1000+ images about WW1 Weapons & Gear on Pinterest | World war, British and Gas masks Forward 30th. July 1915, The battle of Hooge. Germans put their new weapon, the flammenwerfer, or flamethrower, to devastating use against the Allies. 11 days prior, British infantry had captured the German-occupied village of Hooge, near Ypres, by detonating a large mine. Using flamethrowers to great effect, with machine guns, trench mortars and grenades, the Germans reclaimed their positions, pushing the British forces back to their 2nd trench. See More Great War Militaria The German Soldier in World War I The final "Argument of Kings" R.H.Keller/ 2009 Organization and Service in the German Army In Germany, by the constitution of April 16, 1871, every male was liable for military service, from his 17th to 45th birthday, commencing with the "class" of the year of his 20th birthday.

The 17-20 year olds within this category were classified as Landsturm 1st Ban for "volunteer" purposes, home defense, or, as in time of war, to fill active duty needs, and, in peacetime, were only required to register. On January 1st of each year, the Ersatz Commission, by public notice, called for all eligible males to report to the Muster District Office for registration on a specific date. Rosters were prepared and a muster date with location was posted for the "class". At the muster, physicals were preformed, after which inquiries were held for excusing or accepting an individual based upon personal hardships, etc. There was no substitution in effect, and the only exceptions for military service were members of reigning houses, those deprived by court sentences of their civil rights, and those in jail! Active military service was 3 years in the cavalry or mounted artillery, and 2 years in all other branches, followed by 4 or 5 years in the Reserve, the Landwher for 11 years, then finally (in the year they reached their 39th birthday) the Landsturm 2nd Ban for 7 years.

During the "Reserve" status, each man could be called out for two annual training sessions called "Kaiser Maneuvers", only being free from that duty when passing to Landsturm 2nd Ban. This Landsturm 2nd ban seldom saw front line active service, but still provided valuable services that freed up military fit personnel. If one chose to "volunteer" for active service before their class was due, they had the advantage of choosing their unit of service, and every opportunity was afforded to meet their requests, thus a household could follow a family tradition of service in a noted unit. Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia commented in his memoirs that while commanding the 2nd Company of the 1st Garde Regiment of Foot in 1902-1904, a number of his soldiers were the fourth successive generation to serve in the 2nd Company of that regiment. Another class of "one year volunteers" had to meet stringent requirements of education and character, as well as pay for their own uniforms, equipment, quarters, and rations. Many of these men had completed higher professional educations, and became officers upon completion of their active duty.

Many professional men, whose skills were required outside of active service, opted for this service, and sometimes were required to serve only six months. In opposite to serving less time, they could choose, after 1 year, to transfer to the Reserves for two years active duty, after which time they could become a Reserve officer, liable for an annual 4-8 week training session for three years. officers who retire from the Army with less than 18 years service, pass into the Reserve or Landwher, according to age bracket. The 1913 Army List contained 23,000 Reserve officers and 11,000 Landwher officers, all trained and capable of quick recall if war is declared. The Landsturm 2nd ban officers would follow immediately. If a soldier proved proficient enough in his active service, and wished to pursue military life, they could, upon acceptance by a unit, become "Kapitulanten", or regular professional soldiers. For the peacetime average German male, obligated military service did not start until age 20, and was usually done in the Spring with medical examinations, with actual training beginning in the Fall of that year for the chosen few.

The annual recruit class was comprised of all men who attained the age of 20 in that recruiting year. That "class" also contained men who were "put back" for various reasons in previous musters of 1 or 2 years, men who had postponed their muster for various reasons, and "volunteers" of younger than age 20 men who wished to adopt the army for their career. Of this "class", during peacetime, not all would be accepted for active service. Due to the huge number of men offering service, the army could be very selective in nature, and if one had a good enough excuse not to serve, they were usually passed over or "put back". In addition, if one became qualified for muster, the Ersatz Commission tentatively recommended men for assignment to various branches of service based upon their civilian occupation, special skills, and physical size. At age 22, and not be accepted for service, you were automatically put into the Untrained Landsturm or Ersatz Reserve until age 45.

A typical 1913 Army class, of which 305,000 had been required (a figure increased by the German "Peace Strength Law of 1912" to be effective by October 1915 even if war had not broken out) is listed as: 20 year olds: 587,888 Of this lot, 118,300 were posted to the Landsturm, 86,911 to the Ersatz Reserve, and only 305,675 to the ACTIVE units(or about 1/4 of those in the class). The remaining 700,000+ not included in these figures were "put back" for any reason imaginable.(called "Restanten"), and were not required to serve ONLY in peacetime. Rejected men, which ran no more than 5 or 6 per cent, were liable for no service. These again could be reexamined should war be declared. Ersatz Reserve men were usually those who were fit for duty but were excused for economical or minor physical defects. This group would comprise those who would fill the ranks quickly in time of war.

They were liable for 12 years in this status, and could be called up for 3 annual training sessions. Only a small portion of these troops underwent any training. At the end of twelve years, they went into the Landsturm 2nd Ban(39-45 years old). IF mobilized, these Ersatz Reserves could amount to over 1 million men between ages of 20 and 32. The purpose was to have a pool of fit men that could be trained and put into the field in less than 3 months. In 1914, Germany could mobilize about 4.9 million men(of which 4 million were mobilized and carried the Army through 1917) from a population of about 67 million. In wartime, the term "Ersatz" means quite simply "Reinforcement or Supplemental" troops. In peacetime, it often was applied o Depot raised troops. In the period of 1914-1919, about 400,000-500,000 men became eligible each year for duty.

Before that time, the figure was higher, however, when war was declared, many men joined early. At declaration of war, all transfers from one category to another ceases except for those wounded or incapacitated. The military machine quite simply stops and gets re-examined as time permits. Men are not released until age 45. Men previously rejected are re-examined under less stringent conditions to obtain a huge pool of fit men. A new "class" is now called of the 17-20 year old "Landsturm 1st Ban", medical exams are given, and status is applied with a new set of criteria based upon the numbers needed to fulfill the military requirements. Active duty now includes the incorporation of all of the various reservists who now join the class. Classes are sorted into "fit for duty(sent to depot field units for outfitting and training)", "fit for garrison duty in Germany or on lines of communications in the field(sent to a Landsturm formation)", "fit for labor use(also Landsturm)", or "unfit".

