Landships II

Incredible site! And the incidental detail/insight offered can be surprising. Not of much interest to modellers perhaps, but take the manual "Hand und finger gelenk übungen - Vorbereitung für die handhabung der waffen." (Hand and finger-joint exercises - Preparing for the handling of weapons.) Easy to forget these days but, back when the majority of men were accustomed to pre-industrial work and methods, the development of the manual dexterity necessary even to load and fire a magazine/clip bolt-action rifle at the rates of fire available for the equipment was something that might benefit from some preparatory exercises. It all speaks of the incredibly rapid expansion of the military forces at the time - and perhaps it also highlights the very time when the concept of the military magazine rifle progressed from that of a "single-shot with cartridge reserve" to being a "repeating rifle". I suppose the same paradigm shift was evidenced (even more clearly) on the British side in the transition from the Rifle, SMLE No 1 Mk III to the Mk III*.

Much exploration of the site lies ahead!