The Soviet Airborne Experience

232 Pages·1984·29.72 MB·English

by  David M. Glanz

he Soviet Air
Experience
Glantz, U.S. Army
by Lieutenant Coldnel David M.
November 1984
U.S. Army
Command and General
Staff College
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027-6900
~- --_.....- ---_
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Glantz, David M.
The Soviet airborne experience.
(Research survey / Combat Studies Institute, U.S. Army
Command and General Staff College ; no. 4)
“November 1984.”
Bibliography: p.
1. Soviet Union. Arm&-Parachute troops-History.
2. Soviet Union. Arm%-Airborne troops-History.
3. World War, 193%1945-Aerial operations, Russian.
I. U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Combat
Studies Institute. II. Title. III. Series: Research survey
(U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
Combat Studies Institute) ; no. 4.
UD485.S65G53 1985 356’.166’0947 64-28536
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US. C3overmm-d RInthg O&e, Wnshlngton, D.C. 20402
CONTENTS
Maps
Tables...................................*.. ............................................................ vi:
Abbreviations......................................~ .. ix
Symbols ............................................... xi
Chapter
1. THE PREWAR EXPERIENCE.......................... 1
Genesis of the Airborne Concept ................
Early Experimentation .......................... z
Formation of an Airborne Force ................. 8
On the Eve of War ............................... 18
2. EVOLUTION OF AIRBORNE FORCES DURING
WORLD WAR II.................................= 25
Initial Airborne Involvement ................... 25
Organization and Employment .................... 28
3. OPERATIONAL EMPLOYMENT: VYAZ‘MA,
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1942 ........................ 37
Strategic Context .............................. 37
Operational Planning . z$
8th Airborne Brigade A..s..s..a..u..l.t. .................................
8th Airborne Brigade Operations ................ 53
Conclusions ..................................... 56
4. OPERATIONAL EMPLOYMENT: VYAZ'MA,
FEBRUARY-JUNE 1942..,........................ 59
Operational Planning ........................... 59
4th Airborne Corps Assault ..................... 63
February Offensive ............................. 65
March Offensive ................................ 67
April Offensive ................................
Encirclement and Breakout, 1 May-23 June 1942 . . E
Conclusions .................................... 85
5. OPERATIONAL EMPLOYMENT: ON THE DNEPR,
SEPTEMBER 1943................................ 91
Operational Planning ...........................
Airborne Assault ...............................
5th Airborne Brigade O...p..e..r.a..t.i.o..n..s.. ........................ ti;
Conclusions .. ........
iii
- __.-.- -. _ -----_- -. --.__
6. TACTICAL EMPLOYMENT............................. 113
General ........................................ 113
Teryaeva Sloboda, December 1941.....:.......... :ILt
Medyn, January 1942 ....................... .....
Zhelan'ye, January 1942 ........................ 121
Rzhev, February 1942 ........................... 126
Kerch-Feodosiya, December 1941-
January 1942.......*....*...............* .... 128
Diversionary Operations ........................ 131
7. THE POSTWAR YEARS. . . . ..*.......*......*........ 135
The Intellectual Context ....................... 135
The Stalinist Years: 1946-53...............= .. 137
The Nuclear Era: 1953-68 ...................... 143
Contemporary Airborne Operations ............... 148
8. CONCLUSIONS.............................,...... 159
Notes. ................................................ 163
Bibliography...........................~.........~..~. 197
iv
MAPS
1. Belorussian Maneuvers, 14 September 1935 . ;g
2. Use of Airborne Forces on the Offensive, 1..9..3..6.. ......
3. Area of Operations, Soviet Winter Offensive,
January-May 1942 ................................ 213
4. 'Situation Facing the Western Front,
25 January 1942, and Concept of the Airborne
Operation............'.......................... 43
Vyaz'ma-Dorogobuzh Area ........................... 214
2: 4th Airborne Corps Plan of Operations,
25 January 1942 ................................. 215
7. 8th Airborne Brigade and 1st Guards Cavalry Corps
Operations, 27 January-8 February 1942 .......... 216
8. 8th Airborne Brigade and 1st Guards Cavalry Corps
Operations, 8-17 February 1942 .................. 217
