Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-18
Kaiser Drafts Men For
Shock Units" to Be
Sent to Certain Death

French Front, July 1S.-Full and
interesting details OF the organiza-
ton OF the German formations
known as ''stosstruppen," or shock
units" indicate that the German
army at the front is now divided
into superior and inferior grades of
soldiers. The shock units" special
ly formed for difficult operations
which the ordinary regiments evl-
IDENTIFY are regarded as unqualified
to undertake, are formed from
among the young, vigorous men of
the regular battalions. They are
nearly all unmarried men, or If mar
ried, are childless. and this regula-
ton has been drafted for the reason
that whenever they are sent into ac-
tlon they encounter overwhelming
chances OF losing their lives. They,
in fact, resemble Ihe "forlorn hopes"
OF old time wars except that they are
not volunteers.
German prisoners assert that SOL
dierS who are insubordinate or who
do not take kindly TO the discipline
OF the army are sent into the ranks
OF these special units destined to sac
rlfice themselves in attacks on spe-
clally important positions or in at
tempts, which hitherto have gener-
ally proved vain, to recapture post
l.
from the French.
With Each Corps
Until now each German army has
had attached 10 it one or two bat
talions of these shock units"
HenCeforth, according 10 the newest
regulations, each German army corps
Is to organize a shock unit of its
own.
orders have been issued by the
German high command that in GER
tain cases each infantry brigade is
to have a shock unit" consisting of
a company and the companies may
he united, should circumstances call
Tor II, into battalion TO be at the
service OF the army commander.
The composition of such Il hattal-
ion varies, hut that of the second
. shock battalion" of the third Ger
man army may be given as an exam
pie. 1t was commanded by cap
tain with a lieutenant as adjutant
and it consisted of four companies,
each mastering one hundred men
and three officers. There was be-
sides company of machinegunners
with six pieces, also a mixed COM
pany with trench mortars and gren-
ade throwers, as we'll as a company
of men armed with implements for
dispensing liquid fire. Added to these
was shock" battery of small field
guns.
Have One Duty
These shock units are never used
for the holding of sector of the
line. They so into action only when
difficult operation is to be exc
Cuted. The battalion is placed d!-
reCtly under orders of the officers in
command of the operation. When
possible the men are all provided
with bicycles, but usually they are
transferred in fast motorCars to the
place where their services are re-
quired.
often part of the men of such a
battalion are distributed in small
units among the ordinary battalions
engaged. They are specially instruct
ed beforehand as to the most impor-
tant points aimed at in the attack
and they act as guides to their less
specialized comrades. Their work
is to make breaches i'm the enemy
line, to lead the way into the allies
trenches, to destroy machinegun em-
placements and field fortresses with
the help of the special cannon and
other weapons AT their disposal, and
eventually to aid i'm the reorganiza-
tion for defense against counterat-
tack of any position which may he
captured
AS soon as the heavy fighting is
over the men of the shock unit"
still remaining alive withdraw to the
rear and rejoin the rest of the bat
TALON in readiness to be hurried off
to any other part of the line where
hot work is in progress