Schießausbildungen - Rifle Training

[Rainer Schmidt]

Hello,

I'm an avid shooter, and am interested in the methods of the Wehrmacht for training their soldiers with small arms.

Just some background to what I've learned so far:

I've gone over H.Dv. 240 - Schießvorschrift für Gewehr (karbiner) leichtes Maschinengewehr, Pistole usw. - 1937, and Die Schießausbildung, Artur Boltze, 1941, and an Appendix of the Stackpole's 12th SS Volume Two: The History of the Hitler Youth Panzer Division (covering Guidelines for Firearms Training, Nov 10, 1943).

It abundantly clear that the training covered in H.DV. 240 is for peacetime, with the use of the Schiessbuch, various Gruppen und Klassen (B, A, I, II, etc) that the rekruten are expected to move through. Even the 12th SS document mentions "The traditional peacetime firearms training, as laid down in its basics in H.Dv240, is geared to a much longer training period and can thus no longer satisfy the requirements of the war" (Pg. 546).

The cancellation of the Schützenschnur (Badge of Marksmanship) sometime in 1940 (Would appreciate a reference to this if anyone knows), and the move from Schiessbuch to the abridged Schiessliste at some point, seem to be caused by this simplification of training.

I've recreated the 12/24 ringschiebe (Ring Targets), kopfringschiebe (Head Target Overlay), and the brustringschiebe (Chest Target Overlay) based on H.Dv. 240. I've seen some period catalogues showing other targets that must have been used for Gefechtsschiessen (Combat Training).

I'd like to ask for help, and help really. There are several thing still outstanding, and I would appreciate if someone could point me to further resources that might help. I've poured over this website, Feldgrau.net, WAF, Lexikon der wehrmacht, and have asked for help on some WW2 Research Forums, but been coming back with minimal success.

Some things that would interest me:
- How were the various 12 Stufen of the Schützenschnur award awarded? A list of requirements would be excellent (Example: Stufe 1: Score X with Karbiner und Pistole during Gruppe, Klasse II Ubung)
- What date was the Schützenschnur cancelled during the war?
- Additional pictures of rifle training.
- Additional resources

What I have found, I have compiled here for anyone else who might be interested in this topic. I do not pretend to own any of the resources on here, and have tried to give credit where credits are due. The only thing that is mine are the reproduction targets (They are huge, 170 cm x 120 cm):
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... sp=sharing