German supply in CMBB

[Auggy]

When I think of German eastfront supply i get the picture of a lowly german boy guiding a horse and a cart through the snow. Is this really how germany feed it's armies?

[Zitadelle]

Originally posted by Sir Augustus:

When I think of German eastfront supply i get the picture of a lowly german boy guiding a horse and a cart through the snow. Is this really how germany feed it's armies?

German logistics were not the model of half-tracks and trucks that Americans tend to imagine. The initial successful blitzkreig operations were supported by the majority of infantry marching on-foot and a surprising number of horses.

One of the deficienies with Operation Barbarossa was supporting the supply lines. Germans invaded the USSR using a large number of captured British and French trucks. These trucks proved unreliable and quickly broke down. The Germans also relied upon 400,000 horses for their invasion.

In subsequent years, the Germans were able to use rail to move supplies to strategic points. Still, moving supplies forward was still a process relying upon whatever means were available.

The Germans were able to utilize captured regions for supply- particularly the Ukrainian region of the USSR for foodstocks.

There are more facts and ancedotes and I'm sure the hyper-grogs can provide you more specific information.

[YankeeDog]

Not only is it how they fed their soldiers, it's also how they fed their guns and tanks much of the time.

Lack of sufficent transportation and logistics support is a major part of Nazi Germany's defeat on the Eastern Front.

Cheers,

YD

[Andrew H.]

Originally posted by Zitadelle:

In subsequent years, the Germans were able to use rail to move supplies to strategic points. Still, moving supplies forward was still a process relying upon whatever means were available.[/QB]

Actually, Germans used trains from the beginning - the idea being that you use the trains for long distance (i.e. "strategic") movements and supply, and horses to bring supplies the last couple of miles to the battle. (The infantry walk). This was, essentially, the WWI model of supply.

But the problem with trains is that the tracks are never as close as you want them to be, and so things can get difficult. But I'm not sure that the lack of trucks had a decisive effect on *supply* - I think it was much more limiting in a tactical way, as it was more difficult to quickly move troops around.

Given the gasoline shortage that Germany had in the last part of the war - they barely had enough for their tanks - I think that a truck-based supply system would have made them even more vulnerable.