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US WAR DEPARTMENT RESTRICTED HANDBOOK ON GERMAN MILITARY FORCES - 1943 (not a modern reprint!)

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This is a 100% original English language example of the RESTRICTED TM-E 30-451 HANDBOOK ON GERMAN MILITARY FORCES dated 1 September 1943 as published by the Military Intelligence Division of the U.S. War Department. The rare 6 x 8-1/8 inch green linen hardcover loose-leaf book has 372 heavily illustrated pages. This is NOT a modern copy but an original 80 year old book.

The Foreword explains that the purpose of this handbook “is to give both officers and enlisted men of the U.S. Army a better understanding of their principal enemy in Europe. In order to fight the Germans successfully, it is vital for the U.S. soldier to know at least in broad outline the manner in which the units of the German Armed Forces are trained, equipped, and organized, as well as something about the chain of command and the method of close cooperation between various branches.”

Chapters cover the organization of GHQ army troops, Infantry divisions, Motorized Infantry divisions, Panzer divisions, Mountain divisions and Light divisions, engineers and their duties, chemical warfare troops, supply troops, administrative services, SS, Police and other militarized organizations, the Luftwaffe, as well as weapons, artillery, radio equipment and transmitters, tactics, fortifications, German coins, weights and measures, etc.

This RESTRICTED TM-E 30-451 HANDBOOK ON GERMAN MILITARY FORCES has great pictures of armored vehicles and tanks, Lugers and machine guns, anti-tank guns, mortars, howitzers, Nebelwerfer in North Africa, emergency Herbert bridges, field radios and other military communication equipment, fortifications, Luftwaffe paratroopers, Me 109, Heinkel 111, Ju87 and other Nazi airplanes, anti-tank obstacles, as well as many organizational tables.

This original 1943 US military handbook comes with its original khaki linen hardcovers and black shoestring tying all the pages to the covers. It is in very good little-used condition and has no odor. It was brought home from Europe after World War II by an American Army Officer and we purchased it from his estate.

The color plates show uniforms worn by officers, enlisted men, mobile troops, mountain troops, air force, army tropical uniforms, as well as insignia of rank and colors of army arms.

The book also has several fold-out tables of different sizes including one explaining German military ranks and their US equivalents and Luftwaffe airplanes. Most of them look like they have never been unfolded.