Thomas Wictor
Assault platoon
An assault platoon of the 1st Guard Reserve Regiment. It includes tow Mg/0815 light machine guns and a flamethrower accompanying squad of the Guard Reserve Pioneer Regiment.
The flamethrower is the Wex M.1917, here operated by a three-man squad.
Since none of the men wear cartridge cases or gas-mask canisters, this photo was likely taken prior to a trench raid. Gas masks were too fragile to simply hang around the neck for no reason. Plenty of P08 and Austrian Steyr M1912 pistols are in evidence, as are rifles with fixed bayonets.
The lack of hand grenades could be explained by a strong desire to capture prisoners or by extremely cramped fighting quarters.
Assault platoon
An assault platoon of the 1st Guard Reserve Regiment. It includes tow Mg/0815 light machine guns and a flamethrower accompanying squad of the Guard Reserve Pioneer Regiment.
The flamethrower is the Wex M.1917, here operated by a three-man squad.
Since none of the men wear cartridge cases or gas-mask canisters, this photo was likely taken prior to a trench raid. Gas masks were too fragile to simply hang around the neck for no reason. Plenty of P08 and Austrian Steyr M1912 pistols are in evidence, as are rifles with fixed bayonets.
The lack of hand grenades could be explained by a strong desire to capture prisoners or by extremely cramped fighting quarters.