Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

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Aida1
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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#31

Post by Aida1 » 01 Apr 2021, 19:29

'2./SSPzGrenRgt 1 Duty roster 07.05.1943

0300 Wake up
0315 Issuing of coffee
1315 Lunch
1930 Dinner
2100 Lights out

0400-0630 Night training
a) deployment at night
b) employing recce troops at dawn
c) attack by the company from long distance to storming distance
0700 Combat training
1-3 platoon
Deployment of the platoon. Command of the platoon through command signals.
Attack against a position reinforced by permanent fortifications
(The pzgren platoon as stormtroop)
( H.Dv 130/ 2a nr 566-588)
4 platoon
Heavy machinegun groups:
a)recce, setting up of a concealed firing position
b) setting up and aiming of machineguns according to side and height(to the side with the aide of aiming sticks)
c)conduct in te firing position
Heavy mortar group
Employment of the heavy mortar group in the wood
Setting up the aiming sticks according to compass
Recce and setting up of the observer position
Recce , occupying and setting up of the firing position
Firing and fire direction
Changing position
(H.Dv 104 nr 56-60, 98-100, 101-106, 108-112)
Company and platoon troop
a) preparing aiming point and fire plan
b) Rangefinder 34
1. parts of the Rangefinder 34
2. Adjusting the rangefinder
3. Working with the rangefinder
( H.Dv 448/2 p 29-68)
10.30 Return
10.45-1230 cleaning weapons
1400-1500 Bed rest
1515 Falling in of the company
1520 Departure of the company
1530-1715 setting up of a bivouac with building of tents
1730 Return
Subsequently receiving weapons and oiling the barrels'

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#32

Post by Aida1 » 02 Apr 2021, 19:14

'SS PzGrenRgt 1 commander 26.02.1943

Concerns Weekly duty rosters
to 1-13 company / SS PGrenRgt 1
15 company
staff company
The weekly duty rosters for the period 1-7.3.43 are given back. They do not comply with the instructions of the division for the training and my orders given for this.
They are to be redone properly and to be submitted at 27.2.43 11.30.
Generally i have to remark the following concerning the duty rosters:

The duty roster is the calling card of the company commander, from it and the practical service it can be seen whether the company commander builds up his office according to plan in line with the specific conditions .Therefore the duty roster allows the superior to judge the affected.
The moment requires that the limited stay on the training ground is fully exploited in context with actual situation, this means that all that is superfluous is left out and everything is aligned to the practical work on the training ground. This is essentially not recognised, the duty rosters are not equal to this requirement.
I use therefore the opportunity to make some general remarks concerning this.
The training has to be executed as a short instruction with an at first limited objective. Its deepening happens from case to case according to time and place. The objective of the short training is the combat skilled individual fighter acquainted with his weapons who fights within his unit and is supported in this by the appropriate heavy weapons. He should thereby obtain the highest possible shooting proficiency, it is therefore wrong to execute a training exclusively according to the regulations but rather at the moment train similarly to the Ersatz and Ausbildung units. This requires a conversion of the company commander , recognising the essential and leaving out the insignificant and a carefull taking the materials from the regulations without getting lost in them.
The combat training must correspondingly with progressive training be brought into the framework of the group. The base must be the topics required by the regulations. '

To be continued


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Aida1
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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#33

Post by Aida1 » 06 Apr 2021, 20:17

'At first the focus is on the individual training-always within the group- the intensification of the individual training through employment in the terrain is only then justifified when the company commander believes that it is necessary based on the previous training. This requirement is in detail not met . On the contrary, a lot of time is wasted on matters for which we have no time at the moment. Camouflage and use of entrenchment tools is part of any duty and is not continually to be exercised as a matter on itself.I recommend the company commanders to practically make clear to the recruits the camouflage by a well prepared teaching process with 'false and correct'. In this a man learns more than through a dissipated training.
Moreover the estimating of distances in several directions( flat, rising, falling, average terrain) radially from one point with different objects and reporting laying down and standing in different distances is to be executed and discussed by the whole company. I consider that at the conclusion of the time we have at disposal, we can even execute a defensive mission within the framework of the company and exercise the giving of orders by group and platoon commanders for the occupying and holding of a position.

