News from Heroes and Leaders mod

asl3d · Post by **asl3d** » Thu Nov 21, 2019 4:29 pm

Because the fuel shortage it was difficult for partisans to keep many units moving with motor vehicles. However, many types of vehicles were used, some captured from the German forces themselves, others requisitioned, and some improvised to become an fighting vehicle. An improvised fighting vehicle is an ad hoc combat vehicle resulting from modified or upgraded civilian or military non-combat vehicle, often constructed and employed by civilians, rebels, guerrillas, resistance movements or other forms of non-state militias. Such modifications usually consist of grafting armor plating and weapon systems onto a vehicle.
Various militias and official militaries have improvised such vehicles ever since the introduction of the first automobiles into military service. During the early days, the absence of a doctrine for the military use of automobiles or of an industry dedicated to producing them lead to a great deal of improvisation in the creation of early armored cars and similar vehicles. Italian partisans developed a novel system of partisan warfare based on mobile units in the flatland, equipped first with bicycles, then with cars, then with trucks, and, finally, with tanks, all captured from the enemy.
An example is the Kubuś, a Polish improvised fighting vehicle used by the Home Army in the Warsaw Uprising. The single vehicle was built in secret to function as an armored car and armored personnel carrier for assaults by the Home Army. Kubuś was based on the chassis of a civilian Chevrolet 157 truck which had been license-built in pre-war Poland. The chassis was fitted with steel plates for protection of the crew, and were bolted to a steel frame and then welded together. The armored car could carry between 8 and 12 soldiers, and was armed with a Soviet-built DP-27 machine gun, underground-built K pattern flamethrower and hand grenades, in addition to personal armament of the soldiers. The construction of Kubuś was completed on August 22, taking only 13 days from the decision to build to the handing over of the vehicle to Home Army fighting units. The vehicle entered service immediately upon completion, and was attached to the "Wydra" motorized unit. The following day, together with a captured Sd.Kfz.251/3 Ausf.D, it took part in a failed assault at the main campus of Warsaw University. Perhaps the most unusual use was with the Panhard 178s took place in 1941 and 1942, when 45 vehicles, hidden from the Germans by French cavalry units following the defeat of 1940, were prepared by Resistance personnel for possible use against the Germans. These vehicles had no turrets, but these were manufactured under the nose of the Germans and fitted with 25 mm or 4,7mm guns and/or machine-guns. The armored cars were then secretly distributed throughout centers of resistance mainly in unoccupied France, where many were subsequently taken over by the German forces when they took over the unoccupied areas of France m November 1942.

asl3d · Post by **asl3d** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 4:47 pm

Strategists in revolutionary war have always thought it was better to use partisan forces in combination with regular forces, rather than relying on the success of independent partisan actions.
Both the Soviets and many other countries always thought about the role that cavalry can play in a war of resistance against a hypothetical enemy superior in number and technology. They also emphasized on cavalry and its capacity for rapid movement and deep maneuver would help to make the own forces equal to those of possible enemies. "An especially important role will fall to horse cavalry in future operations," they said, facing another stream of opinion more dazzled by the advantages of motor vehicles, which talked of the transformation of Civil War cavalry into "a new type of arm — armored cavalry." World War II demonstrated the validity of this earlier view. Armored troops and armored cavalry played a major role in that conflict. The role of horse cavalry, even among the troops of the Soviet Union, was minimal.
Generally speaking, Russian partisan groups on the Eastern Front were formed early in 1942. At first they were mainly isolated bands of little strength, frequently dropped from aircraft, operating in rear areas well behind the German front. During the summer of 1942, however, these bands were gradually combined into more closely knit groups, put under a unified command, and continuously rein-forced. Accordingly, their operations grew in scope and impact. Partisan group activities seldom covered areas near the front except when extensive, pathless forests favored their approach. In general, the partisan groups would maneuver in the rear areas of the German armies, in woods and swamps next to highways and railroads. They avoided open territory and regions occupied by German troops, but kept the latter under surveillance. The rapid movements of partisans were often made thanks to the use of cavalry.
During large-scale enemy break-throughs, or German withdrawals, strong partisan groups frequently managed to coordinate their operations with those of Soviet cavalry, ski units, infiltrated infantry, or paratroops. Substantial German forces (usually several infantry and panzer divisions) had to be mustered in order to combat the joint enemy efforts. Prior to large-scale Russian offensives, strong bands would often migrate to the areas that the Red Army soon hoped to take.
The partisans followed the practice of avoiding open combat as much as possible. This practice was indeed the guiding rule upon which their method of warfare was based. Unusual developments at the front would immediately result in extremely lively partisan activity, essentially aimed at the disruption and destruction of railroad lines.

