Imperial Munitorum Manual

Oh, McNeill. You've done it again.

The Imperial Munitorum Manual is a background book written by Graham McNeill and published by Black Library, in the style of the basic instruction manual published by the Departmento Munitorum for Imperial Guardsmen. It includes sections about the organization of the Departmento Munitorum and Imperial Guard Regiments, and several sections regarding equipment and its procurement and maintenance. It seems that each major recruiting world gets its own edition, presumably to reflect the local regiments' organization and operating procedures. The Munitorum Manual actually published by Black Library is the "Cadian edition".

In many ways, it can be compared to the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer, in that it includes some useful information for a Guardsman mixed in with a comically rose-tinted depiction of the Imperium, though the Munitorum Manual seems a little more frank about the grimdark parts. For example, it plainly declares that the life of a Guardsman is worth less than the equipment he carries (especially for ill-understood technologies, like plasma weapons), and that the average Guardsman dies within six months of his recruitment. It also includes sample requisition forms, the fine print for which includes the paragraph:

For the purpose of any event of dispute between the Departmento Munitorum and requisitioning soldiers, the Departmento Munitorum may treat the particular event that actually happened as not having happened and/or treat any particular event that did not actually happen as having happened.

Yeah.

Table of Contents

1. Preface. The shortest section of the book. The preface is the introduction of the manual written by Seward Rosencranz, Chancellor of the Estate Imperium. It also contains the Logistical Officer's Chain of Command page which is meant to only be written by the Guardsman's superiors.
2. Overview and History of the Deparmento Munitorum. The first chapter and the one used to kiss-ass to the Departmento Munitorum and why they are so important. Provides a good in-depth history and overview of the Deparmento Munitorum as well as the hierarchy that makes the entire Imperium running. Teaches the Guardsman on who commands who on a galactic scale.
3. Structure of a Regiment. This section teaches the Guardsman on how his/her's regiment is constructed. This section differs from regiment to regiment, so not all of them would be the same. The one we can read is based on the Cadian 91st Regiment, since Cadia is the poster boy of the Guard. It also tells the Guardsman the importance of supply and shipping and that they should not waste ammuntion of useless things. Moreover, it stresses the importance of good hygiene and food in relation to morale. So when the Regimental Commissar asks you to eat your veggies, you better eat your damned veggies. Or else...
4. Requisition of Equipment and Acquisition of Supplies. This one teaches a Guardsman on how to properly fill up a form to request for additional equipment as per standard procedures to the Administratum. It also details the correct behavior in acquiring supplies when authorised on a local planet and just general common-sense tips in teaching Guardsman to not behave like absolute assholes to the native population.
5. Maintenance and Repair of Munitorum Equipment. This section talks about the importance of maintaining your equipment and why that matters. Despite the name, it is ironically more of a chapter on punishments as the amount of punishments listed here goes for over 70% of the chapter, including a pretty good pyramid table on the procedure of said punishments.
6. Imperial Guardsmen Equipment. A long, long in-depth and comprehensive list of what an Imperial Guardsman would typically carry as standard issue. Whilst the Uplifting Primer may just go over some of them, the manual goes balls deep on how to maintain them, use them, and request for more in case they are damaged. Very, very useful chapter.
7. Imperial Guardsmen Weapons. Like their previous chapter on equipment, this chapter also goes balls-deep on the common weapons a Guardsman may encounter in their lifetime. It teaches them what they look like, how they function and what their use on the battlefield is like. Again, pretty god damned detailed all things considered.
8. Imperial Guardsmen Support Weapons. More of an extension to the previous chapter, this time talking about the big guns. Like the previous chapter, it is very in-depth to the point that it even teaches a Guardsman the correct procedures on how to properly load and aim a mortar.
9. Specialised Equipment and Medals. This section is more of an extension to the chapter regarding a Guardsman's equipment, albeit for more specialist teams and senior officers. Showcase not only the importance of these specialised equipment but also serves a good legend for Guardsman to recognise what each medal represents.
10. Epilogue and Request Form. The final chapter is a short epilogue with several pages for which a Guardsman and their senior officers could fill up a request form in case their equipment or weapons broke down.

See Also

• Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer - The Manual's more incompetent brother.

Gallery

• 

  Munitorum organisation chart

• 

  Procedures of eating. Yes, that's a thing in the Guard.