High Tech German military

"At the beginning of the war in Europe, all divisions had two Sanitaets Kompanies. At the end only the armored and mountain divisions had two each, but the Corps Surgeon had under his control one Sanitaets Kompanie for use where needed. When two Sanitaets Kompanies were available, two Hauptverbandplatzen were often established. In the beginning of an offensive, one Sanitaets Kompanie, horse-drawn, was placed only three or four kilometers behind the battle line to receive casualties. The other Kompanie, motorized, was held in reserve to be used after substantial gains had been made. Then, if further gains were made and the Hauptverbandplatz was required farther forward, the motorized Kompanie moved, leaving its patients to be taken over by the animal-drawn Kompanie. The patients of the animal-drawn Kompanie were left to be taken over by a Feldlazarett. Thus there were often two divisional units performing surgery ahead of the Army's most forward Feldlazarett. With a large-scale offensive division, army, and army group hospitals might all perform primary surgery only on the less seriously wounded, putting aside the intra-abdominal and intra-cranial wounds in favor of those who were more likely to live and return to full duty. "

http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/MedSvcsinMedtrnMnrThrtrs/appendices/appd.htm

 

"TAC pilots had destroyed 919 trucks and 775 horse-drawn vehicles. In a little more than 30 days, 9000 pieces of enemy transportation had been marked off the books."

Lone Sentry: Achtung Jabos! The Story of the IX TAC -- WWII G.I. Stories Booklet

 

Oops!

 

Kinda sad for the "Greatest army in History" huh?

 

A very intersting read about the state of affairs of the German medical services. Not so Modern or the "Greatest" either.

 

CIVIL PROTECTION AGAINST GAS WARFARE IN ENEMY COUNTRIES ​

It is reported that the following antigas equipment is available for the protection of horses in the German Army:
(1) A horse gas mask, with two containers, model 41. This protects horses and mules against all gases affecting the respiratory organs. The life of the container is several hours, depending on the concentration of gas and the nature of the animal's work. The containers can be readily changed.
(2) A pair of horse goggles, model 41, to be worn with the mask to protect the eyes from spray.
(3) A set of hoof covers, model 41, in three sizes, to protect the lower part of the leg on contaminated ground. The front leg covers are shorter than the hind ones.
(4) A supply of horse decontamination material. All of the above articles are carried in one special carrier

Protection of Horses, WWII Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 17, January 28, 1943 (Lone Sentry)

 

Back in the 60's a surplus store near us had horse gas masks for sale... US issue.

 

I wonder how many were made? For the Germans with the amount of Horses and Mules in service There must have be quite a bit considering the millions they had.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they were WWI vintage or just post war.

 

Probably WWI or a little after. The US use of horses was considerably less then the much ballyhooed highly "mechanized "German military

 

World War II Sketches by Hans Liska

 

I bet they striked fear into the hearts of the Soviet Hordes!

 

In afghanistan they had some Special forces operators who had recieved some Mule skinner training using mules to carry gear in the mountains... worked a lot better then the JOHN DEERE gators they were using at first to haul heavy equipment On of the Sf guys told me.

 

Special Forces Use of Pack Animals

Secrecy Add comments

U.S. special operations forces typically make use of some of the most sophisticated military and intelligence gear available. But sometimes a “no tech” solution is the right one.
So, for example, Special Forces “may find themselves involved in operations in rural or remote environments… using pack animals,” including horses, donkeys and mules.
“Pack animal operations are ideally suited for, but not limited to, conducting various missions in high mountain terrain, deserts, and dense jungle terrain.”
An Army Special Forces manual (large pdf) provides instruction and doctrinal guidance for using pack animals in training and combat missions.
“This manual provides the techniques of animal pack transport and for organizing and operating pack animal units. It captures some of the expertise and techniques that have been lost in the United States Army over the last 50 years.”
The 225 page manual provides a basic introduction to the characteristics of each of the various pack animals, some rudiments of veterinary care, and miscellaneous lore.
“Mules are intelligent and possess a strong sense of self-preservation. A packer cannot make a mule do something if the mule thinks it will get hurt, no matter how much persuasion is used…. many people confuse this trait with stubbornness.” (p. 2-1)
“Elephants are considered an endangered species and as such should not be used by U.S. military personnel… Elephants are not the easygoing, kind, loving creatures that people believe them to be. They are, of course, not evil either.” (p. 10-8)
The Special Forces manual has not been approved for public release, but a copy was obtained by Secrecy News.

 

Thanks Mortman. But I would like to try and to keep this centered on the German military in WWII.

 

