Winter Warfare: Red Army Orders and Experiences

by Armstrong,Richard N.

• ISBN13: 9780714646992
• ISBN10: 0714646997
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-06-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Based on German and Soviet military archival material, this book provides a rare insight into the tactics and planning for combat in a winter climate. It also studies the mechanisms for change in an army during the course of battle. The first part of the book looks at the tactical pamphlet 'People's Commissar for Defence Order No. 109', as passed by Red Army units on 4 March 1941, which provided regulations for combat in Winter. The document came to the West through the German military intelligence files of the High Command of Forces, Foreign Armies East (Fremde Heere Ost) and represents a distillation of lessons learned from Red Army experiences during the Russo-Finnish War. The second part of the book, using material from the Soviet military archives, reveals Red Army General Staff supplements to the winter regulation. Orders and directives alone are insufficient to ensure the passing of tacit knowledge in winter warfare. Within the Red Army, an institutional process existed for thecollection of combat lessons which provided the tactical and operational examples for subordinate commands to emulate in training and battle.

Table of Contents

Red Army regulation for combat action of troops in winter: effects of winter conditions on the combat actions of troops

peculiarities of command and control

peculiarities of troop combat security

peculiarities of organization and work in the rear area

offensive combat

meeting engagement

defence

marching in winter

rest and rest security

combat operations by ski units and formations in the enemy rear

Appendices: instructions for preventing frostbite

rules for the care and control of livestock in winter

instructions for the combat preparations of infantry weapons, mortars, artillery, ammunition, optical equipment, tanks, vehicles and "akkus"

directions for troops crossing over ice and construction of roads in winter

standards for the transport of wounded on ski-litters and "volokushas" (canoe-like sled with shaft runners)

transport of weapons and ammunition on volokushas and volokush-boats and how one fires maching-guns from them

construction of field-dwelling shelters in winter

Red Army war experiences: operational-tactical lessons of the winter campaign of 1941-42

features of offensive activities in the winter

combat use of ski troops

combat operations by artillery during the winter of 1941-42

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