Remembering that the "unfit" pool is usually only about 5% (and even these "unfit" were often re-examined and put into some sort of depot job), one can see the wisdom of this very proficient, flexible and fluid system that gave Germany a huge resource of manpower to run munitions factories, depots, training centers, hospitals, etc. Only a request from an employer could exempt a man from duty, and these requests were often automatically re-evaluated each year as wartime conditions changed. Bearing in mind that Germany had the supplies need to put these men in the field, one can imagine the awesome fright which France and England felt toward the German War machine. In 1914, huge numbers of volunteers of all ages came forward and were accepted. 1915 did not produce as many, simply because they had volunteered in 1914. After that, only about 5% of eligible males volunteered. At declaration of war, all Reserve and Landwher troops were absorbed by the expansion of the wartime army in new "Reserve Divisions".

The 1914 class call-up was spread over a 3 month period due to the huge influx of Ersatz Reservist and volunteers who would have normally been excused from duty during peacetime. All of the 1914 class was sent to the front after 3-4 months training, giving the organizations in the field much needed replacements and new reserve formations (Reserve Divisions 75-82, and the 8th Bavarian). After the class of 1914 was absorbed, the Landsturm 2nd Ban classes were successively called up(39-45 age) through 1915 to fill the losses of the winter campaigns. The 1915 class was called up in April, May, and June of 1915, followed by the 1916 class in August and November of the same year, with the 1915 class sent to the front after 4 month's training, the 1916 after an average of 4-5 months.

Even this huge influx of men could not offset the losses of 1915, so many "unfit" men were re-examined under relaxed conditions, then the agricultural and industrial labor forces were tapped with "quotas", which even extended into the munitions factories. The 1917 class was called up in January and May of 1916, 18 months early, but was used up quickly due mainly to the Verdun and Somme battles. Part of this class received only 3 months training. The 1918 class was called in September, 1916, and January, 1917, two years early. The September group was in the front by January, 1917, with the remainder completely used by July, 1917, due to heavy losses at the front. This class comprised the new "high" numbered infantry regiments of 442 and beyond(231-242, and 15th in Bavaria).

A small portion of the 1919 class was called up in January and February, 1917, with the remainder in May-June of 1917, 2-1/2 years before its due date. Most of these troops went to the somewhat quiet Eastern Russian front in order to release veterans to the Western front to replace the Fall, 1917 losses. The class of 1920 was called up in the Spring of 1918, again, 2-1/2 years before due date. Prior to January 1915, all recruits to the Army went directly to their regimental depot to join their comrades in the field. Since February, 1916, recruits, after a 1-3 month training session, were sent to field recruit depots behind the front lines for additional or specialized training. All returning wounded soldiers spent time at these depots to catch up on the latest trench warfare innovations. Recruits could spend as little as 2-3 weeks at these training centers, depending upon their needs at the front.

Being only a few miles from the front, these Depots could service Divisions or Corps with fresh troops at a rapid pace, or serve as a quick "training" camp for special assault operations. In some instances, these depot troops garrisoned quiet sectors of front lines as part of their training duties, and on several occasions(Cambrai and Somme), they were caught up in the actual fighting. Wounded NCO's/officers, whose training was valuable, were used for instruction at these camps, and would be rotated forward again when fit for front line duty. The average size of these units were about 1 battalion per Division, or about 1200 men. Most men are drawn from the area in which their home depot is located, but as the war progressed, it became necessary to send men from other areas to fill requirements. The Germans tried very hard to maintain a companion "Esprit de Corps" within these Recruit Depots, thus creating a brotherly bond of local fellow countrymen, many of whom were family and friends. The depots traveled with their Division when moved, with only borrowed "instructors" remaining behind, or being "exchanged/traded" to stay with the unit as allowed.

Unfortunately, it was not always possible to send the newly graduated recruits to companion units, so many of them became distributed throughout the army as they left the recruit depot. In many ways, this practice reduced heavy losses for certain localities within Germany. The British learned the same hard lesson with their "pals" Battalions. As with any army, permanent "specialty" schools and divisional training camps existed throughout the German empire and in occupied territories(Belgium and Poland) and many new divisions were assembled and trained at these camps. In addition, the German Army had specialized training units that trained men in the line. A "Jugenwher"(youth Corp) was established in a local towns throughout Germany trained boys 14-17 years of age in the use of rifle and machine-gun, preparing them in basic military discipline for their future role as soldiers. You might say it was the "military" boy scouts! - In peacetime, training for a German recruit began in October of the year of their class, having been examined and accepted in the Spring muster. In the infantry, assignment to a specific company was based upon height.

The tallest men were assigned to the 1st, 5th, and 9th companies of each regiment, the shortest to the last company in each Battalion, the 4th, 8th, and 12th. Issuing of uniforms was from the battalion supply depot, which drew upon the regimental depot. After several weeks of basic preparatory discipline and drill, the imposing and solemn ceremony of the administering of the oath was accomplished by 3 or 4 recruits at a time, who, in time honored tradition, placed his left hand on the staff of the colors and raised their right hand for God and the Fatherland, after which the regiment was formed and addressed by the regimental officer or a representative from Berlin, quite often the Kaiser or some other member of the royal family, or possibly the "honorary chef" after which the unit was named. This very personalized ceremony made an everlasting impression upon every new recruit who participated, and the solemn weight of responsibility and duty that descended upon each man's conscience was never taken lightly or easily forgotten, even under the most trying of circumstances. Their quarters consisted of large brick or stone barracks, with guard rooms for 10 to 20 men.

Each man had a wooden wall locker for storage of uniforms and equipment, with rifles being locked away in an arms rack. Bunks were wooden doubled decked, with straw mattresses. These brick wall enclosed military "Kasernes" were off limits to all civilian and unauthorized personnel. Special approval had to be granted by the Kaiser for any foreign officer to enter the compound. There were usually three barracks buildings for an infantry regiment, one for each battalion, with other outbuildings providing two mess halls, 4 toilet buildings, a drill building for inclement weather, and a number of other buildings used for various fatigue duties, storage, and cleaning duties. Within each of the three 4 or 5 story barracks buildings was a number of wash and storage rooms, equipment cleaning rooms, sick room, detention room, officer administrative rooms, and a few training officer/NCO rooms. Heat was provided by steam, or individual stoves of tile or cast iron. Our large city US National guard buildings would be comparable to these facilities. The mess hall was next to the barracks where in most cases, the soldiers ate their meals, with only a few instances of soldiers eating in their rooms.