asl3d · Post by **asl3d** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 5:05 pm

A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load. Horses in World War II were used by the belligerent nations for transportation of troops, artillery, materiel, and, to a lesser extent, in mobile cavalry troops. A two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle is a cart (see various types below, both for carrying people and for goods). Four-wheeled vehicles have many names – one for heavy loads is called a wagon. Animal power was ubiquitous on World War II battlefields and in rear areas, with horses forming the spine of logistics for several armies. Among major combatants, the Wehrmacht was most reliant on horses for its basic transport. Horses pulled ammunition wagons; towed artillery; and hauled kitchens, food wagons, ambulances, and carts filled with German wounded. During Barbarossa, most invading Axis infantry that advanced behind the Panzers and mechanized Panzergrenadiers did so on foot, with all their supplies and many of their guns hauled by horse. Over 750,000 horses accompanied the invading Axis armies that summer. Millions more were collected from farms across occupied Europe and the western Soviet Union, thereby greatly reducing agricultural productivity. Most accompanied the Germans eastward into shared death from shellfire, bombs, cold, and starvation. The Red Army also used horses in lieu of trucks and halftracks, which it lacked until Lend-Lease trucks began to arrive in large numbers in 1943. The Russian supply lines were efficient and ran smoothly thanks to Studebaker Trucks from capitalistic America, while the Germans used slow and inefficient horse drawn carriages. In these conditions, Russian army leaders told the partisans go out now and "do what you do best." Even the U.S. Army began the war with 12 million horses—and another 4 million mules. Yugoslav partisans, Greek partisans, and all other troops fighting in mountainous areas relied on horses as pack animals. In Asia, the Japanese Army used large herds of horses extensively while fighting in China, as did opposing Guomindang and Chinese Communist armies. The Japanese even developed snow-suit camouflage for pack and cavalry horses working in winter conditions.
An example is the German horse-drawn wagon Hf1. The ubiquitous Hf 1 transport wagon was a heavy, four-wheel cart drawn by one or two horses. It weighed 650 kg empty and could carry a load of 750 kg. The wagon was generally fitted with a camouflaged, painted canvas cover. The larger Hf 2 needed a four-horse team. It weighed 1,040 kg empty and had a load capacity of 1,720 kg. Another standardized horse-drawn wagon was the Hf 7/11 with rubber-tired wheels and steel body. Other carts were used, many of them simply captured, commandeered, looted or "borrowed" from local peasants. The standardized Hf 1 and Hf 2 horse-drawn wagons remained in widespread use until 1945 for transport and heavy loads.

asl3d · Post by **asl3d** » Sun Nov 24, 2019 5:10 pm

World War II also influenced the industrial motorcycle sector. Motorcycles were widely spread in the military and used as separate combat units. Thousands of technologists were trying to design and modify their models. The motorcycles were applied in 14 countries, taking part in WW2. They played an important role either as solo couriers or as scouts or for evacuation injured from the battlefield. There were also fighting forces, which attended infantry and tank units.
Within the most legendary motorcycle formations, the next one can be included: German, American, Japanese and Soviet. Although British WW2 motorcycles should be mentioned, because it’s well known, that the British “Triumph” was the prototype of German BMW R32.
A Poket, a very popular word among the Partisans, is a movement of emergency, when the Partisans were beset by enemy units in the area. Normally, the escape was always precipitated and directed towards a forest or place of difficult access. The Pokret came always as a sudden, unwelcome surprise. Everything movable was packed in a hurry, thrown on lorries, cars, motorcycles, carts, whatever vehicles were available. All kinds of materials were transported: hundreds of files, kitchen utensils, blankets, reserve supply of uniforms, military array, even some furniture such as desks, tables and chairs.
There is a legend about how the Soviet motorcycles appeared. They said, in 1940 the meeting of the Red Army heads was held to devise a motorcycle that would be suitable for the Red Arm. Then, one of the generals asked, what kind of aggregate have Germans chosen. It was a BMW R71. Exactly since that moment they started production of a M72 version. In fact, there were no difference between the Soviet model and its German prototype, but the Soviet one was fitted with a simple construction and an opposite low-piston engine. It gave the commuter a lower center of gravity. Its top speed wasn’t an unbelievable (80 km/h), but it had the high torque – a great advantage on a battlefield. Due to its high price, the motorcycle wasn’t widely spread and used only for elite units.
In Germany there were two motorcycle brands: BMW and Zundарр: BMW R75 and Zundapp KS750. They were well adjusted to off-roads, fitted with a side-car gear and in general, these motorcycles proved that they were great fighters. At the same time, would hardly find them at the Eastern Front, because of its high price. As the result, only the paratroops, African corps and since 1942 were armed with BMW R75 and Zundapp KS750. Other units were equipped with BMW R71.