In the shooting training, the following is to be achieved:
Combat shooting in the group and a combat shooting in the platoon, in this collaboration of the heavy
weapons. The same goes for the regimental units. ..
Concerning the drill, it is ordered that it should not take longer than half an hour. Some company commanders seem not to know that.
Teaching
In the whole teaching the company commander appears far too little. Teaching the battle priciples of the infantry and corresponding combat training including teaching the organisation and missions of the different units , is completely lacking. It is evident that the company commander especially now in the welding together of the company, must appear a lot in the teaching, at least once a day.
I do not accept that in the 4 th training week- in which we are on average- still teachings are scheduled about rank insignia of waffen ss and army. Teaching about superiors of the division, about maintenance and treatment of weapons and similar.. The latter can be done during weapons cleaning , the first themes get in through hanging up boards , respectively the NCO 's draw atention to the superiors during the attending of duty. It cannot be defended that a company commander teaches an NCO theme(weapons teaching) and leaves the mental training of the company in the combat teaching to the platoon commander. '

to be continued

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#34

Post by Aida1 » 08 Apr 2021, 19:18

'In other units 'conduct as prisoner or straggler in enemy country' is teached by NCO's .I would like to know what comes out of this teaching. In the next weeks i will be able to satisfy myself what is really achieved in this matter by attending the schooling.
I wish that the weapons training is only conducted in the most vital measure, instead the man learns to practically master his weapon in drill and shooting ttraining. On this occasion the necessary what he has to know, can be explained. Moreover it will be more comprehensible for him in this.
I order that each company commander in a week teaches at least once on an ideological theme in connection with the peculiarity of the waffen ss , respectively the ss. I have received duty rosters in which company commanders of 7 days in a week only teached twice an hour, specifically general themes. The mental attitude of the man must go hand in hand with the combat training , only this way the notions can be teached to him.
I demand in the future that the duty rosters are subdivided according to the structure of the company for the training domains, for example the training of the heavy machinegun and heavy mortar gunners, the drivers must be shown.
The preparation of the NCO's for the next training day is ordered and executed, however i still request a planned NCO training by the company commander. I recommend to the batallion commanders to group together the NCO's to secure the uniformity of understanding.
Night training does not appear, it is to be executed on the basis of the directives of the division.
It is completely wrong already to exercise wood and urban fighting, nothing comes out of this before the man is trained in normal combat.'

to be continued

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#35

Post by Aida1 » 09 Apr 2021, 19:47

' The company commanders must execute more the organisation of duties and must intervebe much more in the general running of duties , otherwise objectives will not be reached.Any rigidity has to be abandoned. I do not underestimate the difficulties and am pleased about the diligence of most officers. It can however not be avoided that several officers are not yet fuly grown into the new conditions. It is wrong then to intend or do anyhing to kill time; it is correct to then turn to the appropriate superior who have full understanding to give instructions. This way the gap is closed as soon as possible.'

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#36

Post by Aida1 » 09 Apr 2021, 20:15

'SS Pz Gren div Hodenstaufen 17031943
SS Pzgren rgt 2
Training remarks nr 1

1)The training remarks nr 1 contain the remarks which i already discussed orally in meetings with commanders and officers. Most importantly, the planned development of the week duty is to be visible. The duties have to be organised in a diversified and interesting fashion.
2)During the discussion of his week plan with the platoon commanders and NCO's the company commander has to order which missions have to be exercised. These have to be thoroughly talked through on the sandbox.
3) Each duty has to be thoroughly prepared according to the training instructions. Notepads with exercise points, minutes plan and the applicable instructions have to be carried by the leaders.
Principles in the terrain: "get fast to exercising"
"More exercising, less talking"'

to be continued

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#37

Post by Aida1 » 11 Apr 2021, 19:24

'All drill is superfluous when the drilled forms do not improve attitude and movement in the other duties. The firmness of execution is always and in all circonstances the same. There is only one kind of"'standstill" in command and execution,.
Specifically the Stabsscharführer and the NCO's on duty have to see to the purest attitude in the internal service.
I want the saluting to be executed emphatically. All training of saluting is superfluous when officers and NCO's let pass negligence in the practical application without intervention by complaining, lecturing ,warning and in the last case reporting to the superior...Negligence in impeccably rendering salutes is always a sign of slacking off in the supervision by the superior.....'
Last edited by Aida1 on 11 Apr 2021, 19:47, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#38

