Russian Forces Facing the German 6Th Army, 27 September 1942
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River Flotillas in Support of Defensive Ground Operations: the Soviet Experience
The Journal of Slavic Military Studies ISSN: 1351-8046 (Print) 1556-3006 (Online) Journal homepage: http://tandfonline.com/loi/fslv20 River Flotillas in Support of Defensive Ground Operations: The Soviet Experience Lester W. Grau To cite this article: Lester W. Grau (2016) River Flotillas in Support of Defensive Ground Operations: The Soviet Experience, The Journal of Slavic Military Studies, 29:1, 73-98, DOI: 10.1080/13518046.2016.1129875 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13518046.2016.1129875 Published online: 16 Feb 2016. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 51 View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=fslv20 Download by: [Combined Arms Research Library] Date: 09 May 2016, At: 10:45 JOURNAL OF SLAVIC MILITARY STUDIES 2016, VOL. 29, NO. 1, 73–98 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13518046.2016.1129875 River Flotillas in Support of Defensive Ground Operations: The Soviet Experience Lester W. Grau Foreign Military Studies Oce ABSTRACT In the history of warfare, ground and naval forces frequently have to cooperate. There are usually problems putting these two forces together since their missions, equipment, training, communications and mutual unfamiliarity get in the way. These problems are common during transport of ground force equipment and personnel aboard naval vessels, exacer- bated during amphibious landings and assaults and very di- cult when operating together along major rivers. This article analyzes the Soviet history of defensive river otilla combat during the rst period of the Great Patriotic War (World War II against Germany). -
Glantz Vol III Book 1 LATEST.Indd
© University Press of Kansas. All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution prohibited without permission of the Press. Contents List of Maps, Tables, and Illustrations ix Preface xv Selected Abbreviations xxi Part I. Soviet Strategic Planning 1. Framework for Disaster 3 Frustration 3 The Wehrmacht in November 1942 8 German Field Commanders 11 The Red Army in November 1942 12 Soviet Field Commanders 15 2. Soviet Strategic Planning: The Genesis of Plan Uranus 20 Who Formulated Plan Uranus? The Historical Debate 20 Competing Offensive Concepts 23 Triumph of the “Different Solution,” 1–13 October 31 Plan Uranus Takes Shape, 14–31 October 38 Final Preparations, 1–18 November 41 Reflections 50 3. Gathering the Troops: Soviet Order of Battle and the Uranus Plan 55 Regrouping Forces for the Counteroffensive 55 Soviet Order of Battle 58 The Uranus Plan 79 Front and Army Plans 93 4. The Balance of Opposing Forces on 18 November 127 Soviet Forces 127 Axis Forces and Defenses 131 The Correlation of Opposing Forces 165 Part II. The Uranus Counteroffensive 5. The Penetration Battle, 19–20 November 185 Preliminaries 185 © University Press of Kansas. All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution prohibited without permission of the Press. viii Contents The Southwestern and Don Fronts’ Offensive, 19–20 November 192 The Stalingrad Front’s Offensive, 20 November 248 6. The Encirclement Closes, 21–23 November 268 German Dilemmas on 21 November 268 The Southwestern and Don Fronts’ Offensive, 21 November 271 The Stalingrad Front’s Offensive, 21 November 288 The Southwestern and Don Fronts’ Offensive, 22 November 299 The Stalingrad Front’s Offensive, 22 November 323 The Southwestern and Don Fronts’ Offensive, 23 November 337 The Stalingrad Front’s Offensive, 23 November 358 The Situation Late on 23 November 369 German Dilemmas on 23 November 371 7. -
Not a Step Back by Leanne Crain
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo HOHONU 2016 Vol. 14 The beginning of the war in Russia came as a Not a Step Back surprise to the Soviet government, even though they Leanne Crain had been repeatedly warned by other countries that History 435 Nazi Germany was planning an attack on Russia, and nearly the entire first year of the German advance into Russia was met with disorganization and reactionary planning. Hitler, and indeed, most of the top military minds in Germany, had every right to feel confident in their troops. The Germans had swept across Europe, not meeting a single failure aside from the stubborn refusal of the British to cease any hostilities, and they had seen how the Soviets had failed spectacularly in their rushed invasion of Finland in the winter of 1939. The Germans had the utmost faith in their army and the success of their blitzkrieg strategy against their enemies further bolstered that faith as the Germans moved inexorably through the Ukraine and into Russian territory nearly uncontested. The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact had kept Germany safe from any attack from Russia, “Such talk [of retreat] is lying and harmful, it weakens but Hitler had already planned for the eventuality of us and strengthens the enemy, because if there is no end invading Russia with Operation Barbarossa. Hitler was to the retreat, we will be left with no bread, no fuel, no convinced that the communist regime was on the verge metals, no raw materials, no enterprises, no factories, of collapse, and that the oppressed people under Stalin and no railways. -
