The Dutch army in World War 1 - assault troops

Assault Troops

version July 5 2019

To keep up with military development, in August 1917 general Snijders ordered the establishment of assault troopers. One section of each infantry company (consisting of 4 sections) was to be set up as such.

They would be the first section of the company, containing the most experienced soldiers. Four sections (each battalion had 4 companies) could make up an assault company.
assault troops
Source: de Vries and Martens 2006

Although the principle of assault troops would have been known since 1915, more knowledge became available for the army when in 1916 military attachés were sent to Britain, France and Germany. In February 1917 the representative in Germany visited an assault troop exercise area in the Vosges. It is likely that his report caused the establishment of assault troops in August.
NB: in a document from 1916 about tactical and technical guidelines, Snijders already mentions assault troops.

The troopers got the latest equipment, like steel helmets (1916), gas masks (1917/1918), assault dagger (1917), grenades, Madsen M.16 machine gun (not everybody), wire cutters, etc
uniform lieutenant assault troops
Source: Staarman 2003

On the cuff you can see a so called ‘lis’. This indicated that the person was with an assault unit. The braid would indicate a grenadiet (red), jager (light infantry; green) or infantry (blue). On the button was an exploding grenade.

For training purposes, separate schools were established: a central school, to train officers who could create new schools. Later on, each of the 4 divisions of the field army had its own school. The schools were designed after the German example. Knowledge about this was gained by a certain captain Pieper, who went on an internship/course in Germany.

Central Assault School, at Waalsdorp
Source: Staarman, 2003

The theoretical strenght of a section would be:

• 1 commander (lieutenant)
• 6 nco
• 20 grenadiers
• 20 fusiliers
• 8 men for 4 grenade guns
• 5 men for 2 machine guns
• 2 men for 2 flame throwers
• 2 men signals / orderly

This was theoretical: no grenade guns were used by the Duth army (although some experiments had taken place) and the flame thrower required 2 persons to handle it, not 1.

Focus of an assoult section’s effort would be taking and clearing trenches. Trench raids were also a possibility. No reference to breakthrough or infiltration is made.

Each section had a number of supporting weapons. The foto below shows a vickers machine gun (only in Dutch service after November 1918) and a light spigot mortar. It was invented by a retired captain from the colonial army, SNP Terie, and could fire 50 – 525 meters. 200 werd ordered in 1917.
assault section with supporting weapons
Source: Internet
NB: I have the idea that the officer on the right (lieutenant) is wearing a German helmet.

Another support weapon was a flame thrower, developed in 1917 and introduced in 1918. Although it was called a 1 person flame thrower, 2 men were needed for operations
There were also larger flame throwers, that could be used defensively.

vlammenwerper
Source: Staarman 2003

The separate insigna (lis) for the assault troops was abandoned in 1924. In fact this also meant the disappearance of the assault sections.
The assault dagger, however, cab still be found in the emblem of the regiment Stoottroepen.

embleem stoottroepen
Source: internet

This was regiment was raised in 1944 in the liberated provinces of Noord-Brabant and Limburg by British and Americans. The traditions are taken over by 13th Battalion Stoottroepen Prins Bernhard, part of the 11th Air Mobile brigade

Used resources:
Instrument of War
Showalter, D 2016

Verre van vredig, Nederland tijdens de eerste wereldoorlog (Far from Peaceful; the Netherlands during ww1)
Staarma, A 2004

‘De slechtste fusiliers bestemme men tot vlammenwerper’; de introductie van stormtroepen in het Nederlandse leger tijdens de eerste wereldoorlog
(‘The worst fusiliers go to the flame throwers’ introduction of assault troopers on the Dutch army during ww1)
Staarman, A 2003

Nederlandse Vuurwapens 1895 – 1940 (Dutch Firearms 1895 – 1940)
Vries, G. de & Martens, B. 2006