BACKGROUND: The German armed forces 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. The official Kriegsmarine training manuals were authorized and distributed by the M. Dv., Marinedruckvorschriftenverwaltung, (Navy Regulations Administration), under the control of the and the OKW, Oberkommando des Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces) and the Reichskriegsministerium (National War Ministry). 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 was one in a series of four official instruction manuals.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 6 3/4" x 4 7/8", one hundred twenty page book with a heavy weight, pale blue, cardstock cover with black printed Gothic script and a vertical anchor superimposed on a Weimar style national eagle. The script to the cover includes the title, "Leitfaden für den Dienstunterricht in der Kriegsmarine", (Service Instruction Manual for the Navy), the issue, "Heft 4", the publisher Reichskriegsministerium Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine, (National War Ministry, High Command of the Navy), the date, "1936", and the printer, "E.S. Mittler & Sohn". The book is divided into seven main sections and numerous sub-sections. The main sections include, "Grundbegriffe der Navigation und ihre hilfsmittel", (Fundamental ideas of Navigation and resources), "See und hafenklarmachen des Schiffes", (Ship clearing lakes and harbors), "Bootsdienst", (Ship Service), "Seemannschaft", (See Personnel), "Seestraßenordnung", (See Lane Orders), "Wetterkarte", (Weather Map), and, "Kommandoworte für Schiff", (Ship Command Words). The book also has forty-three line drawings including a pull out diagram, of a sailboat and a depth chart. The book is in overall very good condition with light age yellowing and all the pages are intact.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $38.00