German Winter Warfare

u UNCLASrFIED 1 15 U635 no.18 c.4 15 DECEMBER 1943 4IAL SERIES, NO. 18 L// GERMAN WINTER WARFARE Z-_ NIMCLASSIfIED A'. A; oeLQJMBIP 02 :-3j PREPARED BY MIITARY INTLLIGENCE DIVISION WAR DEPARTMIENT UNCLASSIFIED MILITARY INTELLIGENCE DIVISION SPECIAL SERIES No. 1S MID 401 WNVaDEPARTMENT WASlIoGTON 25, D. C., 15 December 1943 NOTICE j. Publication of Special Series is for the purpose of providing officers with reasonably confirmed information from official and other reliable sources. 2. In order to meet the specill requirements of certain headquarters, or in order to conserve shipping space, the distribution of any particular issue may be modified from the standard of 150 copies to a division, 30 to a nondivisional group or regiment, 6 to an independent squadron or battalion, and 2 to an independent troop or company. In an infantry division organized according to T/O & E 7 (15 July 1943), redistribution should be effected as follows: Div Hq ............. q.................. 4 Dir Ilq Co .......... 2 P Ilat ............ Rcn Tp ........... Ord Co ............ QM ... QNI Co............... g Sig Co. ....... .......... TOTAL, Ir ... rDIV.. [ 2 24 22 1 .Rgtl Regil H ILI .... q Regtl Hq Co.. ....... Serv Co .............. 4 I Cn Co ............... 30 Irt Re gts (3) ..... .......... ).. 2 2 2 Engr 11 ............ Mled a ............. Div Arty Hq Btry ............. 1 AT Co .............. Bas (3 90 ............. S 150 TOTAL, IlF REGL. I 30 3. In addition to Special Series, publications of the Military Intelligence D)ivision include Tactical and Technical Tr'ends (biweekly), Intelligence BuIlletin (monthly), and Military Jeports onl the United NXations (monthly). Distribution to AAF units anlld installations is made by the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence, Army Air Forces, and quantities sent to AGF addresses Ire recommended by the Commanding General, Army Ground Forces. Requests for additiollal copies of any MID publication should be made through chmanels. 4. Every command should circulate available copies among its officers. Rleproduction within the militlry service is permitted provided that (1) the source is stated, (2) the classification is mmnnintaoled, and (3) one copy of the publication in whlih the material is reproduced is forwarded to the Dissemination Unit, Military Intelligence Division, War Department, Washington 25, D. C. Comments on this publication and suggestions for future issues may be sent directly to the same address. UNCLASSIFIED PREFACE OF U.-- ARMY This work is substantially a translation of an enemy docunlent which has been edited in the style and format of War Department publications and rearranged in order to present the material in a more logical order than in the original text. All of the illustrations, which were rough sketches in the original, have been redrawn, and have been improved as much as possible. The handbook was based on the experiences of the German Army during the first two winters of the war in Russia. Essentially it tells a story of efforts to solve two vital problems of winter warfare: mobility and shelter. The handbook was published by the German High Command on 5 August 1942, apparently in a great hurry, in order to help the German forces to prepare for a third rigorous winter on the invaded territory of a formidable foe. The material, evidently collected from the various branches of the German Armed Forces, was put together badly and in some places was almost unintelligible. A consider