Re: [Epic] Re: [EPIC] Epic 40k stats/pre-sale

From: <pickles_at_...>
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 1997 15:51:03 +0000

> > >The shock troops were also fully trained to function as squads and were
> > >supplied with more automatic weapons. Especially the "squad thinking" was
> > >effective since in the 1st international live-ammunition exchange the smallest
> > >tactical unit was platoon. Another revolutionary concept was to encourage
> > >junior officers to think by themselves without consulting the higher command
> > >in every matter.
> >
> > Revolutionary for the Germans, maybe. At the Battle of Belleau woods, the
> > marines were the first to use fire teams.
>
> Oops. Live and learn. Let's say revolutionary to the europeans. I have not
> heard of english or french using squad tactics in WWI. (AFAIK).
>
I think the shock troops were descended from German tactical doctrine
developed on the Eastern Front and most spectacularly at Caporetto so
they were evolutionary and not revolutionary but predated Belleau
Wood. Fire teams are a bit novel though - the British army got round
to introducing them in the 1990s with the new fully automatic infantry
weapon!

The shock troops as I understand it attacked on very broad fronts
using infiltration tactics ie bypassing strongpoints and using very
intense but short artillery preparation. Follow on forces would mop
up the bypassed positions. In the Ludendorf offensive in 1918 they
destroyed a whole British army (5TH) in a couple of days. These
troops were not some small scale elite though. Whole corps and armies
were trained in the new tactics which essentially became the standard
infantry tactics for the second world war.

I am no expert on this either in fact I can't remember my sources
(somewhere in a Command magazine somewhere) which fact came to me as
Ii noticed noone ever cites sources they just spout....

PIckles
Received on Fri Mar 07 1997 - 15:51:03 UTC