9. 8th Airborne Brigade and 1st Guards Cavalry Corps
Operations, 17-28 February 1942 ................. 218
10. 8th Airborne Brigade and 1st Guards Cavalry Corps
Operations, 28 February-24 March 1942 ........... 219
11. Western Front Positions, 15 February 1942,
and the Plan of 4th Airborne Corps ............. 60
12. Vyaz'ma-Yukhnov Area .............................. 220
13. 4th Airborne Corps Plan of Operations,
16 February 1942 ............................... 221
14. 4th Airborne Corps Operations,
17 February-l March 1942 ....................... 222
15. 4th Airborne Corps Operations, l-20 March 1942 2:;
16.' German 137th Infantry Division Defensive Area .........
17. 4th Airborne Corps Operations,
20 March-11 April 1942 ......................... 224
18. Territory Occupied by Belov's Forces,
March-May 1942 ................................. 74
19. 4th Airborne Corps and 1st Guards Cavalry Corps
Operations, 11-24 April 1942 .................... 225
20. 4th Airborne Corps and 1st Guards Cavalry Corps
Operations, 26 April-30 May 1942 ................ 226
Breakout to 10th Army, l-11 June 1942 ............. 227
ii: Breakout to 10th Army, 11-23 June 1942 ............ 228
23. Voronezh Front Advance to the Dnepr,
September 1943...-. ..............................
Kanev-Bukrin Area ................................. 2%
Dnepr Airborne Operation Plan, 20 September 1943 . . 230
26. Dnepr Airborne Operation Revised Plan,
23 September 1943 ...... ........ ................. 231
27. Dne r Airborne Operation,
22: September-13 October 1943 .................... 232
5th Airborne Brigade Operations, November 1943 .... 106
$9": Medyn Area ........................................ 116
30. Medyn Airborne Operation Plan, 3 January 1942 ..... 118
V
Medyn Operation, 3-20 January 1942...... I . e . .e. . . . . 119
Zhelan'ye Airborne Operation, 20 January 1942..... 233
Zhelan"ye Airborne Operation, 27 January 1942..... 234
Zhelan'ye Airborne.Operation,
29 January-l February 1942.,..:;,...:........,.. 235
Rzhev Operation, February 1942,....;............... 127
Kerch-Feodosiya Operation,
December 1941-January 1942.......,**....:.....:*. 130
vi
:
TABLES
1. Airborne Brigades, 1936 ..........................
Airborne Regiments, 1936 ......................... 1':
Airborne Forces, 1939 ............................ 17
Airborne Brigade, 1940 ........................... 21
Airborne Corps, 1941 .............................
6. Airborne Corps Dispositions, June 1941 ........... z;
Airborne Brigade, 1941 ........................... 29
i: SO;~.E: tirborne Operations in the Moscow Region,
........... ...... ... .... ....... .........
1:: Conversion of Airborne Units, Summer 1942
........ z!
Separate Airborne Army, 1944 ..................... 34
vii
ABBREVIATIONS
................... ..+...Arm y
2A ... ................... ..Antiaircraf t detachment-
Abn ..................... ..Airborn e
AC ...................... ..Airborn e corps (Soviet)
...................... ..Arm y corps (German)
~~ ....... ............... ..Arm y group
...................... ..Airborn e regiment (Soviet)
Et. ...... ............. ..Artiller y regiment (German)
Arty*....::...............Artiller y
ATGM. ................... ..Antitan k guided missile
Bde .*.....................Brigad e
Bn ...................... ..Battalio n
Cav .... ...................Cavalr y
cc ...................... ..Cavalr y corps
CD. ..................... ..Cavalr y division
Cmd. .... ..*...............Comman d
CO ...................... ..Compan y
Detach .................. ..Detachmen t
Div.......................Divisio n
Flak.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Antiaircraft detachment
Guards army
.................................
& ............ ..Guard s cavalry corps
GCD. .................... ..Guard s cavalry division
Gds ..................... ..Guard s
GMB. .................... ..Guard s mechanized brigade
GMRD......................Guard s motorized rifle
division
Gp........................Grou p
GRD.......................Guard s rifle division
Gren......................Grenadie r
GTA ... .......*............Guard s tank army
GTB ..................... ..Guard s tank brigade
GTC. .................... ..Guard s tank corps
HQ.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Headquarters
I Bde....................*Infantr y brigade
........................ Infantry division
:if ................... ..Infantr y
IR.::...................*.Infantr y regiment
Jgd.......................reconnaissance unit
ix