller models leads to short cuts in the construction oflarger ones.


15/83

Babies' masks include supporting slings, with stout handles for

basket-like carrying. (British Press Service photos)

They TooSpeak English

By Wells Church

American Advisor to the British Broadcasting Corporation

I don't know much about gunsexcept that a tiny .22Remington single shot was one of my first toys and myfather could roll a can down the street with a six shooter.

I don't know anything about gunsexcept that I washanded one by the First Officer of a Norwegian freighterevery time an alert sounded while crossing the Atlanticabout a month ago from England to home in America.

I don't know anything about gunsexcept that I wastold that, after the fall of France Englishmen towed the halfdozen or so antiaircraft guns they had in London around to

strategic points and took pictures of them to prove they hadmore than that.

But I do know fairly well what men of the FieldArtillerywho know all about guns, and therefore have noneed of my puny knowledge of themcan expect if andwhen they take the long voyage to the "U.K." as it iscalled, to take part in what surely will prove to be thegreatest offensive of all time, and somehow or other find amoment of spare time in which to visit London, England.

Military men of the U. S. A. too rarely realize that, inreality, their trips to foreign fronts have a two-foldpurpose; one is offensive and the other is defensive. Theoffensive purpose is obviousto batter the enemy; but the

second is not always so apparent. The second is to provethat Americans are not as we are pictured in the movies,that we all don't have swimming pools, we don't all talk outof the side of our mouth or with a Southern accent. That isa defensive job; if it were not such a far-fetchedcomparison, I would say it might be something like the jobof Major James Patrick Sinnott Devereux at unforgettableWake (a batch of five-inch guns out there dropped aJapanese cruiser with probably 8-inchers to the bottom ofthe Pacific), for he had to wait till he knew the range

favored him, and when you talk to foreigners you will haveto wait till you know what he thinks of you before you canshow him what Americans are really like. I'll talk a bitabout that pointafter I tell you how I got to England andwhy I went.

On November 30, 1941 (B.P.H.before Pearl Harbor),I flew to Montreal and from there via Newfoundland toEngland. It was a bitterly cold trip. You have no idea whata helpless feeling you get when you are some thousands offeet in the air over water, with nothing but wheels underyou and no gun in your hand or even one nearby.

The solid earth looked good that morning we madeour landfallas good as London looked battered to mea few mornings later when I entered it during ablackout. But I must take that back; London did not lookbattered the first time I looked at it. You high explosivemen will know exactly what I mean when I say that onthe surface it looked to me as if a mighty big chunk ofLondon was still standing, despite what I had heardabout the terrible battering it had received at the willinghands of the Luftwaffe. But some time later I knew thetruth. I never once walked into a home, a restaurant, anybuilding whatsoever in London without seeing some

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evidence of the wrecking ability of high-explosivebombs. Here would be a chunk out of the ceiling, here adoor blown off and not replaced, there a floor boardmissing and there a new bit of plasterand the buildingon the other side of that wall gone into thin air. Londonhas been cleaned up wellbut a close eye can see the real

damage. A field artilleryman who knows his shells willfind much to study in London. There the story of directedblast (if that be the proper expression) is open for all tosee.

An American accent is an open sesame in London.Despite what you hear, the British are avid for news ofAmerica and things American. They want to know whatwe thinkand are embarrassed when asked what theythink. They want to know the real truth about Americanproduction but it took a violent wave of anti-Britishfeeling in America to persuade them that they HAD to tellthe story of their own magnificent productive effort. Theywill want to know about the attitude of American labor

toward the warand will nearly blush when they tell youthat for the duration British labor has foregone its rightsand now works from 60 to 65 hours a week. They willwant you to tell them about the growing American armiesof fighting and producing men and womenand you willhave to drag it out of them with a six-mule team that outof 33 million men and women in Britain between the agesof 16 and 64 years, more than 22 million are in active warservice either on the fighting line or the production line.But that's the way the English are, the worst self-publicists (and we are the best) in the world. It's one ofthe first things one must learn about them, otherwise youwill be almost sure to judge them stuck-up, unnaturally

