Georg Bruchmüller Georg Bruchmüller ( December 11 , 1863 – January 26 , 1948 ) , nicknamed " Durchbruchmüller " , was a German artillery officer who had great influence in the development of modern artillery tactics . His nickname " Durchbruchmüller " is a combination of the German word " durchbruch " ( ' breakthrough ' ) with his name . Early life . Bruchmüller was born in Berlin into a middle - class family and joined the Imperial Army in 1885 . He started his career at in the foot artillery ( " Fußartillerie " ) , the branch of the German Army armed with heavier guns , howitzers and mortars , designed principally for siege warfare , but which also had a role in mobile and static warfare in the field . In 1897 and 1898 , Bruchmüller served as a battery commander in Fußartillerie - Regiment Nr . 3 in Mainz . In 1901 and 1902 , Bruchmüller served as a battery commander in the Lehr - Bataillon [ Demonstration Battalion ] of the Royal Prussian Fußartillerie - Schießschule [ Foot Artillery Firing School ] in Jüterbog . During this time , he worked with one of the instructors at the Fußartillerie - Schießschule , Hauptmann Arthur Bilse , a heavy artillery specialist who rose to general officer rank during the First World War and , while serving as General der Fußartillerie 15 , was killed in action on New Year ' s Day of 1916 at Les Baraques , France . Bruchmüller retired from active duty after a riding accident . World War I . At the beginning of World War I he was reactivated and became artillery commander of the 86 . Infantry Division at the Eastern Front . Bruchmüller developed techniques to support attacks with a sudden concentration of accurate fire instead of prolonged preparatory bombardments . In the spring of 1916 he convinced the chief of staff of the Tenth Army to adopt this method of concentration for a major attack at Tarnopol , and the effect in supporting the rapid advance of the infantry was impressive . Bruchmüller ' s technique emphasized fire in depth throughout the enemy positions . His support included an accurate creeping barrage , the " Feuerwalze " , for the advancing infantry . Bruchmüller developed several techniques to achieve disruption , which required strict control of all artillery assets . Each battery of each type of weapon received specific fire missions with specific timetables . He organized it in three stages of delivery of fire . The first consisted of surprise , concentration , hitting headquarters , phone links , command posts , enemy batteries , and infantry positions . The fire was sudden , concentrated , and made extensive use of gas . The second stage required that the other batteries reinforced those batteries already firing on enemy batteries . The third stage asked for fire for effect on designated targets according to range . Some batteries continued to shell infantry positions , heavy pieces engaged long range targets . To achieve maximum disruptive effect on the enemy , surprise was essential . Thus , the Germans concealed their attack preparations very carefully and their initial target data had to be very accurate . Bruchmüller rose in position in the east , commanding the artillery of von Hutier ' s Eighth Army at Riga in September 1917 . When his unit was transferred to the west in late 1917 , Bruchmüller arrived in time to participate in the Cambrai counterattack . Post - war life . He was not selected for the post - war Reichswehr and retired in 1919 holding the rank of colonel . He had been awarded the Pour le Merite , Germany ' s highest military award in 1917 , being one of only four senior artillery officers to receive this honour . He died at Garmisch - Partenkirchen in 1948 .