Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#151

Post by Art » 25 Jun 2019, 10:51

Der Alte Fritz wrote:
24 Jun 2019, 00:29
This has been combined with the ШТАТ numbers for 2 Tank Army from November 1944 from here:
Доклад о материально-технической обеспеченности, укомплектованности и боевом составе войск 2 ТА [Report on the material-technical supply of command and combat units of 2 Tank Army]
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=136489800
From this file a sample information on the size of supply units (1 Mechanized Corps as of 16 November 1944)
1 ammunition unit= 810 tons
1 fuel load = 256.3 tons
1 daily ration = 32 tons

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#152

Post by Art » 25 Jun 2019, 11:41

Also from the same file authorized number of communication equipment in the 1 Mechanized Corps:
RAF radio - 1
RSB radio - 9
RBM and RB with extended antenna - 45
RB radio - 49
12-RP radio - 6
A-7 radio - 39
Total radios - 149
US-3S radio receiver - 7
ST-35 telegraph apparatus - 2
Morse telegraph apparatus - 4
Switchboards, all types - 37
Telephones, all types - 491
Telephone cable - 678 km
Telegraph cable reels - 48
Telephone cable reels - 1356

Authorized communication equipment in the 3/9 Tank Corps
RAF radio - 1/1
RSMK radio - 3/3
RSB radio (T-34) - 0/3
RSB radio - 8/8
"Sever" radio - 1/0
RB radio, extended antenna - 20/20
RB radio - 68/89
12-RP radio - 18/0
A-7 radio - 21/21
Total radios - 140/145
US-3S radio receivers - 4/4
ST-35 telegraph apparatus - 1/1
Morse telegraph apparatus - 2/2
Switchboards, all types - 30/27
Telephones, all types - 389/362
Telephone cable - 544 km/510km
Telephone reels - 710/765

Authorized communication equipment in the 5 Motorcycle Regiment:
RB radios - 8
switchboards - 2
telephones - 13
telephone cable - 20 km

Authorized communication equipment in the 87 Motorcycle Battalion
RB with extended antenna - 1
RB radios - 4

Worth to note an absence of any long-range radios in reconnaissance (motorcycle) units.


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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#153

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 26 Jul 2019, 14:20

Complete set of maps for Warsaw-Lodz (Vistula-Oder) Operation for 2 Guards Tank Army showing deployment of Tank and Mech Corps and their constituent brigades, several times a day:

12 Jan 26 Feb Overall https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100915224
16 Jan 17 Jan No2 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100958912
16 Jan 17 Jan No2 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100968208
18 Jan 18 Jan No3 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101009852
18 Jan 18 Jan No3 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100968332
19 Jan 20 Jan No4 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101009984
21 Jan 22 Jan No5 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101038484
21 Jan 22 Jan No5 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101025296
23 Jan 23 Jan No6 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100968731
23 Jan 23 Jan No6 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101010057
24 Jan 25 Jan No7 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100983609
26 Jan 27 Jan No8 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101010216
26 Jan 27 Jan No8 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100968819
28 Jan 30 Jan No9 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100969081
28 Jan 30 Jan No9 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101010264
31 Jan 31 Jan No10 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100969514
31 Jan 31 Jan No11 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100983641
1 Feb 2 Feb No11 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101010406
3 Feb 4 Feb No12 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100983048
3 Feb 4 Feb No12 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101010421
31 Jan 3 Feb No10-12 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100983674
31 Jan 3 Feb No10-12 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100958561
5 Feb 5 Feb No13 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=100969579
5 Feb 5 Feb No13 https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101010617

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#154

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 01 Aug 2019, 21:55

The great thing about these maps is that they show two or three daily positions for each brigade in the three main corps as well as some other units such as the Heavy Tank Regiment and the Motorcycle Battalions.

We can use this to study the movement of the Mechanised Brigades to see how far they travelled in a day and combine it with combat accounts from either the unit Combat Journals on pamyat naroda or Nebolsins Stalin's Favorite volume 2 History of 2 Guard Tank Army.