Rattenkrieg: Infantry Aces Stalingrad
Rattenkrieg: Infantry Aces Stalingrad 1 Introduction: The recent release of Casino from Battle Front's Flames of War has got me thinking a lot about my favorite battle in all of WW2. STALINGRAD. I love this battle. I have watch Enemy at the Gates a hundred times, I have read Anthony Beavers book Stalingrad a hundred times, have printed every wiki article on the battle for light work reading and spent endless nights on end staring at the maps in Osprey books while my wife tried to sleep. At one point I put on a Stalingad campaign using the Blitzkreig Commander II Rules, which can be found in the AARs section of my blog. In fact Stalingrad got my blog started. We fought our way through the city and into the German counter offensive until it puttered out as all Campaigns do. I built a ton of terrain for the series of games including a grain silo and the G.U.M. Department store from scratch. We had epic house to house and block to block fights using BKC II. A new Stalingrad campaign will give me a reason to use the buildings again and replay my WW2 passion: STALINGRAD! Any way after getting my recent copy of Wargames Illustrated and reading the infantry aces sneak peeks and mini campaign sneak peak, I started to get the Stalingrad itch again. I also recently bought a Mosin Nagant which doesn't help either. For anyone who reads the FoW forums regularly, or sees any of my WW2 comments on other forums and blogs knows I have thought for a long time that Battle Front should have more Midwar briefings, specifically a Stalingrad briefing. -
Red Army Operations in Theory and Practice, 1936-1942
University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2014-09-30 Ten Principles of Soviet Operational Art: Red Army Operations in Theory and Practice, 1936-1942 Brisson, Kevin Brisson, K. (2014). Ten Principles of Soviet Operational Art: Red Army Operations in Theory and Practice, 1936-1942 (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27996 http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1872 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Ten Principles of Soviet Operational Art: Red Army Operations in Theory and Practice, 1936-1942 by Kevin M. Brisson A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF MILITARY AND STRATEGIC STUDIES CENTRE FOR MILITARY AND STRATEGIC STUDIES CALGARY, ALBERTA SEPTEMBER, 2014 ©Kevin M. Brisson 2014 2 Abstract Over the course of the Great Patriotic War, fought from 22 June, 1941 to 9 May, 1945, there was a dramatic transformation in the way the Red Army conducted battle. From an army on the cusp of annihilation to one that quickly recovered to vanquish the invading forces of Nazi Germany, this resurgence can be traced in part to its mastery of operational art. -
How Did the Red Army of the Soviet Union So Fiercely and Victoriously
The Story behind the Battle: How did the Red Army of the Soviet Union so fiercely and victoriously defend Stalingrad in 1942-43 despite the lack of trained officers, equipment, preparation, and morale in 1941? Carol Ann Taylor Student No. 30620882 Thesis for Honours Degree of Bachelor of Arts in History School of Social Sciences and Humanities Murdoch University 2012 This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Bachelor of Arts in History with Honours at Murdoch University, 2 November 2012 I declare that this thesis is a true account of my own work, unless indicated Signed: Carol Ann Taylor Date: 2 November 2012 Copyright Acknowledgement Form I acknowledge that a copy of this thesis will be held at Murdoch University Library. I understand that, under the provisions s51.2 of the Copyright Act 1968, all or part of this thesis may be copied without infringement of copyright where such a reproduction is for the purpose of study, and research. This statement does not signal any transfer of copyright away from the author. Signed: ................................................................................................ Full Name of Degree: Bachelor of Arts with Honours in History Thesis Title: The Story behind the Battle: How did the Red Army of the Soviet Union so fiercely and victoriously defend Stalingrad in 1942-43 despite the lack of trained officers, equipment, preparation, and morale in 1941? Author: Carol Ann Taylor Year: 2002 Abstract The victory over Axis forces by the Red Army during the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942-1943 is considered one of the major turning points of World War Two. -
Soviet Forces Would Be Better Pressed to Defend a Live City Than a Deserted One
