The Wehrmacht's Equestrian Might

There are a lot of myths about WW2 that are actively promoted to this day. One of those myths is the total motorization of the German army. It is often said that that only the Soviets rode around on horses, but the Germans were fully equipped with trucks and halftrack APCs. This assertion would only cause a sad smile from German soldiers. While they indeed had a lot of trucks, the main backbone of infantry transport was made up of horses. Transport by horse cart was the norm until the end of the war, and production of horse carts increased as the war went on, rather than decreased.

Shooting from Horseback

Yuri Pasholok got his hands on a pile of old military manuals recently, including Shooting from Horseback. It's a somewhat lengthy book, so I'm not going to translate all of it, just interesting bits.

"Peculiarities of firing from horseback

If firing a rifle from horseback is done mainly during patrols and other cases when there is no time to dismount, firing a revolver or pistol is often done by a cavalryman.

In battle, commanding fire from horseback is either very difficult or downright impossible. The soldier must rapidly and independently determine how to act, with a blade or revolver, and if the latter, fire, select targets, find an aiming points, etc. Actions of a cavalryman are further complicated by allied cavalry mixing with enemy cavalry. The cavalryman must fire in a way that does not injure his allies.

Horsing Around

"A soldier who has been disciplined in the past was appointed as a watchman. Before he took his post, he drank wine, and took his post in an intoxicated state. The controlling patrol took notice of this soldier's behaviour, as he was loudly asking horses for the password."

Reindeer Raid

"To the Chief of Staff of the Karelian Front

The attachment is a proposition from a cadet of the 82nd Reserve Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment comrade Butakov for using deer transport for a deep raid of military units into the north-western part of Finland for your study and use of certain suggestions on using reindeer transport.

Attachment: 17 pages."

Now, using reindeer for transport isn't all that unusual in and of itself, but 17 pages of notes gives you a hint regarding the scope of cadet's daring plan. Here's an excerpt:

"Transport from the Yamalo-Nenetskiy and Hanta-Manskiyskiy okrugs will move along the 65 degrees north latitude line, with a slight deviation to the south, passing Arkhangelsk from the south. Transport will be assembled east of Nurmic (Finland) near Onega Bay. 250,000 reindeer will be assembled in this manner. This amount of reindeer will have the following size of pasture will be needed: the Naryan-Mara reindeer station gives consumption of one reindeer per day as 3.3 ar or 330 square meters. For 250,000 reindeer, 825 hectares of pasture per day will be needed. I do not have data regarding pastures of the European north, but I am inclined to think that reserves of lichen in the north-western part of the USSR will be able to supply 250,000 reindeer for a long time."

That's right, 250,000 reindeer and 200,000 men, with the assistance of a British amphibious landing force. To give you some indication of the feasibility of this plan, the aforementioned Yamalo-Nenetskiy okrug already gave up 10,000 trained reindeer to the army, leaving only the breeding males, females, and juveniles.

Via kris-reid.

World of Tanks History Section: Nighttime Storm Over Senno

On the second day of Operation Bagration, June 25th, 1944, the Red Army took the Bogushevsk settlement, located between Vitebsk and Orsha. As a result, the Germans lost a vital stronghold. Soviet command sent Major-General N.S. Oslikov's motorized cavalry group into the breach. The group was tasked with developing the Red Army's offensive towards Senno and Lepel, with the eventual exit to Berezina river.

Senno was the next German stronghold in line. The city was an important transportation hub, and the Germans organized many warehouses with fuel, ammunition, and supplies in the vicinity. Senno was a very tempting target for the Red Army.

Horsing Around

"To the commanders of the 5th, 16th, 33rd, 43rd, and 49th Armies

The commander of the Western Front ordered this: due to the decline in the state of roads and impossibility of using wheeled vehicles as a means of transportation, equip communications officers sent to the front with riding horses. For this purpose, create special horse groups attached to the HQ of regiments, divisions, brigades, and armies.

Report on the execution of this order.

HQ Chief of the Western Front, Lieutenant-General Sokolovskiy
Military Commissar of the Western Front, Brigadier Commissar, Kazbintsev"

Via kris_reid.