Post by Aida1 » 11 Apr 2021, 19:46

SS Pz Gren div Hohenstaufen
SS Pz gren rgt 2 Training remarks 2

Weekly duty rosters
1) Even if i have seen satisfactory progress since my oral remarks in Maily Le camp about establishing and working out a duty roster, i still miss systematic preparation and correct functional setting up of the weekly duty roster in most duty rosters. It is surely clear that a duty roster cannot be decided on and completed in the last minute, that is shortly before the deadline for submitting to batallion, respectively regiment. The duty roster can only be correct if the performance of the troop in the last week is taken into account. The company commander must think well in which training branch his company still lags behind and in which it is very good. He must carefully consider whether the training objective was met or not in the last week. Only the considering of these things and the study of the directives for the training and the relevant regulations yield the foundations for the new duty roster.'

to be continued

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#39

Post by Westphalia1812 » 12 Apr 2021, 11:12

No wonder von Schweppenburg considered the Hohenstaufen to be the best trained SS division. Excellent material.
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And I think about killing myself

So, best believe, I thought about killing you today

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#40

Post by Aida1 » 12 Apr 2021, 19:53

' I have already stated once that the duty roster is the mirror for the knowledge and the know-how of the company commander. That one can immediately recognize whether the company comander concerned swims or he is a faker or he really can do something. I have the impression that many company commanders still 'swim'.
I also have the clear impression that the duty rosters are generally worked out at the last moment without thought about what the troop lacks and still has to learn.
When therefore a company commander schedules a duty for example combat training from 7.30 to 11.30 and during this wants to teach : exploiting terrain, working forward, going into position, opening fire , choosing targets, fire combat, the platoon in the attack, occupying a town,and the edge of a wood, walking through a wood, taking of a river crossing, then i must conclude that this company commander has no idea about duty and certainly not of the working out of a duty roster.
I would urge to think more and objectively study the regulations.

2) I can only then train recce missions and outpost missions together when one group is used as outpost and the other for the representation of the enemy as recce troop. Then this must be a well thought through exercise.
3)....
4) Shooting from the hip does not belong to weapons training, but to close combat schooling, but even there one cannot exercise firing from the hip for an hour.
5) I do not accept why the AT platoons have to train the same thing all week . For AT there are also regulations one can study. The company commander concerned could maybe try to explain what it means in a duty roster "Target and aiming exercises of AT without regulations". I would be thankfull for a corresponding enlightenment.
6) It surely must be possible on each day to drill half an hour, because especially the attitude of the men is still damned bad. I cannot understand that a company in a week has to do turns 3 times , specifically for an hour each time. Also in the drill duty I would ask for more variety and system. '

to be continued

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#41

Post by Aida1 » 15 Apr 2021, 21:20

' 7) Combining weapons cleaning with a teaching about hand grenades , i do not find very happy.
8) At several units i miss the daily absolutely necessary mustering of clothing and equipment . When at each mustering only or two objects of equipment have to be shown, so in the course of a week the whole equipment and clothing of the man can be seen and through this one not only has control over the completeness but above all also over the cleanliness of the clothing equipment.
9) I require from unit commanders the close observance of the order on the economy in clothing management.
I have the impression that care for uniforms is not yet given the necessary attention. The coats and pants look wrinkled, buttons are missing, buttonholes are torn, clothing is ripped, etc.. The men are so to be educated that they put in order small damages themselves.The coats and pants need every so often to be ironed out and made clean from stains. For this it is necessary that company commanders from time to time occupy themselves with their tailors and shoemakers. To which extent civial workers(women) can be employed in the tailor and shoemaker rooms, is to be settled with the regimental administtrative officer.
10)In a company in Godewaersvelde a sharpshooting was not carried out without a reason, as i could establish later. I cannot allow this once and for all . Instead however, recce missions were demonstrated with which Karl May heroes would have smirked pityingly.
The recce troop commanders had no idea of situation and mission. That a light machinegun gunner 1 is also recce troop commander is totally wrong.
In addition, the platoon commanders had, in spite of my repeated orders, neither written situations nor any regulation. I also gave the company commander openly my opinion about the company command. In future i will draw my conclusions. I did not like the kitchen of this unit. The cooks were badly dressed and in addition filthy.'
to be continued