asl3d · Post by **asl3d** » Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:54 pm

The skiff is a small river and sea going craft. They varied from double ended rowing boats to small sailing boats. Usage of skiff is to refer to a typically small flat-bottomed open boat with a pointed bow and a flat stern originally developed as an inexpensive and easy to build boat for use by inshore fishermen.
The partisans used small rowboats, like the skiffs, to cross rivers in limited amphibious operations. The partisans' success was largely attributable to the arms and supplies parachuted to them by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) or the Soviet Army, and to the brilliance of the intelligence networks developed by members of the Resistance in constant touch with headquarters via secret radios. The use of small boats allowed to Partisans transporting supplies by river or by the coast.
The skiff was mainly used in river crossings, but it could also be used to land on beaches which would prove critical. The most important feature for raiding parties was that the skiff was his silent if no motor was used, creating far more stealth opportunities that otherwise would not have been possible with conventional ships or landing craft.
The skiff could be paddled by the men inside the boat and could travel at speeds of up to 52.1 meters per minute with a well trained team. The realistic range of the boat varied from about 3.2 km to 4.8 km. What was perhaps most useful about the skiff was the fact that it could be transported near anywhere by a variety of craft without taking up much room.
Naval forces of the Yugoslav Partisans were formed as early as 19 September 1942, when Partisans in Dalmatia formed their first naval unit made of fishing boats, which gradually evolved (especially after the armistice between Italy and the Allies) into a force able to conduct complex amphibious operations. This event is considered to be the foundation of the Yugoslav Navy. At its peak during World War II, the Yugoslav Partisans' Navy commanded nine or 10 armed ships, 30 patrol boats, close to 200 support ships, six coastal batteries, and several Partisan detachments on the islands, around 3,000 men.
After the Italian capitulation of 8 September 1943, following the Allied invasion of Italy, the Partisans took most of the coast and all of the islands. On 26 October, the Yugoslav Partisans' Navy was organized first into four, and later into six Maritime Coastal Sectors (Pomorsko Obalni Sektor, POS). The task of the naval forces was to secure supremacy at sea, organize defense of coast and islands, and attack enemy sea traffic and forces on the islands and along the coasts.

asl3d · Post by **asl3d** » Tue Nov 26, 2019 5:45 pm

The Soviets stress that water obstacles should be crossed from the march to preclude major halts in the offense. This doctrine includes crossing these obstacles at multiple points along a broad front to overwhelm enemy defenses. This doctrine also calls for river crossings to be made at night; however, Soviet units rarely train in night river crossings. Smoke is used extensively to mask assault crossings conducted during daylight hours. Engineer river crossing capability is found at the regimental engineer company organic to motorized rifle and tank regiments, the division engineer battalion, and special engineer battalions and regiments at front and army level.
The purpose of any river crossing is to project combat power across a water obstacle in order to accomplish a mission. A river crossing is a special operation. It re-quires specific procedures for success, because the water obstacle prevents normal ground maneuver. It also requires unique technical support and more detailed planning and control measures than normal tactical operations. The nature and size of the obstacle, the threat situation, and the available crossing assets limit the commander's options. The challenge is to minimize the river's impact on the commander's tactics. The force is vulnerable while crossing, as it must break its movement formations, concentrate at crossing points, re-form on the far shore, and reduce its movement rate to the speed of the crossing means.
The assaulting task force normally has three dismounted infantry companies of three infantry platoons each to conduct the assault. The task force may have formed company teams, but all assault companies must retain adequate dismounted infantry strength for the assault. Besides its organic infantry and armor, the assault task force has its fire-support team, its airdefense teams, and an attached combat engineer company (with the engineer platoons attached to the assault companies).
The first assault wave moves the bulk of the dismounted force across covertly. This force attempts to provide sufficient security on the far shore, so that the second and later assault waves can cross after surprise is lost. It carries the rifle platoons, attached assault engineers, forward observers, and rifle company command group.

