Germany's blitzkrieg tactics in World War II could not be carried out by tanks alone. Tanks were vulnerable to infantry anti-tank weapons, which steadily became more effective as the war progressed. The tanks had to be accompanied by a new type of soldier, the world's first fully mechanized infantrymen, or panzergrenadiers, popularly known as "stormtroopers."Stormtrooper's heavily illustrated text focuses on the panzergrenadiers, both Army and Waffen-SS, of World War II, but these troops carried on an earlier tradition. Introductory chapters describe the formation of the first stormtroopers in World War I, lightly armed troops who attempted to end the stalemate of trench warfare. After 1918, embittered stormtrooper veterans carried their title over into the private armies of various political factions, of which that of the Nazi Party became the most notorious.
In addition to a fully illustrated account of the uniforms, equipment and tactics of the panzergrenadiers, this book also includes a bibliography and a world directory of museums and interest groups.
