Post by vsahdneek on Jun 27, 2011 19:41:11 GMT -5
Based on the fact that so much state property was lost, along with the factories that created it during the opening phase of operation Barbarossa to the gates of Moscow and Stalingrad, and the Russians being practical people, and the photographic evidence, it is clear that captured equipment was not only used as battlefield pickup, but was also ISSUED to troops as needed throughout the conflict. And then there is lend lease as well.
So I think bickering this issue is pointless. Pick an impression with a timeline and then stick to it. Guards units probably got the best of available soviet gear, but scouts often used captured gear as they would be operating behind enemy lines and therefore enemy ammo would be more available. Workers militias would probably have a higher percentage of captured gear, as would blocking units and Militzia units, and for the same reason the Germans in general gave the captured gear to their rear area units ... so they would not be confused by front line units as enemy units. If you see someone walking on a battlefield carrying an enemy rifle and some other enemy uniform and gear parts the tendency is to shoot first and ask questions later. So for practical reasons, the use of enemy gear at the front was frowned on because it tends to lead to friendly fire incidents. So my guess is such use was tolerated until soviet gear could be reissued and they the enemy gear stored in the rear for future use as needed.
Because one does not have ready access to supply replenishment of captured parts and ammo, captured gear would have been used by rear area units because replacing their gear and ammo constantly is not as critical. Rear area and support troops just don't chew up gear as fast as front line units. Supply necessities dictates where gear goes comrades, not the odd worrysome politruk.
Besides, most of us do later war impressions. When Germany invaded, they captured about 3 million men right off the bat, and shot the politruk and NKVD components after interogation. Then Stalin changed the role of the politruk to that of a senior advisor and not a dictator to the units. So the fanciful scenarios you imagine simply do not exist. Before the invasion, no equipment was taken, afterwards, that whole slew of whiney politruks and nkvd were kaput, and later ones roles changed from persecution to advising and blocking units and chasing anti-soviet partisans.
With the enemy at the gates, Stavka had better things to worry about than whether you were carrying war booty. In many cases, its all they had to issue you, so that's what you got, at least until war production got back on its feet and lend lease kicked in. Then it probably got policed up and stored. Much of it was later used as military aid to nations the soviets supported in the postwar environment like North Korea and Vietnam.
Volodymyr
So I think bickering this issue is pointless. Pick an impression with a timeline and then stick to it. Guards units probably got the best of available soviet gear, but scouts often used captured gear as they would be operating behind enemy lines and therefore enemy ammo would be more available. Workers militias would probably have a higher percentage of captured gear, as would blocking units and Militzia units, and for the same reason the Germans in general gave the captured gear to their rear area units ... so they would not be confused by front line units as enemy units. If you see someone walking on a battlefield carrying an enemy rifle and some other enemy uniform and gear parts the tendency is to shoot first and ask questions later. So for practical reasons, the use of enemy gear at the front was frowned on because it tends to lead to friendly fire incidents. So my guess is such use was tolerated until soviet gear could be reissued and they the enemy gear stored in the rear for future use as needed.
Because one does not have ready access to supply replenishment of captured parts and ammo, captured gear would have been used by rear area units because replacing their gear and ammo constantly is not as critical. Rear area and support troops just don't chew up gear as fast as front line units. Supply necessities dictates where gear goes comrades, not the odd worrysome politruk.
Besides, most of us do later war impressions. When Germany invaded, they captured about 3 million men right off the bat, and shot the politruk and NKVD components after interogation. Then Stalin changed the role of the politruk to that of a senior advisor and not a dictator to the units. So the fanciful scenarios you imagine simply do not exist. Before the invasion, no equipment was taken, afterwards, that whole slew of whiney politruks and nkvd were kaput, and later ones roles changed from persecution to advising and blocking units and chasing anti-soviet partisans.
With the enemy at the gates, Stavka had better things to worry about than whether you were carrying war booty. In many cases, its all they had to issue you, so that's what you got, at least until war production got back on its feet and lend lease kicked in. Then it probably got policed up and stored. Much of it was later used as military aid to nations the soviets supported in the postwar environment like North Korea and Vietnam.
Volodymyr