Allied Intelligence Handbook to the German Army 1939–45

Allied Intelligence Handbook to the German Army 1939–45 cover

Allied Intelligence Handbook to the German Army 1939–45

Description

What did the British or American soldier know about the German Army? Was this knowledge accurate--and just how did he know it? There have been several 'handbooks' of Second World War armies, but they never tell us exactly what the Allied soldier knew at the time, or how he was informed. This is of importance because it influenced both conduct on the battlefield, and the way in which the soldier thought about his enemy. The book explains the background history of the organizations involved, followed by short chapters based around a series of original documents. This puts the original into context and also discusses whether the document that follows was correct in the picture it painted, and what can be deduced about sources and the concerns of the intelligence officers who compiled the material. Most of the documents were produced at the time, by the British War Office or US War Department, and cover different aspects of the German Army, including tactics, weapons, and uniforms.

Subjects include: Allied intelligence on the German Army from 1930 onwards, British SIS / MI6 and US Military Intelligence. The organizations responsible, how they worked, and how they changed very rapidly with the coming of war. The role of technology, modern--like the radio transmitter, ancient--as in scouring libraries and periodicals, reports on military maneuvers and parades. Limitations of 'Ultra' The German army itself, from the tiny force left after Versailles, to the rapid expansion in the late 1930s. Innovation in tanks, tactics, machine guns, rocket weaponry. The problems of gathering intelligence, not just danger, but finance, asking the right questions and the limitations of reporting and distribution.

Table of Contents

1. Periodical Notes on the German Army 1939 onward
2. Panzer I 1940
3. Handbook of the German Army 1940
4. 'WAR': The German Army, May 1942
5. Handbook of German Army Identification, 1943
6. Soldbuch and Wehrpass
7. Enemy Weapons, 1943
8. Company Officer's Handbook of the German Army, March 1944
9. Handbook of German Military Forces, March 1945
10. Development of the Panzerfaust 1946

Product details

Published Jun 06 2017
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 192
ISBN 9781844864263
Imprint Conway
Illustrations 25 black and white illustrations and photographs
Dimensions 180 x 120 mm
Series General Military
Short code GNM
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Stephen Bull

Dr Stephen Bull worked for the National Army Museu…

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