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. This example is the official issue service manual for Pionier, (Combat Engineer), personnel and was numbered as H.D.v.316.  

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 15cm x 11cm, four hundred forty-four page service manual with a mid-weight blue/grey cardstock cover. The front cover features black printed Gothic scripted title, "Pionierdienst aller Waffen", (Combat Engineer Service all Arms). The book was published by the E.S. Mittler & Sohn publishing house in Berlin in 1936, under the request of the Heeresdruckvorschriftenverwaltung, (Army Regulations Administration). The book is divided into nine main chapters, including, "Sperrungen", (Barricades), "Behelfsbrückenbau", (Emergency Bridge Construction), "Feldbefestigung", (Fortifications), "Biwaks und Lager", (Bivouacs and Camps), "Eisenbahnbehelfsrampen", (Emergency Railroad Platforms), and, "Sicherheitsbestimmungen", (Security Regulations), among others. Each chapter is subdivided into numerous detailed sections, dealing with specific methods to achieve the required results. The book includes over a hundred line drawings and illustrations that reinforce the text and concludes with a series of twenty-three charts and tables relating to the subject matter covered. The book is in overall very good condition with the pages showing light age yellowing, but are all intact. Printed Gothic script, German text.