Stormtrooptactic in the Swedish army - Part 2: Information gathering via military attaches

                              The AVF report from the military attaché in Berlin. 

 

The tactic was at the end of 1916 and beginning of 1917  implemented by the Austro-Hungarian , Bulgarian and Ottoman army. In Sweden the General Staff (Generalstaben) acknowledged information about the tactic mainly through military attachés in Berlin and Vienna and also via army officers on study tours both on western and eastern front.

 

At the beginning of 1917 a report under the name ”Regarding the training of the so called stormtroopers” was send by military attaché in Berlin, Major Nils Adlercreutz. The report was based on a conversation between his assistant Lieutenant Qvennerstedt and a German officer who had participated in stormtroop training at the so called “storm school”. The report described the training, equipment and tactical principals:

”There are for example courses for mortars, grenade throwing, machine guns and other, also schools for storm assault training which means close combat and hand to hand combat for infantry. The training includes hand grenade throwing, usage of flamethrower, usage of gas mask and other. “

                                                …….

“One or two groups with 8-16 soldiers ,which with hand grenades and flamethrower prepares for the final breakthrough by the following units,  are detached as a storm unit to a company that is on its way to storm.”

 

Around three months later Adlecreutz also sent the latest manual Ausbildungsvorschrift für die Fusstruppen im Kriege which included special rubrics for trench warfare including ones regarding the stormbatallion. Later in July 1917 Adlercreutz also reported about the organization and tasks for the “special” stormbatallions that were created within every army:

“During the trench warfare it has been commonly recognized that it was necessary to dispose over a specially chosen troop, well trained to storm the special parts of enemy’s position and that can perform particular missions as the leadership desires.”

                                            The report regarding the stormtroopers. 

From Vienna, the military attaché captain Adolf af Ström reported in begging of May 1917 a formal instruction for stormtroopers from the Austro-Hungarian army. To the SGS he send a copy of Anleitung für die Ausbildung der Sturmtruppen that was published in December 1916. The manual described among other things infantry attack against entrenched potions, training of stormtroopers and usage of hand grenades.