reticent, secretive and perhaps downright unsociable. Thesolution to the problem is to answer any question they askwith as little flourish as is possible for an American, andask the natural question which comes to mind at least aweek later. For, once they lose their amazing dislike oftalking about themselves to strangers, they will answer infull. At times they will show just a faint trace ofbitterness at the failure of others to understand theproblem they faced after the fall of France, the failure ofso many to understand that, but for the grace of God, theGermans could have swept their island as grasshopperssweep a field of beans. But that bitterness comes to thesurface only rarely. Above all, it will be necessary tolearn to recognize that fine point in the British personalitywhich is the dividing line between modesty and snobbery.Unless you know your Englishman, too often you willsuspect him of being a snob rather than simply a personwho has been taught for generations not to talk abouthimself.

Field artillerymen will understand another importantaspect of the British much more easily than others. It hasto do with their mis-named ability to take it. Saying thatthey can "take it" is as though one said they never "gaveit." That's not true. I would rather say, after watching

Englishmen for seven months, that they can stand the gaffwhen the going is hot. Americans have the same trait, soit is easy for us to see. But, bringing the matter down to afine point, the British have that something which a fieldartilleryman must have when his position is beingbattered by shells from every direction and he never loses

his own sense of direction or action. That is a preciousnational characteristic and it's doubtful if there was ever agood field artilleryman who didn't have it. It's the answerto the failure of the German air force to break the moraleof the British in the air raids on London. There were thosemen and women in London who, in unguarded moments,said to me that if the Germans had kept it up a few morenights they might have been ready to call it quits. But, forsome reason, you never quite believed them when theysaid it. It was as though a man you knew would neverleave his piece short of being blown away from it were tosay, "Boy, if they threw stuff at me like we're throwing atthem I'd run a mile." You know damn well he'd stay sot

till doomsday. Whenever you hear anyone repeat thatcrack about Englishmen fighting to the last American,just take it from one who knows that England will godown when the last Englishman goes down. That aspectof the British is so strong that there is difficulty in tellingabout it. One must think of Nelson and Trafalgar,Churchill and his cigar, the British men and officers whodied at Hongkong with their hands tied behind theirbacks, and the men and womenyes, womenwho dugold guns of every description out of attic drawers inLondon to fight in the streets if possible and necessaryafter the Dunkirk disaster. People of that kind don't askanyone to do their fighting for them.

With the last paragraph in mind, may I make asuggestion which probably ill becomes one who hasnever stood behind one of the big babies as she let gowith the roar you all know so well. The suggestion is bornof a remark made to me by a gun expert one night in thelonely stretches of Newfoundland before we were in thewar and when there was no need for the remark to bemade except as an expression of friendship. He said thatunless the United States fitted its gunnery manufacturemore closely to the battle action of the times, and if wegot into this war unexpectedly, our losses would beperhaps 20 per cent greater than they need be. Heillustrated the point with a story. He was in this country,it should be explained, to give detailed instructions toAmerican manufacturers as to the exact nature of thewar-time gun needs of the British. He used the case of a20-millimeter cannon which had been ordered for theR.A.F. Against their better judgment, they accepted trialon a gun which required a special wrench to set it upand tear it down. The factory promised that arepresentative would be on hand when the sample gunarrived to prove that it was what they really wanted. Therepresentative duly arrived and telephoned the airdrome;the assembly chief asked him if he would come out about


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1942 THEY TOO SPEAK ENGLISH 671

ten oclock that evening. At that time, ofcourse, the blackout was in effect. Onarrival, the assembly chief said to thefactory representative, "I'm terribly sorryto get you out on this wretched evening,old man, but I really wanted you here.

Now, we've had a bit of a time here thisevening and our tool shed has been blownabout a bit and the truth of the matter is weonly have ordinary tools available. Iwonder if you could handle it without thatspecial wrench?"

Well, you know what happened. TheAmerican threw up his hands and cabledhis home factory to change thespecifications to eliminate the specialwrench. I was told that afterward, with thechange, the gun became a standby, it beingone of the best guns the British used. It

was simply a case of the finest gun makerslearning a lesson in the use of guns underattack pressure from those who needed thegun and had been under that pressure. I tellthe story only to make this uncalled-for suggestionthatwhen an Englishman hems and haws about a piece ofequipment, you can bet your boots that he has a goodreason for it and the good reason will usually be that he hasused the piece under fire and found a weak spot. He's agood man to listen to in such a spot.