asl3d · Post by **asl3d** » Wed Nov 27, 2019 4:43 pm

A platoon of four ZSU-23-4s often accompanies a reinforced motorized rifle battalion operating as an advance guard of a motorized rifle regiment. During the motorized rifle battalion's march to a river, the ZSU-23-4 platoon usually moves at the rear of the forward security element. Normally, the ZSU-23-4 platoon is employed in two pairs. In some situations, only one pair may be located with the forward security element while the other pair is with the advance guard main body.
River meanders form salient and re-entrant angles along the shore. A salient on the threat shore is a desirable crossing area for two reasons. It allows friendly fires from a wide stretch of the near shore to concentrate against a small area on the far shore and limits the length of threat shore that must be cleared of direct fire and observation. Additionally, salient on the threat shore generally mean that the friendly shore banks are steeper and the water is deeper, while the threat shore tends to have shallow water and less challenging banks.
An offensive deliberate river crossing operation has four phases. They are distinct phases for planning, but there is no pause between them in execution.
Phase I: Advance to the river. The first phase is the deliberate attack to seize and secure the near shore of a water obstacle.
Phase II: Assault across the river. The second phase involves units assaulting across a water obstacle to secure a lodgement on the far shore, eliminating direct fire on the crossing sites.
Phase III: Advance from the exit bank. The third phase is the attack to seize and secure exit-bank and intermediate objectives that eliminate direct and observed indirect fire into the crossing area.
Phase IV: Secure the bridgehead line. The final phase involves units that seize and secure bridgehead objectives to protect the bridgehead against counterattack. This gains additional time and space for build up of forces for the attack out of the bridgehead.

asl3d · Post by **asl3d** » Thu Nov 28, 2019 5:08 pm

The Germans raised 35 Briickenbau-Bataillone ( bridge-construction battalions), which were redesignated Pionier-Brficken-Bataillone (engineer bridge battalions) in late 1943. The battalion had four bridge companies, a depot company for materials, and a machinery platoon with heavy equipment. They also formed 19 Briicken-Kolonnen-Staffeln (bridge column staffs) to manage the many company-sized bridge columns transporting bridging equipment. There were also Transport Abteilungen fur Briickengerat (transport battalions for bridge equipment). The 82-man Briickenkolonne K had only four large pontoons. These were in three sections: two ends and a middle section. Other equipment included decking, bridge trestles, ramps, etc. This class of unit provided a 16-ton, 46m (152ft) bridge capable of supporting light tanks, as well as 16-ton ferries using four complete pontoons.
In service at the beginning of the war was a miscellany of fairly old equipment such as the Brückengerät C, a small wooden pontoon bridge with built-up superstructure that could be used in a variety of roles, with a maximum weight of just over five tonnes. For most of the war, however, there were two standard bridging equipment in use by the Divisions, the Brückengerät K and the Brückengerät B, the bridging columns being identified by the appropriate initial letter.
The Brückengerät K was the standard bridge of the armoured engineers. It was a box or bow girder bridge mounted on three-compartment pontoons and able to be laid in sections two, three or four girders wide. The official maximum rating was 16 tonnes load.
K pontoon and trestle equipment (Brückengerät K).—This is the standard bridge carried by engineers in the Panzer division. The pontoons are of a three-section type and the superstructure is similar to the U. S. small box-girder bridge. Bridges of two, three, and four girders can be built, the full girder length of 64 feet being normally used. The track load-carrying capacity and corresponding spans are probably equal to or greater than, the following:
4-girder, 48-foot span_____________________ 25 tons.
4-girder, 64-foot span_____________________ 21 tons.
2-girder, 32-foot span_____________________ 21 tons.
2-girder, 64-foot span______________________ 10 tons.
The bridge columns usually were part of the engineers battalions in the divisions. The structure of the battalions consisted of three companies and a bridge column and depending on the type of division were totally or partially motorized. In partially motorized battalions, the 1st and 2nd Companies were equipped with horse-drawn vehicles and the 3rd Company and bridge column were motorized.
Bridges are usually made up of a fixed section and a floating section; the fixed section supported by trestles and the floating section over half-pontoons or full pontoons depending on the type of the bridge; Ramp or causeways connected both sections. Bridges settled on firm ground were built on trestles.

