BACKGROUND: The German army went to great lengths to ensure its personnel were provided with the best in-depth training that was available at the time. The training took many forms and in an attempt to replicate the most realistic combat conditions possible the German army used live fire training exercises and found a one percent training fatality rate as acceptable, reasoning it was better to remove inadequate personnel in training as opposed to having them risk other lives in actual battle. Besides the live field training and exercises the Germans also utilized numerous official training manuals and booklets for all of the specific branches of service within the army. The official army training manuals were authorized and distributed by the H.Dv., Heeresdruckvorschriftenverwaltung, (Army Regulations Administration), under the control of the OKH, Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), and the OKW, Oberkommando des Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces). Of Note: Besides the official training manuals there were also numerous semi-official and unofficial training booklets with the most famous being the Reibert series of training booklets. These semi-official and unofficial training booklets generally gained the approval of the High Command and were encouraged to stimulate interest in joining the Armed Forces. Of Note: Each Division in the German army and the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), had an organic Pionier, (Combat Engineer), battalion that consisted of personnel specially trained in destroying enemy obstacles, creating forward defensive positions, bridging and assault tactics. As the spearhead troops the Engineers were issued with assorted specialized equipment including assault packs, pick axes, saws, long handle shovels, wire cutters, explosive tool kits and other construction and demolition equipment. The Combat Engineer’s equipment also included a wide variety of assorted demolition charges, anti-personnel and anti-vehicles mines along with the appropriate detonators, igniters and timers. This example is an official issue booklet produced by the Army Regulations Administration, issue, D. 510, with printed Gothic script and German text. Curiously the issue number doesn’t have the usual, full, "H.Dv", prefix.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 5 3/4" x 4 1/8", (14.5cm x 10.4cm), seventy page Combat Engineer’s instruction manual with a mid-weight blue/grey cardstock cover. The front cover features the black printed, Gothic scripted title, "Anleitung für das feldmäßige Prüfen der Tragkraft von Brücken", (Instructions for the field testing of the Load capacity of Bridges), and the official issue designation, "D 510", indicating, Regulations Administration {Book} 510. The book was published by the, "E. Dünnhaupt K.=G.", publishing house in Dessau on August 1^ST 1939, under the request of the Druck vorschriftenverwaltung, (Regulations Administration). The reverse of the front cover and the first internal page both have instmaped and handwritten script that includes, "2./Res.Pi.-Btl. 24", (2^ND Company, 24^TH Reserve Combat Engineer Battalion), and, "Stabspersonal Pionier-Bataillon 24", (Staff Battalion, 24^TH Combat Engineer Battalion). Of Note: Generally the reserve battalions were composed of trained, older, personnel who remained in the appropriate Wehrkreis, (Military District), where a unit was raised and shared the same numerical unit designation as it’s field counterpart. The 24^TH Combat Engineer Battalion was an integral component of the 24^TH Infantry Division and the 24^TH Reserve Combat Engineer Battalion would have been stationed in the home Wehrkreis IV, headquartered at Chemnitz. The book is divided into seven main chapters, with numerous sub-sections in most and the last chapter features nineteen assorted calculation tables. The main chapters include, "Benutzbarkeit von Brücken", (Utilization Usability of Bridges), "Prüfen von Brücken", (Testing of Bridges), "Grobes Verfahren zum Prüfen der Tragkraft von Stahlbrücken", (Rough procedures for the testing the load capacity of steel bridges), "Genaueres Verfahren zum Prüfen der Tragkraft von Stahlbrücken", (More exact procedures for the testing the load capacity of steel bridges) and, "Prüfen auf Beschädigungen", (Damage Testing)., among others. As the title implies the focus is on the field testing of the load capacity of bridges and most of the chapters are subdivided into numerous detailed sections, dealing with specific methods to achieve the required results. The book also contains numerous, assorted, calculation formulas. The book is in overall very good condition with minor age toning and color fading to the cardstock cover. The book also comes with a roughly, 5 3/4" x 3 3/4", (14.5cm x 9.5cm), sixteen page, light weight paper supplement dated, "19. 10. 42". The front cover of the supplement has the black printed, Gothic scripted title, "Die behelfsmäßige 8 t-Floßsackbrücke", (The Makeshift 8-Ton Pontoon Bridge). The supplement gives basic instructions on the construction of a pontoon bridge and includes nine line drawings and a couple of charts and tables. The supplement was an addition to, H. Dv. 316, Pionierdienst aller Waffen", (Army Regulations Administration Book 316, Combat Engineer Service all Arms). The supplement is also in overall very good condition with minor age toning.