The German assault platoon of late 1944 was a thorough revision of squad and platoon organization around the unprecedented firepower and mobility of the Sturmgewehr-44, the first mass-produced assault rifle. While it failed to become the backbone of German infantry, the organization of the assault platoon still provides a fascinating insight into German tactical thinking in the final stage of the Second World War. This episode of Teaching Tactics covers the technical development of the Sturmgewehr, the structure of the assault platoon built around it, and the tactics it used to make the most out of this revolutionary firearm.

Teaching Tactics by DigitalBattlefieldTours is a documentary series covering the development and application of 20th century military tactics. Teaching Tactics combines in-depth analysis with a highly visualized presentation to provide an approachable yet comprehensive guide to military tactics.


BONUS CONTENT:
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COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS:
DBT has performed its due diligence in tracing the rightful claimants of the copyrighted materials used in this production. Materials whose claimants could not be contacted have been used in accordance with the ‘fair use’ principle. Rightful claimants of these materials are invited to contact DBT.

Acknowledgements:
1944 (Elmo Nüganen - 2015)
Imperial War Museum
Bundesarchiv
Screenshots captured in the EDEN 3D Editor from ARMA III (Bohemia Interactive).
Blueprint animations based on Post Scriptum (Periscope Games).


ABRIDGED LIST OF SOURCES:
Unterlagen zur Gliederung, zum taktischen Einsatz und zur Ausbildung des Sturmzuges einer Grenadierkompanie (19-3-1945).
Available in German at: https://germandocsinrussia.org/de/nod..., Bestand 500, Findbuch 12487, Akte 54.

Überblick über den Rüstungsstand des Heeres - Waffen und Geräte : Stand: 1.12.1944. Berlin, 1944. 198 p. Der Chef der Heeresrüstung und Befehlshaber des Ersatzheeres - Stab Rüst IIIc Nr. 6600/44 g.Kdos.. NARA T78 R169.
Available in English at: https://panzerworld.com/stg-44.

Pröhuber, Volksgrenadier-Divisionen (2021).

McNab, German Automatic Rifles 1941-45 (2013).

Walter, Guns of the Third Reich (2004).


TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction
03:26 A century of small arms
08:10 Origins of the assault rifle
11:45 The Sturmgewehr in context
17:31 Evaluating the Sturmgewehr
19:56 Fielding the Sturmgewehr
23:37 The assault platoon
29:56 Tactical principles
39:37 Practice attack
46:06 Closing Remarks