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FM 21-6: List of Publications for Training
Basic Field Manual, War Department, January 1, 1943
[DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from a WWII U.S. War Department Field Manual. As with all field manuals, the text may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the contents of the field manual. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]


LIST OF PUBLICATIONS FOR TRAINING

(This pamphlet together with FM 21-7, January 1, 1943, supersedes FM 21-6, July 1, 1942; including paragraphs 1-3, Training Circular No. 70; paragraphs 1 and 2, section II, Training Circular No. 78; sections I and III, Training Circular No. 90; section I and paragraphs 1-3, section II, Training Circular No. 98, War Department, 1942; and paragraphs 1 and 2, Training Circular No. 1, War Department, 1943.)

Section I
FIELD SERVICE REGULATIONS, FIELD MANUALS, AND TECHNICAL MANUALS

• 1. SCOPE.—This manual contains lists or references to lists of publications or matter required for military training.*

• 2. TEXTS.—The primary texts for training in schools, including extension courses, in garrisons, in training centers, and in the field are War Department training publications issued, as a general rule, in the form of Field Service Regulations, Field Manuals, and Technical Manuals. Technical Regulations will eventually be eliminated by the inclusion of suitable material in other training documents.

a. Field Service Regulations, which are published as Field Manuals, constitute the basis of instruction of all arms and services in the operations of war and announce the basic doctrines which are expanded and applied in other texts. They contain the fundamental considerations concerning the employment of the combined arms and the combined services, and the strategical, tactical, and administrative employment of larger units and territorial commands.

b. Field Manuals constitute the primary means for expanding the basic doctrines of the Field Service Regulations. They are published in three general divisions as follows:

(1) The Field Manuals for the several arms and services contain instructions relative to the tactics and technique involved in the employment of such arm; and services, together with data needed in the theater of operations.

(2) The Basic Field Manuals contain training and reference data applicable to more than one arm or service, with special reference to the smaller units.

(3) The Staff Officers' Field Manual is a compilation of information and data to be used as a guide for the operations in the field of the general staff or a similar staff group of all units in peace and war.

c. Technical Manuals consist of a series of pamphlets supplementing the Field Manuals, covering subjects the separate treatment of which, is considered essential to a fuller accomplishment of the training prescribed in the Field Manual series. The scope of this series includes pamphlets describing matériel and containing instructions for the operation, care, and handling thereof; guidebooks for instructors and specialists; material for extension courses; reference books; and the like.

• 3. NUMBERING.—The number of each pamphlet will consist of two parts: the basic number and subnumber.

a. The basic numbers will be as follows:

1. Army Air Forces.
2. Cavalry.
3. Chemical Warfare Service.
4. Coast Artillery Corps.
(For harbor defense, railway, and truck-drawn only.)
5. Corps of Engineers.
6. Field Artillery.
7. Infantry.
8. Medical Department.
9. Ordnance Department.
Subnumbers of Technical Manuals in the 9- series are assigned according to type of matériel and echelon of maintenance covered, as follows:
TM 9-200 to TM 9-999 cover the first and second echelons of maintenance, that is, servicing, simple repair and replacement—
TM 9-200 to TM 9-299—Small arms of all types, all cannon up to but not including 57-mm.
TM 9-300 to TM 9-399—All field artillery 57-mm and over; all antiaircraft artillery over 40-mm.
TM 9-400 to TM 9-499—Coast and railway artillery, all sizes.
TM 9-500 to TM 9-699—Fire control and sighting equipment. TM 9-700 to 9-849 and 9-870 to TM 9-899—Automotive matériel.
TM 9-850 to TM 9-869—Miscellaneous.
TM 9-900 to TM 9-999—Ammunition items of all types and their components.
TM 9-1200 to TM 9-1999 cover the third and fourth echelons of maintenance, that is, major repair, replacement, reconditioning. The breakdown parallels that above. TM 9-1200 to TM 9-1299 cover small arms and cannon up to 57-mm; TM 9-1300 to TM 9-1399 cover all field artillery 57-mm and over and all antiaircraft artillery over 40-mm; etc.
TM 9-2200 to TM 9-2999 are instruction guides, or textbooks intended primarily for classroom use and study. The breakdown parallels that above.
10. Quartermaster Corps.
11. Signal Corps.
12. Adjutant General's Department.
13. Inspector General's Department.
14. Finance Department.
15. Judge Advocate General's Department.
16. Corps of Chaplains.
17. Armored Force.
18. Tank Destroyer.
19. Military Police.
20 to 31. Basic Field Manuals.
20. Miscellaneous.
21. Individual soldier.
22. Infantry Drill Regulations.
23. Basic weapons, including accessories and ammunition.
24. Communications.
25. Transportation.
26. Interior guard duty.
27. Military law.
28. Band.
29. Military Police.
30. Military intelligence.
31. Special operations.
35. Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
44. Coast Artillery Corps (antiaircraft artillery and barrage balloon).
55. Transportation Corps.
100. Field Service Regulations.
101. Staff Officers' Field Manual.
105. Umpire Manual.