World of Tanks History Section: Cavalry at Smolensk

When an army goes on the offensive, the most important objective is to penetrate enemy defenses as deeply as possible with a powerful blow. This does not always happen, and the battle turns into a slow and bloody affair, a battle of attrition.

In the middle of September of 1943, the Red ARmy had a chance to not only free Smolensk from the Germans, but develop the offensive further, towards Orsha. In order to do this, the commander of the Western Front created a mobile group, including the 2nd Guards Tank Corps and 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps. It was expected that the group would enter a breach made by the infantry and artillery of the 21st Army. However, by September 15th, their success was negligible. The tank corps received orders to breach German defenses.

The 2nd Guards Tank Corps fought fiercely for several days. Their enemies included Tigers from the 505th battalion, as well as Marders and StuGs. By September 19th, at the cost of tens of tanks, Soviet forces penetrated German defenses. The mobile group entered the breach.

Battle for the railroad

The Germans pulled their forces back to new positions. Powerful rear guard units covered their retreat, fighting stubbornly for every trench. German infantry supported by SPGs counterattacked at every opportunity. It was vitally important for the Germans to hold the Smolensk-Roslavl railroad until the retreat was complete. The enemy committed all possible forces to this task, including engineering units and an armoured train.

Forces from both sides were drained from past battles. Infantry divisions of the 12th Army had 3-5 thousand men left by September 20th, out of fully authorized strength of 10 thousand. The fresh cavalry corps that entered the battle was not only a mobile unit, but, given the circumstances, a powerful means of attack.

Acting as infantry, the cavalrymen took the load off weakened infantry divisions. Additionally, the cavalry brought infantry and tanks. Each of the three divisions of the 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps had a tank regiment, and the corps also had a regiment of SU-76 SPGs. On September 20th, the corps had about 120 tanks and SPGs under its command. This was three times as much as in the 2nd Tank Corps. The cavalry became a ram that broke through the German defenses.

Under a storm of fire, the corps engineers built bridges for infantry and vehicles. Many earned orders and medals for this frightening work. Thanks to them, all tanks and SPGs of the corps reached the battlefield on time.

Tanks and SPGs advanced, helping each other. SU-76 SPGs knocked out AA and AT guns, clearing the road for tanks. On September 21st, a loader from one of the SPG crews, P.O. Soshenkov, destroyed five enemy AA guns and stole an enemy SPG. This cleared the path for the 104th Tank Regiment of the 5th Cavalry Division. Tankers swiftly moved forward and occupied the Dolgomostye farmstead. The Smolensk-Roslavl railroad was cut off.

Fighting Tigers

The 104th Tank Regiment played an important role in the fighting for settlements next to the railroad. Lieutenant A.G. Chelyshev's tank squadron (tank units assigned to cavalry had cavalry names) showed itself especially well, dealing great damage to the Germans. Chelyshev himself destroyed one SPG and one AT gun. For skilful command and personal successes, he was awarded with the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class.

On the morning of September 22nd, elements of the 2nd Guards Tank Corps and 21st Army reached the railroad.

The Germans were not content with losing the railroad. They pulled up reserves and attempted several counterattacks. Our forces endured enemy attacks under powerful artillery fire and bombs. The 32nd Cavalry Division had the toughest time, as it had to fight not only StuGs, but Tigers.

According to documents, the division knocked out only one enemy tank on September 22nd, but it was a Tiger. Destroying such a vehicle was still a difficult task in the fall of 1943. In total, during the Smolensk-Roslavl operation, the Germans suffered three total Tiger losses, two of which could not be evacuated. As a result, one was blown up and one was abandoned as is. Another Tiger was knocked out from a hit to the turret and abandoned. The tank was not a total loss, but the attack stalled, and the enemy tried to evacuate the tank. Most likely, this beast was slain by the artillery of the tank destroyer regiment included in the 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps.

The Germans did not manage to win back the railroad or stop the Soviet forces. The mobile group from the Western Front continued to advance and crossed the Sozh river on September 24th, surrounding Smolensk from the south. Realizing that the city cannot be held, the German commanders ordered their forces to retreat.

