Blitzkrieg. How the German Army Shattered Its Enemies

1. BLITZKRIEG HOW THE GERMAN ARMY SHATTERED ITS ENEMIES WW2CLASH.COM

2. The blitzkrieg is a doctrine to conduct and win the air-land battle using combined-arms teams consisting of aircraft, tanks, mechanized troops and infantry. WW2CLASH.COM

3. Destroying strongly armed enemy forces is a hazardous business. It entails substantial casualties and time consuming operations. BUT every soldier, tank or artillery gun has a weakness that renders them impotent: their finite and limited capacity to carry with them ammo, fuel and food. WW2CLASH.COM

4. Without ammo, fuel and food, armed forces become worthless. To keep them combat ready it is necessary to maintain a continuous flow of supplies between the troops and the supply centers SUPPLY CENTERS WW2CLASH.COM

5. BLITZKRIEG CONCEPT The fundamental principle of the blitzkrieg was to encircle and destroy the adversary. By disconnecting the enemy troops from their supply they became brittle. SUPPLY CENTERS WW2CLASH.COM

6. To succeed in encircling and destroying the enemy forces, the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) developed a 3-phase process: • Breakthrough Phase • Exploitation Phase • Encirclement & Mop-up Phase WW2CLASH.COM

7. First, let’s see the initial Defensive and Offensive deployments WW2CLASH.COM

8. INITIAL SITUATION: The Defense Enemy MLR Supply Railroad 6 5 Lower echelon supply Operational Reserves 6 Supplies, transported by train, are unloaded at the railhead The supplies are moved forward to the depot by road Troops deployed in the main line of resistance (MLR) fetch the supplies using lower echelon supply troops Tactical reserves stationed behind the MLR are ready to counterattack and plug holes Operational reserves are ready to launch counteroffensives and drive attackers back Combat aircraft are ready to support the defenders from their airfields Tactical reserves Railhead 4 1 2 Army Supply Road Depot 3 6 Enemy airfields WW2CLASH.COM

9. INITIAL SITUATION: The Attacker Enemy MLR Supply Railroad 6 9 8 5 Lower echelon supply Operational Reserves 6 The Germans place fighters in airfields close to the MLR Bombers occupy airfields a little further back Infantry deploys along the MLR. Armor deploys adjacent to the sectors selected for the main attack only. Infantry formations accompany these armored units for initial support. Reserves stationed close to the sectors earmarked for the main offensive are ready to exploit when the breakthrough succeeds 7 Tactical reserves 10 4 Railhead 1 2 Army Supply Road Depot 3 9 8 6 Enemy airfields WW2CLASH.COM

10. Breakthrough Phase Objectives Pierce the enemy defenses at tactical depth at selected points Achieve air superiority Proper placement of reserves ready to exploit WW2CLASH.COM

11. BREAKTHROUGHPHASE 6 Operational Reserves 4 2 1 Luftwaffe bombers attack enemy airfields to destroy aircraft on the ground Fighters sweep the area to shoot down any aircraft that attempts to respond A bubble of air superiority is projected over the battlefield to allow friendly air missions to proceed and to prevent the enemy’s Mixed infantry and armored formations attack violently the selected sectors to pierce the defenses at tactical depth to achieve a breakthrough Bombers support one of the attacks where the enemy defenses are easy to identify from the air German reserves move forward Tactical reserves Railhead 5 4 6 3 1 1 2 WW2CLASH.COM

12. Exploitation Phase Objectives Ground forces spearheaded by armor penetrate at great depth disrupting enemy supply Luftwaffe executes intense reconnaissance to identify threats and opportunities. Bomber force isolates the battlefield. Fighter force prevents the enemy air force from intervening in the battle WW2CLASH.COM

13. EXPLOITATION PHASE Armored reserves push forward through the breach and cut the supply railroad Infantry follows behind as fast as possible Other infantry units pin the defenders to avoid withdrawals Observation aircraft execute intense reconnaissance to identify enemy reserves and movements Bombers strike supply columns to prevent resupply Bombers strike at troops attempting to counterattack Friendly troops are directed to protect vulnerable points identified by air observation Fighters continue air superiority missions 6 8 7 2 4 1 3 6 5 4 1 2 8 4 WW2CLASH.COM

14. Encirclement and Mop-Up Phase Objectives Close the pincers to create large pockets of surrounded enemy forces separated from their supply Attack surrounded troops forcing them to defend and expend their ammo. Mass surrender follows WW2CLASH.COM

15. ENCIRCLEMENT & MOP-UP PHASE 4 3 Armored units close the pincers encircling large number of troops Infantry consolidates the ring preventing their escape. Then, it attacks encircled troops forcing them to expend their ammo and surrender 2 2 Luftwaffe occupies airfield further forward From the new bases the air force continues their air missions in support of ground troops 1 Railhead 2 2 3 4 3 WW2CLASH.COM

16. So, Who does What and When? • The following table shows the missions of the different combat teams over time WW2CLASH.COM

17. BLITZKRIEG AIR-LAND MISSION TABLE Time MISSION MID-PHASE TROOPS INITIAL PHASE FINAL PHASE Combat Air Patrol and Interception 30% AIR MISSIONS AIR SUPREMACY 90% Combat Air Patrol and Interception 30% AIRCRAFT Reconnaissance 20% Reconnaissance 20% Interdiction 40% DIRECT SUPPORT BATTLE ZONE 10% Interdiction 40% Logistic Support 10% Logistic Support 10% EXPLOITATION LAND MISSIONS ARMOR BREAKTHROUGH ENCIRCLEMENT INFANTRY SUPPORT BREAKTHROUGH FOLLOW-UP CONSOLIDATION & MOP-UP WW2CLASH.COM

18. SUMMARY • The Blitzkrieg became a revolutionary way to win a war quickly and at low cost. By encircling the enemy, resupply was impossible and mass surrender followed (without ammo the enemy could not continue the fight) • To be successful, the Blitzkrieg required that every team (aircraft, armored troops and infantry) accomplished their task • This doctrine was heavily dependent on air support. Without air superiority, no large German offensive in WW2 was successful. WW2CLASH.COM

19. FINAL NOTES • The Germans did not name this doctrine blitzkrieg until after the victory over Poland in September 1939. Before that date, it was unknown how successful the method would be, since it was untested in practice • The absolute success of the doctrine surprised the Germans and their enemies. Using this doctrine, Germany triumphed over Poland, France and the Balkans and it almost succeeded in Russia. WW2CLASH.COM