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Discussion about Russian Infantry Doctrine
Hey guys, I figured you all might be interested in this discussion I started on Military History Online(MHO) about Russian Infantry doctrine and if it at all changed during the war. It's pretty good, and was the learning experience for me. I hope you guys enjoy it.
http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com...mID=11&ID=8682
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"Just drive down that road, until you get blown up" - General George Patton "I'll bet your vodka ration that I can hit it" - Russian tanker |
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From Kursk on-, the strategic level doctrine for the Soviets was the offensive. It was ingrained into their minds. This did not change through the remainder of the war. They learned to become very good at “force concentration” & their own brand of “Blitzkrieg.”
Although in spite of lend-lease equipment from the U.S., the typical Russian infantry company lacked the proper logistics that Western Allies & even their German enemy enjoyed & their localized tactics remained basically the same- pour men into the meat-grinder & overwhelm the enemy. They learned the value of a strategic reserve & had the ability to maintain one throughout the war. The Soviets used Calvary more effectively than any other nation during WW2. It operated as an independent organization within the Soviet Army. It acted as support for infantry & armored units on the operational level in later war years. Infantry unit composition changed somewhat through the years, but not drastically. |
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I'm still learning about the war, so please don't mind me asking any questions that you have probably already answered billions of times
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"Just drive down that road, until you get blown up" - General George Patton "I'll bet your vodka ration that I can hit it" - Russian tanker |
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The Soviet Air Force was almost completely dependant on U.S. high octane aviation fuel. Also, they produced less than 1000 locomotives during the war, so the U.S. locomotives were also very helpful. But probably the most important lend/lease items were the 375,000 2 1/2 ton Dodge and Studebaker trucks. While the Germans still used mostly horses to pull artillery late in the war, the Soviets used trucks to move ammo, arty, men, and supplies, making them much more mobile than the Germans.
Ameican lend/lease supplies to the Soviet Union: Aircraft 14,795 Tanks 7,056 Jeeps 51,503 Trucks 375,883 Motorcycles 35,170 Tractors 8,071 Guns 8,218 Machine guns 131,633 Explosives 345,735 tons Building equipment valued $10,910,000 Railroad freight cars 11,155 Locomotives 1,981 Cargo ships 90 Submarine hunters 105 Torpedo boats 197 Ship engines 7,784 Food supplies 4,478,000 tons Machines and equipment $1,078,965,000 Non-ferrous metals 802,000 tons Petroleum products 2,670,000 tons Chemicals 842,000 tons Cotton 106,893,000 tons Leather 49,860 tons Tires 3,786,000 Army boots 15,417,001 pairs |
#5
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kawaiku-
I'm by no means an authority on the Soviet Army, so I can only answer your questions to the best of my knowledge. Don't take it as gospel though. Quote:
Infantry field tactics suffered early in the war due to the lack of veteran field officers. This was because of the Officer Corps Purges of 39' & this situation only improved somewhat in later years. Initiative & morale certainly improved & impacted performance, due to changes STAVKA allowed to happen, such as allowing soldiers access to the Orthodox churches, awarding medals for "individual" performance, establishing the Gaurds units- a symbol of attaining "elite" status, and the return of lesser ranks. The Soviets to their credit, were not complete idiots. Yes, they did have a huge superiority in numbers, but they appeared to have overwhelming strength in local attacks due to their ability to prod & probe then attack on a narrow front, concentrating all their forces through a single point. This was often times done at 2 single points in an effort to create a pincer movement. The preconditions for this type of doctrine called for: 1. Deception 2. Support 3. Mobility 4. Numerical superiority After reconing an area, they would pound the Hell out of a narrow stretch with artillery. Next, armored & mechanized brigades would pour through with tank riders, followed by rifle battalions to take care of by-passed German strong points. Quote:
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"Just drive down that road, until you get blown up" - General George Patton "I'll bet your vodka ration that I can hit it" - Russian tanker |
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Kawaiku, IMHO the three most important things we gave the Russians during WWII were as follows -
#1 - Radios. The Russians were decades behind the rest of the world in the manufacturing of the intricate parts and components such as tubes. They would of been in serious Trouble indeed if it were not for us supplying them with Radios of all types. #2 - Waterproof Radio & Telephone Wire. The Russians couldnt manufacture wire to any degree of compitance. All the stuff they made always had a leak or a break in it somewhere. I read a quote somewhere that a Russian General, I cant remember his name, once said that this was the single greatest piece of aid that the USA sent them during the war. #3 - High Octane Aviation Fuel, and the technology to produce it. Once the Russsian Fighters started getting this fuel, the preformance of their planes vastly improved and was quite a shock to the Luftwaffe.
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Hey Kawaiku, check out this thread on lend lease numbers i posted a while ago. The numbers will floor you. BTW, we gave the Russians $11,260,343,603.02
http://kampfgruppe.us/showthread.php?t=4674
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In the Bold part: I think that this really showed in the build up to Operation Uranus which is funny because the Germans thought that the Russians never had the capability but found that out in the winter counteroffensive of '41.
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"Just drive down that road, until you get blown up" - General George Patton "I'll bet your vodka ration that I can hit it" - Russian tanker |
#10
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Question. How did the high octane aviation fuel improve the performance of the Russian planes? And WOOOOW about that link. That's crazy. Although I'm not quite sure why we sent stuff to the countries in South America. That is a lot of stuff.
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"Just drive down that road, until you get blown up" - General George Patton "I'll bet your vodka ration that I can hit it" - Russian tanker Last edited by kawaiku; 04-06-2007 at 03:10 AM.. |
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