German Tactical Symbols 1914

[joerookery]

There is a very short new article showing the German tactical symbols used by the great general staff in 1914.

http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/tactica%20symbols.htm

[IrishGunner]

Joe, this is excellent. While I knew the artillery symbols, some of the others are enlightening. Thanks!

[joerookery]

Thank you – I should've done this a long time ago. These diagrams did not make the publishers cut on the big book – gives you a feel though of the rest of the data inside. I found the Red Donkey to be quite eye-opening.

[arb]

Joe,

I've had a copy of the "Anhaltspunkte für den Generalstabsdienst" for a number of years. It is marked "Nur für den Dienstgebrauch" and stamped "GEHEIM" (presumably after mobilization). My edition was printed in 1914 and is numbered "49" The second part, "Taschenbuch des Generalstabsoffiziers", marked "GEHEIM" is numbered 84.

I'd be curious to know the numbers of your copy- just to get a sense of how many might have been published each year.

Thanks,

Andy

Edited January 3, 2015 by arb

[joerookery]

Andy,

While I'm surprised to find another one! Great! Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think there are a lot of them out there. I'm not quite sure what the numbers mean. I went and looked at like yours mine has got two different numbers. They are done by hand. The first one is fourteen and the second one is three. I'm not sure exactly what that's all about.

V/R

Joe

[arb]

Joe,

It's interesting that both yours and mine have different numbers. Perhaps the second part was only issued at mobilization, which might explain why the numbers do not match and that part is marked "GEHEIM" by the publisher. Interesting to say the least!

Andy

.

[joerookery]

I believe mine is marked to a fortress. I have not noticed any thing which would make me believe it is post mobilization – but it could be. I really don't know and it's a good question as to where they were in the cycle of training general staff officers. It seems logical that they would speed the process up in association with mobilization but I have nothing solid.

[The Prussian]

Hello!

Well, that book ist brilliant! Unfortunately I don´t have it. I only have a photocopied edition. The original belongs to a friend of mine. He´s got the only volume I´ve ever seen!

But according to the tactical symbols, the "Chef des Gen.Stabes des Feldheeres" published an 28 paged booklet in 1917 about those symbols.

Here is an example of the Kraftfahr and Medic troops

[The Prussian]

On 03/01/2015 at 21:03, arb said:

Joe,

 

I've had a copy of the "Anhaltspunkte für den Generalstabsdienst" for a number of years. It is marked "Nur für den Dienstgebrauch" and stamped "GEHEIM" (presumably after mobilization). My edition was printed in 1914 and is numbered "49" The second part, "Taschenbuch des Generalstabsoffiziers", marked "GEHEIM" is numbered 84.

 

I'd be curious to know the numbers of your copy- just to get a sense of how many might have been published each year.

 

Thanks,

 

Andy

Hi Andy!

A few days ago I bought both parts with the number 1021. These books are the rarest you can stil get today.

I will show it, when it arrives next week!

I have only heard of volumes from 1914.

Those books had to be shredded:

1) In case of capture during the war

2) Ultimately at armistice 11.11.18

That´s why they are so rare!

Edited November 24, 2019 by The Prussian

[The Prussian]

Here we have the "Anhaltspunkte für den Generalstabsdienst", as well as the "Taschenbuch des Generalstabsoffiziers", printed 1914 in the Reichsdruckerei Berlin. Also known as the "Red Donkey". These books were also printed in the 2nd WK, 1939.
There are two little books, whereby the paperback book is inserted into an insert at the end of the first book. But only in the case of mobilization! In peace-time they should be kept separate!
These books were handed over to officers of the General Staff. They had to be shredded in case of capture and at the end of the war. That's why they also rushed! A collector's friend has an issue and now me too. I have seen neither in the net, nor anywhere else another original one or copy! But there are still some archives where they are located.
I only copied the tables of contents once, otherwise it would be too much.
In the first book there are even larger folding panels:
Annex 1: Structure of the army supply
Appendix 2: Illustration of the army supply
Appendix 3: Army supply chain between home and operation area. Participating services
Appendix 4: Catering supply
Annex 5a: Stage medical service
Appendix 5b: Supply of medical and veterinary supplies
Look at the contents of book number two. I can well imagine that 1914 was "top secret"!
I think more than a few dozen have not survived the 100 years! If at all!

Both books belong so together. The weapons collector would say, "identical number" (No. 1021)
The books belonged to an officer Krüger.
Of course, I am not sure, but according to RL 1914 there was a Captain Krüger in the General Staff of the Army at the Large General Staff. He came from Fieldartillery Rgt.23 (later Major a.D.).
This is the only one that fits.

Here we go:

 

[Bayern]

Hello gentlemen :  The historian sir Max Hastings says in his book 1914 , that the German General Staff comprised in the verge of WW1 625 officers of all rank and that they worked in extreme austerity ,no mess ,no cleaning personnel ,a minimum of clerks and a sole telephone cabin for external calls. officers acted as clerks and inclusive as typewriters .every year the documents and planifications declared obsolete were destroyed by the officers . during the war the number of officers in the General Staff do not raise so much because of the time required to form a Staff Officer properly. 

[The Prussian]

Yes that´s right. I also heard there were no enlisted men, so the lowest officer ranks had to cook coffee and the food came from outside. It´s right, that there were not a lot enlisted men or NCOs and they worked outside. In the "inner circle" only officers were allowed.

[Bayern]

In the book Der Deutsche Generalstab ,writen by Walter Gorlitz and published in 1952 the German historian explained the History and special nature of the German Great Staff from the remote origins in the XVII century to the end of WW2. with light and shadows . interesting to read by any with interest in military questions .