Panzer attack causes confusion in North Africa, Siegfried Knappe: Soldat – Reflections of a German Soldier, 1936-1949, The Russian winter arrives on the Eastern Front | ΜΕΤΩΠΟ ΟΧΙ. Cold ice and snow may hinder operations as early as December, especially in the northern parts of the country. Summer is the season least suited to ground operations. In quiet sectors horses were worked as little as possible when feed was short. When snow was not. Lapp shoes, soft shoes made of reindeer hide, are needed by ski troops for tent wear. A command decision to make motored snow-clearing equipment available would have aided the movement considerably. Requisitioning of food in unoccupied territory was possible only with strong parties, as such areas were infested with partisans and scattered Russian soldiers. Even during the first summer of the Russian campaign, the Germans were able to obtain part of their cereals and forage from local sources, although the retreating Russians burned large quantities of grain and destroyed many agricultural implements. However both sides had their resources strained and at times one side or other suffered the severe consequences of underpreparedness, but Chew concluded that winter did not provide a decisive advantage to any of the combatants. Roads kept free of snow are easily passable, often better than in summer. Russian civilians living in the area where the reconnaissance was made, who had been well treated by Germans billeted in their villages at an earlier date, were of great assistance. As Rokossovsky’s attack continued, losses mounted on both sides. Aircraft engines need special protection against summer dust. He can establish communications that enable him to shift reserves to threatened sectors. During the final week of January, the carnage reached new heights as the pocket was steadily reduced. Unreasonable speed on skis or on foot stimulates perspiration and induces chills and frostbite. lubricants were available, troops found an emergency solution in the The Russians used forty-four regiments in the construction German troops in the arctic were adequately clothed, and frostbite casualties were rare. For instance, in February 1044 when two German corps were encircled at Cherkassy, an attempt by a strong armored force to crack the Russian ring from the outside bogged down within sight of the encircled corps, although the relief force did come close enough to its objective to make contact with some troops who had fought, (heir way out on foot. GERMAN HORSE-DRAWN WAGON in summer mud, 1941. For the next five days a desperate battle was fought in the hills and valleys between the Askai and Mishkova rivers. Roads need continuous maintenance, a job that requires thousands of laborers. In the Great Northern War, Charles XII of Sweden invaded Russia in 1707. In the wilderness of the north, where the fire fight is usually carried on at close range, a high cyclic rate of fire in small arms is more important than accuracy. Because both seasons are similar, they are dealt with in the same part of this study. Medical liaison aircraft often picked up casualties from right behind the front lines. Most ski movement in the arctic is over flat terrain, and skis should therefore be light and narrow, about two and one-half inches wide, without reinforced edges. The difficulties were many. Nevertheless, while waiting for his supply columns to arrive, he deployed his tanks to engage the Soviets. Minor changes in form and in chapter titles have been made to obtain greater clarity. The roads, mud, and swamps of northern Russia posed entirely new problems for the German artillery. In October 1941, for instance, such a combination of forces captured Kursk. Paralyzed by cold, the German troops could not aim their rifle fire, and bolt mechanisms jammed or strikers shattered in the bitter winter weather. [3][4] Russians call those muddy conditions, rasputitsa, which occur with autumnal rains and spring thaws in Russia and make transport over unimproved roads difficult. Mired roads make movement of troops and vehicles on top of dry railroad embankments a great temptation, but it must be avoided. by Baltasar » 19 Sep 2011, 22:39, Post Russian armor with its wide tracks could still move over the muddy Fur clothing is not suitable for ski troops because it induces perspiration; quilted uniforms are best for ski wear. Supply trucks broke through Motor transport of wounded to hospitals which cannot be reached via a hard-surfaced road is a torturously slow procedure; ambulances towed by prime movers must wind their way through mile after mile of vehicles bogged down in mud. Climatic conditions in this land of midnight sun and polar night pose serious problems not only in the conduct of military operations, but also for mere survival. The snow blew almost horizontally in blizzards that some- times lasted all day long, with the wind piercing our faces with a thousand needles. Serious traffic jams are often caused by icy roads. This disease was attributed to contact with the excrement of lemmings, molelike brown and white rodents. [5], Napoleon's Grande Armée of 610,000 men invaded Russia, heading towards Moscow, in the beginning of summer on 24 June 1812. On 18 April, the first warm, sunny day of spring, the Russian attacks ceased. A thirty-mile trip under such con-ditions often takes six to eight hours. Sissi combat denotes small unit actions which have the objective of hitting the enemy at one point. The wounded lay in filthy hallways, and cellars were soon converted into makeshift operating rooms. Force Belov, which had received reinforcements by air, fought bitterly, and the German spearheads inched forward through a maze of Russian mine fields as the main bodies engaged in a series of fire fights. Even with extensive use of aircraft, the lessons presented in this study will remain valid. Most rivers in Russia are not regulated, and after snow melts in the spring the rushing waters make river beds extremely muddy, especially near the banks. by Baltasar » 20 Sep 2011, 12:33, Post "Identify yourselves or we will fire," was the Russian demand as translated by the interpreter. Nadia Comaneci, Olympic gold medal-winning Romanian gymnast; named one of the athletes of the century by Laureus World Sports Academy (2000). A German company that spent a day during a thaw entrenching itself lost sixty-five of its ninety-three men as a result of a sudden severe cold wave at night. The rest lay buried somewhere in the Soviet Union. These deceptive measures were not particularly effective since the artillery was of necessity confined to the few dry areas available. Evacuation by litter bearers was slow, and required large numbers of personnel. After a bitter fight the main attack caved in the enemy flank, and as the panzer thrust hit the rear, the entire Russian defense collapsed. However, after Göring’s speech concerning his ability to supply the army, Hitler would hear no more about it [a breakout]. Guns sank up to the axles in mud, and as the rain continued next day even the light prime movers and horse-drawn Russian peasant carts used by the Germans bogged down. Tanks and self-propelled artillery are of limited value in the arctic region of European Russia. Tarpaulins provided good weather cover for wings and tail units of aircraft parked in the open, and served as camouflage. Operating schedules are disrupted because muddy highways prevent access to railheads. Frequently, the infantry followed close behind their tanks, using the trail made by the tank tracks. when no medical officers were available.