Special Ops Equipment: Newest—and Oldest
by Harold Kennedy
In their shadow war in Afghanistan, U.S. special operations troops exhibited their ability to use a wide variety of technology, ranging from some of the most modern equipment available to some of the oldest known to man.
While some special operators employed handheld laser target designators, global-positioning systems and digital radios to help Air Force and Navy precision-guided munitions hit al Qaeda and Taliban formations, others rode into battle on horseback, participating in the first cavalry charges of the 21st century.
Some—such as Army Rangers—dressed in standard khaki-colored desert camouflage battle dress, complete with lightweight Kevlar helmets and body armor. They typically armed themselves with the latest small arms from the special operations arsenal.
Others—such as Special Forces, SEALS and Delta Force—adopted the traditional Afghan look, including long, flowing robes, turbans and beards. They often wielded AK-47 automatic rifles, left behind by Soviet invaders more than a decade ago, and even swords that may have been much older than that.
The Defense Department released a declassified situation report filed by a Special Forces soldier, assigned to the Northern Alliance forces opposing the Taliban, who wrote with some amazement:
“I am advising a man on how to best employ light infantry and horse cavalry in the attack against Taliban T-55s (tanks), mortars, artillery, personnel carriers and machine guns—a tactic which I think became outdated with the invention of the Gatling gun. The Mujahadeen have done that every day we have been on the ground ...
“We have witnessed the horse cavalry bounding overwatch from spur to spur to attack Taliban strong points—the last several kilometers under mortar, artillery and sniper fire. There is little medical care if injured, only a donkey ride to the aid station, which is a dirt hut.”
With his report complete, the Special Forces trooper joined his Northern Alliance commander in a cavalry charge, said Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.
“In Afghanistan, a country we think of in somewhat medieval terms, our Special Forces have taken a page from the past, from the history of the horse cavalry and soldiers armed with swords and rifles, maneuvering on horseback,” said Wolfowitz. “But now they use radios to direct close air support and bomber strikes, sometimes from halfway around the world.”
When reporters asked Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld about the return of the cavalry, he joked that was all part of the Rumsfeld transformation plan. Wolfowitz agreed: “Indeed it is. Taking risks, thinking boldly, adapting to circumstances, exploiting our advantages is what we’re after.”
In addition to horses, special operators used mules to move food, ammunition and other gear through Afghanistan’s mountains and deserts, Rumsfeld noted. Some of the animals’ equipment was shipped in from the United States, he told reporters, adding: “I have seen drop orders that included saddles, bridles and horse feed.”
None of this surprises those who are familiar with special operations forces. “Most of the Special Forces guys in Afghanistan are from the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), out of Fort Campbell, Ky.,” said retired Maj. Gen. William C. Moore, chairman of the Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict Division of the National Defense Industrial Association.
“The 5th’s regional responsibility includes Afghanistan,” Moore said. “They study the local languages and culture, and they train to move around the countryside without attracting a lot of attention. They learn how to handle horses and pack mules. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had some training with camels.”

All-Terrain Vehicles
Special operators did have more modern means of traveling the hills and valleys of Afghanistan. In late December, for example, the telescopic lenses of television news cameras captured images of Green Berets flitting around the mountainsides of Tora Bora, driving all-terrain vehicles. More commonly, however, they traveled in Soviet-era military vehicles, aging Toyota pickup trucks and the sport-utility vehicles favored by local warlords.
Sometimes, they acquired vehicles by unconventional means. For example, when Special Forces Capt. Jason Amerine’s detachment rushed to help the forces of Hamid Karzai—now Afghanistan’s interim prime minister—fend off a Taliban assault on a provincial capital called Tirin Kowt, the unit was in a hurry.
“We stole four vehicles, raced forward and told [Karzai’s troops] ... catch up with us [when you can],” Amerine told reporters. The Americans didn’t really steal the cars, he explained. “We gave them back afterward ... We really didn’t have time to wait for [Karzai’s force] to reorganize at that time, so we decided it would be in the best interest of the town to take the vehicles and move forward, so that’s what we did.”
The detachment took up a position where it could watch the Taliban approaching the town and began directing air strikes, finally driving them away.
Every member of the detachment could direct close air support, Amerine said. And, for the most part, it worked “extremely well,” he said. “Close air support was one of the most important missions of this war, from my team’s standpoint. It kept us alive when the Taliban were coming north to Tirin Kowt. We used close air support to destroy other convoys that were probing our positions in the Tirin Kowt area and in other areas. You cannot devalue that asset.”
Sometimes, however, directing close air support proved to be dangerous. When Kandahar was preparing to surrender to Karzai, Amerine’s team was hit by an errant U.S. munition. Three of Amerine’s teammates died, and 19, including Amerine, were wounded.
“It was a tragic loss, but that being said, we were all professionals,” Amerine said. “I don’t have any doubts about my job or what we did in Afghanistan. I’m very proud of my soldiers and all that they accomplished.”
Although special operators used the latest gadgets to call in close air support, that did not eliminate the possibility of error on their part or the air crews receiving the coordinates, said Robert Andrews, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict.
“I will tell you ... no matter how smart [weapons] are, how smart we are, at least some of us, in the past week, have dialed the wrong number on our punch telephones,” Andrews told reporters.
To minimize the chances of error on their sensitive missions, special operations troops are carefully chosen and trained, Andrews said. “They are older than their cohorts in the regular services. They’ve been better and more rigorously trained, and they’re generally better educated. Masters’ degrees are not rare in the enlisted ranks in special ops.”
It takes two years to train some of the enlisted personnel, Andrews said. Officers take longer. “Capt. Amerine ... probably had seven or eight years under his belt,” Andrews said. “One of his languages was Arabic, and another one was French. And one of his sergeants spoke Pashtun.”
Special Forces units, such as Amerine’s, continually train to conduct unconventional warfare in any of its forms—guerrilla tactics, evasion and escape subversion, and sabotage—officials explained.

 

LOL sorry jc it seems things that are old are new again LOL

 

In a way yes. But not to the extent the Germans HAD to use them or the amount.

 

No kidding! LOL. Oppppsss sorry for the pun .