A quick thought on the tactical capabilities of the German Wehrmacht (Army) during 1940. Most of their artillery, troop supplies, ammunition, etc., was all transported using horses. A standard division (between 10,000-20,000 men) had on average 4000-5000 plus horses, which consumed up to 50 tons of hay everyday, which also required constant maintenance and extra transport. They had to keep enough manpower and supplies on hand to just check the harnesses and tackle and make sure there were vets to keep the horses healthy and treat injuries and illness, and also to make sure the horses were groomed, watered, exercised, and rested properly. The wagons and carts also needed regular repair and maintenance. All of this made the effective speed of an attack relatively slow in comparison to the Allied armies that came later in the war, despite the German tactic of blitzkrieg used earlier on against Poland, Western Europe, and soon to come in the Eastern Front of the Soviet Union. The harsh Russian winter and very wet, marshy spring and fall were to bog down the Wehrmacht enough that Hitler's wish for an easy and quick victory proved a pipe-dream.
No comments:
Post a Comment