A brief description of German close-order drill with examples of German commands and how to pronounce them, from Intelligence Bulletin, March 1944. [Editor's Note: The following article is wartime information on enemy training and tactics published for Allied soldiers. More accurate data on German training and tactics is available in postwar publications.]

 

GERMAN CLOSE-ORDER DRILL Figure 19 illustrates the methods of executing a number of commands in German close-order drill, which differs in a number of respects from that used by the United States Army. All German soldiers are accustomed to these commands, which are listed below, together with a pronunciation guide. The unit depicted in figure 19 is a basic German squad of nine men (usually commanded by an Unteroffizier, a rank roughly equivalent to the U.S. corporal).  THE COMMANDS    HOW TO PRONOUNCE THEM "Marschordnung rechts ohne Tritt — Marsch! — Im Gleichschritt! 1.   "Marsh-órd-noong REKTS oh-neh tritt, MARSH! Im glýke-shritt! "In Linie zu einem Gliede links marschiert auf — Marsch! Marsch! — Im Gleichschritt!" 2.   "In léen-yeh tsoo eýe-nem gléedeh linx mar-shéert owf, MARSH-MARSH! Im glýke-shritt!" "Reihe rechts!" 3.   "Rý-uh REKTS!" "Links schwenkt — Marsch! Gerade aus!" 4.   Linx shvenkt. MARSH! Gráh-deh owss!" "In Marschordnung links marschiert auf — Marsch! Marsch!" 5.   "In marsh-órd-noong linx mar-shéert owf, MARSH-MARSH!" "Links schwenkt — Marsch! — Gerade aus!" 6.   "Linx shvenkt, MARSH! Gráh-deh owss!" "Reihe rechts!" 7.   "Rý-uh REKTS" "In linie zu einem Gliede rechts marschiert auf — Marsch! Marsch! — Im Gleichschritt!" 8.   "In léen-yeh tsoo eýe-nem glée-deh rekts mar-shéert owf, MARSH-MARSH! Im glýke-shritt!" "Links um!" 9.   "Linx OOM!" "Abteilung halt — Links um!"    10.   "Opp-tíe-loong HAHLT! Linx OOM!" Figure 19.—German Close-order Drill.

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