These show that 2 Guard Tank Army movements were:
16.1 12km
17.1 32 km
18.1 18 km
19.1 56 km
20.1 36 km
21.1 54 km
22.1 32 km
23.1 22 km
24.1 26 km
25.1 15 km
26.1 30 km
27.1 26 km
28.1 25 km
29.1 15 km
30.1 17 km
31.1 22 km

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#155

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 01 Aug 2019, 22:11

Looking at brigade level for 1 Mechanised Corps:
morning 16.1 crossing bridge over Pilicha river to begin breakout
18:00 16.1 19 Mech Bde 30km down road in 10 hours
08:00 17.1 19 Mech Bde 25km further down road at Skierniewice
so it is clear that 19 Mech Brigade on the first day of the offensive covered 55km in 24 hours

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#156

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 01 Aug 2019, 22:20

Another source we can consult is the plan for a movement order for 19 Mech Bde of 1 Mech Corps on 12 January 1945
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=452090342
This 11 page document is the planning document for the movement of 19 Mech Brigade from its assembly area, along a route of 65 km to the concentration area in a wood on the banks of the Vistula. The following day, the document details the Brigade crossed the Vistula into the bridgehead . It waited here a day and then on the morning of 16 January set off on the breakthrough

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#157

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 02 Aug 2019, 08:07

1-.jpg
Page 1 Contents page

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#158

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 02 Aug 2019, 08:45

Page 2 Table calculating the number of available vehicles against the number of men, equipment and supplies to be carried
19 Mech Bde Movement Order.jpg
What this shows is that the Brigade was pretty near full strength in terms of men and equipment 3498 (3685 95%) but only had 234 vehicles (365 64%). The officer calculates that he is 50 2.5t trucks short to move everything.

What it does show is that there were 1987 men transported on tanks, armoured cars, armoured transport and lorries pulling guns or on special vehicles such as ambulances or workshops, (73 tanks etc plus 100 lorries pulling guns and 29 specials). 1138 men transported on transport lorries (35 lorries just assigned to carry personnel) and 451 men transported on stores lorries either as vehicle crew or just as passengers (100 lorries in this category). The total weight of stores was 266 tonnes with an additional 120 tonnes of cargo. Calculation actually shows 30 lorries short so our officer has added a few extra just in case.

However he has made a mistake, if you look at 2 Motor Rifle Battalion, you can see that he has assigned 300 men to travel as Desant (Tank riders) with 9 Tank Regiment.
This gives us totals of 526 men transported on combat vehicles, 314 transported on lorries and 61 transported with stores, a total of 901 men. So clearly he has double counted the Desant and only needs 14 men transported in lorries. This drops the total of men transported in lorries down from 1138 to 838 so the 35 lorries allocated should just be enough to carry this lot.

In terms of cargo we see:
Other property (intendant stores, medical etc) 74 tonnes
Fuel 99 tonnes
Ammunition 55 tonnes
Rations 39 tonnes

plus an additional
fuel 27 tonnes
Rations 55 tonnes
Other property 38 tonnes

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#159

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 03 Aug 2019, 09:09

Page 3 Scheme of marching order of 19 Mech Bde
2-19 Mech Bde March Order.jpg
This is the march order for the brigade, as you can the column has 432 vehicles, the extra ones being accounted for by the attached units, 3&4/1382 AA Regiment, 64 Separate Sapper Battalion, 75 Self Propelled Artillery Regiment.
The 1 Motor Rifle Battalion is not marked however the lead unit includes the staff, special units and probably 1 MRBn as it numbers 70 vehicles.

As stated at the bottom distance between units during day is 200m and at night 100m and between vehicles 30m and 20m respectively.