In this mess hall was the battalion barber shop, tailor shop, shoe/bootmaker, armorer shop, and canteen, making it a hub of activity for the new recruits. Meals were prepared in the kitchens by those who held comparable jobs in civilian life. This rule of using qualified technical personnel held true for each specialized service within the compound. In some cases, their pay was slightly higher to compensate their skill level. Breakfast was usually coffee w/milk and rye bread with whatever toppings were available through various sources. The substantial noon meal was usually a cooked one with some sort of stew(beef, mutton, or pork) prepared in large kettles. The light supper meal was tea, coffee, or chocolate and bread. Soup was served on occasions. Fruits and desserts were not provided. The subsistence was meager, but it taught the soldier frugality and endurance which would prove useful in the front. The soldier was expected to add to his meal from his own pocket, particularly breakfast and supper. The meager rations forced families to send food, money and creature comforts to their loved ones, thus greatly reducing the expenses of the government.

In addition, the families of the soldiers were forced to become a part of the military machine by playing a very important role in the subsistence and comfort of each of "their" soldiers. This carefully crafted idea was not an accident, and it worked quite well throughout the war. In the American Army, anything sent from home was a luxury, but in the German Army it was viewed as a necessity. The day of a soldier began with the awakening of the training NCO at 0445 by the barracks guard, after which the men were awakened and did their morning washing, shaving, and barracks cleaning and tidying up. At about 0545, the training Unterofficers formed squads under arms in the barracks for personal inspection. Ten minutes later the squads were formed by the training First Sgt. and the corporals reported their squads. The training lieutenants arrived at 0600 and the Sgt. reported the company to the senior Lt. present. Officers then inspected their respective platoons and the senior Lt. reported to the commanding officer upon his arrival. First Sergeants then reported all discrepancies, leaves, and company matters with the commanding officer.

The company commander handed out punishments, made decisions of leaves, etc., then marched the men to the drill field, returning at about 1115 hours for noon meal. At 1200 noon the first Sgt received the next days orders from battalion headquarters, which he reported to the to the company commander and received instructions for the company. In the afternoon, the troops were drilled on the parade ground, put through physical exercises, or participated in other unit activities. Upon completion of the assigned daily routine, troops returned to the barracks and prepared for the evening meal, after which they were free to visit the canteen where 5 pfennings bought half a litre of beer and 1 pfenning a pipe of tobacco. Actual individual barracks training, aside from the normal drill, consisted of hygiene, physical training, bayonet drill, and rifle manual of arms accompanied by practice sighting and dry fire. The German soldier was probably more proficient with the rifle than most armies on continental Europe. At about their 11-12th week of training, recruits began live fire exercises. Meanwhile, weekly trips to the field with full packs increased their stamina, with loads being increased to maximum 59-1/2 pounds by training's end.

By the first week of February, the unit was ready for inspection by the commanding officer, who judged their proficiency and assigned those who passed the test to a permanent position within the company. The new recruits then went on to company level training which lasted 6 weeks, after which they were expected to perform all aspects of company level maneuvers and drills. Upon satisfactory completion of this phase, the company went on to Battalion drill for two weeks, after which they were reviewed and inspected by the Regimental commander and other dignitaries such as General Staff officers. Summer field exercise training began in May to prepare for regimental inspection in August. Divisional exercises then followed, and in September, each fall Corps maneuvers took place. The famous "Kaisermaneuvers", or yearly mock engagements to which many foreign heads of states and other dignitaries were invited, involved 3 or 4 designated Army Corps. Winston S. Churchill attended the 1906 & 1909 maneuvers, and Theodore Roosevelt was the Kaiser's guest in 1910.

A unit could win the coveted Army Corps "Kaiserschiessabzeichen" (straight sided crown for Prussian Army Corps), or "Konigschiessabzeichen"(swelled sided crown for Bavarian, Saxon, or Wurttemberg Army Corps) if they excelled in marksmanship and tactical maneuvering on a specially prepared combat shooting course set up in the countryside with silhouette targets. Machine gun units competed every other year. There were also individual shooting "cords" to be won for marksmanship within each regiment. September was an ideal month since the weather was usually good, crops had been harvested, and the soldiers due for discharge were in their last month of duty. After these maneuvers, the units returned to garrison, those due for discharge were released, and new recruits inducted. The pay for a German soldier in 1904 was not high to US standards, but very equal in European standards. The German soldier was paid on the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month. In 1904, the private received an equivalent of $1.65 at each payday.

The NEW pay scale, according to the April 1918 German Army Handbook, lists the DAILY pay rates as follows (in "marks", with one mark being equal to about 1 English shilling, or $.24 US): Marks A private in the German Army made about $5.10 US per month(30- day month), whereas a US soldier made 30.00/month w/an extra $6.00 if on "foreign" service. This was comparable to other European Army pay, and it taught the soldier to spend his money on necessities and hardened them for tough times in the field. Promotions were reserved for the career soldiers. Seldom did a two year recruit receive any rank. The unit commander made all recommendations for promotions when a vacancy appeared, which was then approved by the regimental commanders. One year volunteers with excellent records and at least 9 months service could be promoted. At the outbreak of WWI, Army strength stood at 30,037 officers, 106,477 NCO's, and 647,811 enlisted men(of which about 18,000 one year volunteers).

The Army also maintained about 40,000 administrative personnel. The Kaiser was Commander in Chief of all Imperial German Armies, except the Bavarian Army, which came under his control only in time of war. All kingdoms and municipalities followed the lead of the Prussian Armies, with minor distinctive uniform designs and headgear helmet plate variations. The Armies and units of states that had opposed Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, other than Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurttemburg, had been absorbed or annexed to Prussia. Others more fortunate only signed over their military rights. All contingents, except Bavaria, were absorbed into the Prussian military machine. Bavaria survived intact due to its close friendly ties with France, with whom Prussia was on good terms at that time and that careful balance could not be upset quite yet(until the Franco -Prussian war of 1870). A typical 1914 Army corps (of which there were 24) was comprised of 2 infantry divisions, and 2 each artillery and cavalry divisions.

