WWII Forums Quiz Part VII

Ok, other than caliber, what was unusual and differentiated Soviet artillery battalions in their infantry divisions from those of other nations?

 

Could it be that they were crewed by women?

 

Another "WAG",
I've heard/read the Russians did have/use the most artillery of any combatant in WW 2, and "of course" artillery did account for the biggest percentage of combat casualties.
I've also heard/read that their barrages were the least (per gun/round) effective at hitting desired targets.
Don't misunderstand here, they were devastating (especially later on), it's just that a similar positive (on time-on target) result could've been achieved with fewer guns/rounds. Leaving more units/ammunition for elsewhere.
So they needed, perhaps better communication/observation/correction, to be on "Par" with their counterparts ?

 

Whose turn it is?

 

It has nothing to do with tactics or operations but with orgainzation. Look at a TO&E

 

No but, it does have something to do with the caliber of gun being used in a sense.

 

Any takers? If not, I'll post the answer and put up an even tougher question. Got the perfect one in mind already.

 

Only answer I can think of....
A good portion of their artillery was rocket (and increasing). They had the largest calibers of the war (for mobile...I know the 155), in mm...122 for "arty" and a basic rocket was 130(2) ish.
Many rockets were mobile (Studebaker trucks) and could be deployed quickly (BM-13), (with lousy accuracy), but quick and smothering fire. Many were not, and took a while to set up, and even longer to reload (BM-31), Shortage of trucks, since most major rocket units (regiment/batallion) were independent units.
Communication was dependent upon laid wire, and being in communication with a rocket unit, and being able to tell them to fire on a counter attack, or fire upon targets of opportunity (as other nations did) was near (very near) impossible.
It was pretty much move in close (3,4 miles max range ?), dump everything you got, get out (if you can, to avoid counter battery fire), (too bad for the BM-31 boys), re-load and repeat.
Unusual for other nations....having no sustainable/correctable fire.
Good results on static positions though !

 

The answer is that the Soviets were the only ones to mix calibers on a widespread scale within artillery battalions. Their infantry divisions had artillery battalions of 2 batteries of 76.2mm guns and one of 122mm howitzers. This is unique among the major combatants the rest whom kept the gun size constant within each battalion. The Soviets did this due to a different doctrine on artillery support forced on them by their general lack of good communications equipment within infantry formations.

 

C'mon, Terry.....


..... 'zat the best ya'got????


.... give us sumthin' HARD!!!



-whatever

-Lou

 

This ship was built by Germaniawerft, Kiel in 1931 and ended up in the flegeling Israeli Navy in 1947 after spending the war partolling for U-boats. Eventually it ended up in private hands as the yacht Santa Maria del Mare. What was the original name of this ship and its names in naval service during WW 2?

 

"Citra", passenger cruise ship, private American hands, "Santa Maria del Mare?", Coast Guard patrol gun boat (?), then refurbished to part of the shadow fleet.
History of the Navy - Aliyah Bet & Machal Virtual Museum

 

You have the pre-war and post war right what about WW 2 itself?

 

What? No takers on finishing this one either?!! They are only going to get tougher.....