orderstressedthatonly“especiallywell,strong,agilepeople”²⁷⁴weretobepre-
ferredforthatpurpose.Onthesegrounds,theOttomanheadquartersrequested
16 lightErhardttypeminethrowers(7.58cmleMW)forthefuturefireprotection
oftheassaulttrooper’sbattalion,followingtheGermanmodel.GeneralLuden-
dorffapprovedtheexportoftheordnancematerial,including1 000 piecesofam-
munition.²⁷⁵
Thoughthefirstpartoftheunitʼsestablishmentwastheworstpart,notleast
becausetheOttomanarmysufferedshortagesinthethirdyearoftheconflict.
TheGermanInspectorGeneraloftheOttomanengineers,MajorGeneralPaul
Langenstraß,complainedinareportabouttheshortagesofequipmentinMal-
tepe.Mostoftheassaulttrooperrecruitshadnoshoesand“exercisedbare
foot.²⁷⁶Theiruniformsweremererags,andmostofthemenwereover 45
yearsold.Langenstraßdemandedthat
“ForthispurposethebestresourceshavetobeselectediftheSturmbataillonshallserveits
purpose.Ifpossible,volunteers.Specialprovisions,possiblyevenextrapay(likeinGerma-
ny),sincethosepeopledeservespecialconsiderationbecausethesemen,aspartoftheir
futureassignment,willintrudeintoenemypositionsasanassaultdetachment.”²⁷⁷Inaddition,theGermaninstructorsandtheOttomancadretroopsfromDublany
hadnotyetarrivedinMaltepe.Enveragreedtofindmoreappropriatemen,who
wereabletobarethephysicalstrainsofthistask.Despiteinitialdifficulties,the
trainingbeganandtheunit’scombateffectivenessimproved.TheOttomanre-
cruitsweretrainedintheuseofthesmallflamethrowers(M1912KleiF)although
thistechnologywasstillinitsinfancy.Theloadwasconsumedwithonelong
burst,andalreadyoneortwobulletscouldblowupthetankandkilltheflame-
throwertrooper.Itwas,nevertheless,aneffectiveweapontobreakthemoraleof
theenemyandtodecoythemintowithdraworsurrenderinfaceoftheapproach-
ingflames.²⁷⁸TheOttomansoldiersdesignatedthisbrutalweaponas“hellfire
machine” (“cehennemateşimakinası”).²⁷⁹BesidestheactivitiesinMaltepe,
GermantranslationoftheorderoftheOttomanMinistryofWar,4May 1333 /1 91 7;supple-
menttotheorderof 18 April 1333 /1 91 7.ATASEBDHK1 49 9D9K2.
ReqestoftheOttomanHeadqaurterstotheGermanSupremeArmyCommand(Oberste
Heeresleitung), 19 May1 91 7.ATASEBDHK1 499 D9Gö2Fi1.
Inspector-GeneraloftheOttomanengineerstoConstantinoplearmyarsenal,9July1 91 7.
ATASEBDHK1 499 D9Gö2Fi4.
ATASEBDHK1499-Gö9-D2-Fi4.
Saunders,TrenchWarfare1 850 – 1950 ,152.
Theofficialtermwas“alevmakinası”;cf.ThomasWictor,FlamethrowerTroopsofWorld
WarI:TheCentralandAlliedpowers(Atglen:Schiffer,2010), 65.
TheEmpirestrikesback:TheOttomanStormtroopers, 1917 – 18 87