British Army Stationery Services

The Army’s Printing and Stationery Service produced a series of technical appreciations and training manual pamphlets that were crucial to the development of military methods during the Great War.

The original list has been painstakingly compiled by Peter Hodgkinson, Simon Justice and Tony Ball at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for War Studies.

Additions* have very kindly been sent by Andy Robertshaw.

I am very grateful to them for this information. Please note that the list may not be exhaustive.

Central Distribution Section

CDS 1                     Notes from the Front 1914, November 1914*

CDS 2                    Notes from the Front (December 1914)

CDS 3                    Notes from the Front Part II (May 1915)

CDS 4                    Notes from the Front Part III and Further Notes on Field Defences (February 1915)

CDS 24                  Object and Conditions of Combined Offensive Action (translated from the French) (June 1915)

CDS 36                  Notes on the Tactical Employment of Machine Guns and Lewis Guns (June 1915)

CDS 38                  Fire by Selected Batteries (July 1915)

CDS 50                  Tactical Notes (31 July 1915)

CDS 53                  Notes from the Front, Part IV and Further Notes of Field Defences* (May-June 1915)

CDS 92                  Notes on Artillery Observation from Kite Balloons (November 1915)

CDS 93                  Report on Experimental Firing with 18pr Shrapnel and H.E. at Calais (November 1915)

CDS 98/1              Artillery Notes No. 1: Close Shooting in the Field (January 1916)

CDS 98/2              Artillery Notes No. 2: Field Artillery Ammunition (January 1916)

CDS 98/4              Artillery Notes No. 4: Artillery in Offensive Operations (April 1916)

CDS 98/5              Artillery Notes No. 5: Wire Cutting by Artillery (February 1916 and June 1916)

CDS 98/6              Artillery Notes No. 6: Trench Mortars (March 1916)

CDS 303               Experiences Gained in the Winter Battle in Champagne from the Point of View of the Organisation of the Enemy’s Lines of Defence and the Means of Combating an Attempt to Pierce Our Line, Third Army HQ (14th April 1915).

CDS 304               Proposals for the Technical Methods to be Adopted in an Attempt to Break Through a Strongly Fortified Position, Based on the Knowledge Acquired from the Errors which Appear to have been Committed by the French Army During the Winter Campaign in Champagne, Third Army HQ (14th April 1915).

CDS 313                Field Almanac 1916*

CDS 333               A Study of the Attack in the Present Phase of War: Impressions and Reflections of a Company Commander (December 1915) [Translation of Laffargue Manual]

Stationery Services

SS 23                     Preliminary Deductions, for Instruction, from Recent Engagements, translated from the French (November 1915)

SS 71                     Reports on the Subject of German ‘Flammenwerfer’ (1915)

SS 98                     Artillery in Offensive Operations

SS 100                   Notes on Wireless

SS 106                   Notes on the Tactical Employment of Machine Guns and Lewis Guns (March 1916)

SS 107                   Notes on Minor Enterprises [i.e. trench raids] (March 1916)

SS 109                   Training of Divisions for Offensive Action (8 May 1916)

SS 110                   Preliminary Notes on the Tactical Lessons of the Recent Operations

SS 111                   Gas

SS 112                  Consolidation of Trenches, Localities and Craters (May 1916)*

SS 113                   Notes on the Attack: Impressions of a Battalion Commander (Nov 1915, translated 1916)

SS 114                   Notes on the Care of Guns During Prolonged Bombardments (March 1917)

SS 116                  Notes on cover Against Shell Fire (July 1916, Revised December 1916)*

SS 117                   Summary of the French Instructions for Higher Formations in the Attack (July 1916)

SS 119                   Preliminary Notes on the Tactical Lessons of the Recent Operations (July 1916)

SS 120                   Provisional Instructions for Cooperation between Aeroplanes and Artillery during an Advance (Sept 1916)

SS 122                   Some Notes on Lewis Guns and Machine Guns (Sept 1916)

SS 123                   Notes on the Use of Carrier Pigeons

SS 124                   Notes for Artillery Officers on Shoots with Aeroplane Observation (August 1916)

SS 125                   Instructions for Training (Various editions from June 1917)

SS 126                   The Training and Employment of Bombers (Sept 1916). Andy Robertshaw has a version of this listed as SS398 and dated April 1916.