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#160

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 03 Aug 2019, 09:11

Page 4 Order for Regulation of march No1
(translation provided by Art)
1. For organization of the traffic control along the route SMG company commander is to prepare a SMG platoon, supplied with flags, torches and white armbands with a brigade sign. Traffic control posts are to be deployed in accordance to the scheme of control posts' deployment along the route and the calculation of traffic control means.
2. Brigade's staff commandant is to prepare 100 signs (markers) and keep them on a brigade's leading vehicle.
3. Commander of the technical service company is to pick up traffic controllers before [sic! probably "after"] passing traffic control post on the marsh and ensure their arrival to the bivouacking area.
4. Commanders of units are to organize traffic control in the bivouacking area on their own.

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#161

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 03 Aug 2019, 09:32

Page 5 Planning Table for March
1-planning table for march.jpg
What this table shows is the timings for the march for each of the units in the column both for a day march and a night march.
So the lead unit will leave the Initial Checkpoint at H+1.00 (I assume that the hour is taken to assemble the column) which the rear of the lead unit will leave at H+1.10 and they will then arrive at the Concentration area which is their destination at H+4.40 so a journey time of 3 hours 40 minutes. The last unit in the column will leave at H+2.15 and will arrive at the destination at H+5.42.

If the march is performed at night the journey time rises to 7 hours 50 minutes.

The note mentions that the average speed is 15 km/h for day and 9 km/h for night

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#162

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 04 Aug 2019, 10:24

Page 6 Handwritten notes on the movement

Objective Zeimika
To send forward 19 Mech Bde
1. The calculation is made on the condition that the brigade has running 56 1.5t vehicles types Chevrolet and 4 self propelled AA guns type M-17

2. With this and the condition that the motor transport junctions remain clear
a. personnel and weapons ready?
b. Fuel Benzine Grade 1 – 2.5 refills Benzine Grade 2 – 2.2 refills Diesel – 1.5 refills
c. Rifle and SMG ammunition 1.5 b/k Artillery and mortar ammunition 1.3 b/k
d. Rations 5 days

3 Distribution of stores
a. ammunition: artillery and mortar munitions in units – 1 b/k carried on armoured transport 0.3 b/k.
Rifle ammunition 1.5 b/k with troops with 0.5 b/k carried on armoured transport

b. Rations – 1 days on troops 4 days ??????????????????? carried on transport weight 37 tonnes ???????

c. Fuel – Benzine grade 1 – 2.5 refills (including) 1 refueling in the tanks of cars
Diesel 1.5 refills in 9 Tank Regiment 3c (including) 1 refueling in the tanks)
Benzine 2 grade ??????????? 2 refills ??????? brigade 0.25 refills ?????????????????????
Stores in brigade on 29.12 – 2.1 refills

4. Available 148 Chevrolet and 87 Studebaker
a. Under repair?? Dodge ¾ – 1, Chevrolet – 1, Ford – 1, Studebaker – 1,
4b. available in the brigade 2 Dodge 3/4 vehicles equipped with (radio station) RSB

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#163

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 04 Aug 2019, 10:59

Page 7 Route Map for movement on 12 January 1945
(I have used the map in this document as the basis for this map however there is an almost identical map in the Combat Journal of 19 Mech Brigade https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=133726751 page 249 which has slight differences, it shows a railway, it shows 2 Tank Posts and Regulation Post No3 is shown instead as a Regulation Point and it gives start and end times. So I have combined the two maps together, showing Post No3 as a hybrid Post/Point)
1-Route Map 12 Jan 1945.jpg

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#164

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 06 Aug 2019, 00:18

Page 8 Regulation of the march of 19 Mech Bde
adds extra details to the previous map showing what was deployed at each point/post. This places Technical Service Company posts at No 1, 3, 9 and 10 which is slightly different to both maps
1-Regulation of March of 19 Mech Brigade.jpg

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Re: Mechanised Corps 2nd Generation

#165

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 06 Aug 2019, 00:32

Page 9 Schedule for the crossing of the river Vistula
19 Mech Brigade Movement Order.jpg

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