Operation Michael Research Paper

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The German stormtrooper tactics were very successful but was not successful enough to win the battle. The training of storm troopers were a crucial point in Operation Michael. One of the main reasons was the Hutier infiltration tactics they used that was named after Oskar von Hutier who was a visionary German general that created the aggressive combat style. It was a forceful and sophisticated strategy that revolutionized trench warfare which was previously unimaginative and costly. The tactic called for using sustained, sector-wide barrages followed by frontal assaults by the massed infantry. First attack with quick, incredibly violent artillery bombardments on narrow segments of enemy trenches. Next, rapid onslaughts across No Man’s Land by squads of heavily armed commandos. Assaults target areas weakened by previous artillery shelling. Stormtroopers roll over dazed opponents at key points and by pass heavy concentrations of Allied troops to go to rear areas to confuse and paralyze enemy. Then, regular infantry sent forward to widen gaps and clean up resistance and secure captured territory.Second, they were treated like rock stars. They were celebrated in the national press for dash and daring. Lived lavishly. Assault teams rarely manned trenches. Brought up to front just prior to an action and whisked to rear when done. Stormtroopers…show more content…
For the standards of WWI, Operation Michael was a great success. The Germans penetrated 40 miles, took 975 guns, and inflicted 300,000 casualties, but eventually the German attacks stalled from exhaustion. The German Army in the west was short on men and it was difficult to move the infantry which would have allowed German forces operational liberty. The fast pace of their advance was their downfall. 20% of the men suffered from influenza so when Ludendorff began the campaign, he had 207 divisions and 82 reserves. Now he only had 66 divisions in

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