Аннотация: The Blitzkrieg, the tactics of "wolf packs", the case of "a man similar to Skuratov." The conceptual-historical essay
The Blitzkrieg, the tactics of "wolf packs", the case of "a man similar to Skuratov." The conceptual-historical essay
The Blitzkrieg is a lightning war. It is the war mechanized, mobile, maneuverable, with a harmonious distribution of roles of various types of armed units.
Blitzkrieg - in this concept - a point of maximum effort (besides, there is, also, a skillful impact on this point). This is the "Guderian principle" - "not to tickle, but to act (to strike)", this is breaking the enemy"s line and the subsequent breakthrough into the depths of his position, this is the desire to paralyze the decision-making process of the enemy.
Gudrian wrote that "success must be exploited without respite and with the usage of any available force, even at night. The defeated enemy must not be calm. "
Blitzkrieg is the concept of a "decision cycle". For the each decision (made by the opposing party) needs time to gather information, to make a decision, to distribute orders among subordinates, and then to execute the decision through action. A benefit from superior mobility and faster decision cycles.
Blitzkrieg - it is the principle of "Direct Control" (Auftragstaktik). That is the method of quick and flexible management. Instead of receiving a clear order, the commander will be informed of the intentions of his superior and the role that his unit will play in the planned actions. Then the exact method of attack will depend on the ratings, opinions and decisions of the commander. Measures are being taken - to distribute together with orders more information about the situation. Promoting initiative at all levels. Making important decisions as quickly as possible - either orally or in writing.
Blitzkrieg is Kesselshlaht, that is, a concentric attack on a surrounded force (on a surrounded enemy). Kesselshlaht, as a rule, is the final stage of a lightning war.
However, in addition to the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, there were also naval forces in pre-war Germany - the Reichsmarine (1921-1935) and the Kriegsmarine (1935 - 1945). Since 1935, the submarine fleet began to revive intensively.
When reconstructing the German submarine fleet, the question arose - how to ensure a combat effectiveness of a relatively weak navy?
Here is the opinion of Karl Doenitz (since 1939 - commander of the submarine fleet of Hitler's Germany):
"These were the years when, thanks to the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, the Reich"s navy was exhausted, deprived of force.
However, this impotence was an additional incentive for improvement ...
We strove to develop and improve tactics in every possible way, giving the weaker enemy the opportunity not to allow the [strong] enemy to fully utilize their superior forces.
This was especially true for a night operations, which required methodical training and considerable experience ...
Night operations give a weaker rival more advantages than the same operations in daylight, as they provide him with a protective cover of darkness, owing which you can suddenly appear and quickly hide. "
"The part of the program related to preparation for the war, provided, in my opinion, all possible situations: control of a ship in enemy waters, ways to remain invisible (the commander of the ship needed to develop a certain sixth a sense, allowing him to feel whether the ship was seen by the enemy, being [earlier] on surface).
Our military men should have mastered the ability to resolve the issue in time, whether it is urgent to dive when an enemy ship or a plane appears in the field of vision, or whether it is possible to stay on the surface.
We taught people to attack from the periscope depth and with minimal use of the periscope, to take advantage of a night time, an advantage, created by moonlight, wind and sea to minimize the silhouette of a ship (boat).
The officers mastered the fundamental tactical principles, such as discreetly maintaining contact and reaching a position ahead of the goal, switching from a day time routine to a night one and vice versa, etc.
People should have been able to behave properly when faced with enemy defenses. For example, if a decision is made to move off the surface or in a submerged state, you should decide what to do next. You can stay at the periscope depth, continue to observe, or you can dive to a greater depth, where is safer, but where a visibility is limited or absent.
In addition, sometimes you have to quickly carry off your feet in a submerged state, and even on a zigzag, and sometimes - to slip away slowly and, most importantly, silently. "
"The end of 1935 witnessed the birth of the so-called wolf pack tactics, which were subsequently so masterfully perfected."
An interesting may be the view of Karl Doenitz on the fighting qualities of the Italian allies:
"They lagged behind us for years and had no idea about mobile war. They did not know how to detect the enemy and inform about his whereabouts, did not know how to maintain contact with the enemy for long hours (and even days), remaining invisible.
This process followed by first approach, then, on the contrary, a removal up to the border of visibility, requires great skill and the constant presence of the spirit.
But it"s still necessary at some point to overtake the target in order to take an attacking position in front, convenient for a night attack. "
The desire to achieve a victory by small forces in a confrontation with a stronger enemy is characteristic not only for battles of the ground forces or for the actions of the navy.
Isn't such an aspiration characteristic of politics?
In the case of "a person similar to Skuratov," for example, we can find good preparation, technical equipment, ability to act at night, and a sudden attack, the desire to surround, isolate the enemy, to jump and to jam on him, to attack him with the whole honest company, using as the confusion of him, and so the factor of surprise ...
For Biblical Samson also a keys were picked up ...
You can recall Sun Tzu with his work ... ("The basis of Sun Tzu"s concept is controlling the enemy, the creating the possibility of an easy victory. It is necessary to lure the enemy into traps and avoid battles with trained enemy forces. It requires an unequal distribution of forces, strategic concentration." (Wikipedia)).
The philosophy of confrontation is an interesting topic.
August 29, 2019 08:53
Translation from Russian into English: August 29, 2019 10:58.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский "Блицкриг, тактика "волчьих стай", дело "человека, похожего на Скуратова". Концептуально-историческое эссе".