"Storm troops" Topic

does anyone have any info on the entrance requirements for personnel into storm troop units in WW1. I have some books but cant locate them for now. On Youtube *yes i know, people are talking of them as some kind of WW1 SF with a max age limit of 25, unmarried and without even a gf!, top physics condition etc. My understanding was that there were number of independent stormtrooper btns that might have been the elite but that a lot of divisions formed storm troop units as well as other divisions being classified as Angriff *assualt or attack divisions. I am not sure how much the claims of them being a 1917 Delta Force are correct or whether its just a form of WW1 Wehraboo worship.

Incidentally the same thread had people claiming that Germany was on the verge of victory in 1917 until the US unfairly entered the war on trumped up grounds. I dont quite see how almost 2 years on the strategic defensive until Spring 1918 makes you on the verge of victory. Verdun? the Nivelle Offensive, 2nd Arras, Vimy Ridge, 3rd Ypres. Cambrai. Any of them German offensives. Might not have been glorious Allied victories but look to me like a steady pushing back of the Germans and even after the Nivelle Offensive the French Army wasnt broken, just wouldn't attack for a while. And CW morale definitely not broken. And of course same people claiming that the German army even in 1918 was never defeated – they just obviously advanced backwards. As said WW1 style Wehraboos but happy to be told that i am wrong and `they wuz robbed.`

They wuz NOT robbed. Germany had missed the chance to win the war in 1914. It was a simple matter of logistics. As long as the RN blockade was effective, Germany was operating on borrowed time. Not enough raw materials, manpower, and food, and the supplies of each getting shorter every day. Further, unrestricted submarine warfare wasn't going to play that card on Britain quickly enough for Germany to survive.

American troops were very handy in stopping the 1918 offensive, but had they not been there, the Germans still didn't have the logistical support to reach Paris. It would have been the Miracle of the Marne all over again.

Let me point out one more important factor: in Germany the Spanish flue (that would take more lives worldwide than in the whole First World War !)was starting to demand its toll.

thanks. Oddly the person claiming that Germany was on the verge of victory had not the USA been tricked into entering the war seems to be from US so don't know if some anti British axed being ground though oddly a person supporting him was someone British claiming that the US contribution to WW1 in Europe and WW2 as well in Europe was marginal compared to the British and Soviet ones in latter case. All i asked was tell me how in 1917 Germany was on the verge of victory had the US not intervened. Still, expecting rational argument on Youtube is perhaps unrealistic – someone once tore into me in full moron etc mood when i queried on a clip of the Cromwell film if cavalry frequently charged pike head on as they do in the film (as he claimed they did)

There weren't any specific entry requirements for Angriff Divisions, apart from your conscription papers:). They were just normal infantry divisions trained in modern assault tactics.

Some of the troops in them were formed into specific Stormtroop companies, and I guess they were the younger, fitter, keener ones but I'm not aware of any specific entry requirements (by 1917 each division was supposed to form its own Stosstrupp battalion, volunteer only 1915-17).

Specific Army storm troop battalions like Sturmbattalion Rohr were different. There weren't very many of those, and they did have picky entry requirements (under 25, unmarried, good sportts history etc). Their main job was training the divisional stormtroop battalions and leading major offensives. see e.g. Stormtrooper by Ian Drury.

thanks . In that what the person was saying about criteria for the specific units, then he was right

Yes, although how well they were adhered too as the war progressed is anyones guess.

StAbt Rohr was by any definition an elite unit (hand picked assault pioneers, Guards officers etc) but still hardly SAS/Delta Force/Spetznaz. They were just very competent and heavily armed infantrymen. They weren't intended for long range recce/sabotage missions behind enemy lines.

Ludwig Renn describes how the training provided to infantry who went on the courses run by the specialists focused on firing and manhandling the MG08/15. He was taller and strongly built, compared with his infantry colleagues – informal prerequisites for such training. His commander was none too pleased when he returned to his unit though. The leather patches sewn over the knees and elbows did not go down well.

Robert

the formation of storm troops was as stated above. they were trained in infiltration tactics – bypass strong point but keep moving forwards. let the follow up troops finish them off.

that was the weakness of course if you take the best of all the divisions to form an elite you weaken the remaining divisions/ they formed a hard point to cut through but had a weak follow up and that is where t failed.

as far as Germany nearly winning in 1917 the chance of that (and a slim chance of that) came in November with Russia taking itself out of the war allowing 60 odd divisions to move to the west. that made them giveit one lst go with the march 1918 offensive. they never had a rel chance to win but it may have forced the allies to a negotiated peace – not likely but there was a war weariness which mayhave been tempting.

the german army was soundly beaten in 1918 by the allies yhus the reason for the armistice. the Nazis dreampt up the fantasy of being stabbed in the back by the home front but the army was not in any condition to continue the war.