Well, carry on! Suppose there is a field telephone switchboard exchange (Vermittlung) that handles calls for the 1st Infantry Division headquarters. The switchboard is not far from the front lines. The switchboard is connected to field telephone lines for Infantry Regiment 1, Infantry Regiment 2, Infantry Regiment 3, two Signals Construction Divisions, and Corps Command Headquarters. The switchboard takes a direct hit by enemy artillery.
Until a replacement switchboard can be installed, Nachrictentruppen were taught to get the exchange operating again by hooking field telephones (i.e. FF33s) to each field telephone line.
The telephones can be connected together with patch cords (Vermittlungsschnuren) to connect field telephone lines together in the absence of a switchboard. This connection was discussed in a previous article.
The patch cords plug into sockets on the sides of the FF33 field telephones.
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WW2 German Field Telephone Equipment 