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Field manual

German tactics, Defensive, The defense of towns

The Germans regard towns and villages as excellent strongpoints, particularly if thebuildings are of masonry. Towns also are regarded as excellent antitank positions because

of the considerable infantry-artillery effort necessary to neutralize them.

In defending a town or village, the Germans locate their main line of resistance well

within the built-up portion; the edges of the town, which provide easy targets for artilleryfire, are believed to be too vulnerable. The main line of resistance is laid out irregularly in

order to envelop flanking fire, and every effort is made to conceal its location until the

last possible moment. Minor strongpoints are maintained forward of the line in order to

break up attacks and provide additional flanking fire. Cul-de-sacs are organized andattempts are made to trap attacking forces in them for destruction by counterattacking

mobile reserves. These reserves are kept in readiness within the town itself , but other

reserve forces are held outside the town to prevent hostile flanking maneuvers.

Both occupied and unoccupied buildings are booby-trapped in organizing the defended

positions. Entrances to buildings are blocked, and all windows opened so as not to

disclose those from which fire is maintained. Rooms are darkened and passages are cut in

the walls between buildings. To avoid detection, the Germans fire from the middle of therooms, and frequently change their positions, while communication is maintained through

cellars and over roofs. Chimneys and cornices are used as cover for men on roofs; tiles

may be removed to provide loopholes. Searchlights are mounted to illuminate fields offire; in their absence vehicles headlights may be used as substitutes. When houses

collapse, the defense is carried on from cellars, and rubble heaps of destroyed areas are

organized as strongpoints.

Tanks are considered to be ineffective within a defended town, although the Germanshave used them in static, dug-in positions at cross-roads and squares. As a result of their

experience on the Eastern Front, the Germans believe single tanks are too vulnerable to

Molotov cocktails, magnetic mines, and explosive charges. When the Germansthemselves use these antitank weapons, they employ them from foxholes dug outside the

perimeter of the town. Efforts are made to destroy enemy tanks immobilized by antitank

action, either within or outside the town, in order to prevent their recovery or use asartillery observations posts or machinegun nets. Antipersonnel mines are interspersed in

antitank minefields because the attacking infantry are considered the chief menace.

Assault guns may provide direct defensive support fire If attacking forces break through

and disorganize the German positions. To secure the added protection afforded bymasonry walls, the Germans may locate assault guns or tanks, within buildings and use

them against hostile armored vehicles and infantry. Counterattacks, supported by assault

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guns or tanks, will not be withheld until the situation has become desperate ; indeed,

surprise counterattacks may be launched at any time.

For the defense of village strongpoints special battle commandants(Kampfkommandanten) are appointed. The battle commandant is usually the senior

officer and the tactical commander of all military forces, emergency units, and civilorganizations in his area. He has the disciplinary power of a regimental commander.

In the case of fairly small villages, consolidation of the place itself is usually deemedsufficient. For larger locations an outer defense system is constructed in addition to the

inner defenses.

The inner defense system consists of a number of concentric positions which are broken

down into perimeter positions. The inner defense system is divided into sectors, eachforming a strongpoint system in itself, with the strongpoints protected by all-around

antitank and infantry obstacles and connected with each other by trenches.

The perimeter ring position is the most important part of the inner defenses and consists

of one or more continuous trench systems, each with a deep main battle zone. Theforward edge often is beyond the outskirts of the village, unless this creates unfavorable

conditions for the antitank defense, in which case it is within the village itself. Artillery

and heavy support weapons are employed as whole units in support of the perimeter ringposition., although single guns may be detached for the defense of strongpoints and

roads. The nearer the fighting approaches the inner ring, the more likely it will be that the

Germans will split up the support weapons units for close cooperation with infantryassault groups.

The outer defense system likewise consists of a number of concentric positions,approximately 4 to 6 miles apart, so far as to force the enemy artillery to displace to

engage one. For defense of larger towns the Germans organize the outside ring about 12 to 18 miles beyond the outskirts wherever feasible. Beyond this outside ring about

2,200 yards forward are the advanced positions, with covering units still further forward

on main roads and railways.

Patrols of all types, including motorized and cyclist patrols, give early warnings of theenemys approach and keep him under continuous observation. Non-military outposts,

such as police sentries, party officials, and local farmers also are used for these duties.

Sector boundaries for companies and battalions are defined from the outside defense ringto the center of the town or village. Usually they do not coincide with vital main roads,which always are defended by entire companies or battalions. Every strongpoint, defense

block (combined adjacent buildings), and sector has local reserves; mobile reserves,

consisting of combat groups comprised of infantry, tanks, assault and self-propelled gunsare employed for counterattacks of a larger scale.

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In addition to regular military units the Germans employ emergency units, organized

from personnel of Army, Navy and Air Force in town defense. Besides these regularly

organized emergency units, improvised emergency units are formed from stragglers,remnants of formations, and units in process of reorganization. Utilization of emergency

units is only temporary. Their main tasks, of local nature, are protection of headquarters,

supply points, airfields, etc., and garrison service in fortifications.

Source:

Handbook on German military forces, Louisiana State university press, ISBN-0-

8071-2011-1

This book, with an introduction by Steve E Ambrose, is a reprint of a classified handbook

of the US war department. As such it contains a whealth of information on administrativestructure, unit organization, field tactics, fortification and defense systems, weapons and

other equipment, and uniforms and insigna of the German forces in the 1944 time frame.

It has quite a number of illustrations, pictures, tables and charts.among its 640 pages.I stronlgy recommend it to everyone looking for more information about the structure,

doctrine and equipment of the German ground forces.