- Written by Stefan Häuser
Welcome to www.nachrichtentruppe.de!
This website is a virtual compendium about the history, equipment and technology of the german army in the first and second world war with a special attention to the german signal corps, the "Nachrichtentruppe".
In the early 19th century the developments in telegraphy, telephony and radio technology went faster and faster. It didn't take long till this technologies got the attention of the higher military ranks. The possibility to send messages within seconds established completely new dimensions of military strategies.
In germany, the so called Telegraphentruppe (telegraphy corps) was born out of this thoughts. From the beginnings in the 1830s to the large trench warfare with hitherto unimaginable, terrible proportions in the First World War, the Telegraphentruppe quickly developed into an own armed force through its importance: The Nachrichtentruppe!
The Nachrichtentruppe (signal corps) came to it's perfection in the highly armed German Wehrmacht. Within the Wehrmacht the Nachrichtentruppe had an important key role. This corps was represented in all military categories of the German Wehrmacht. From the front, to the elaborate administrative apparatus of the Wehrmacht: The Nachrichtentruppe was a leading part. This gave it the name "Führungstruppe" that means somethng like "leadership corps". In the first campaigns of the Wehrmacht the securing of the intelligence network built up in an extrem fast speed was decisive for the success of these campaigns.
"Operation Barbarossa", the attack on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, marked the beginning of the end. What began with rapid advances at an exhilarating pace, literally stuck in the snow in the winter of 1941/1942.
Death, hunger and great suffering were constant companions.
The encirclement of the 6th Army in Stalingrad on 22. November 1942 and its complete destruction on 02. February 1943 marked the biggest turning point: The time of the big retreat. From this point onwards, the army was only going back.
From the North Cape, across the vast steppes of Russia, from the beautiful countryside of Northern France to the barren desert of North Africa. The Nachrichtentruppe was represented on all fronts of the World War. Due to their variety and the very interesting technical equipment, the Nachrichtentruppe is a very interesting and interesting group of undergroups.
What these young men have done all we know today is only narratives. The generation of war, which can still warn us, fades. Much of it is forgotten.
The objective of this website is to be a digital reference book which certainly does not replace a book, but shows the way, the organization, technology and equipment of the message group and works up a bit. Against forgetting.
This page is intended for historians interested in collectors and technology.