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

20 COMPANY OFFICER'S HANDBOOK
artillery observation posts to operate as long as possible, and to
prevent enemy reconnaissance of the battle position.
The forces occupying the covering position usually are reconnaissance
detachments, including machine-gun units. Their vehicles
include armored cars and assault guns. These forces receive support
from artillery and antitank guns. Their mission is to occupy important
features, such as railways, crossroads, river crossings, and
elevations; to carry out demolitions and patrolling; and to bring in
early information concerning the direction of an enemy attack.
b. Outpost Position
Outposts (Vorposten) are normally established 2,000 to 5,000
yards forward of the main defensive position, depending on the
nature of the terrain, and they are occupied by troops ranging in
strength from platoons to companies. The purpose of the outpost
position, according to German doctrine, is to gain time for the
troops occupying the main defensive position, thus enabling them
to determine the direction of the enemy's main attack and to prepare
to meet it. Like the covering position, the line of outposts also
has the mission of compelling the enemy to deploy and to prevent
him from making grounid reconnaissance of the main defensive position
and of the terrain immediately in front of it.
The outpost position is supported by the fire of close-support
weapons (mortars, infantry guns, and machine guns). Antitank
guns may be emplaced in the position for the purpose of repelling
armored reconnaissance units. The troops occupying the outposts
will fight stubbornly to protect forward observation outposts until
they are ordered to withdraw. The outposts may be withdrawn at
a specified time, or when the enemy appears to be developing a
major attack. The withdrawal is carefully planned in order to avoid
masking the fire of the main position. Once the outposts are abandoned,
they are likely to be covered by the carefully registered fire
of infantry support weapons in order to prevent their occupation
by the enemy.