Small Unit Tactics Research

[MelonHead]

Hey everybody!

It's been a while since I've posted around here, but I've been browsing for a little over six months. Anyways, I was wondering if you guys could give me a hand with something I'm trying to do some research on.

I'm doing a study of small unit tactics in World War II (no larger than platoon size-preferably squad or fire team, but I'll see where things are going), and I've found a couple of books and stuff, but I was wondering if you guys know any good sites for US or German small tactics. Really the thing I'm looking for right now is a diagram of how squads were taught to operate. In particular, I want one demonstrating how a squad should set up a base of fire with a MG/automatic weapon (like the BAR) then move up under the base of fire, since that's my basic understanding of how these things work. I imagine there would be one in a field manual or something, but I have very little knowledge of how these things work-I'm just starting my research and have never been in the military. The big thing I'm looking for right now is that pic, but if you guys have any other suggestions of websites or books or documents those would be really helpful-my library searches have turned up lots of stuff but having more sources and more perspectives can never be bad, in my opinion. Thanks for any help!

[STEELER13]

http://home.fuse.net/nafziger/
Yo Sir,
Try the above link. That is Nafziger Collection and he has several $20 booklets on OOB's and Squad Tactics. I own one on Panzer tactics--excellent as are the OOB's(I own the German collection and several of the Russian)
Other things to try:
Barnes and Noble should be able to get you a copy of PanzerTruppen by Jentz(two volumes-one handles 1939to1942, second handles the rest). Very detailed, most excellent! I paid $25 each for mine 4 years ago, and they are very dog-eared now.

Do a search for a Glantz title about Soviet Defensive tactics at Kursk(note not the book he did with House,this is a separate 60 page "pamplet" loosely bound(looks like a college thesis). EXCELLENT analysis of Soviet defensive tactics from Stalingrad to Kursk, and goes into great detail at the level you like.

Last but not least, and I am sure someone has the link(sorry can't find it right now), for the US Army Military History which has several online books detailing German, Soviet and US squad tactics. These are also published in book format by US government(they have bookstores in most major cities).

Let me know if this helps you.

[11Bravo]

Mellonhead,

Maybe you would like to browse some army field manuals. Here are a couple of links. FM 7-8 INFANTRY RIFLE PLATOON AND SQUAD seems relevant. And plenty of others make for some fun reading. Enjoy!

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... -8/toc.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... y/army/fm/

Now these are the modern ones...but you might get a sense of what you are looking for. If you find links to the WW2 variety, I would appreciate someone posting a link in this thread.

[Karnaaj]

Yup, the historical ones would be nice to find online.(Note: get the current/recent manuals from the actual military websites; you *can* find 'em on KaZaa or whatever, but they tend to be bloated up with"white Power" guerilla manuals added. <bleah> If I had a scanner [and people wouldn't have kittens about it] I'd scan up my WWII Fleet Marine manual on sabotage.Neat stuff, but dated, and assumes you're part of a Raider force and have access to 40-pound pack full of TNT blocks, so...])

Hmm. Kinda suprised the older manuals *aren't* available in electronic form... at least, as far as I've seen. Some sites have a ton of tech manuals for radios and trucks available. Mebbe I should check the re-enactor sites...

(later)

*mutter*grumble*mutter* Jeez, there's a helluva lot ofpeople sucking down the current manuals and selling 'em on CD. There's also some absatively cool things, like WWII training movies (US and German) on CD. (Two German sniper training movies for $15? Hmmm. Six or seven US Army CDs? $15 each <sigh> so I'll not own 'em just yet...) Goodies are there, but not free and not the easiet to find. (URLs will be added to this post or a followup later - I'm supposed to be up for work in the morning. <G>)

Anyway, here's some Scouting and Patrolling scans from a period manual:

http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/basic_scouting.htm

The homepage has more stuff listed:

http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/index.htm

But I'm still looking... what can I say, I'm a docco freak.

(and again a few minutes later)

Gee, guess I shouldn't have stayed up 30 hours playing The Specialists. <G> Here's their link to "FM 31-50 - Attack on a Fortified Position and Combat in Towns, 31 Jan 1944 - Part 2":

http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/fm3150.htm

Excuse me whilst I drool: their links section has web-printable paperwork and a *repro rubber stamp* dealer!

Me go sleep now. And dream of a day when I can afford to buy all this stuff...

[MelonHead]

Wow!

Thanks for the outporing of support, everyone. I was kinda looking for field manuals, but I had no idea what they were called . Anyways, hopefully that'll give me lots of stuff to read, and more things to look up. I've read a few of Keegan's books, a couple of Antony Beevor's, and a number of Ambrose's works, but I'm interested in getting a little more in depth with a tad bit more detail. Thanks!

[MelonHead]

I've had a couple of hours to research and my, oh my am I excited! There is so much cool stuff buried in the US military archives! Everything from war department pamphlets to actual AARs. Whee-thanks again, everyone.

[Karnaaj]

Zero Hour - Operation URL FURY is underway! <G>

Here's a site with some neat offerings, such as an ONI manual/report on Japanese Landing Operations and Equipment. Downside is, however, price - $14.95 for a 38-page booklet on CD-ROM? A little rich, but that's probably just me being a cheap bastard. <G> Lotsa boaty stuff, in fact, but those Armored Vehicle Recognition Manuals look pretty. <G> (And even being cheap, I think I'm gonna get that-there ONI report...)

http://www.history-on-cdrom.com/home.htm

Next, a site with primarily listings of manuals, and links to more recent offerings; I didn't dig through the entire site as yet, but I think it'll be useful for identifying exactly what you want. Can't hurt to look, right?

http://www.manuals.simonides.org/index.html

OK, no CD-ROMs, but *tons* of photocopies of hard-to-find goodies. Again a bit pricey in my opinion, but more justified in that it's hardcopy. Who wouldn't want their own copy of "TM 9-1907 Ballistic Data, Performance of Ammunition (23 September 1944); 309 pages, 275 illus. Price 31.00 {Item No.2850} [This book is filled with detailed tables showing the preformance of U.S.WWII bombs and shells against armor plate, tanks, troops and concrete]"?

http://www.military-info.com/Index.htm

What's this? A lot of assorted manuals and publications at $9.99 per CD with lotsa stuff on it? A bunch that are current (IE, available for free from the relevant online archive for the branch of service in question) and some (at least) that I've seen at the Military History Institute Digital Library? <shrug> I'm not sure that *everything* they have is available free/online, tho, so take a look. (In my opinion, some of these CDs appear to be "padded" with stuff to fill 'em out.)

http://www.emilitarymanuals.com/index.htm

OK, remember that I said there were videos? This is the joint - a quick skim of their manuals show current/online offerings, but those videos sound *fascinating*. No samples, so quality is unknown... if I buy any, I'll review here. <G>

http://www.military-media.com

I'm going to dig around some more here tonight; I know there's (was?) a site that had sample video from German WWII films, as I still have those clips on my box. <G> And I'm willing to bet there's some more manuals and such hidden away...

[KG Erwin]

MelonHead, this is the complete 1944 Staff Officers' Manual for Amphibious Operations. This is geared specifically for the Pacific Theater, and there are many accompanying tables with TOE/OOB info and what not. You may find it useful: http://carlisle-www.army.mil/cgi-bin/us ... docnum=718