MS # P-094 WAR GAMES by Rudolf M. Hofmann, General der Infanterie a.D. WITH A FORWORD BY GENERALOBERST a.D. FRANZ HALDER Translator: P. Luetzkendorf Editor: F. B. Robinson Reviewer: Capt. W. Ross Historical Division HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES ARMY, EUROPE 1952 v MS # P-094 This version was OCR’d (20 July 2020) from a PDF of the original and reformatted to improve readability and make the document text searchable. Hard page breaks have been introduced to ensure page numbers are consistent with the original so that any “by page number” references in other documents remain accurate. vi MS # P-094 Contents Front Material Reviewers Evaluation of MS # P-094 .......................................................................... vii Biography of General der Infanterie a.D. Rudolf M. Hoffman, ................................. viii Forward by Generaloberst a.D. Franz Halder .............................................................. ix The Authors ................................................................................................................. xi Project as Assigned by the Historical Division SSUSA ................................................ xiii Origin of Wargames (extract) .................................................................................... xiv Chapter 1. The Various Kinds of War Games ------------------------------------------1 I. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 II. Explanation of the Various types of Wargames ...................................................... 2 Chapter 2. Purpose, Scope and Conduct of Each Kind of War Game -------------6 1. The War Game Proper ............................................................................................. 6 2. The Map Exercise .................................................................................................. 13 3. The Staff Exercise .................................................................................................. 20 4. Training Trip .......................................................................................................... 23 5. The Terrain Discussion .......................................................................................... 33 6. The Cadre and Special Exercise ............................................................................. 35 Chapter 3. War Games Held Before or During Operations ----------------------- 37 I. The Otto Map Exercise ........................................................................................... 37 II. Map Maneuvers and Exercises Prior to Operation Seeloewe ............................... 53 III. War Games to Develop Plan Barbarossa .............................................................. 57 Chapter 4. Evaluation of the War Game ---------------------------------------------- 64 Appendix A. Technical Details and Administrative Aspects ---------------------- 67 I. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 67 II. The Various Kinds of Exercises .............................................................................. 68 III. Details on the Planning and Conduct of Theoretical Exercises .......................... 101 IV. The Value of War Games as a Training Device ................................................... 120 V. Brief Account of the Motor Transport Exercise Conducted in 1937 ................... 121 Appendix B. The Direction of War Games ------------------------------------------ 135 I. Prefatory Remarks ................................................................................................ 135 II. Types of War Games ........................................................................................... 137 III.Purpose ............................................................................................................... 138 IV. Planning and Preparation of War Games ........................................................... 142 V. Execution of War Games ..................................................................................... 155 VI. Evaluation of War Games as a Training Device .................................................. 180 Appendix C. Signal Communications in War Games and Exercises ----------- 184 I. General ................................................................................................................. 184 II. War Games, Map Exercises, Tactical Walks, Training Trips ................................ 187 III. Staff Exercises ..................................................................................................... 192 IV. Command Post Exercises ................................................................................... 194 V. Command Post Exercises for Unit Commanders and Signal Troops ................... 200 vii UNITED STATE ARMY, EUROPE Historical Division Foreign Military Studies Branch APO 164 US ARMY 18 July 1952 MEMORANDUM FOR: CHIEF, FOREIGN MILITARY STUDIES BRANCH SUBJECT: Reviewer’s Evaluation of MS # P-094 1. Military review of MS # P-094, “War Games,” was completed this date. 2. This 208-page study consists of a main section of 69 pages by Gen. Rudolf Hofmann, and three appendices respectively by Gen. Fangehr, Feldmarschall List, and Gen. Praun. Each of these contributors followed the same outline, which was provided by the Historical Division, SSUSA. Each contributor has considerable first-hand information on the subject, but inevitably their answers to a set questionnaire overlap to a considerable extent. 3. It is believed that this study represents Gen. Hofmann’s first assignment as a Topic Leader. He has made a personal contribution of great merit, but has not summarized the work of his co-authors to the extent that is expected of a Topic Leader under current Historical Division policy. Consequently, the appendices are necessary parts of the manuscript rather than supporting papers, and the whole study is longer than is really desirable. 4. The content of this study appears to provide all the information requested by Washington. As directed, the subject of war games is treated on a high level only. It is not believed to be suitable for unit training purposes, and local reproduction in EUCOM is not recommended. WILLIAM F. ROSS Captain Artillery Military Editor ix MS # P-094 The Topic Leader and Principal Author Rudolf Michael HOFMANN General der Infanterie a.D. Date of Birth: 4 September 1895 Place of Birth: Wuerzburg Immediately after the outbreak of World War I in 1914, HOFMANN joined the Army as an officer candidate and from then until the end of the war served on the West Front in a Bavarian infantry regiment. At the end of the war he was retained in the reduced 100,000-man army Germany was allowed to maintain under the Treaty of Versailles and in 1928 was awarded General Staff Corps status after the usual training. When World War II broke out, HOFMANN, by now a lieutenant colonel, was serving on assignment as operations officer of the XIII Corps. With this corps he took part in the Polish Campaign. In 1940 he was promoted colonel but remained with his old corps, now as chief of staff. With the XIII Corps he fought in the French Campaign of 1940 and was then transferred to the central sector of the Russian front. In November 1941, HOFMANN was appointed chief of staff to the Ninth Army, also in the central sector of the Russian front. Five months later, he had to proceed to the ZI for medical treatment. After release from hospital, he was promoted to Generalmajor and assigned as chief of staff to the Fifteenth Army in Northern France. During this assignment, which he held until November 1944, he was promoted Generalleutnant and took part in the invasion battles. Finally, after a brief interval as chief of staff to Army Group H, operating along the Upper Rhine, the General was assigned as chief of staff to the Commander-in-Chief North in March 1945, a month before his promotion to General der Infanterie. On the date of Germany’s capitulation, 9 May 1945, the general was taken prisoner by British forces at Holstein. x MS # P-094 FORWARD By Generaloberst a.D. Franz Halder In the preparation of this study, completion of which was delayed by the death of the first topic leader, General der Infanterie Hans von Greiffenberg, several first-class experts on German training affairs have cooperated. The New topic leader, General der Infanterie Rudolf Hofmann, has lucidly integrated their contributions, his own experience, and the work already done by the late General von Greiffenberg. I believe that the questions asked are thoroughly and correctly answered in this study. After World War I the war game acquired increasing importance in the German Army as a training device. As a result, the techniques of organizing and directing war games improved more and more and finally developed into an art which was practiced with pleasure. Contemporary military literature included unofficial manuals concerning the organization and direction of Kriegsspiele. In order to avoid even the slightest semblance of regimentation and to maintain full freedom in the application and the development of the war game, no instructions of this kind were issued by official sources. Various kinds of war games had already been used by the Royal Prussian General Staff in Moltke’s and Schlieffen’s times as a means of solving problems of national defense. During World War I, upon orders from the