Each of these three types of divisions had two brigades of two regiments each, thus within an Army Corps there were 24 infantry Battalions, 20 cavalry squadrons, and 32 field artillery batteries. In addition, each Corps had a Jaeger, pioneer, and train battalion, along with some other small detachments of support for their troops. The peacetime infantry regiment (and Jaeger Batln.) had a machine gun company with 6 Heavy sled mount MG08 Maxim machine guns(HMG) and one spare. In 1915/16, there was a need for additional firepower, so special supplementary machine gun sections consisting of 30-40 men with 3 or 4 guns were created. These sections were attached as required to the infantry regiments, and in many cases were immediately absorbed to create a 2nd machine gun company per regiment, so that by the end of 1915, several regiments had two machine gun companies.

During the winter of 1915-16, after initial successes of the machine gun on the battlefield, a new "Machine Gun Marksman Sections"(MGSS) were organized and trained to fully exploit the full potential of that weapon. These men underwent a 4 to 5 week school that specialized in the use of the machine gun in an attack. These newly formed 200 units were specially allotted to infantry regiments engaged in offensive maneuvers or holding very difficult sections of front line. They were first used at Verdun in March, 1916. In the beginning of 1916, the quantity of machine guns had increased from 1600 in peacetime to over 8,000. Use of the weapon had designated it an extremely important instrument both in defense and attack. Machine gun production in 1916 rose to about 3000 per month, with a figure of 14,400 per month reached by Fall of 1917.

By July of 1916, over 11,000 machine guns were employed and would rise to 16,000 by the end of the year, a figure which included many captured enemy weapons. September 1916 saw every infantry regiment with 3 machine gun companies of 6 guns each (1st, 2nd, 3rd), one for each battalion. The 2nd and 3rd MG companies were formed from all of the supplemental units on the field. In addition, the MGSS sections were converted into companies identical to the other MG companies. These companies were then organized into an MGSS detachment of 3 companies each, and acted as a reserve, usually for a Division engaged in active operations. They proudly wore on their left sleeve a metal badge of an MG08 heavy machine gun surrounded by a belt of cartridges. By 1917, the number of guns per company was raised from 6 to 12. In addition, the new MG08/15 light machine gun (LMG) introduced in 1916, was issued to all infantry battalions.

By the end of 1917, every infantry company on the Western front had received 3 LMG, and some with 6, the number intended per company. The units themselves provided personnel and training for these guns, thus no extra personnel were needed. At the beginning of 1918, each active division was expected to have 3 LMG per company, 12 HMG per Battalion, and 36 HMG in a marksman detachment, for a total of 108 LMG, and 144 heavy MG. The total number of machine guns in use by January 1918 was an incredible 32,000 HMG, and 37,000 LMG. The Maxim MG08 heavy machine gun had a sight limit of 2,200 yards, muzzle velocity of 2821 fps, extreme range of 4,400 yards, and could fire 400-500 rounds per minute. The 250 round belt weighed 16 pounds and could be carried in single or double cans. Weight of entire gun assembled was 140 pounds with 7 pints of water.

The ammunition used was ordinary ball (S.), armor piercing (S.m.K) for use against tanks, loophole plates and tracer (L.S.) at 1 to 10 rounds. Explosive bullets saw limited use against aircraft, but was not in widespread use, being almost entirely dropped by the end of the war as being ineffective as intended. Issuing of the MG08/15 LMG, a scaled down shoulder fired version of the MG08 HMG design, began in March 1917 as a counter measure to the .303 British Lewis LMG. With great determination it can be fired by one man, but through experience and use, it is somewhat impractical, however, it did fill a slot for a much needed lighter assault type machine gun without a total redesign and tooling process. It weighed 43 pounds with bipod and held 5 pints of water, and had all of the characteristics of the MG08 except in lighter form. Some internal parts are interchangeable with the MG08 for simplification of production. Although destined to take a side mounted spindle type magazine, it could also be used with all standard belts and boxes of the HMG.

Both the MG08/15 LMG and the MG08 HMG guns were of the usual high quality German craftsmanship, with all parts serial numbered to their respective guns, including all spare parts. Both weapons required great skill and care to keep them in functioning order, and it was not unusual, after extensive initial front line use, to have only 2 out of every 3 guns in operation at any one time. Barrel accuracy was about 10,000 round for ordinary ammo, even less for special ammo. It was not unusual for a gun to go through 50,000 rounds during a major engagement, a usage that does extreme damage to the fine-tuned parts within the gun. Spring of 1918 saw the introduction of a light 9mm submachinegun called the MP18 Bergmann, but only about 32,000 were produced, and they were issued out only to special assault teams, with their full potential never really studied or expanded upon before the war ended. ************************************************************ This information was complied mostly from government sources, but the one source that I must credit most is "Regimental Steins" by Major John L.

Harrell, Ret., 1983. Long out of print, my copy is worn and falling apart from use. If you can obtain a copy - do so. His information in the beginning of the book is the best I have encountered on understanding the German soldier prior to WWI. His information was most valuable to compile the story. I have told him this in person. Do not be fooled, the book covers more than just "German Steins" and I use it at least once a week for quick German Unit reference material. - The German Storm Trooper of 1917-18 By Richard H.Keller I believe I wrote this for On The Wire many years ago. Anyway, here it is agin for the readers enjoyment. Pardon the text arrangement - our old computer in which this was written - Q & A MS DOS - so in the transfer process into the newer language it comes out differently. I just do not have time to fine tune it. The December 1917 armistice with Russia released over 400,000 German troops to bolster the Western front in Spring 1918. This was the largest and last supply of Fresh troops that Germany could muster.

It was their last chance for an all out Spring offensive in 1918, hopefully before the American contingents could be of any real use to the Allies. The newly trained and battle tested "storm" troops would play an important part in the Germany's last chance to either break the stalemate, or force France and England, by sheer military strength, into an armistice in Germany's favor. The "Strosstruppen", or storm troops were created by order as early as March 1915, with recruiting by mostly voluntary basis only until late 1917. It's main purpose was to test new weapons, both on and off of the battlefield, that might break the deadlock of trench warfare. Most of these troops were drawn from pioneer units, whose training included use of special weapons and tactics to cut through enemy defense, creating a hole that the main forces could utilize for a breakthrough. These early "special forces" were the first to test the new steel helmet at Verdun in 1916, and later the body armor, trench shields, light machine guns, and various small trench mortars, grenade launchers, and specialized cannon designed for close quarter combat in tight spaces.

