Infiltration tactics and stormtroopers (Stoßtruppen)
Tácticas de infiltración y tropas de asalto (Stoßtruppen)
- Date
- 1915-1918 (Riga, 1917) · confidence medium
- Place
- Riga, Latvia
- Credited to
- German army (Willy Rohr, Oskar von Hutier); Henri Laffargue (France)
- Field
- Conflict
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What was discovered
A doctrine replacing waves of infantry with small groups armed with grenades, light machine guns and flamethrowers that bypass strongpoints and penetrate in depth after a brief artillery preparation. It was applied successfully at Riga (1917) and in the spring offensive of 1918.
The role of Hutier and the use of the term 'Hutier tactics' (coined by the Allies) are debated; Laffargue (1915), Brusilov (1916) and the Rohr battalion are precedents.
What it led to
- Blitzkrieg and manoeuvre warfare
- modern assault infantry
- combined arms of light infantry and close support