Georg Bruchmüller
Encyclopedia
Georg Bruchmüller nicknamed Durchbruchmüller, was a German
artillery
officer who had great influence in the development of modern artillery tactics. His nickname Durchbruchmüller is a combination of the German word durchbruch ('breakthrough') with his name.
into of a middleclass family and joined the Imperial Army in 1885. He started his career at in the foot artillery (Fußartillerie), the branch of the German Army armed with heavier guns, howitzers and mortars, designed principally for siege warfare, but which also had a role in mobile and static warfare in the field.
In 1897 and 1898, Bruchmüller served as a battery commander in Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 3 in Mainz.
In 1901 and 1902, Bruchmüller served as a battery commander in the Lehr-Bataillon [Demonstration Battalion] of the Royal Prussian Fußartillerie-Schießschule [Foot Artillery Firing School] in Jüterbog. During this time, he worked with one of the instructors at the Fußartillerie-Schießschule, Hauptmann Arthur Bilse, a heavy artillery specialist who rose to general officer rank during the First World War and, while serving as General der Fußartillerie 15, was killed in action on New Year's Day of 1916 at Les Baraques, France.
Bruchmüller retired from active duty after a riding accident.
he was reactivated and became artillery commander of the 86. Infantry Division at the Eastern Front.
Bruchmüller developed techniques to support attacks with a sudden concentration of accurate fire instead of prolonged preparatory bombardments. In the spring of 1916 he convinced the chief of staff of the Tenth Army to adopt this method of concentration for a major attack at Tarnopol
, and the effect in supporting the rapid advance of the infantry was impressive.
Bruchmüller's technique emphasized fire in depth throughout the enemy positions. His support included an accurate creeping barrage, the Feuerwalze, for the advancing infantry.
Bruchmüller developed several techniques to achieve disruption, which required strict control of all artillery assets. Each battery of each type of weapon received specific fire missions with specific timetables. He organized it in three stages of delivery of fire.
The first consisted of surprise, concentration, hitting headquarters, phone links, command posts, enemy batteries, and infantry positions. The fire was sudden, concentrated, and made extensive use of gas.
The second stage required that the other batteries reinforced those batteries already firing on enemy batteries.
The third stage asked for fire for effect on designated targets according to range. Some batteries continued to shell infantry positions, heavy pieces engaged long range targets.
To achieve maximum disruptive effect on the enemy, surprise was essential. Thus, the Germans concealed their attack preparations very carefully and their initial target data had to be very accurate.
Bruchmüller rose in position in the east, commanding the artillery of von Hutier
's Eighth Army at Riga in September 1917. When his unit was transferred to the west in late 1917, Bruchmüller arrived in time to participate in the Cambrai counterattack.
and retired in 1919 holding the rank of colonel. He had been awarded the Pour le Merite
, Germany's highest military award in 1917, being one of only four senior artillery officers to receive this honour.
He died at Garmisch-Partenkirchen
in 1948.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
officer who had great influence in the development of modern artillery tactics. His nickname Durchbruchmüller is a combination of the German word durchbruch ('breakthrough') with his name.
Early life
Bruchmüller was born in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
into of a middleclass family and joined the Imperial Army in 1885. He started his career at in the foot artillery (Fußartillerie), the branch of the German Army armed with heavier guns, howitzers and mortars, designed principally for siege warfare, but which also had a role in mobile and static warfare in the field.
In 1897 and 1898, Bruchmüller served as a battery commander in Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 3 in Mainz.
In 1901 and 1902, Bruchmüller served as a battery commander in the Lehr-Bataillon [Demonstration Battalion] of the Royal Prussian Fußartillerie-Schießschule [Foot Artillery Firing School] in Jüterbog. During this time, he worked with one of the instructors at the Fußartillerie-Schießschule, Hauptmann Arthur Bilse, a heavy artillery specialist who rose to general officer rank during the First World War and, while serving as General der Fußartillerie 15, was killed in action on New Year's Day of 1916 at Les Baraques, France.
Bruchmüller retired from active duty after a riding accident.
World War I
At the beginning of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he was reactivated and became artillery commander of the 86. Infantry Division at the Eastern Front.
Bruchmüller developed techniques to support attacks with a sudden concentration of accurate fire instead of prolonged preparatory bombardments. In the spring of 1916 he convinced the chief of staff of the Tenth Army to adopt this method of concentration for a major attack at Tarnopol
Ternopil
Ternopil , is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical region of Galicia...
, and the effect in supporting the rapid advance of the infantry was impressive.
Bruchmüller's technique emphasized fire in depth throughout the enemy positions. His support included an accurate creeping barrage, the Feuerwalze, for the advancing infantry.
Bruchmüller developed several techniques to achieve disruption, which required strict control of all artillery assets. Each battery of each type of weapon received specific fire missions with specific timetables. He organized it in three stages of delivery of fire.
The first consisted of surprise, concentration, hitting headquarters, phone links, command posts, enemy batteries, and infantry positions. The fire was sudden, concentrated, and made extensive use of gas.
The second stage required that the other batteries reinforced those batteries already firing on enemy batteries.
The third stage asked for fire for effect on designated targets according to range. Some batteries continued to shell infantry positions, heavy pieces engaged long range targets.
To achieve maximum disruptive effect on the enemy, surprise was essential. Thus, the Germans concealed their attack preparations very carefully and their initial target data had to be very accurate.
Bruchmüller rose in position in the east, commanding the artillery of von Hutier
Oskar von Hutier
Oskar von Hutier was one of Imperial Germany's most successful and innovative generals of World War I.-Biography:Hutier was born in Erfurt, in the Prussian Province of Saxony...
's Eighth Army at Riga in September 1917. When his unit was transferred to the west in late 1917, Bruchmüller arrived in time to participate in the Cambrai counterattack.
Post-war life
He was not selected for the post-war ReichswehrReichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
and retired in 1919 holding the rank of colonel. He had been awarded the Pour le Merite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, Germany's highest military award in 1917, being one of only four senior artillery officers to receive this honour.
He died at Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
in 1948.
Further reading
- Hans Linnenkohl: Vom Einzelschuss zur Feuerwalze, Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1990, ISBN 3-7637-5866-6. (in German)