After a series of successes and failures in late 1915 and early 1916, the new storm troop tactics begin to yield successes, especially in trench raids and special assaults, and every Army on the Western front was ordered to send a contingent of officers and NCO's to be trained in the new tactics, which they eventually could carry back to their command an teach it a front line level. By October 1916, the success of the operation was such that General Ludendorf ordered all German armies to train and maintain a battalion of storm troops. The concept of specialized forces was not a new one among the existing Armies, as many units had already organized their own form of "storm troops" to deal with special weapons and tactics on their particular front, so the ground work had been laid to aid in the formation of these special units into the newly conceived Strosstruppen formations. The new soldiers of these special units began to take on a new appearance. Each soldier was left to distribute and carry his equipment in the most comfortable fashion affordable, thus was born the new lightweight "assault" pack to replace the standard German fur back pack.

They were the first to adopt the new steel helmet as a standard part of their gear, much to the envy of other troops who were still wearing the spiked helmet, and many a Storm Trooper lost his new helmet to those men if not guarded constantly. The 14" high boots gave way to shoes and leg wraps, which was better for support and climbing. Their tactics included a wide use of grenades, requiring them to carry a large supply onto the field, usually in special double "grenade" bags made of burlap sand bags slung under around the neck and under each arm. Uniforms were re-enforced with leather patches at spots most likely to wear while maneuvering on the field. Carbines, pistols, trench clubs and grenades were standard armament for these men. The MG08/15 light machine gun played a key role in their operations to block off re-enforcements to positions they had taken. Use of the Granatenwerfer (light bomb thrower) and cup launchers could prepare an area for assault or pin down an enemy force that was a threat to the operation.

A platoon of 4-8 flamethrowers was usually attached to each storm battalion, but their action was usually of short duration on the initial assault. The early years of the strosstruppen was relatively low key, being that of special assaults on enemy lines to gain vital information through booty and prisoners, or countering trench raids conducted by the Allies. This period of training and development was key to the part yet to come in the Spring of 1918. Only the British attack on Cambrai in 1917, and the resulting successful counterattack led by the strosstruppen, gave any indication of just how effective these new formations were becoming, and the Allied intelligence communities were making every effort to assess and counter this newly arrived threat with tactics of their own. The Allies were well aware that 1918 would be a crucial year, and their tactics had to be redesigned to meet this new threat. One of the major changes in storm troop techniques was the training and resulting ability of NCO's to make tactical decisions on the field. This often proved the difference between success and failure of an attack. By 1917, training of new recruits became focused on the new techniques.

The usual "drilling" of men was regarded as depriving them of their individualism and pride in personal accomplishments which now needed to take precedence over all other mindless training. Those already in the front lines were rotated back to training depots to rest and retrain in the latest tactics, with new skills being taught by these new "stormtroop" instructors. Specific objectives were often rehearsed on full scale models, with every possible piece of enemy intelligence at their disposal to aid their plan. By 1918, every soldier was expected to be a small piece of the "stormtroop" tactical advantage, and all were anxious to practice their new skills. The prime tactical unit was now the infantry squad, with 18 squads in a company, each one trained in a specific task during an assault, 6 of them being machine-gun. Moral became high among the actual "stormtroop" battalion as they were no longer limited to sitting in the mud and taking whatever was being thrown their direction. These highly respected men were always a welcome addition to any offensive and were usually in the midst of the hottest action or indirectly supporting a major engagement with the newest weapons at their disposal.

Most engagements in which they participated were carried out at night, with the force being withdrawn and out of danger by morning. Their successes, no matter how small, were publicized from the homefront to the front line newspapers, feeding a new spirit of accomplishment and hope into a worried and anxious populace. They soon became a romantic figure and Germany's last hope to instill fighting spirit into it's last reserve of 1918 recruits, with the ultimate hope that these new "supermen" could somehow pull off the miracle that would break the stalemate of the Western front. The Ludendorf offensive Spring 1918 saw the greatest and last offensive that it's armed forces could muster. The infantry assaults were now based on the stormtroop principal of light, fast moving small tactical units, or squads, to accomplish flanking and infiltrating tactics designed to fragment and isolate the opponents, leaving "mop-up" operations to the following waves of infantry who could take advantage of their sheer weight of numbers to demoralize and overwhelm those pockets of resistance left behind. Their orders were to stop for nothing, to advance regardless of the cost, counting on each flanking unit to secure their respective goals.

This led to extremely heavy losses in the early attacks, with the rapid advance often putting the attacking forces beyond the reach of supporting heavy artillery needed to penetrate the heavier fortifications behind the thinner front line resistance. Through June of 1918, the Stormtroops hammered at the Allied defenses, achieving limited victories but being unable to capitalize upon those successes in the grand scale needed to break the deadlock. The fresh supplies of non-essential material captured by the Germans was so overwhelming that they begin to see the hopelessness of their situation, as Germany was being starved into demoralization, both at home and at the front, with no hope in sight for relief. Of paramount importance was the realization that the Allies were not on the brink of destruction as their war ministers had preached, but were well supplied and prepared for an all out offensive in 1918-1919 that would be unstoppable. The last crushing shock was the undeniable truth that the great tactical advantage of the Stormtroops was being hopelessly wasted on the battlefield against an undefeatable foe to better position themselves at the bargaining table and at a great cost in the blood of Germany's youth.

The plan of negotiating a peace through victories on the battlefield did not match the stark reality that the Allies were not on verge of defeat, thus the great Spring Offensive ground to a halt, with moral at an all time low. The frontline stalemate, although altered in some ways, remained unchanged, and the German troops went on a defensive that would only delay the inevitable defeat to come. To their credit, they continued to fight to the bitter end, organizing a fluid in depth defensive system that cost the Allies dearly in men and material, but through it all, the realization was driven home to every soldier that their politicians had wasted needless lives to achieve the resulting hollow victory. The Army, never intending to give up on the battlefield nor negotiate in good faith with the Allies, eventually turned Germany over to the politicians to work out a surrender, thus setting the stage for the military arm, which never actually surrendered, to place the blame of a catastrophic defeat in the hands of the politicians and not the Army.