London streets, flooded from hose and broken mains as well as rains.

Now, a few words of what you may see on leave inLondon. First off, the blackout is a blackoutno dimoutstuff there. Here and there a tiny light shows at a curb or

on a traffic light but otherwise not a light shows. Theselights are shaded, of course. You will want to walk downthe middle of the street, keeping to the middle by lookingup and staying between the dim lines of shadow whichmark the tops of the buildings on either side. Anoccasional taxicab may come along, and one of the odd

things about this is one's inability to judge either its speedor its distance. You simply feel your way to the curb andwait till it passes.

With the exception of a mere handful of all-nightrestaurantsI found only one myselfthere is no place toeat at night. The old American habit of a bite before goinghome is out. Movies start in the afternoon and close upabout ten o'clock. They have good movies, too, mostlyfrom America. Newspapers are just four pages, like ourfront and back pages. And they handle news differently

than we do here. (Just this morning on page one of aWashington paper, I saw two stories emanating fromBerlin, one spreading the rumor that Timoshenko was to berelieved of his post, and the other telling the story of how anew submarine supplied to the Turks by the British hadfoundered with the loss of all 57 hands on its first voyage.These stories are obvious Nazi invention. One of twocourses would have been followed in British newspapers.Either the stories would have been tossed into thewastebasket with a snort of derision, or they would havebeen tied together in a story saying here were twoexamples of how the Nazis try to break down the morale ofthe United Nations.)

Southern towns and Londonall are alike. But why don't more

chimney pots fall?

You can get filled up in a British restaurant, but you willalways have a hungry feeling. It comes, I think, from anunconscious desire for the good food of the UnitedStateseggs, fresh fruit, a good roast of beef, etc. Thosethings hardly exist over there. Don't ever let anyone tellyou powdered eggs are good: I was never able to eat all ofone. One man's butter ration for a week is one-eighth of apoundabout as much as a big butter user puts on his toastin the morning.

(Turn to page 674)


18/83


GLOSSARY OF U. S. AND BRITISH ABBREVIATIONS

(Especially Pertaining to Field Artillery)

The JOURNAL is indebted to Lt. Col. Alfred H. Burns, editor ofThe Gunner Magazine

(London), for furnishing the British portion of this glossary.

U.S. Abbr. U. S. Meaning British Equivalent British Abbr.

Pvt Private Same Pte.Cpl Corporal Bombardier Bdr.

Sgt Sergeant Same1st Sgt 1st Sergeant Troop Sergeant Major TSMCh of Sec Chief of Section (NCO cmdg. a gun section) Number One No. 1

NCO Noncommissioned officer. Warrant officer is above all NCO's,below all officers.

Same NCO

WOGnr Gunnerthe man who lays the piece for elevation and deflection Same Same, or Gr.Tech Techniciana specialist rating (new); technical, as "Technical

Sergeant"Specialist

Mech Mechanic SameEM Enlisted men Other ranks ORCmdr Commander Officer commanding OCCO Commanding officer Same SameCG Commanding general General Officer commanding G.O.C.C of S Chief of Staff Same SameS-1 (G-1 Personnel section (or officer) of staff Adjutant General A.G.

S-2 (G-2) Intelligence section (or officer) of staff Intelligence IS-3 (G-3) Training section (or officer) of staff General Staff G.S.S-4 (G-4) Supply section (or officer) of staff Quartermaster General Q.M.G.Adj Adjutantofficer charged with administrative matters (glorified

secretary)Same Same, or Adjt.

Sec Section (1 gun) Sub-section Sub-SecPlat Platoon (2 guns) Section Sec. or X

Right section RXLeft section LX

Btry Battery (4 guns) Troop Tp.Bn Battalion (12 guns) Battery Bty.Regt Regiment (now passing out of the picture) Same SameBrig Brigade (a relic of World War I) Same Bde.Co Company (Infantry) Company CoyBC Battery Commander Troop commander T.C.Bn C Battalion Commander Battery commander B.C.Ln O Liaison officer SameFO Forward observer; also Field (combat) Orders Forward Observing Officer F.O.O.Btry Ex or Exec Executive Gun Position Officer G.P.O.Com O (Commo) Communication officer (charged with telephone and

radio installation and operation)Signals Officer Sigs. O.

