Company Officer's Handbook Of The German Army - Command and ...

18 COMPANY OFFICER'S HANDBOOK
hull-down) forward of the infantry positions. They engaged advancing
tanks and infantry, firing their machine guns as well as
their heavier weapons from the halt.
During the Tunisian Campaign, Tiger tanks were used effectively
in the defensive, in covered and defiladed positions. They were often
employed hull-down in very difficult terrain. Light and medium
tanks rarely took up good defensive positions of their own, but were
employed to cover the flanks of the Tiger tanks. Medium tanks
were often used in small groups to counterattack from concealed
flank positions.
10. DEFENSE OF TOWNS
The Germans regard towns and villages as excellent strongpoints,
particularly if the buildings are of masonry. Towns are also regarded
as excellent antitank positions because of the considerable infantryartillery
effort necessary to dislodge or neutralize them.
In defending a town or village, the Germans locate their main
line of resistance well within the built-up portion; the edges of the
town are believed to be too vulnerable, and to provide easy targets
for artillery fire. The main line of resistance is laid out irregularly
in order to develop flanking fire, and every effort is made to conceal
its location until the last possible moment. Furthermore, minor
strongpoints are maintained forward of the line in order to break
up attacks and to provide additional flanking fire. Cul-de-sacs are
organized and attempts are made to trap attacking forces in them,
and to destroy them by counterattacks launched by mobile reserves.
The reserves are held in readiness within the town itself;
other reserves are held outside the town to prevent attacking forces
from carrying out flanking action.
In organizing the defended positions, both occupied and unoccupied
buildings are booby-trapped. The entrances to buildings are
blocked up. All windows are opened so as not to disclose those from
which fire is maintained. Rooms are darkened and passages are
cut in the walls between buildings. Communication is maintained
through cellars and over roofs. To avoid detection, the Germans fire
from the middle of the rooms, and frequently change their positions.
Machine guns are sited low, usually in basements, to provide