Downloads

Below you will find links for downloads that include items ranging from original manuals to reproduction labels.

The following links can be selected to view the PDF documents online, or you can right-click for a pull-down menu and select "Save link as" to download the PDF files to your computer:

Books, manuals, publications for your use:

Kriegsgeschichte des Kgl. r. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 63 (1914-1918) by A. Schubert, Oppeln 1926. -- A complete scan of the Regiment's History during the war.

Das Königliche preußiche Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 63 (4. Oberschlesisches) by Franz Kaiser, Berlin 1940. -- A complete scan of this second history written on the Regiment.

Der Gute Kamerad - Ein Lern Und Lesebuch Dienstrunterricht Des Deutschen Infanteristen -- One of many instruction books for German army recruits, this one written for 1915. Lots of great info (once you translate it) on just about anything a new recruit would need to know entering the army.

Transfeldt's Dienstunterricht für Kriegsrekruten der Deutschen Infanterie -- One of many instruction books for German army recruits, this one written during the war. Lots of great info (once you translate it) on just about anything a new recruit would need to know entering the army.

Major Wenzel's Dienstuntericht des Deutschen Infanteristen -- A fantastic wealth of information. Major Wenzel became imaginary, but was originally he was just listed as Max Menzel a first lieutenant in infantry Regiment number 58. Eventually he just became a brand name like Aunt Jemimah. Yearly for each service year they produced a handbook under the eye of the German Officer's club and sold it to families of incoming recruits. By the start of the war of the circulation was 400,000.Everything you needed to know to be a soldier. Ranks, uniforms, heads of minor states, formations and drills, weapon care. You name it - pictures, text, diagrams. 176 pages and 10 color sheets. There is also a WONDERFUL foldout map in the back with corps boundaries. Tactics, navigation, Morse code, marksmanship and much much more. Not only were these produced annually,but they were also produced for the different contingents.

Maschinengewehr 08/15 -- A complete scan of an original 1918 dated manual for the MG08/15.

Deutschen Heere 1901 -- One of many instruction books for German army recruits, this one written during for the class of 1901. Lots of great info (once you translate it) on just about anything a new recruit would need to know entering the army.

Histories of the 251 Divisions of the German Army -- Compiled with truly Teutonic thoroughness by the US Intelligence Department in 1920, and drawn from the intelligence reports of all Allied nations, this is a record of the changing German war machine year by year during the course of the Great War. Indispensable to the serious historian of the conflict, it is a dense and detailed volume, written in clear, no-nonsense language.

Leavenworth Papers Tactical Doctrine -- The Dynamics of Doctrine: The Change in German Tactical Doctrine During the First World War by Timothy T. Lupfer, Combat Studies Institute U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. A summary of German Infantry tactics of the First World War, written by the U.S. Army.

US Army Gas Warfare Defense - Part 2 -- A report prepared by the US Army detailing gas warfare including gas masks of all the involved nations with descriptions and pictures.

The 12th Division in the 1st day of the Somme -- By Gefreiter Gerhard Dreisbach, 2./J.R. 23: The rather sketchy history we have of the activities of the 12th division at the battle of the Somme mentions that the division suffered very heavy casualties, over 60%, and mentions that the division was later pulled out the line for a time to rest and refit. This short statement does not do our forbears justice, and conceals the very desperate and active role that the entire division had there.The usual story of the battle of the Somme focuses on only the northern end of the battlefield, near Beumont-Hamel and La Boiselle, and travels down through the area of the greatest British disaster, and discusses little of the southern end of the battle. This is due both to the French involvement and the almost totally different battle that was waged on the southern front.

The War Memoirs of Adam Simmermacher -- Written by Adam Simmermacher (1894-1942) about his experiences as a German soldier in the 1 914-18 war and as a policeman in the immediate post-war years. Completed in September 1932, the detailed descriptions of events suggests that Adam kept a meticulous diary. Strikingly, many of his experiences bear similarity to Erich Maria Remarque's seminal novel All Quiet On The Western Front (now in many schools, a literature text work), if not in then details then certainly in the shared experience of the war.

Diary of German Soldier by Feldwebel C. - An obscure personal account of the war.

Imperial German Money

Here you will find PDF files of sheets of wartime-dated imperial monetary denominations you can print out and cut to have money in your pockets at events. Unlike farby reenactors who are seen carrying 100 and 1000 Mark bills (usually in sizes that are not correct either), these are small bills an actual soldier might have had. Only carry a couple of these and you will be authentic.

The images on the PDFs have had extra border added to them so when they are cut out at correct size, the images on each face will extend to the edges, with no white showing. When you print these, make sure the setting "scale to fit" is turned off. After printing, this file Imperial German Money Sizes will tell you to what size to cut the bills.

Miscellaneous Downloads

Gasmask Instructions: A file containing the round instruction card that goes in the bottom of your gas mask can. This one contains images of the real ones, then the reproduction label, and instructions to print them out. There are four sets, the first three belonging to the various Gummimasken, but for our use we will most likely be using the last one which was the version used with the Lederschutzemasken.

Delousing Certificate: A MS Word file containing two images of a German certificate issued after delousing. Just fill in your impression's name and the date of the delousing, add a regimental stamp and you are good to go!

Taschenlampe Batterie This is a PDF file of one version of a battery label for your Taschenlampe battery.

Unfortunately we have not found an original German label for cigarette rolling papers, but we do have a french one - you can re-label that modern pack and just tell your Kameraden you took it from a lousy frog POW. Click on the image at left.

A popular brand of cigarettes in Germany during the war and after was Pilot. Click on the image at left to download a PDF of a reproduction label to make your own pack.

You can download an image of this matchbox label, in yellow if you are using a color printer, or
white if you are printing to colored paper:

The following link will take you to an external file share site where you can view or download the files as you wish:

Original labels of the period, some German: https://app.box.com/s/2d3nkgp9rqd6zj9ykcmc