HCO Horizontal control operator NoneVCO Vertical control operator None

(Both members of Fire Direction Team)FDC Fire Direction Center No English equivalenta set-up for

massing fire of the battalion or group.OP Observation post Same SameRad Radio Radio Telephony R/T


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1942 GLOSSARY OF U. S. AND BRITISH ABBREVIATIONS 673

U.S. Abbr. U. S. Meaning British Equivalent British Abbr.

Tg Telegraph Wireless Telephony W/TTp Telephone Line Telephony L/TSb Switchboard SameMC Message Center Report Centre NoneCP Command post Same C.P.

Msg Message Same NoneMtcl Msgr Motorcycle messenger Despatch Rider D.R.How Howitzer Same Same

Aiming circle Director Dir.Rn Range Same Rg.Rd Round (of ammunition) Same SameTrk Truck Lorry, tractor, truckTk -Tank Same TnkRSOP Reconnaissance, selection, and occupation of positionan

amusing ring-around-the-rosie which we do in times ofpeacevery seriously of course. Bears little resemblance toactualities of war.

Drill Order D.O.

Div Arty O Division Artillery Officer. No one is quite sure whether heactually commands, or only advises.

Commanding Royal Artillery CRA

FM Field Manualan official drill regulations, usually several yearsout of date.

Field Service Pocket Book FSPB

AR Army Regulationsusually even more obsolete. King's Regulations K.R.Am Ammunition Same Amn.AM Morning Same SamePM Afternoon; also Provost Marshal Same SameMP Military Police Same SamePk Pack (as pack artillery) SamePrk (Gun) park Gun park NoneAWS Aircraft & Warning ServiceAA Antiaircraft SameAAA Antiaircraft artillery Light Anti Aircraft L.A.A.

Heavy Anti Aircraft H.A.A.AT Anti-tank Same A.Tk, or A/TOPL Outpost line Same NoneMLR Main line of resistance Foremost Defended Localities F.D.L.sBRL Battalion reserve line NoneRRL Regimental reserve line None

CWS Chemical Warfare Service Chemical Warfare, Royal Engineers C.W.R.E.Rd Road Same SameCR Crossroads Same X Rds.RJ Road junction Same Rd. June.DP Distributing point (for supplies) Supply Point S.P.OO Ordnance officer (he isn't always a double cipher) Same SameHE High Explosive Same SameHwy Highway Main RoadIP Initial Point (for coordinating the beginning of a march) Starting PointJA Judge Advocate (the commander's lawyer) Judge Advocate General J.A.G.LD Line of departure Starting LineL of C Line of communication SameT of Oprs Theater of Operations Same NoneCom Z Communication Zone NoneZ of I Zone of the interior None

MSR Main supply road NoneMG Machine gun Same SameMI Military Intelligence SameT/O Tables of Organization War Establishments W.E.T/BA Tables of Basic Allowances (of Equipment) G 1098QM Quartermaster Same SameWD War Department Same SameAP Aiming Point Same A. Pt.

Angle of Site Line/Angle of Sight A. of S.Angle of Fall Angle of DescentAngle of Impact Angle of ArrivalRotating Band Driving BandMassed Fires Concentrations


20/83


21/83

Until the invasion of Russia on June 22, 1941, itappeared that Germany was pursuing assiduously thestrategy of "one enemy at a time." She attempted, and withconsiderable success, to isolate her chosen victim, use allher force to destroy him, and then move on to the nextobjective. Yet, while Germany was still engaged againstEngland, she suddenly attacked and brought into the listsagainst her another major enemy, Russia.

More than idle curiosity is served by the knowledge of

why Germany attacked Russia. If we understand why theNazis felt it necessary to attack Russia, we willcomprehend the German situation and thus be better able tomake our own decisions. Furthermore, the attack on Russiaprovides a case-study of the German military mind;knowledge of how our enemy thinks is especially valuable.It is well known, now, that the tactics and techniques usedin the Battle of France were outlined years before the warin German military journals. A British officer, Lt. Col. deWatteville, in the October, 1940, Army Quarterly pointedout that in the pre-war standard German work on tankwarfare is a description of an imaginary battle of August,1940, which is practically a description of the actual battlewhich did take place in that year.