asl3d · Post by **asl3d** » Fri Nov 29, 2019 4:58 pm

Bridge columns bore a suffix letter indicating the type of equipment (Bruckengerats) they carried. The 111-man Briickenkolonne B (Bridge Column B) had two platoons, and carried 16x half-pontoons, 24x large inflatable pontoons, and 48x small inflatable boats plus 2x motor boats. They also carried bridge ramps and bridge and ferry fittings. The unit could erect 83m (274ft) of 8-ton bridging on half-pontoons, or 54m (178ft) of 16-ton bridging on full pontoons (two half-pontoons fitted end to end). Using half- and full pontoons, various combinations of 4-, 8-, and 16-ton ferries could also be built, powered with large outboard motors. A 53-man Briickenkolonne C possessed 10x light half-pontoon 16x large and 48x small inflatable boats. They were used to construct up to 84m (277ft) of 4-ton capacity bridging, or several 2- and 4-ton ferries; no outboard motors were provided for the latter. Infantry footbridges could be erected using the small inflatable boats.
The Brückengerät B was a normal pattern of pontoon bridge using a flat-bed superstructure on undecked steel pontoons and having a maximum load in excess of 20 tonnes in most of its forms. It was normally issued to Infantry and Panzer Grenadier Divisions but was sometimes allocated to armoured Divisions in addition to Brückengerät K for special tasks. A third, lighter pattern, Brückengerät D, was used by some mechanised infantry pioneer platoons in the divisional infantry Regiments. It was a pontoon and girder bridge with a maximum load of 9 tonnes. In addition, all engineer units were trained to build improvised light bridges and carried a supply of wood, etc for this purpose.
GHQ bridging units, normally allocated to Armies, had heavy structures normally with massive decked pontoons supporting wide, built-up spans. A variety was in use, the most common being the ex-Czech Herbert bridge and the BrückengerätS; both these had a distributed loading (tracked vehicles) of over 24 tonnes. The Germans used a ‘Herbert’ bridge (taken from the Czechoslovakian Army) which would support 35 tons. The description of the bridge is a little confusing. It implies if the freeboard is 12″, it will support 60 tons. The problem is the bridge takes so long to build; it cannot be used in assault actions.

asl3d · Post by **asl3d** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 4:18 pm

A Barricade, from the French barrique (barrel), is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. Adopted as a military term, a barricade denotes any improvised field fortification, such as on city streets during urban warfare.
Warsaw residents constructed Barricades with whatever was at hand – earth, paving stones, cobbles, stones, bricks from demolished buildings, tramcars, household equipment, etc. Some lasted several days, others – several weeks. There were also those that survived until the end of the uprising. Amongst them was the most famous of them all – the combined barricade and cut-through at Jerusalem Avenue. From 1943, Jerusalem Avenue had been the city’s principal east-west thoroughfare. For the German occupation forces, it was the shortest transport route to the front via the Poniatowski Bridge. Therefore, from the first days of the uprising the stretch between Nowy Świat and Marszałkowska streets was under constant German fire and was additionally controlled by tanks. Formidable enemy positions at the Main Station (the no longer existing railway station along Jerusalem Avenue between Emilii Plater and Marszałkowska streets) and the massive building of the National Economic Bank at the corner of Jerusalem Avenue and Nowy Świat made traffic along the thoroughfare impossible and effectively divided the city centre into two parts – a northern and southern section.
A double barricade made of earth-filled sacks was to have been built simultaneously on both sides of the road. The building of a passageway got under way and would be carried out in several stages. A sapper platoon was set up and they were assisted by local residents who filled bags with sand. Over the next three nights, German tanks approaching from the Main Station side destroyed the initial phases of the barricade. That was when its design was modified. A decision was made to dig a trench to a depth of 1.5 metres below the road surface. The cut-through was to shield the two-sided heaped-earth barricade, fortified with paving stones, basalt slabs and earth-filled bags. Hundreds of insurrectionists evacuated from Old Town travelled along the barricade. Liaison girls, messengers, soldiers and medical services had preferential access to the crossing. Others had to queue patiently. On both sides, access to the passageway led through tenement cellars and courtyards. Once the traffic across Jerusalem Avenue reached 3,000 people a day, to ensure order and security the commander of the uprising suspended unrestricted access. Time and again, the Germans tried to destroy the burdensome obstacle with tank fire and sent their Goliath remote-controlled tankettes in against it. After each attack, the cut-through was laboriously repaired. Ultimately, it was the insurrectionists that won the battle for the barricade. Thanks to their dedication and determination, right until the very end of the uprising not a single German vehicle was able to make it down Jerusalem Avenue.