SS 130                   Notes on the Employment of 4″ Stokes Mortar Bombs (November 1917)

SS 131                   Co-Operation of Aircraft with Artillery (December 1916, August 1917, and December 1917)

SS 132                   Co-operation Between Aircraft and Infantry (April 1918)

SS 133                   no proper title; standardized markings for bombardment maps (30 November 1916)

SS 134                   Instructions on the Use of Lethal and Lachrymatory Shell (December 1916 and March 1918)

SS 135                   Instructions for the Training of Divisions for Offensive Action (Dec 1916); later The Training and Employment of Divisions (1918)

SS 137                   Recreational Training

SS 138/3               Effect on Enemy of Our Gas Attacks (1917)

SS 139/1               Artillery Notes No. 1, Close Shooting in the Field, Notes for Infantry Officers (March 1917)

SS 139/3               Artillery Notes No. 3, Counter-Battery Work (March 1917 and February 1918)

SS 139/4               Artillery Notes No. 4, Artillery in Offensive Operations (February 1917)

SS 139/7               Artillery Notes No. 7, Artillery in Defensive Operations (February 1918)

SS 143                   Instructions for the Training of Platoons for Offensive Action, 1917 (Feb, 1917). Also appears as Platoon Training 1918 and dated March 1919.*

SS 144                   The Normal Formation for the Attack (Feb 1917)

SS 148                   Intercommunication in the Field

SS 149                   Notes on Meteorological Telegrams to the Artillery (March 1917)

SS 151                   Notes and Information from Captured Enemy (German) Documents (March 1917 to August 1918)

SS 152                   Instructions for the Training of the British Armies in France (Provisional) (June 1917 and January 1918)

SS 152                   Instructions for Training within Schools at GHQ, Army and Corps Level (June 1917).

SS 153                   Notes on the 08 German Maxim Gun (April 1917). Andy Robertshaw reports that this appears as Notes on the 08 and 08/15, August 1918.*

SS 155                   Notes on Dealing with Hostile Machine Guns in an Advance (April 1917)

SS 156                   Notes on Recent Operations, Compiled by GS Fourth Army (April 1917)

SS 157                   Report on the Overseas Artillery School, Salisbury Plain November 1916 March 1917 (May 1917)

SS 158                   Notes on Recent Operations on the Front of First, Third, Fourth and Fifth Armies (May 1917)

SS 159                   Tactical Schemes to Train Junior Officers and NCOs. Compiled by Fourth Army and printed in July 1917.*

SS 160                   Notes on Recent Operations (Spring 1917)

SS 161                   Instructions for Battle (May 1917)

SS 162                  Notes on Identification of Aeroplanes

SS 163                  Hints on Reconnaissance for Mines and Land Mines (May 1917).*

SS 164                  Notes on the Use of Tanks (May 1917)

SS 168                  Notes on the Employment of Serviceable Guns and Trench Mortars captured from the Enemy (June 1917)

SS 170                  Notes on Co-operation between Aircraft and Artillery during recent operations on the Second Army Front (June 1917)

SS 171                   Notes on Inventions and New Stores (series)

SS 172                   Preliminary Notes on Recent Operations on the front of Second Army (July 1917)

SS 175                   The Use of Smoke

SS 177                   Instructions on Wiring (August 1917)*

SS 182                  Instructions on Bombing Part II (November 1917)*

SS 184                   Gas Warfare, Monthly Summary of Information

SS 185                   Assault Training (Sept 1917)

SS 186                  Anti-aircraft Gunnery (September 1917)*

SS 187                  The Attack on Laffaux (October 1917)*

SS 188                  Offence versus Defence in the Air October, 1917

SS 189                  Light Mortar Training (June 1918)*

SS 190                  Rifle Grenade Discharger No. 1 Mark I (October 1917)*

SS 191                   Intercommunication in the Field

SS 192                   The Employment of Machine Guns: Part 1 Tactical (Jan 1918)

SS 194                   Instructions for Wearing the Equipment for Carrying Lewis Gun Magazines (Oct 1916)

SS 195                   Scouting and Patrolling (Dec 1917)

SS 196                   Diagrams of Field Defences (March 1918)*

SS 197                   The Tactical Employment of Lewis Guns (Jan, 1918)

SS 199                   Co-operation of Sound Ranging Sections and Observation Groups with Artillery (Provisional) (November 1917)

SS 199/1               Ranging with Observation by the Field Survey Company (May 1918)

SS 201                  Machine Gun Note 201 No. 2, December 1917 Part 1 NE Ypres II Cambria Covers Nov-December 1917 (February 1918)*

SS 201/3              Machine Gun Notes (July 1918)