b. The subnumbers for Field Manuals will be from 1 to 199 and for Technical Manuals 200, etc.

c. Examples:

FM 6-110—Field Artillery Field Manual—Pack Artillery.
FM 22-5—Basic Field Manual—Infantry Drill Regulations.
FM 100-5—Field Service Regulations—Operations.
TM 4-235—Technical Manual—Coast Artillery Target Practice.

d. Reference.—For references in correspondence or publications, Field Manuals and Technical Manuals will ordinarily be referred to by number only, that is, FM 6-110 or TM 4-235; if it is necessary to identify the publication further, the title will be added, that is, FM 6-110, FAFM, Pack Artillery; TM 4-235, Coast Artillery Target Practice.

• 4. CHANGES.—a. In order that prompt recommendations may be submitted, each agency charged with the preparation of a manual will keep a folder of suggested changes. Serious errors will be reported at once.

b. How effected.—When the subject matter contained in a pamphlet is changed or corrected, it will be published as a change only when it is deemed inadvisable to revise and reprint the entire pamphlet.

c. When promulgated.—Changes will, as a general rule, be published as soon as practicable after the necessity for a change arises. The number and date of the change will follow the classification number at the end of each paragraph. A change requiring immediate attention will be published in a War Department numbered Training Circular (see sec. II), or as a printed change.

d. How published.—When printed, changes will be published on one side of the page only so that they may be cut and pasted over the matter which they change.

e. How numbered.—Changes will be numbered in a single series for each edition of each pamphlet, a new series being started with the first change pertaining to an edition.

f. Drafts.—Drafts of matter submitted for publication as changes will contain both the existing and the proposed matter, the matter to be omitted, with a line drawn through it and the proposed matter underscored.

g. Minor changes.—Minor changes, such as those intended merely to change the rhetorical construction of a portion of regulations for purposes of clarity or those not involving a change of doctrine, will be allowed to accumulate and will be published in a revision of the regulations in question.

h. Changes affecting other publications.—When changes are prepared which may affect other War Department publications or portions thereof to the extent of requiring modifications of the latter, changes to the other publications so affected will be prepared and submitted at the same time.

• 5. COPYRIGHTED MATTER.—See AR 310-10.

• 6. HOW DISTRIBUTED.—a. (1) Except as indicated in subparagraphs (3) and (4) below, the commanding general of each service command, except the Northwest Service Command, operating through the adjutant general depots and the distributing agencies listed in subparagraphs b and c is responsible for distribution of training publications to all personnel, units, offices, and installations located within the territorial limits of his command.

(2) The Commanding General of the Ninth Service Command is responsible for distribution to all personnel, units, offices, and installations located within the territorial limits of the Northwest Service Command.

(3) The Commanding General, Military District of Washington, is responsible for distribution to all personnel, units, offices, and installations located within the territorial limits of the Military District of Washington except the War Department and the headquarters of the Army Ground Forces, Army Air Forces, and Services of Supply.

(4) The Adjutant General is responsible for distribution to the offices of the War Department and to the headquarters of the Army Ground Forces, Army Air Forces, and Services of Supply. The Adjutant General, operating through such distributing agencies as he may designate, is also responsible for distribution to personnel, units, offices, and installations overseas.

b. Each of the headquarters listed in the following table is designated as a distributing agency. Additional distributing agencies may be designated at the discretion of the commanding general of the service command concerned.