In doing thus, Germany was ripe for a new birth of military patriotism to sweep it into a second world war, and to eventually have happen what should have happened in 1918, the total destruction of the German war machine along with the mentality of the invincibility of its armed forces that made both wars possible. Casualties within the German empire during the four year conflict amounted to over 2,000,000 men(exact figures were never calculated), about 1/6th of those mobilized. A large part, almost 40%, died in the Spring 1918 conflicts. Most casualties on the battlefield(possibly as high as 70%), were caused by shards of jagged metal from high explosive shells and shrapnel shells loaded with hundreds of lead balls which burst over the soldiers heads and showered them with a deadly rain of high velocity pellets, much like a giant shotgun blast. With the use of indirect fire, made possible by aerial observation, quick-firing guns of all sides could lay down a wall of shrapnel and steel that not even a pigeon could fly through, and maintain that wall for hours on end.

The French counted on this to stop the German hordes, and it worked all too well. It is beyond question that Germany had the best trained and best uniformed army in the world in 1900. It's weapons exports ranked it number one in the world, and it's military influence spread around the globe. Twelve countries adopted the spiked helmet by direct German influence (the united States in 1872 and The United Kingdom in 1878). One can almost sum up the military madness leading up to WWI by reading the Latin inscription found on the barrels of the Model 1896 77mm cannon - ""Ultima Ratio Regis". Loosely translated it reads "The final argument of Kings". Up to WWI, the varied kingdoms of Europe looked at their real armies as nothing more than an extension of their soldiers in model war games, a popular pastime of the period, with their brightly uniformed "toy" soldiers battling on a mock landscape.

The kings of Europe vied with each other for the admiration of the world through military pomp and pageantry, dressing their real armies in a multitude of colorful and exotic uniforms and headdress, preparing for the real thing when negotiations at the tables failed, forgetting about how updated means of killing far outweighed the reality of going to war under the traditional tactics of parade ground maneuvers. This mentality of playing "soldiers" on a grand scale was instilled in every country in Europe when the war started, and even after the realization that this was no small "king's" war, it was impossible to stop the monstrous war machines once unleashed. The anticipated 3 month victory turned into quagmires of depression and blood that erased forever the idea of "playing" war without considering battlefield technological advances. War now became death without actual contact, with no eye-to-eye meeting on the glorious field of battle as had been done by their ancestors and romanticized through European literature. It became a harsh reality of death under unimaginable circumstances that would crush a soldier's spirit long before the shells could crush his body.

After 1914, the "king's" put away their old notions of war with their fancy toy soldiers, packing them away on a shelf, never to be looked at or played with again in the time-honored tradition of long past. Future wars would be fought with carefully planned world strategies and the best combined weapons technology - land, sea and air. World War I was truly the last argument of the royal houses of Europe, the last "argument of Kings". Strength and Mobilization In 1914 each regiment contained a regimental staff of 4 officers, 37 bandsmen, and 12 other ranks (w/16 horses and one wagon), three battalions of 18 Lieutenants, a medical officer w/assistant, paymaster, and 1054 other ranks.(commanded by majors), of 4 companies each w/5 officers, 259 OR's, 10 horses and 4 vehicles, divided into three platoons(zugs) consisting of 4 sections divided into two groups of 8 men each commanded by a gefreiter., and a 13th company (MG) added in 1913 as weapons became available.

Mobilization process activated 435 regiments of infantry: 218 regular army, 113 reserve, and 75 Landwher, the balance being formed by grouping the 86 Ersatz Battalions into regiments. 166 from Prussia, 24 from Bavaria, 17 from Saxony, and 10 from Wurttemburg. By war's end, the number of infantry regiments had risen to 700, 364 regular, 197 reserve, 125 Landwher, 10 ersatz, and 4 reserve Ersatz. Other interesting WWI FACTS & FIGURES CASUALTIES and COSTS These figures vary from book to book, but this will give the reader and idea of numbers and dollars involved. Estimated cost of WWI in U.S.Dollars: Russia $30,000,000,000 Total cost of World War One is estimated at $249,000,000,000 The cost in MEN: Mobilized DEAD Wounded Missing TOTAL U.S.

4,272,521 67,813 192,483 14,363 274,659 *England 7,500,000 692,065 2,037,325 360,367 3,089,757 France 7,500,000 1,385,300 2,675,000 446,300 4,506,600 Italy 5,500,000 460,000 947,000 1,393,000 2,800,000 Belgium 267,000 20,000 60,000 10,000 90,000 Russia 12,000,000 1,700,000 4,950,000 2,5

00,000 9,500,000 Japan 800,000 300 907 3 1,210 Rumania 750,000 200,000 120,000 80,000 400,000 Serbia 707,343 322,000 28,000 100,000 450,000 Montenegro 50,000 3,000 10,000 7,000 20,000 Greece 230,000 15,000 40,000 45,000 100,000 Portugal 100,000 4,000 15,000 200 10,000 - - - Total 39,676,864 4,869,478 1

1,075,715 4,956,233 20,892,226 CENTRAL POWERS Germany 11,000,000 1,611,104 3,683,143 772,522 6,066,769 Austria- 6,500,000 800,000 3,200,000 1,211,000 5,211,000 Hungary Bulgaria 400,000 201,224 152,399 10,825 264,448 Turkey 1,600,000 300,000 570,000 130,000 1,000,000 - - - - Total 19,500,000 2,912,328 7,605,542

 2,124,347 12,542,217 - Total 59,176,864 7,176,806 18,681,257 7,080,580 33,434,443 *Canada sent approximately 800,000 men overseas, sustained 220,182 casualties: 60,383 dead, 155,790 wounded, 4,000 missing/prisoners.

Australia sent 336,000 men overseas, sustained 290,191 casualties: 54,431 dead, 156,000 wounded 3,401 prisoners/missing. Now one can see why WWII was slow to evolve. No one in the World wanted another war, thus Hitler was able to rise to power unchallenged until it was too late to stop his war machine from starting a Second World War. The Race with the Hun The first half of 1918 was a race between Germany trying to defeat France and England before America could rescue them. The following is a summary of that race which America (to Europe's relief) won. It is safe to say that without America's help, Europe would have been a different world today. 1917 Ships Sailed U.S.Troops Transported May 5 1,543 Weapons of World War I Search for: Weapons of World War I World War I is often considered the first true ‘modern war’, a conflict fought between industrialised countries equipped with modern weapons.