STALINGRAD POCKET THE ADVANCE TO STALINGRAD AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SIXTH ARMY II FOREWORD I first read about the battle of Stalingrad in a Reader's Digest edition when I was maybe 16. Excerpts from the book, Last Letters from Stalingrad, appeared at various parts of the narrative, exemplifying the best human reaction to courage, duty, betrayal and oblivion. But my interest waned over time and became sporadic. It returned after watching Enemy at the Gates (1998) despite the movie's sappy and contrived plot, and 1993's Stalingrad, an emasculating product of the German movie industry. The story is simple enough: crushing defeat for one side and grudging victory for the other. But this general impression misses the finer picture. The real battle contained such a tale of endeavor and inevitability that it makes celluloid grandiosity redundant in the face of genuine human ordeal. I first started on this monograph in 2004, just before going off to college. The bulk of the manuscript was written then, complete with three or four maps, all of them in my opinion, detailed works of art — but maybe that is an exaggeration. Unfortunately, after I left, a hard drive crash wiped out all the information, leaving me with a draft version of the manuscript. This document represents the completion of what I had begun all those years ago. I am not entirely satisfied with my replacement maps but the bright spot is that I have had the benefit of new information and previously untapped sources. My intention is that the reading of this material leave you with the same visceral impact that I felt after reading about the battle all those years ago. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad: The Turning Point on the Eastern Front in WWII F. Courtney Lockwood Senior Thesis 1 Contents List of Maps 3 Introduction: Setting The Stage 5 The Battle Part 1: September-November 1942 13 The Battle Part 2: November 1942-late January 1943 21 Surrender and the March into Captivity 42 National Myth: Propaganda, Vergeltung, Total War 50 The Shockwave of Stalingrad: Psychological Shift, German Morale, Shortcomings of German High Command 60 Conclusion: Russian Agency and the Legacy of Stalingrad 74 2 List of Maps German Invasion of Soviet Union 1941-1942 4 Operation Blau 9 German Advance on Stalingrad, Autumn 1942 14 Operation Uranus 21 Manstein’s Breakout Attempt/Operation Winter Storm 31 Operation Ring 38 3 ‘German Invasion of Soviet Union 1941-1942’ Source: after map in Showalter, D. (2009) Hitler’s Panzers, p. 2 4 Introduction: Setting the Stage The rise and fall of the Third Reich continues to fascinate and confuse historians today. In particular the war against Russia not only was a monumental undertaking for the Nazi State in terms of economic and military resources, but also the invasion included an inherent all or nothing attitude for the future of National Socialism. Russia tempted Germany with land, natural resources, and possibly an end to Bolshevism and Judaism. Southern Russia looked particularly ripe for Hitler as he focused on gaining control of the lucrative grain and oilfields in the Caucuses. A total victory in Russia also spelled out the demise of the Jews and Communists, as Hitler believed Judaism and Bolshevism were intertwined and the extermination of both would allow the Aryan race and ethnic Germans to assert their supremacy. -
Battle of Stalingrad : Political, Economic and Military Considerations
THE BATTLE OP STALIHBRAD: POLITICAL, ECOHOMIC AND MILITAKS: C0H3IDERATI0HS by SEOmE W. HOFMAHIT A. B. Kansas State University, 1959 B. S. Kansas State University, 1959 A MASTER tS THESIS submitted In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OP ARTS Oepai^raent of Hlstoiry, Political Science and Philosophy KANSAS STATE UNrVERSm Manhattan, Kansas 1961 LP TV " C-i. PREFACE The battle of Stalingrad will be long ramembered aa one of the greatest military disasters In history. Hot only was It a mllltai7 catastrophe, but It was also significant In political and economic Implications. The purpose of this study to examine and relate the Initial planning and strategy of the German attack upon the Soviet Union In 191^1, and the series of steps that led to a concentration of effort In the Ukraine and the Caucasus and from there to the catastrophe at Stalingrad. Many myths, charges and counterchargos have arisen from the chaos at Stalingrad, prompted by persons Involved who have attempted to Justify their positions. It will be fundamental with this examination to pre- sent all sides of the story. Including much of the Soviet version which Is perhaps the most reliable account. This Is true because the Soviets had nothing to hide and only a great victory to report to the world. I am deeply Indebted to Mtss Mary Roberts of the Documents Division of the Kansas State Library for her help In locating and obtaining through Inter-library loan the many sources consulted, and to Dr. D. P. Munro of the Department of Modern Languages who translated the German and French sources for me. -
From CK Glantz Vol III Book 2 +Index.Indd