There is considerable evidence that the German GeneralStaff did not believe that Russia would be an easy victimand, therefore, that the reasons impelling Germany to attackmust have been very powerful. Prior to the war, the GermanGeneral Staff advised Hitler that Germany's chances forvictory in a general war depended on keeping Russia neutral.According to the official French Yellow Book, the FrenchAmbassador at Berlin, M. Coulondre, reported to hisForeign Office on June 1, 1939, that he had reliableinformation from a senior official of the Wilhelmstrasse that:

The Fuhrer has asked General Keitel, chief of the General

Staff, and General von Brauchitsch, C.-in-C. of the Army,whether in their opinion, under existing conditions, an armed

conflict would turn in favour of Germany. Both replied thatmuch depended on whether Russia remained neutral or not. In

the first case General Keitel replied "Yes" and General von

Brauchitsch (whose opinion has greater value) replied

"Probably." Both declared that, if Germany had to fight against

Russia, she would not have much chance of winning.

Proof of the high estimate put on Russian militarypower by the Germans can be deduced from the heavyprice which was paid to keep Russia neutral. The GermanArmy had to turn over to the Red a large part of Poland'swestern territories. The Reichswehr had to stand by whileRussia marched into the Baltic states and transformedthem from an easy German highway to Leningrad intofortified Russian defense-bulwarks. When Russia tookover Hangoe from Finland in the Russo-Finnish war and

thus barred the sea route to Leningrad, the Germans againhad to acquiesce, although the Russians were thusimproving their strategic position against future Germanpressure.

The German General Staff clearly understood that theRussians were strengthening themselves against possibleGerman attack. Hitler said in his June 22, 1941, speech thatwhen Russia was acquiring the Baltic states and theterritory from Finland she motivated these actions by thefact that she had to forestall an outside menace:

This could only be meant to apply to Germany, for no other

power could even gain entrance into the Baltic area, let alone go

to war there.

Colonel Barrows of the U. S. Army similarly pointedout in the October, 1941, U. S. Army Command andGeneral Staff School Military Review that Russianterritorial gains in the first years of the war were alldesigned to form a buffer strip to absorb German blowswhile Russian mobilization was completed.

It is not often remembered that the German Army wasprobably in a better position to estimate the correct strengthof the Russian Army than were any other observers.German generals developed their theories of mechanizedwarfare in cooperation with the Russians, prior to thetaking of power by Hitler. Before 1933 the Reichswehrofficers spent long tours of duty with the Russian Army.As for the German air force, here is what a British airmagazine* has to say:

During 1937 and 1938, long extracts from . . . (the Russian

Regulation for the employment of the air force in the field,

*The Acroplane, July 18, 1941; Russian Air Power: The Strategic

Plan.

The Real Significance of the German Attack

By LT. ANDREW M. KAMARCK, FA

675


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published in 1935) were published by German military and

aeronautical journals together with the comments of Russian experts.

The curriculum of the German Air Warfare Academy contains a

number of lectures on the Regulation, which was described as the first

of its kind to lay down the principles for the use of the air weapon.A survey of the German air operations of the present war

suggests that most of them have been modelled on the Russian

Regulation whether they were independent air force operationsor collaboration with the ground forces. This is not surprising if

one keeps in mind that most of the prominent Luftwaffe generals

. . . learnt their first lessons in aerial warfare in Russia before

1933, when the German and and Russian High Commands

worked closely together on building up their armed forces.The second part of the Regulation is the more interesting. The

great battles of this war launched by the Germans seem to have been

modelled on it; and examples of its operation are the break-through

at Sedan and the German thrust towards the Channel ports.

It therefore is evident that the German General Staff wasfully aware that the Red Army was a formidable opponent.Carried away by their easy victories in Poland and France,the Nazis may have under-rated the Russian Army, but they

certainly never believed that it would be an easy mark. TheGerman propaganda, peddled so effectively abroad, that "theGerman Army could go through the Russian Army like aknife through butter," of course did play an important roleeven though the Germans themselves knew better. Thispropaganda depreciated the estimate the democracies had ofthe alliance-value of Russia and probably delayed by monthsthe sending of supplies to the Russian Armies.

