Soviet Tactical Doctrine-Offense

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Soviet Tactical Doctrine-Offense - 9/26/2002 10:44:27 PM

Sabre21

Posts: 8231
Joined: 4/27/2001
From: on a mountain in Idaho
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I wanted to bring this up for nothing more than as information for people to read.

The Soviet tactical doctrine expected the vast majority of their engagements to occur during a "Meeting Engagement". This is where opposing forces meet each other while on the move.

The Soviet Division would be deployed along 2 or maybe 3 parallel avenues of approach with a regiment moving along each axis. The extra regiments would trail behind the leading ones by several kilometers.

The Soviet Division had 4 maneuver regiments, 3 mech and 1 tank (Motorized Rifle Division) or 3 tank and 1 mech (tank division). The Regiment had 4 battalions, again 3 motorized rifle and 1 tank for a motorized rifle regiment or 3 tank and a motorized rifle battalion for a tank regiment. The tank regiment in a motorized rifle division did not have the rifle battalion, but there was usually an extra motorized rifle battalion as a division asset.

Divisional Recon would lead the Division by as many as 50 kilometers, staying in touch using HF radio when necessary. Regimental recon then preceeded the Regiment by as much as 25 kilometer's.

The next element is referred to as the "Combat Reconnaissance Patrol". This is the lead infantry ir tank platoon with a mix of 3 bmp's or btr's, a brdm or two, and a tank. If the lead battalion was tank...then the mix would be reversed. A rifle platoon also had an SA-7

The next element would follow behind the CRP by about 5 kilometers. This was called the "Forward Security Element". This was the lead company from where the lead platoon came from. It consisted of the remaining two rifle platoons, a tank platoon, a battery of howitzers, a couple brdm's, and an engineer btr. Sometimes a ZSU-23-4 was added.

The next element was the "Advance Guard". This was the remainder of the lead battalion which followed the FSE by about 5 k's. The advance guard would have the remaining two rifle companies, hq company, the remainder of the attached tank company, an air defense section of usually a pair of ZSU's or 2S6's, an engineer detachment, the remainder of the attached battalion, and a chemical recon section.

Just to make clear, the majority of the type of vehicles present in the CRP and FSE was dependant on what type of battalion was the Advance Guard. If the Advance Guard was a BPM unit, then the CRP had 3 bmp's and 1 tank. If it was a BTR unit...then 3 btr's and 1 tank. If it was a tank unit, then 3 tanks and 1 bmp.

Also the FSE would have the same ratio depending on the parent battalion. The only difference was that if the unit was bmp or tank, the arty was made up of 2S1's (122 sp). If it was a btr battalion, the arty was towed 122's.

Once contact was made, the element in contact would pin the force while the follow on unit would attempt to flank the enemy unit. If this was not possible, they would then reinforce the first unit allowing the next higher unit to conduct the flanking maneuver.

As the Soviet units approched the enemy force, they would deploy from battalion in column to company columns about 2 k's out. Then from company to platoon column at around 1-1.5 k and finally to platoon on line from 500-1000 meters. If the enemy unit was heavy in anti tank, the infantry would then dismount and preceed the armor by a couple hundred meters, otherwise they remained mounted.

Of course this is a textbook perfect situation. Terrain, weather, and time might dictate modifications to the deployment.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

Sabre21

Post #: 1

- 9/27/2002 12:25:01 AM

IChristie

Posts: 673
Joined: 3/26/2002
From: Ottawa, Canada
Status: offline

I have a question on Soviet arty doctrine. Well several actually..

- At what level could arty be controlled?
- Did soviet arty have dedicated forward observers?
- What was the minimum concentration that would likely be fired? Battalion? Battery?
- How quickly could a target be escalated up to div or higher resources?
- How far behind the lead elements would div arty resources be deployed? Would the be close enough to support the initial lead reg't attacks?
- How long would it take for arty to engage a target of opportunity? Could, for instance, the CRP call arty? COuld the FSE? Or would it wait for a regimental attack?
- Did soviet arty adjust fire, or just go straight to FFE?

Also, wrt to CRP and FSE's - what would the procedure be if these elements were eliminated (or at least contact with them was lost) would they be reconstituted and sent forward again?

Thanks in advance

_____________________________

Iain Christie
-----------------
"If patience is a virtue then persistence is it's part.
It's better to light a candle than stand and curse the dark"

- James Keelaghan

(in reply to Sabre21)

Post #: 2

- 9/28/2002 2:23:20 AM

Sabre21

Posts: 8231
Joined: 4/27/2001
From: on a mountain in Idaho
Status: offline

One at a time here:)

-At what level could arty be controlled?

: There are battery level deployments as seen in the Foward Security Element. But typically it's at Battalion level.

- Did soviet arty have dedicated forward observers?

: Yes, the average soviet soldier was not trained in calling for fire as his western counterpart was, but how many of the FO's I couldn't tell you.

- What was the minimum concentration that would likely be fired? Battalion? Battery?

: Again here sometimes at battery, but usually much higher. The soviets formed what are called Regimental Artillery Groups (RAG's) and Divisional Arty Groups (DAG's). The Rag would consist of the regiments organic battalion and augmented when needed with 1 or 2 of the divisional battalions. The Dag would consist of the Rocket battalion, and divisional battalion not pushed down to the regiments and typically 2-4 battalions from Army. I am sure they didn't shoot at the same target, but as for shooting a single fire plan, that would be expected.

- How quickly could a target be escalated up to div or higher resources?

:Each regiment had it's own organic arty battalion not to mention each MRB had it's own mortar battery of 120mm mortars. I would think that if the Rag or Dag was in place, target prioritization could be shifted to a higher echelon very quickly. The Soviets loved their arty.

- How far behind the lead elements would div arty resources be deployed? Would the be close enough to support the initial lead reg't attacks?

: The lead FSC had a battery attached to it usually for direct fire. The Advance Guard had the remainder of the Regiments Battalion, so arty firepower was pretty far up front. Once deployed for the assault, the leading companies would be within 5 k's of the arty support, probably even closer.

- How long would it take for arty to engage a target of opportunity? Could, for instance, the CRP call arty? COuld the FSE? Or would it wait for a regimental attack?

: No arty in the CRP, but the FSC's battery was used for direct fire. A sp unit could probably engage immediatly where as a towed unit...probably 5-10 minutes, although I have seen it done quicker.

- Did soviet arty adjust fire, or just go straight to FFE?

: If the target was on or near a registration point then no...but if it wasn't, they would have to use adjust fire methods.

Also, wrt to CRP and FSE's - what would the procedure be if these elements were eliminated (or at least contact with them was lost) would they be reconstituted and sent forward again?

: Yes they would reconstitute. It is even possible for the lead regiment to send out 2 advance guards along different routes or the advance guard to send out 2 FSC's and CRPs along different avenues. But that would be only if the divisional frontage was larger than normal. Typically 5-10 km's was a divisional frontage.

Sabre21

(in reply to Sabre21)

Post #: 3