On the next day, Smolensk and Roslavl were liberated by the Red Army. For success in battle, the 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps received a letter of gratitude from the Supreme Commander I. Stalin, and the 32nd Cavalry Division earned the title of Smolensk.

Original article available here.

Valentines for Victory

The plucky little Valentine tank was in the very first catalog of tanks offered to the Soviet Union by the British. The first Valentines went into battle in November of 1941, and despite orders ceasing due to the Valentine's obsolescence, Valentine tanks remained in the Red Army until the end of the war, not just fancy Mark XIs but regular old MkIII*s as well.

"To the commander of the 6th Guards Cavalry Grodno Division

Battle report #0113, HQ of the 198th Allenstein Tank Regiment, Rheinsberg, 10:30, April 30th, 1945. Map 100.000, dated 1935

1. The regiment, in cooperation with the 28th Cavalry Regiment, travelled 40 km with battles on April 29th, 1945, capturing the following settlements: Barsdorf, Blumenow, Zootzen, Tramzov, Buchholz, Burow, Menz, Rheinsberg.
2. The following damage was done to the enemy:
1. Destroyed:
1. 11 large caliber guns
2. 19 automatic guns
3. 1 SPG
4. 14 AA machineguns
5. 20 hand machineguns
6. 8 mortars
7. 9 APCs
8. 7 tractors
9. 123 cars
10. 23 motorcycles
11. 100 bicycles
12. 80 trailers
13. 134 soldiers and officers killed
2. 60 enemy soldiers and officers were taken prisoner
3. 725 Soviet prisoners of war were liberated
3. No materiel or personnel losses were taken on April 29th, 1945
4. The regiment has:
1. 5 T-34 tanks, 5 combat ready
2. 10 Valentine MkIX tanks, 8 combat ready
3. 3 Valentine MkIII tanks, 3 combat ready
4. 7 SU-100, 7 combat ready
5. 5 S-76, 5 combat ready
   Two MkIX tanks need medium repairs, and one SU-100 needs light repairs.
5. Supplies:
1. Fuel and lubricant
1. Gasoline: 0.5 refills
2. Gasoil: 1.3 refills
3. Aircraft lubricant: 1.3 refills
2. Ammunition:
1. 100 mm shells: 2 refills
2. 85 mm shells: 2 refills
3. 57 mm shells: 1.3 refills
4. 40 mm shells: 0.5 refills
5. BESA ammunition: 1.8 refills
6. Bren ammunition: 1.8 refills
7. DT ammunition: 1.8 refills
3. Food: 3 days
6. Communication with HQ is done through a communications officer."

CAMD RF 3895-135762-1

BT-7s in Poland

Archive materials on both the Western Ukraine and Belarus campaign and combat use of BT tanks are rare, so when I see a combination of the two, it's a good day.

"Top Secret
To the chief of the Mechanized and Armoured Forces of the Red Army
Hero of the Soviet Union, Corps Commander comrade Pavlov

September 29th, 1939

This is a report on the actions of the 25th Tank Corps in defeating elements of the Polish army between September 17th and 25th, 1939.

On the first day of action, September 17th, the corps crossed three water barriers (rivers Zhvanchik, Zbruch, and Seret, the latter being especially difficult), and performed a 60 km march. At the end of the day, the corps arrived at Chortkuv and Zhidkuv, took Chortkuv with battle, and captured 129 men prisoner, two of them colonels, 4 officers, up to 200 rifles, 20 pistols, up to 50 motorcycles, cars and bicycles, as well as the military warehouses. Up to 30 men of the enemy, one of them a colonel, are killed or wounded.

Second day of action, September 18th. The 25th tank corps marched 70 km, and the 4th light tank brigade 80 km, and took Bugach. The river Strypa was forded at Bugach, as the bridge was destroyed by the enemy. Monasteshiska was taken, where the 54th infantry regiment and the headquarters of the 12th infantry division and the 8th Independent Poznan Motorized Infantry Squad were defeated and captured, in total 5300 men, 172 of them officers. At the end of the day, we reached the Podgaitse-Gorozhanka line, and advance units reached the eastern outskirts of Galich.
The scout battalion of the 5th light tank brigade, pursing the retreating enemy, reached Stanislavuv. The 4th and 5th Cavalry Corps fell behind the 25th Tank Corps. The commander and commissar of the scout battalion entered Stanislavuv.

