Did Red Army infantry employ APC or half-tracks en masse?

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ghost1275
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Did Red Army infantry employ APC or half-tracks en masse?

#1

Post by ghost1275 » 28 Jan 2021, 21:30

I was told that Soviet had no such concept of mechanized infantry and lacked dedicated troop carriers w/ armor protection. That was one ofthe main reasons Red Army counted Wehrmacht half tracks as tanks in their battle damage assessment.
Also, what is the key difference between Soviet Tank Corps vs Mechanized Corps?

Art
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Re: Did Red Army infantry employ APC or half-tracks en masse?

#2

Post by Art » 29 Jan 2021, 11:11

The concept existed but the actual armored carriers didn't. Only single experimental prototypes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-26_vari ... d_carriers
During the war about 2000 Universal carries and about 3000 M3 Scout carriers were received via lend-lease and were mostly used to equip mechanized reconnaissance elements. And also a considerable number of US-produced armored halftracks or self-propelled vehicles on their basis (T-48, M-15/17) which saw employment in various units.
Also, what is the key difference between Soviet Tank Corps vs Mechanized Corps?
Organization and T&OEs. You can start with these pages:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanise ... rps_(1944)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_corp ... tank_corps
http://www.niehorster.org/012_ussr/45_o ... index.html
The equipment was essentially the same, but there was a difference in the number of personnel and artillery.


Carl Schwamberger
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Re: Did Red Army infantry employ APC or half-tracks en masse?

#3

Post by Carl Schwamberger » 30 Jan 2021, 04:50

Doctrinally the tank corps was a breakthrough unit. The mechanized corps was a more of a specialized unit for the consolidation phase of exploitation. The tank corps would race out to the objectives & overrun them. The mech corps would follow up and provide a infantry force to mop up and defend critical points of the operational objectives until the infantry armies caught up. If you look closely the mech corps was a fairly complex organization, not unlike a British or US infantry division & all their attachments. They also had the better quality technicians and officers. All that makes sense since the mech corps had to both consolidate/secure important objectives and defend against counter attacks without much help.

By 1944 the organization of the tank corps had evolved some beyond that given in the linked Wiki article. That one was the 1942 composition.

Composition of a tank corps[edit] 29 May 1942
Corps HQ
Signal Company
AAMG (anti-aircraft machine gun) Section

Heavy Tank Brigade with KV-1 or KV-2 tanks (Replaced by a third 'medium' tank brigade in July 1942) Post 1942 the heavy tank regiments tended to be pooled at the Army level & attached to the tank or mechanized corps on as needed basis.

2 (Medium) Tank Brigades with two battalions of T-34 and one of T-70 tanks each. The T70 battalion or squadron was sometimes replaced with a third T34 group.

Motorized Rifle Brigade This became more robust and complex as the war progressed. It became a tactical combined arms unit centered around three rifle battalions. 120mm mortar company or battalion, a heavy AT gun company, a tank or sometimes assault gun group. It functioned as a smaller version of the mechanized corps, securing and defending critical tactical objectives.


Anti-aircraft Battalion
Guards Mortar Battalion with Katyusha rocket launchers Often a 122mm cannon company or battalion was present as well.

Motorcycle Battalion (for reconnaissance) Armored scout cars and halftracks supplemented the motorcycles in increasing numbers as time passed.

Engineer-Mine Company
Truck Company
Motorized Vehicle Repair Battalion
Armored Vehicle Repair Battalion

There was a third class of mobile corps or divisions. The cavalry corps functioned similar to both the tank & mechanized corps in rough terrain. That corps had the riflemen and LMG & light mortars carried on horses, the heavier weapons were vehicle transported. There was often a tank brigade attached, along with other vehicle draught units similar to the mech corps. These larger cavalry organizations were deployed where the terrain was unsuitable for auto transported infantry, or supplemented the tank & mechanized corps in the exploitation and consolidation phase.

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