Combat Lessons Number 1: Rank And File In Combat: What They're Doing, How They Do It

United States Army War College

This 1942 Army manual, published during the course of World War II, consists of quotations from soldiers in the field concerning their experiences. Its format is subject, soldier’s name, place, quote. “The purpose of ‘Combat Lessons’ is to give to our officers and enlisted men the benefit of the battle experiences of others. To be of maximum benefit these lessons must be disseminated without delay. They do not necessarily represent the carefully considered views of the War Department; they do, however, reflect the actual experiences of combat and, therefore, merit careful reading.” (from the Introduction by General George C. Marshall). Note: The text contains racist and other emotion-laden language common in wartime, i.e., ‘Jap’ ‘Heinie” etc. - Summary by david wales and book introduction

Genre(s): War & Military

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Introduction David Wales
00:02:16
Play 01 Section 1 Infantry Part 1 David Wales
00:28:07
Play 02 Section 1 Infantry Part 2 David Wales
00:26:57
Play 03 Section 2 Field Artillery David Wales
00:07:45
Play 04 Section 3 Miscellaneous David Wales
00:07:34
Play 05 Section 4 Notes On The Nips and Section 5 Hints On The Heinie David Wales
00:06:55