#assault units

[grandeguerra100]

4 Settembre 1917: Gli arditi conquistano il Monte San Gabriele Con un veloce colpo di mano, 45 minuti per prendere possesso della vetta, i reparti d'assalto italiani riescono a scassinare l'impenetrabile fortezza sotterranea all'interno del San Gabriele, costata, nei 30 giorni precedenti, 40000 vittime tra italiani e austriaci. Alle 6.30 del mattino, la 2a compagnia issa il tricolore sulla vetta, come asta viene usato un fucile austriaco. Vittorio Emanuele III, i Generali Cadorna e Capello (II Armata) osservano l'azione dal Sabotino. Le truppe di rincalzo della fanteria rimaste indietro sono però bloccate dal contrattacco e dal fuoco d'artigleria nemico - che semina morte anche nelle colonne di prigionieri austriaci. Gli arditi respingono tre contrattacchi ma alla fine sono costretti ad abbandonare la vetta ed assestarsi lungo le pendici orientali. Qua la linea viene presa in consegna dalla fanteria. Nella foto, un reparto di arditi. September 4, 1917: The Arditi, the Italian Assalt Units, conquer the Mount San Gabriele. It takes the Italians 45 minutes to reach and conquer the summit, the Assault Units are able to the break through the impenetrable underground fortress of the San Gabriele, the previous fightings, in the past 30 days, have caused 40000 casualties between Italians and Austrians. At 6.30am, the 2nd company can raise the Italian flag on the summit, an Austrian rifle is used as flag pole. Vittorio Emanuele III, the Generals Cadorna and Capello (II Army) observe the action by the Mount Sabotino. The support infantry troops however are blocked by counterattacks and enemy artillery fire - which cause many casualties even in the collumn of Austrian prisoners. The Arditi repels three counterattacks but at the end of the day are forced to abandon the summit and settle along the oriental slopes. Here the new line is taken over by the infantry. In the picture, Italian Arditi. http://ift.tt/2vG6EV0

[spaceintruderdetector]

Specialized Assault Units of the World War I Western Front: A Comparative Study of the German Stormtrooper Battalions, and Canadian Trench Raiders

https://archive.org/details/DTIC_ADA524304

‘‘This thesis will use a comparative study of the German Storm trooper battalions and the Canadian trench raiders in order to examine the dynamics of the World War I battlefield, the role of military culture in adaptation in order to acknowledge and act on the requirements of battlefield innovation. The purpose is to determine what key factors contributed to the tactical effectiveness of specialized assault units on the Western Front. The military cultures of these armies comprised the logical and innovative principles that were fundamental in the tactical effectiveness of these elite assault units by making revolutionary developments in force structure, institutional support, personnel selection, decentralized leadership, and training on small-unit tactics and advanced weaponry. Did these tactics create similar or different effects for each army? What factors did these armies use to organize and employ these assault units? To answer these questions, several areas will be examined: (1) force structure, (2) institutional support, (3) personnel selection, and (4) training on decentralized leadership, small unit infiltration tactics, and advanced weaponry. Both armies had different backgrounds and situations. The German Army's Sturm battalions represented an army-wide institutionalization of organization, selection and technique. The Canadian Corps' trench raiders were based on the Canadian Corps' homogeneous structure that separated itself from the BEF in developing its own doctrine, training schools, organization, and tactical innovations.‘‘

[grandeguerra100]

La Grande Guerra, giorno dopo giorno: 16 Giugno 1918. Sul Grappa, gli Arditi riconquistano il Col Moschin “Comunico che il IX° Reparto d’Assalto ha conquistato in dieci minuti Col Moschin. Numerosi prigionieri e grande quantità di materiale sono stati catturati. Artiglieria ha aperto il fuoco alle ore 6.45, ma con tiro meravigliosamente preciso ed efficace” Angelo Giuseppe Zancanaro, capitano di compagnia del IX° Reparto d'Assalto*. Nel ricordo di questa eroica impresa, il 9º Reggimento d'assalto incursori paracadutisti, erede del X Arditi, ha preso il nome di “Col Moschin”. Nella foto, truppe italiane sulla nuova linea rafforzata del Col Moschin. Foto tratta dall'Archivio Storico dello Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito - 1388 F ENGLISH - The Great War, day by day: 16 June 1918, on the Monte Grappa, the Arditi reconquest the Col Moschin “I communicate that the IX Reparto d'Assalto (Assault Units) has conquered the Col Moschin in ten minutes. Numerous prisoners and large amounts of supplies were captured. The artillery opened fire at 6.45 am but with wonderfully precise and effective shooting” Angelo Giuseppe Zancanaro^, Company commander of the IX° Reparto d'Assalto In the memory of this heroic undertaking, the 9º Reggimento d'Assalto Paracadutisti (9th Paratroopers Assault Regiment) of the Italian army has been named “Col Moschin”. In the picture, Italian troops hold the line after the reconquest by the Arditi. Picture from the Italian Army’s Historical Archives - 13388 F

*Zancanaro, pluridecorato durante la Prima Guerra Mondiale, parteciperà anche alla Seconda, caduto nel 1944 alla testa della Brigata Partigiana Feltre, riceverà postuma la Medaglia d'Oro al Valore Militare. ^Zancanaro, highly-decorated during the Great War, will also fight in the Second World War and will be killed in 1944 while leading his Partisan Brigade Feltre. He will be posthumously decorated the Medaglia d'Oro al Valore Militare (Gold Medal to the Military Valour)