Two lengths of channel iron enable mechanized troops to crossalthough the bridge has been blasted. (Dever from Black Star)

Any explanation for the German invasion based on thepremise that Hitler is a psychopathic case must bediscarded. Hitler may well be mentally unbalanced, but noone has yet been able to demonstrate that the Germanconduct of the war has been governed by other than soundmilitary groundsand the invasion of Russia is not an

exception.

The most generally accepted theory for the attack is thatGermany attacked Russia to secure needed supplies. Thistheory is simple, appealing, and, unquestionably, is part ofthe truth. Yet the desire to secure Russian supplies can notbe, by any means, the whole story of the motives behindthe Nazi assault.

Hitler was receiving some supplies from Russia prior tothe invasion. It was not much, we now know, but still itwas something. At the same time, some strategic materialsdid trickle through from the Far East via Japan and theTrans-Siberian. An invasion of Russia would cut off thesesupplies for at least some months. The hope that Russian

resources could be secured by invasion was at best a riskyone.

The German General Staff knew from experience theRussian tactics of fighting and their scorched-earthpolicy: this is not the first time the Germans have invadedRussia. In 1918 the German Army took the Ukraine withvery little fighting, as a result of the collapse of the oldCzarist state; even so, grain had to be imported fromCentral Europe to feed the army of occupation. In 1941,the Germans knew that there was no German fifth columnalive in Russia. That they also knew that they couldexpect no popular support of any kind is shown by theabsence of attempts to set up puppet governments in

occupied territories.

The German experience with the occupied countries ofwestern Europe was no inducement to take on newterritories to administer. Because of shortage of manpower,it is clear that the Nazis have failed to organize theiroccupied territories successfully. As the war has continuedand resistance of the conquered peoples has grown, thecontribution of occupied Europe to the German war efforthas been decreasing rather than increasing.

Not only was there the risk of losing the imports fromRussia without gaining any new resources, but thelargescale fighting necessary would constitute a heavydrain on German resources and reserves. The GermanArmy for a Russian campaign had to be at least twice aslarge as the army used in the French campaign (300divisions as against 100-plus in the west). Germanproduction would unquestionably suffer from lack ofmanpower. In the Balkans, too, mobilization of Romanian,Hungarian, and Bulgarian soldiers would deplete theworking forces and reduce production in the Germangranary of the Balkans.

If the primary motivation of the German invasion ofRussia was to secure the Russian resources, and since:


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1942 WHY HITLER ATTACKED RUSSIA 677

(a) the Russian campaign has beena tremendous drain on Germanresources, and (b) no substantialgain in resources has been derivedfrom Russia, then the GermanArmy's supplies must be well -

nigh exhausted. This conclusion,while pleasing, is a fit companionto and as dangerous as theChamberlain-Daladier theory of1939-40 that Germany had a badsupply situation and could,therefore, be whipped by aneconomic blockade alone and nofighting would be necessary. It istrue that now in the summer of1942, the German supply situationis arriving at the point where onecan begin to characterize it as

"bad." But this deterioration ismainly the result of the war inRussia which has drainedreserves, resources, and men off tothe East to be consumed on theRussian front. Practically allstudents of the German economyagree that had it not been for theRussian war, Germany couldstand the war almost indefinitely without any unbearablehardships. Let us have no illusions on this point.

Observation is well organized in the German Army in Russia. The German caption reads: "All observeddetails are reported by 'phone of every B-position to the commanding officer's observation post of thedivision. Here the entire scenery of the situation forms herself which is deciding for the future operations."

Possibly this can be interpreted as follows: "The division OP. Here are received, also, reports from otherOP's. Thus the various pieces of the puzzle are fitted together. This is most useful to the commander in

ormulating plans and making decisions relative to future operations."(Dever from Black Star)

From the record, it is clear that Hitler must have hadsome powerful motive other than the desire to secure

Russian resources to impel him to bring such a dangerousenemy into the field against Germany. This second andprobably more important reason why Germany attackedRussia was carefully explained by Hitler in his speech onthe morning of the invasion:

While our soldiers from May 10, 1940, had been breaking

Franco-British power in the west, Russian military development

on our eastern frontier was being continued to a more and more

menacing extent.From August, 1940, I therefore considered it to be in the

interest of the Reich no longer to permit our eastern provinces,

which moreover had already been laid waste so often, to remain

unprotected in the face of this tremendous concentration of

Bolshevik divisions.Thus there resulted British-Soviet Russian cooperation,

intended mainly at the tying-up of such powerful forces in theEast that radical conclusion of the war in the West, particularly

as regards aircraft, could no longer be vouched for by the

German High Command.

