|
Author
|
Topic: Soviet artillery methods, summer '41
|
Sean Oliver
Member
|
posted 01-16-2003 04:42 PM
  
How prevalent was direct-fire used by Soviet field artillery during the first months of the war?
It seems the Rifle Divs' regimental guns and organic 'Light'Art.Rgts.(76mm & 122mm)were often employed on the front-line as direct-fire & AT weapons. Soviet problems with shortages of AT guns, communications, fire control, & ammo supply made Indiirect-Fire wasteful & ineffective until later in the war.
Was it 'official' doctrine or more like an improvisation? Did they do this during the war w/Finns?
Is there evidence of Corps and RVGK Heavy Art.Rgts. deliberatly used in this way?Although it may seem I've answered my own question here, I'm wondering if anyone has encountered reliable Soviet(or Ger)writings which address this issue in detail.
I'm primarily interested in the Smolensk/El'nia/Yartsevo battles of late Aug-Sep'41.
I'm also wondering about Sov. 'Sep.Tank Battalions' at this time. BSSA shows 9 Sep.Tk.Bns. belonging to Western Front on Sep.1, 1941, yet I cannot find any reference to them in any other accounts of the period, including 'Sbornik Boevykh Dokumentov VOV 41'.
If they were there,this would be quite a large group of tanks potentially available to Stavka/Zhukov/Timoshenko for the El'nia offensive.
My guess is that they were in the formation stage, and not really combat-ready.
The same probably holds true for the Tank Brigades which first appeared in very late Aug/early Sep. Any input?
IP: Logged | |
The Dupuy Institute Forum
UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! 
