Soviet Field Mice Attack German Tanks

[Alter Mann]

From 'Enemy At The Gates' by William Craig:

"Finally the German High Command made a move to cover its (6th Army's) flanks. The 48th Panzer Corps, stationed more than 50 miles southwest of the ominous Russian bridgeheads at Kletskaya and Serafimovich on the Don, received priority orders to move up to the threatened sector.

Led by Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Heim, a close friend and former aide to Paulus, the 48th clanked onto the roads and headed northeast. But only a few miles after starting out, the column ground to a halt when several tanks caught fire. In others, motors kept misfiring and finally refused to run at all. Harried mechanics swarmed over the machines and quickly found the answer. During the weeks of inactivity behind the lines, field mice had nested inside the vehicles and eaten away the insulation covering the electrical systems. Days behind schedule, the 48th Corps finally limped into its new quarters. It was almost totally crippled. Out of one hundred four tanks in the 22nd Panzer Division, only 42 were ready for combat."

Aside from the effect this had at Stalingrad, is it possible that this might have cause some of the problems with the Panthers at Kursk?

Is it possible that the Soviets sent commando field mice to Germany?

[Jon G.]

It's a story that has often been repeated - IIRC, also in Mellenthin's memoirs. Personally, I am a little sceptical. I mean, either it would have happened more often, or it would not have happened at all. Fifty-odd tanks being put out of action due to mice in the wiring...? Maybe one. Or two.

I think tank unit commanders quite often shamelessly juggled their strength returns because they were in disagreement with an order being issued - 'no fuel' being a very common one here. Maybe this case could just be filed as a particularly creative corps commander, who for some reason did not see it fit to move his unit on that day, in that direction?

You can train mice to do many things... I wouldn't put it past the Russians to train mice to eat wiring. However, they are rather dim animals. I think they would have been better off training rats for the job. I've read about rats being trained to sniff out land mines.

[Alter Mann]

Fortunately, I can defend this quote from personal experience. My grandmother had a 1952 Chrysler New Yorker. (Clutch-Flyte semi-auto transmission and a 331 ci hemi engine) The insulation for the wiring was cloth as was the heater duct. In one season, field mice ate all of the insulation and most of the heater duct. It took several days to get the car running again.

I agree that it should not have happened. There was never a time when I didn't check my tank for 'critter' sabotage for more than a few days at a time, but maybe Diesel is a rodent repellent?

[Jon G.]

Yes, rodents can and will cause all kinds of amusing problems. Will 24V kill a mouse? Probably. And probably, that would not bother the other mice in the slightest.

I am sure there would be isolated incidents of rodents eating some critical electrical component in an AFV- but a full battalion's worth of tanks put out of action due to mice...?

I think the tank crews would try to run their engines at least every day, especially in cold conditions - so I'd assume the rodent problem, if there was one, would have been spotted quickly. And mice - or rather their droppings - have a distinct smell...

I have read about pine needles in the carburators putting Panthers out of action, and that sounds somewhat more probable to me, if just as freaky.

...if diesel's smell is just as powerful to rodents as it is to humans, I am sure it's a perfect repellant!

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The Panthers at Kursk had teething problems as they were a newer tank with a lot of highly technical gadgets. Although the Panther in it's own right was a good tank it was too complicated. They should have made them like the T34, simple, robust and effective. The early Panthers were only effective (as long as they still worked).

[varjag]

Yes - I've also read about those mice. But I believe that the story got world-wide coverage through TASS. The Russians learnt about the defects caused by mice and one or more Soviet newspapers, probably led by Krasnija Armija - announced, in the feverish heroism of that time - something like that Soviet Mice intervene decisively in Battle for Stalingrad. I believe the story was carried by western media in late 1942.

[Mr.No one]

Like a mouse I sniffed my way to this topic!

There is actually a grain of truth into this story:

Cheers!

[Leutnant Von Historian]

Is it possible that the Soviets sent commando field mice to Germany?

Well does the Soviet suffer similar problems?

[Omeganian]

I heard something about the Germans blaming three Soviet officers - General Frost, General Mud, and General Mouse.

[BDV]

Funny anecdote, but probably more illustrating of the larger Axis deficiencies in supplying the front, in particular in this overlooked corner of the Eastern frontline. Overlooked by Adolf, not Stalin, obviously.

[lufty1]

Bigger problem was that the mice were going at outdated tanks - german 22 panzer div and 1 Rumanian were largely equipped with Czech 38t vehicles which were totally obsolete by then .

Lack of fuel a problem too - as always.

Very good article by Colonel Oppeln Bronikowski about that and 22 panzer's action around the tschir.