Third day of action, September 19th. At dawn, elements of the 5th light tank brigade suddenly captured Galich, and crossings of the Dnestr river that the enemy was preparing for demolition. 500 officers and up to 2000 soldiers were captured at Galich. All of them were parts of a mine-anti-tank company with 6 guns and an AA battery with 5 guns, two airfield crews, wartime censorship bureau #56, #6 intelligence, members of the war ministry and Polish army general staff. Additionally, an infantry regiment that was being composed from various units was disarmed west of Galich.
On the same day, 54 officers of the Polish flight school were captured while trying to escape to Romania by car.
The 1st battalion of the 5th light tank brigade captured up to a battalion of infantry in the region of Zavadka (35 km west of Galich) by 16:00. The objectives set by the South Group Army Commander were completed. The 1st Motorized Rifle Brigade, acting to the right, captured Svistelniki and Burshtyn, 500 officers, soldiers, and gendarmiere, up to 60 cars, 4 guns. The corps traveled 65 km that day. Advance elements of the 5th CC only approached Galych by 18:00. Main forces only arrived at 24:00.
The cavalry fell behind on many one day marches. Additionally, we had to quell a large uprising in Galich, with officers, gendarmiere, and Poles, up to 300 people, which the corps soldiers and commanders also disarmed using tanks and armoured cars at 18:00 on September 19th.

On the 4th day, September 20th, having received the Army Commander's orders to take Striy, elements of the 25th Tank Corps approached Striy by 16:00, where they met German forces, and stopped, according to the orders of the People's Commissar of Defense.

On September 21st, according to the Army Commander's orders, the corps marched eastwards and readied at Zhuravno for striking at the Lvov group of the enemy. The corps traveled 30 km.

On the night from September 22nd to September 23rd, the corps marched from Zhuravno to Komarno through Striy, covering 100 km. The corps met the 2nd mountain infantry division of the German army and stopped.

From September 16th to 23rd, the 25th Tank Corps was constantly in motion, without one day's break. In total, it traveled about 450 km. On September 17th, 1939, it was 8 km north-east of the cavalry units of the South Group, and continued to get further away from them every day. Communication with the South Group was done exclusively using the corps' methods.

In total, the corps captured Chortkuv, Buchach, Monastezhiska, Galich, Burshtyn, Bolshovtse. As a result of the battles fought to capture these cities, the corps captured up to 1100 officers, 81 gendarmiere, about 12000 soldiers, up to 10000 rifles, 150 machineguns, 20 guns, 300 cars, and 12 airplanes.

We lost 8 men dead and 24 injured.

The corps traveled 400-450 km from the state border, and an additional 200 km in two night marches up to Yarmolintsy. This march loaded the unit's materiel heavily, not to mention the training performed by the whole corps prior to the march. In total, the vehicles traveled 700-800 km from August 30th to today. Despite the pressure and high speeds of the march, only 30 BT-7 tanks fell behind due to technical problems, part of which required very light repairs.

These numbers, without exaggeration, indicate an honest will of the corps to fulfill the mission set by the party and by the government.

I also find it necessary to report that, in the time of the most serious fighting, we resolved the issues with fuel supply. Over 120 tons of gasoline were captured at the Podshumlyane and Bolshovtse stations, 165 tons at Zhuravno, 25 tons at Stanislavuv, 70 tons at Galich, 380 tons in total.

Only capturing this fuel allowed the unit to complete its mission. The corps was supplied by 5 days worth of supplies from headquarters, and from local sources. 

Currently, the 25th Tank Corps has 1.5 refills of lubricants and fuel, 2 ammunition loadouts, and two days of supplies (except for sugar). 

The unit requires men and materials to increase strength to wartime levels. 80 BT-7s are located at Berdichevo (the 3rd battalion of the 5th light tank brigade is replacing one that left for the Far East, and a part of its tanks were repaired in its own workshops), and just need to be sent to us by rail.

Currently, we have 367 (one brigade minus one battalion) BT-7s."

The rest is fluff about the party and comrade Voroshilov and all that political jazz.