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Author
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Topic: Training in WWII
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Joseph Scott
Senior Member
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posted 12-23-2002 03:56 PM
  
I have read a wide variety of conflicting data about the time soldiers spent in training in WWII. Some authors, Dunnigan and Pointing, for instance, stress that German superiority related to longer time spent training.
Pointing offers figures of 12-16 weeks basic training in the German Army, vs 8 in the British Army,and 6 in the American Army. Dunnigan compares German officers 2 years, and German NCOs 6 months, with US officers 90 days. On the other hand, Van Crevald notes US basic as lasting 13 weeks, not 6, much as it does today. He also describes US officers as spending 34 weeks in training. Dupuy mentions US divisions spending an average of 16 months training before being deployed in theatre. Their books, Dupuy's especially, seem to point to the idea of the Germans using their time more effectively, rather than having a lot more of it. Does anyone have accurate data on time spent in training for officers and enlisted men, and how the time was broken down by subject among the different nations and services?
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Tangoj
Senior Member
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posted 12-23-2002 09:29 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Joseph Scott:
I have read a wide variety of conflicting data about the time soldiers spent in training in WWII.
Does anyone have accurate data on time spent in training for officers and enlisted men, and how the time was broken down by subject among the different nations and services?
TJ: Walter Dunn has a good section on the differing training systems in his work "Second Front Now". You could take a look there.
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Gerry Chester
Member
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posted 01-25-2003 11:04 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Joseph Scott:
I have read a wide variety of conflicting data about the time soldiers spent in training in WWII.
The selection of men for service in a tank regiment, in World War Two, was a two-step process. The initial six weeks were devoted to changing a civilian into a soldier and determining his suitability to become a tank crew member.
Following a week's leave, those who had passed muster fell into three groups. Gunners who had a further seven weeks of training, Drivers with nine weeks more and Operators with an additional fifteen. Then it was home on leave after which, for those who had successfully completed their training, it was posting to an Armoured unit. For this writer, as an Operator, it was to the North Irish Horse for four years and four months.
Recruits, who had only marginally failed were given a further period of training, the remainder being transferred to another branch of the Army. Although I know these other branches trained their recruits in a similar manner, I do not know what were the time periods.
Hoping this will be of help.
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Joseph Scott
Senior Member
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posted 03-11-2003 10:55 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Gerry Chester:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Joseph Scott:
[b]I have read a wide variety of conflicting data about the time soldiers spent in training in WWII.
The selection of men for service in a tank regiment, in World War Two, was a two-step process. The initial six weeks were devoted to changing a civilian into a soldier and determining his suitability to become a tank crew member.
Following a week's leave, those who had passed muster fell into three groups. Gunners who had a further seven weeks of training, Drivers with nine weeks more and Operators with an additional fifteen. Then it was home on leave after which, for those who had successfully completed their training, it was posting to an Armoured unit. For this writer, as an Operator, it was to the North Irish Horse for four years and four months.
Recruits, who had only marginally failed were given a further period of training, the remainder being transferred to another branch of the Army. Although I know these other branches trained their recruits in a similar manner, I do not know what were the time periods.
Hoping this will be of help. [/B][/QUOTE] Well, it does contrdict information put forward in some books. It seems that some authors, in an attempt to compare Allied and German training only discuss basic, and not arm training. Pointing is apparently in error, becuase he claims that British training lasted 8 weeks, which matches none of the courses you were on. Makes you wonder where the authors get this stuff when their are people around who know otherwise first hand.
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Joseph Scott
Senior Member
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posted 03-11-2003 10:58 AM
" Then it was home on leave after which, for those who had successfully completed their training, it was posting to an Armoured unit. For this writer, as an Operator, it was to the North Irish Horse for four years and four months."Was your unit deployed immediately at that point, or did it go on some kind of unit familiarization manuevers?
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