Distributing agency For distribution to—
Headquarters:
     Army
     Corps
     Defense command
     Air force
     Army ground force command
     Harbor defense
Each headquarters and headquarters company.
Headquarters:
     Division
     Brigade
     Training center
     Port of embarkation
All organizations within the command.
Headquarters, service command. All personnel, units, offices, and installations within the territorial limits of the command not otherwise provided for.
Headquarters, overseas department. All personnel, units, offices, and installations within the territorial limits of the command.
Headquarters, Military District of Washington. All personnel, units, offices, and installations within the Military District of Washington except the War Department and the Headquarters, Army Ground Forces, Army Air Forces, and Services of Supply.
Headquarters, United States Military Academy. All personnel, units, offices, and installations within the command.
Headquarters, post, camp, or station within a service command. All personnel, units, offices, and installations on the post, camp, or station not otherwise provided for under this table.
Headquarters:
     Army medical center
     General hospital, Z of I
     Quartermaster depot, Z of I
     Reception center
     Arsenal
All personnel, units, offices, and installations under the jurisdiction of each command.

c. Distributing agencies will requisition upon the following for additional publications if required for initial distribution and to fill subsequent orders:

 Distributing agency in—   Forwarded to— 
First Service Command Commanding Officer, Boston Adjutant General Depot, 594-596 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Mass.
Second Service Command Commanding Officer, New York Adjutant General Depot, 641 Washington Street, New York, N.Y.
Third Service Command Commanding Officer, Baltimore Adjutant General Depot, 601 South Haven Street, Baltimore, Md.
Fourth Service Command Commanding Officer, Adjutant General Depot, Fourth Service Command, Glenn Street and Murphy Avenue, S. W., Atlanta, Ga.
Fifth Service Command Commanding Officer, Columbus Adjutant General Depot, Buckingham and Grant Streets, Columbus, Ohio.
Sixth Service Command Commanding Officer, Chicago Adjutant General Depot, 111 North Canal Street, Chicago, Ill.
Seventh Service Command Commanding Officer, Omaha Adjutant General Depot, 1113 North 13th Street, Omaha, Nebr.
Eighth Service Command Adjutant General Supply Officer, San Antonio Quartermaster Depot, Fort Sam Houston, Tex.
Ninth Service Command
Northwest Service Command
Commanding Officer, Ogden Adjutant General Depot, 2325 Wall Avenue, Ogden, Utah.
Military District of Washington The Adjutant General.
War Department, Army Ground Forces, Army Air Forces, and Services of Supply. The Adjutant General.
Outside continental limits of the United States, unless otherwise indicated. The Adjutant General.

• 7. ALLOWANCES.—a. The initial distribution of pamphlets within the continental United States will be in accordance with the following unless otherwise directed:

(1) Ten copies of every pamphlet to the headquarters of Army Ground Forces, Army Air Forces, Services of Supply, and of each army, corps, service command, or department.

(2) Two copies of every pamphlet to—

(a) Office of each chief of arm, service, and the National Guard Bureau.

(b) Headquarters of each division unless a larger allowance is indicated by symbols. See paragraph 21.

(c) Headquarters of each general and special service school.

(d) Headquarters of the United States Military Academy.

(e) Each arm and service board.

(3) One copy of every pamphlet for—

(a) Headquarters of each garrisoned post or camp.

(b) The official office file of the professor of military science and tactics of each educational institution maintaining Reserve Officers Training Corps or section 55c NDA units. The reference library of each educational institution maintaining one or more units of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps is entitled to receive for each unit one copy of the training publications pertaining to the unit. Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps units will be given the same distribution as senior infantry units.

(4) To headquarters other than the above, as indicated opposite each pamphlet in the list under paragraph 21.

b. Individuals, headquarters, and offices may, on showing need therefore, obtain any printed pamphlet by applying to the distributing agency serving them. (See AR 310-200.)

c. Distribution to theaters and separate forces outside the United States will be as arranged for by the theater or separate force commander.

• 8. INSPECTION OF OFFICIAL FILES OF PUBLICATIONS.—Commanding officers will have all official files of military publications of their commands inspected semiannually and will require that they be kept properly posted to date. These publications will at no time be removed from the custody of the organization or office to which issued, and commanding officers will see that the publications are transferred to the successor in the office or in command.

b. Stocks or copies of any publication on hand which are in excess of current or anticipated need will be reported to the distribution agency for instructions as to disposition.

* Training films and film strips are now published in FM 21-7, January 1, 1943.
 


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