It saw the rise of powerful weapons such as heavy artillery, machine guns and airplanes – and the decline of 19th century weapons like sabres and bayonets. This page contains brief summaries of the most significant weapons of World War I: “Bayonet injuries were cruel, particularly since British soldiers were trained to ‘thrust the bayonet home then give it a sharp twist to the left, thus making the wound fatal’. Perhaps the shock-and-awe value of the bayonet is what made those 19th century generals so enamoured of it.” Jonathan Bastable, historian The bayonet was a comparatively simple weapon: a bracketed dagger attached to the end of a rifle barrel. Its primary function was to turn the rifle into a thrusting weapon, so its owner could attack the enemy without drawing too close. Bayonet charges were designed for psychological impact: men were trained to advance in rows, with faces contorted, lungs blaring and bayonets thrusting. Small arms and machine guns made these charges largely ineffective, but they were effective propaganda. When not employed as weapons, bayonets were detached and used as all-purpose tools, used for anything from digging to opening canned food.

“The Lee-Enfield was not as effective as a semi-automatic, but with a ten-round magazine and a quick bolt action, it was far better for rapid fire than the German Kar 98K Mauser… Unfortunately British rifle training emphasised pinpoint accuracy rather than volume of fire.” Allan Converse, historian The rifle was standard issue for infantrymen from each country: it was relatively cheap to produce, reliable, accurate and easy to carry. British soldiers were issued with the Lee-Enfield 303, while most Germans received a 7.92mm Mauser. Both were known for their durability and long range (both could fire accurately at around 500 metres, while the Enfield could potentially kill a man two kilometres away). But this long range was largely wasted on the Western Front, where distances between trenches could be as low as 40 metres. Rifle cleaning, maintenance and drilling occupied a good deal of an infantry soldier’s daily routine. “About 1.6 million Luger pistols of all types were made by the end of the Great War, and they earned the affection of the troops.

They fired rapidly, pointed easily and were superb pistols for their time, giving excellent service if properly cared for.” Stephen Bull, historian In World War I, pistols or revolvers were issued mainly to officers. Enlisted soldiers only received pistols if they were required in specialist duties, such as military police work or in tank crews, where rifles would be too unwieldy. The most famous pistol of the war was the German-made Luger, with its distinctive shape, narrow barrel and seven-shot magazine. British officers were issued with the Webley Mark IV, a reliable if somewhat ‘clunky’ weapon. The Webley could reportedly fire even when caked with mud – but it was also heavy and difficult to fire accurately. For this reason many British officers resorted to using captured Lugers. Pistols were not usually a significant weapon, though they were sometimes important as concealed weapons, or for close combat in the trenches. “Few technical developments had quite the impact of the machine gun on the Western Front during the First World War.

The German army’s Maxim guns effectively ended an entire, attrition-based, strategy of military campaigning, although it took the best part of the war for the allied generals to realise this.” Peter Squires, writer The image of infantrymen charging pointlessly into machine gun fire is a common motif of the war. There were fewer machine guns deployed in the war than is commonly thought – but where used they often proved deadly. At the outbreak of war Germany had the upper hand in both the quality and quantity of machine guns. The German army had more than 10,000 units in 1914, while the British and French had fewer than 1,000 each. Machine guns of the time were capable of firing up to 500 rounds per minute – but they were cumbersome, very heavy (often more than 50 kilograms) and required at least three well trained men to set up and operate effectively. Their rapid rate of fire also caused machine guns to quickly overheat, requiring elaborate water and air based cooling systems to prevent them from jamming or exploding.

“The Mills bomb was a simple, rugged and effective hand grenade… At the start of the war, Britain lacked an effective grenade and troops often resorted to the use of home-made ‘jam tin’ bombs.” Roger Lee, historian Grenades are small bombs, thrown by hand or launched from a rifle attachment, which are detonated on impact or by a timer. Germany, as it did for other small arms, led the way in grenade development. Early British models like the Mark I (a cylindrical device attached to a long stick) were awkward to use and prone to accidental detonation. These were superseded by the pineapple-shaped Mills bomb, with its safety pin and firing lever. Mills bombs were produced with four and seven second fuses. Allied soldiers were trained to hurl Mills bombs over-arm – in fact the best cricket players were often co-opted as grenade specialists. “The Stokes mortar… was little more than an ‘educated drain-pipe’, without wheels and divisible into man-portable loads.

Its bomb was detonated by a firing pin as it fell to the bottom of the tube, and it could fire quickly enough to have three rounds in the air simultaneously.” Hew Strachan, historian Essentially a 1-2 man small-calibre artillery piece, mortars launched grenades or small bombs short distances. Since most focus had been on long-range artillery, mortars had fallen out of favour (in 1914 Germany had just 150 mortars, Britain barely any). But the development of trench warfare created an important use for mortars: they could be fired from the safety of a trench, lobbing explosives into enemy trenches from on high. Mortars were often used to target machine-gun nests, sniper positions or smaller defensive positions. They made a distinctive ‘whoomp’ sound when launched, which was often a signal to take cover. “Even after the appearance during World War I of machine guns, tanks and attack aircraft, artillery remained the major source of firepower on the battlefield… World War I is an example of a period in which firepower technology got far ahead of mobility technology, and the result was trench warfare.” Spencer Tucker, historian No development had a greater effect on the battlefields of World War I than heavy artillery.

Artillery pieces were essentially huge cannons that fired explosive rounds against enemy positions, causing enormous damage to men, equipment and the landscape. During World War I they become larger, easier to handle and more accurate in their fire; they were also mobile, though moving large artillery guns became difficult if not impossible in ragged or muddy areas. There was no denying the deadly impact of artillery: more soldiers were killed by exploding shells and shrapnel than any other weapon of the Great War. At the Battle of the Somme in 1916, almost 1.8 million shells were fired on German lines in the space of a week. The largest single artillery piece was the German-built ‘Paris gun’, used to shell the French capital from 120 kilometres away. “The effectiveness of the tank was severely curtailed, even into 1918, by the evolving nature of its technology, its limited speed and its mechanical unreliability. The British Mark V… was the first that could be controlled by one man, but carbon monoxide fumes could poison its crew.” Hew Strachan, historian Tanks were another of World War I’s legacies to modern warfare.