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#42

Post by Aida1 » 16 Apr 2021, 21:20

'At another unit in Steenvoorde i again found the concerned company commander in the administrative office during combat training. Also on this i will lose no words anymore in the future but send the company commander concerned home immdediately.
The sentries of this unit reported badly , in the rooms not at all. Besides his stammering report the NCO on duty was bady dressed , his uniform dirty and sleazy.
13)Generally i require from all units that the straw matresses are full and are shaken early each day as is usual with 'soldiers' For this i make the Stabsscharfuhrer fully responsable.
14) I liked the unit in Hondeghem very well. The duties were developed in a well thought through and planned manner. The positions and splinter trenches showed understanding of the company commander and are created functionally and thought through. Camouflage is very good.The hollowing out of a willow-tree as an observation position shows reflection and understanding.
15) All men of the regiment are to be lectured about the saluting of the standards on the vehicles. Each man has to know when and which standard he has to salute also when he does not recognize the passengers of the vehicle. In the future i will stop and punish any man who violates this order.'

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#43

Post by Aida1 » 16 Apr 2021, 21:38

' SS PzGren div Hohenstaufen 09041943
SS PzGrenrgt 2
commander

Training remarks 4

.....
2) I would like to change my oral remarks about the assessment of the situation as follows.
The decision is always preceded by a short thinking through of the situation.
The 'TF' describes this thinking through as judgment of the situation. Fast reflection, simple logical considerations is the requirement concerning the shaping of the judgment of the situation. The assessment of the situation must include in this order:

own mission
judgment of the terrain
judgment of own and enemy mission'

to be continued

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#44

Post by Aida1 » 17 Apr 2021, 20:12

' As an aid for the assessment of the situation and the decision i would recommend the 3 following questions:
1) What should I?
2) What can i?
3) What do i do?
In the first question 'what should i ?', the own mission has to be established and analysed.
The weighing up of the several possibilities to execute the mission while taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of the terrain , of the own and enemy situation is to be settled by the 2nd question 'what can i ? '.
From the considerations of the first two questions, the logical conclusion has to be drawn.
This conclusion has to be the answer to the third question ' What do i do ? ', respectively the decision.
The decision must bring the clear will to execution on the basis of all considerations.
From the decision one needs to recognize the clear objective immediately. In this trivialities and foregone conclusions have to be avoided. Who wants to 'try something' or 'possibly do' in his decision can from the outset never count on a clear execution and achieving of his objective.'

to be continued

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Re: Training of 9 SS Hohenstaufen

#45

Post by Aida1 » 25 Apr 2021, 19:44

3)As there are still difficulties in the giving of orders with some officers , i would like to give some small tips:
a) the march/advance is overwatched by the heavy weapons
The unfolding is protected by the heavy weapons
The deployment is secured by the heavy weapons
The attack is supported by the heavy weapons
b) In the attack there are lanes and boundaries right and left
For neighbouring units that are not in contact, separation lines are enough (for recce, securing and combat).
c) In the defense one speaks of sectors and sector boundaries.
d) The combat lanes, separation lines and sector boundaries are as a rule given in the direction of the own movement.
They must be drawn according to clearly visible points up to very deep in the enemy
e) Never use a depression as a boundary , it must belong to a company because it is a source of danger in defense and leads to congestion in the attack. The same is true for towns, streets and wooded areas.
For a height a clear specification is needed of which point is meant, the highest point always needs to be given to a company, never use as a separation line.
f) A point in the terrain occupied by the enemy has to be taken by the attacker(take in possession).
A point in the terrain that is still free from the enemy of which the appearance is expected at any moment, is gained. One occupies a point in the terrain which is already held by own troops.

4) At several units i have found that there is no emergency lighting in the quarters. This is to be acquired immediately. One has to expect that there is no lighting in eventual alarms.
5) For the identification of the closing vehicle all units need to procure repectively manufacture a flag for the day and a lamp for the night.....
Flag respectively lamp need to be attached to the back of the closing vehicle .The flag so that it projects over the construction in the direction of driving on the left and is also visible from the front. '

to be continued

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