SS 203                  Instructions for Anti-Tank Defence

SS 204                  Infantry and Tank Co-operation and Training

SS 205                  Notes on Observation from Aeroplanes April 1918

SS 206                 The Principles and Practice of Camouflage, March 1918*

SS 208                 Field Works for Royal Artillery, May 1918*

SS 210                  The Division in Defence (May 1918)

SS 212                  Yellow cross Gas Shells, April 1918*

SS 214                  Tanks and their Employment in Co-operation with Other Arms (Aug 1918)

SS 217                  Instructions for the Employment of ‘B.B.’ Shell (September 1918)

SS 218                  Operations by the Australian Corps against Hamel, Bois de Hamel, and Bois de Vaire, 4th of July 1918 (July 1918)

SS 221                  Machine Gun Training Part I, February 1918*

SS 308                 Memorandum on Gas Poisoning in Mines, October 1918*

SS 350                 Silhouettes of Aeroplanes and Airships 1916

SS 356                 Handbook of the German Army in War (Jan 1917) later German Army Handbook (April 1918)

SS 358                 Instructions to Ordnance Officers in the Filed, February 1917(

SS 388                 Defensive Measures Against Gas Attacks (Jan 1916)

SS 398                 The Training and Employment of Bombers (March 1916). Replaces CDS 74

SS 391                 Courts-Martial Notes, March 1916*

SS 394                 Notes on German Army Corps: XIV Reserve Corps & 52nd Division (March 1916)

SS 396                 Instructions as to Requisitioning, Billets and Quarters, October 1917*

SS 412a               Circular Memorandum on Courts-Martial*

SS 419                 Defensive Measures Against Gas Attacks (May 1916) Replaces SS388

SS 421B              Circular Memorandum on Courts-Martial (August 1918) Replaces SS142a

SS 421                 Notes on German VI Corps*

SS 424                 Notes on German Army Corps: IX Reserve Corps (May 1916)

SS 425                 Regulations Issued for the Control of the Civil Population in France and Belgium, 1 June 1917*

SS 441                 Notes on the prevention of espionage and leakage of information (copy found in war diary of 141 Machine Gun Company, July 1916)

SS 447                 Duties and Employment of the 4th Artillery Survey Section (Artillerie-Messtrupp) and the 49th Sound Ranging Section (Schallmesstrupp). (18th April 1916)

SS 449                 German Instructions Regarding Gas Warfare. Translation of pamphlet captured July 1916.

SS 452                 Memorandum on Gas Poisoning in Warfare, 20th July 1916 and repeated July 1917*

SS 454                 Experiences Gained from the September Offensives on the Fronts of the Sixth and Third Armies, by von Below, GOC Second Army (5th November 1915)

SS 460                 Translation of a German Document: German Mining Officer’s Diary captured at Fricourt July 1916.

SS 462                 Translation of a German Document: Raid on the British Trenches Near La Boiselle (11th April 1916)

SS 471                  Essential Principles for the Defence of Positions as Paid Down in Instructions Issued by GHQ, German Second Army (1 Aug 1915, translated 1916)

SS 473                 Extracts from German Documents and Correspondence (1916)

SS 476                 Instructions for the Care and Preservation of ammunition and Explosives in the Field, 1917*

SS 477                 Instructions Regarding Recommendations for Honours and Awards, September 1918*

SS 478                 Experiences of the IV German Corps in the Battle of the Somme During July 1916 (22 Aug 1916, translated 30 Sept 1916)

SS 480                 Translation of a German Document: Lessons Drawn from the Battle of the Somme by Stein’s Group (October 1916)

SS 485                 Army Order Regarding the Execution of Counterattacks, by von Below, C-in-C First Army (23rd August 1916, translated 10th October

SS 486                 Extracts from German Documents Dealing with ‘Lessons Drawn from the Battle of the Somme’ (11 October 1916)

SS 487                 Translation of a German Document: Order of the 6th Bavarian Division Regarding Machine Guns (3rd September 1916

SS 490                 The Principles of Trench Warfare as Laid Down in the XIV Reserve Corps (19 May 1916, translated 13 Oct 1916)

SS 494                   Extracts from the Reports of German Formations Employed on the Somme, 6th Bavarian Reserve Division (19th September 1916).