These large armoured carriers, impervious to rifle and machine-gun fire, were initially called ‘landships’. When the first prototypes were being developed, the British military’s cover story was that they were building ‘mobile water tanks’, hence the name. The first British tank, the Mark I, was rushed into battle at the Somme and proved susceptible to breakdown and immobility. But designers and operators soon learned from these problems, and by late 1917 the tank was proving a most useful offensive weapon – though none of them could move faster than just a few kilometres per hour. “The Flanders campaign of 1917 opened June 7th. Nineteen underground mines were exploded by the British at different points in the German front line, causing panic among the German troops… A million pounds of explosives were detonated and the sound was heard in London, 130 miles away.” Martin Gilbert, historian Mines were large bombs or explosive charges, planted underground and detonated remotely or by the impact of soldiers’ feet. Navies also used sea mines, which floated on the ocean and exploded on contact with ships.

The relatively immobile warfare of the Western Front meant there was little use for anti-personnel mines – however trench soldiers often dug tunnels to plant huge mines under enemy trenches and positions. One such attack occurred at Hill 60 during the Battle of Messines (June 1917) where Australian tunnelling specialists detonated 450,000 kilograms of underground explosives, killing thousands of German troops. “If you want to find the old battalion / I know where they are, I know where they are, I know where they are / If you want to find the old battalion, I know where they are / They’re hanging on the old barbed wire.” British trench song Barbed wire and caltrops (single iron spikes scattered on the ground) were used extensively in ‘no man’s land’ to stop enemy advances on one’s own trench. Barbed wire was laid as screens or ‘aprons’, installed by wiring parties who often worked at night. Attacking infantry often found large barbed wire screens impossible to penetrate; many died slow lingering deaths entangled in the wire. The positioning of wire often had strategic purpose: it could keep the enemy out of grenade range from the trench, or funnel them toward machine-gun positions.

More than one million kilometres of barbed wire was used on the Western Front. “The psychological effects were comparable to those of gas, and that was not all the two had in common. Just as many soldiers became the victims of their own gas, the flame-thrower gave a new slant to the term ‘friendly fire’… The weapon became extremely hazardous for those using it.” Leo van Bergen, historian Flamethrowers, pioneered by the Germans but not widely used, were terrifying weapons. Usually wielded by an individual soldier sporting a backpack or tank, flamethrowers used pressurised gas to spurt burning oil or gasoline up to 40 metres. Their chief use was as a trench clearing weapon: the burning fuel filled trenches, landing on both equipment and people and forcing them to withdraw. But the comparatively short range of flamethrowers required their carriers to be within close proximity of the enemy, where they were easy pickings for a competent rifleman. The British experimented with a larger fixed-position flamethrower, using it to clear frontline trenches at the Somme. “The Germans’ combination of submarine and torpedo technology came close to winning the First World War for the German navy in 1917.

The Allies were terror-stricken by the invisible enemy. By World War I, German models weighed almost 2,500 pounds and cruised at speeds close to 40 miles per hour.” Jason Richie, historian Torpedoes are self propelled missiles that can be launched from submarines or ships, or dropped into the sea from the undercarriage of planes. The first torpedoes, produced in the 1870s, ran on compressed air and were slow and inaccurate. The German navy pioneered the diesel powered motorised torpedo. By 1914 German torpedoes could travel at up to 75 kilometres per hour over a range of several miles. This gave German U-boats a deadly advantage over Allied ships, particularly lightly armed naval vessels and unarmed civilian shipping. As the war progressed the British made rapid advances in torpedoes and sank at least 18 German U-boats with them. © Alpha History 2014. Content on this page may not be republished or distributed without permission. For more information please refer to our Terms of Use . This page was written by Jennifer Llewellyn, Jim Southey and Steve Thompson. To reference this page, use the following citation: J.

Llewellyn et al, “Weapons of World War I” at Alpha History, 2014, accessed [date of last access]. Search this site Translate World War I live To mark the centenary of World War I, Alpha History authors live-tweet press reports on the war - as they appeared 100 years ago.

World War 1 - History with Class at Winston Prepratory School - StudyBlue · militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism, Extreme Nationalism 1914 Austro-Hungary was a poor and weak empire · However, by November 1914 the German offensive (attack) into France had been stopped and both sides turned to fighting a defensive war using trenches Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on June 28, 1914 by Gavrilo Princip July 28, 1914 · Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia to punish Serbia for the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on June 28, 1914 a Serbian nationalist, wanted Bosnia to break away from Austria-Hungary and join Serbia as an independent nation World War 1 begins · World War 1 began when Germany invaded Belgium on August 4, 1914 in order to attack its enemy France trench size modern rifles, machine guns, and field artillery and flame throwers caused casualties to soar Germans used used poison gas Battle of Ypres The German Army used a terrifying new weapon, poison gas the Battle

 of Verdun · along the Western front lasted from February to December 1916 in which nearly 300,000 were killed The Battle of the Somme France lasted from July to November 1916 It was one of the bloodiest battles in history and more than one million soldiers were killed or wounded; yet neither side could defeat the other the British were the first to use the tank, but it would be Nearly 2 more years before the tank became a decisive weapon in combat air planes air planes: created 10 years before WW1 Frames: Bi-Wings made of wood and canvas Pilot: if Pilots shot down more than 5 planes they would be called ace Eddie Rickenbacker was the leading U.S.

war ace and he shot down 22 enemy planes in just a few months Baron Manfred von Richtoffen Known as the Red Baron because of his tri-wing plane was painted red the leading German ace with 80 kills end of 1914 soldiers dug trenches protected by machine guns, barbed wire, and and artillery to defend themselves the war reached a bloody stalemate Central Powers Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria Allied Powers Great Britain, France, Russia and Italy Woodrow Wilson wanted U.S. to stay neutral 1913-1921 The spreading of ideas, information or disinformation, and beliefs to help or hurt a cause intended to influence public opinion to support a particular point of view blockade used by Germany and British during WW1 the use of warships to block ships from entering ports economic warfare the attempt to sabotage the economy of another country Lusitania cruise ship early 1917 German U-boats were sinking any ships that came near Britain and in one three-week period U-boats sank 134 ships, killing thousands of sailors and civilians Zimmerman Telegram brought america into the war sent by Arthur Zimmerman

Question: Which terrifying anti personnel weapon was first used by the German army at Verdun in 1916
Answer: Flame-thrower