In other words, Hitler was invading Russia not to createa new front against himself, but to eliminate an alreadyexisting second front. Churchill's analysis of the causes ofthe German attack on Russia is similar. On the day of theGerman invasion, Churchill unhesitatingly ranged Englandon the side of the Soviet Union, giving his analysis of thereasons for the German action in the following words:

. . . when I spoke a few minutes ago of Hitler's blood lust and

the hateful appetites which have impelled or lured him on his

Russian adventure. I said there was one deeper motive behind his

outrage. He wishes to destroy the Russian power because he

hopes that if he succeeds in this he will be able to bring back the

main strength of his army and air force from the cast and hurl it

upon this island, which he knows he must conquer or suffer thepenalty of his crimes.*

His invasion of Russia is no more than a prelude to an attempted

invasion of the British Isles. He hopes no doubt that all this may be

accomplished before the winter comes, and that he can overwhelm

Great Britain before the fleets and air power of the United States

will intervene; he hopes that he may once again repeat upon a

greater scale than ever before that process of destroying hisenemies one by one, by which he has so long thrived and prospered,

and that then the scene will be clear for the final act without which

all his conquests would be in vain; namely, the subjugation of the

Western Hemisphere to his will and to his system.The Russian danger is, therefore, our danger and the danger

of the United States. . . .

Churchill plainly pointed out in this speech that Hitler

was attacking the Soviet Union to eliminate Russianmilitary power in order to be free to concentrate upon anddestroy his British enemy.

The analysis that Hitler attacked Russia in order toeliminate an already existing front means, of course, thatHitler has had a war on two fronts from the beginning ofWorld War II. Only a few penetrating military analystssuch as Captain W. D. Puleston of the U. S. Navyrecognized prior to June 22, 1941, this salient fact

*My emphasis.A. M. K.


24/83


as a characteristic of the present war. But when we lookback over the history of the war since September 1,1939, it becomes evident that only this analysis bringsout the significance of developments and completelyexplains what otherwise appear to be incomprehensibleevents.

If one now applies the Clausewitz definition of war as"the continuation of policy by means of force," the Germanattack on Russia is seen to be merely a violent continuationof the silent struggle which had been going on bydiplomatic means since the beginning of the war.

Actually, the history of this war has not differedmarkedly from the history of the last one, despite surfaceappearances. Germany has had the same problem in bothwars (enemies on two fronts) and has attempted to solve itin somewhat similar manner. (The Polish, Norwegian andBalkan campaigns in this war, like the Mesopotamia andSalonika campaigns of the last, while not unimportant aresubsidiary to the main outlines of the strategic picture.) In

1914 and in 1939 it was clear to the German General Staffthat victory could be won quickest on the western front.While the enemy in the west was being defeated, it wasplanned to purchase the necessary time by selling space tothe enemy in the East. Thus, in 1914 the Germans wereready to give up East Prussia, if necessary, while in 1939-40 they gave up half of Poland, the Baltic States, andstrategic positions in Finland, Bessarabia, and northernBukovina.

Note how Goering describes these Russian acquisitionsin military terms in his speech of May 20, 1942:

Slowly the (Russian) columns penetrated, first in the north

against Finland. In the south they took over Rumanian

positions. And they would have pushed on farther and fartherto the north and to the south, on the Balkans, over

Scandinavia, in order then in these pincers to give the final

blow to Germany, which was involved in a hard struggle

against the other powers.

In 1914 the Battle of the Marne, which should haveknocked out the French, failed partly because three ArmyCorps were withdrawn from France to meet the Russianinvasion in the East. In 1940, the Germans succeeded inknocking out the French before the R

Documents

Field Artillery Journal - Sep 1942