SS 531                   German Instructions for the Employment of Flame Projectors (12 Dec 1916, translated 10 Dec 1916)

SS 532                   Extracts No.4 From German Documents and Correspondence (1917)

SS 534                   Defensive Measures against Gas, 1917*

SS 535                   Gas Defence, December 1916*

SS 537                   Summary of Recent Information Regarding the German Army and its methods (Jan 1917)

SS 539                   The Reorganisation of Transport

SS 541                   German Instructions for the Employment of Granatenwerfer or Stick Bomb Throwers (October 1916, translated 1917)

SS 544                   Experiences of the Recent Fighting at Verdun (February 1917)

SS 546                   The 1916 Pattern Bomb-Thrower (Granaten-werfer 16) for Stick Bomb (Wurfgranate 1915)

SS 548                   Extracts from the German Official Textbook Regarding Minenwerfer (15 Nov 1916, translated March 1917)

SS 552                   Sound Ranging (March 1917)

SS 553                   Experience of the German First Army in the Somme Battle 24 June to 26 November 1916, First Army HQ (30 Jan 1917, translated 3 May 1917)

SS 555                   Vocabulary of German Military Terms and Abbreviations (First Ed. 1917, Second Ed. 1918)

SS 560                  Manual of Position Warfare for All Arms Part 5 The Employment and Duties of Artillery Aeroplanes in Position Warfare May 1917 (Translation of a German Document)

SS 561                   Manual of Position Warfare for All Arms: Part 8 The Principles of Command in the Defensive Battle in Position Warfare (1 March 1917, translated May 1917)

SS 562                   Manual of Position Warfare for All Arms: Part 3 Weapons of Close Combat (1 Jan 1917, translated 23 May 1917)

SS 563                                   Manual of Position Warfare for All Arms Part 6 Communication between Infantry and Aeroplanes or Captive Balloons (Translation of German Document) 25 May 1917

SS 567                   Diagram Showing the Organisation of a Regimental Sector (translated 19 July 1917)

SS 570                                   Arrangements for Reporting the Approach of Aircraft (Abbreviated translation, from the French, of a German document) August, 1917

SS 572                   German Anti-Aircraft Organization August, 1917

SS 574                   The Construction of German Defensive Positions (18th August 1918

SS 579                   Extracts from the Experiences of the Sixth German Army in the Employment of the ‘08/’015 Light Machine Gun (translated 16 Sept 1917)

SS 589                   Notes on choosing charges for Howitzers to give the least wear and calculations of percentages of hits probable on a given target (May 1917)

SS 592                   Catechism for Heavy and Siege Artillery Subalterns (October 1917)

SS 592                   Catechism for Artillery Officers (March 1918)

SS 599                   Notes on the Technical Reconnaissance of an Artillery Position and the Training of the Headquarters of a Battery (May 1918)

SS 600                   Organisation of the Infantry Battalion and Normal Formation for the Attack (April 1917)

SS 614                   Training Instructions for Siege Artillery (March 1918)

SS 619                                   Manual of Position Warfare for All Arms Part 6 (Provisional): The Infantry Aeroplane and the Infantry Balloon (Translation of a German Document) December, 1917

SS 621                   Manual of Position Warfare for all Arms: Part 1a: General Principles of the Construction of Field Positions, 3rd edition (15th August 1917, translated 12th December 1917).

SS 631                   Notes on the Interpretation of Airplane Photographs, February 1918

SS 633                  The Construction of Field Positions (Stellungbau), May 1917*

SS 703                   Manual of Position Warfare for All Arms: Special Part: The Experience Gained during the English-French Offensive in the Spring of 1917 (10 June 1917, translated 15 Oct 1917)

SS 710                   New Defensive Tactics (translated 14 Nov 1917)

SS 712                   Extracts No.12 from German Documents and Correspondence: Conditions at the Front and Military Morale (25th November 1917)

SS 714                   The German Tank ‘Elfriede’ (1 June 1918)

SS 724                  March Discipline and Traffic Control, July 1918*

SS 735                   Translations of Captured German Documents (February to September 1918)

SS 737                   [German Document 1918]

SS 742                   [German Document 1918]

SS 745                   Description of the Siegfried Line – German Second Army (September 1918)

SS 745(2)              Description of the Siegfried Line – German Second Army (September 1918)

SS 753                   Change in Discipline and Morale of the German Army, January to September 1918 (7th September 1918)

SS 754                   [German Document 1918]

SS 757                   Results of Preliminary Reconnaissance and Comparison with Air Photographs of the Ground Re-Occupied in the Forward Areas of the Lys Salient October, 1918

SS 774                   Notes on the Country included on the Liege and Manche 1/100,000 sheets, November 1918*

SS 778                   [German Document 1918]

SS 787                   [German Document 1918]