© University Press of Kansas. All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution prohibited without permission of the Press. Contents List of Maps, Tables, and Illustrations ix Preface xv Selected Abbreviations xxi Part I. Defeating German Relief Attempts, 1–19 December 1942 1. Competing German and Soviet Dilemmas 3 Context 3 Hitler, Manstein, and Paulus 4 The Stavka, Vasilevsky, and Vatutin 20 2. The Southwestern Front’s Battles along the Krivia and Chir Rivers, 1–15 December 39 Context: German Relief Plans 39 Soviet Plans and Preliminary Operations, 1–6 December 40 The Chir (Tormosin) Offensive, 7–15 December 46 3. The Stalingrad Front’s Defense against Operation Wintergewitter (Winter Tempest), 1–19 December 86 The Kotel’nikovo Axis and Preparations for Wintergewitter, 1–12 December 86 Operation Wintergewitter and the Battle for Verkhne-Kumskii, 12–19 December 107 4. The Don and Stalingrad Fronts’ Battle for the Stalingrad Pocket, 1–15 December 159 The Offensive, 1–5 December 159 Preparing the Way for 2nd Guards Army, 6–15 December 185 Conclusions 206 Part II. The Expanding Soviet Offensive, 16–31 December 1942 5. Operation Little Saturn and the Tormosin Offensive, 16–31 December 223 Context 223 Operation Little Saturn, 16–31 December 227 5th Tank, 5th Shock, and 2nd Guards Armies’ Tormosin Offensive, 16–31 December 245 © University Press of Kansas. All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution prohibited without permission of the Press. viii Contents 6. The End of Wintergewitter and Donnerschlag (Thunder Clap) and the Stalingrad Front’s Kotel’nikovo Offensive, 16–31 December 1943 286 Wintergewitter and Donnerschlag, 16–23 December 286 The Climax of Wintergewitter, 19–24 December 297 The Stalingrad Front’s Kotel’nikovo Offensive, 24–27 December 317 The Consequences of German Defeat 327 7. -
Glantz Soviet Military Operations During the Soviet-German War 1941-45 As Indicators of the USSR’S Postwar Territorial Ambitions and International Influence
Glantz Soviet Military Operations during the Soviet-German War 1941-45 as Indicators of the USSR’s Postwar Territorial Ambitions and International Influence 研究会記録 Soviet Military Operations during the Soviet-German War 1941-45 as Indicators of the USSR’s Postwar Territorial Ambitions and International Influence David M. Glantz Defining the Question Recent research on military operations the Soviet Army conducted during the Soviet-German War (1941-45) and the Soviet-Japanese War (August-September 1945), together with new Russian archival releases, indicate that Josef Stalin, Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars and Generalissimo of the Soviet Union, sought territorial acquisitions and the expansion of the USSR’s foreign influence to a far greater degree than formerly believed. Research demonstrates that, as early as February 1943 and to a vastly increased extent thereafter, Stalin orchestrated Red Army offensive actions designed not only to restore the territorial integrity of the prewar Soviet Union but also to extend Soviet control or influence over other territories external to its prewar boundaries. Further, in the winter campaign of 1945, Stalin’s insistence on accomplishing these goals prompted him to alter existing strategic plans fundamentally in order to exploit unanticipated opportunities afforded by sharply altered diplomatic circumstances. Admittedly, since important Soviet archival materials remain to be released, this study is inherently incomplete. However, the facts and patterns the study identifies leave no doubt about the fundamental premise; that is, for whatever reason, Stalin’s program for aggrandizing Soviet power in the postwar world was indeed genuine. The First Period of the War, 22 June 1941-18 November 1942 Of necessity, as he orchestrated military operations during the first period of the Soviet-German War, Stalin’s actions and strategic intent were governed largely by defensive concerns. -
Offensive Women: Women in Combat in the Red Army in the Second
Offensive Women: Women in Combat in the Red Army 1 in the Second World War I Reina Pennington Abstract This article revisits the topic of Soviet women in the ground forces in the Second World War. The focus is on the nature and variety of wom- en’s combat experiences. Although most women were noncombatants, many did participate in activities normally associated with combat, and some women participated in virtually every combat role of the time. The available evidence indicates that women in the Red Army performed, overall, as well as men in combat situations. Introduction A typical view of the historical role of women in combat was expressed by John Keegan in his 1994 book, A History of Warfare: “Warfare is . the one human activity from which women, with the most insignificant exceptions, have always and everywhere stood apart . Women . do not fight . and they never, 1. The following article is an update and revision of a 1995 conference presentation given by the author at the University of Edinburgh, under the mentorship of John Erickson. The conference, “The Soldier’s Experience of War in the West 1939-1945,” featured such speakers as John Keegan, Hew Strachan, and Brian Bond. The conference proceedings were subsequently Reina Pennington, Ph.D., is associate professor of history at Norwich University. A former Air Force intelligence officer, her publications include Wings, Women and War: Soviet Air- women in World War II Combat and Amazons to Fighter Pilots: A Biographical Dictionary of Military Women, as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters. She is working on a book entitled What Russia Can Teach Us About War, which was the subject of her presentation at a recent conference in Moscow.