“...The original storm troopers...”
They were called Stosstruppen.
They were armed with the early MP18 submachine guns, Lugers with 32-round snailtrommeln (Drum magazines), C96 Schnellfuer Broomhandle Mauser pistols, sharpened shovels, etc, and specialized in raiding the Brit and French trench lines, exploiting weak spots in the lines, and causing general havoc and chaos once they broke through. They were “Special Ops” guys. Moved fast, hit hard, and raised hell.
Good catch, Sherman. Thanks for bringing that up.
Turns out the Stosstruppen were a good deal more fragile than tanks, and a lot harder to replace. A major reason the Allies eventually won.