Mud In Warfare
BY Herschel Smith
2 years, 8 months ago
Via Chicago Boyz, this Twitter post.
Here is the link.
As correctly pointed out by some of you, Ukrainian troops seems to flooded the area north of Kyiv. That's the reason why the Russian advance is stagnating there. #Ukraine #UkraineRussiaWar #Kyiv https://t.co/aHRDDu1EC4 pic.twitter.com/ZUmQMRlvAh
— MilitaryLand.net (@Militarylandnet) March 4, 2022
He also observes that Ukraine has allowed the reservoirs to flood the region, and further makes the prediction that while Kiev might still be taken, these troops and this equipment won’t be involved.
They’re stuck in mud, likely for months. They are likely out of fuel, out of food, and with batteries dead.
Read the entire post.
This is the winter thaw. The spring rains have yet to arrive.
This is intended to be a tactical analysis. If true, it suggests that mechanized warfare still suffers from the same sort of thing it always has.
I am currently reading this book (a gift from my oldest son).
Mud affects everything from mechanized machinery to infantry health. It rots feet, keeps boots wet, cracks the boots when it dries, causes gangrene, messes up grease and bearings, breaks tank tracks, causes trucks to get stuck, and if it buries tanks to the point of sucking up to the underside of the vehicle, causes them to be immobile. Mud contains bacteria and pathogens that can kill troops.
Mud is the enemy of warfare, or the friend, depending upon your perspective.
On March 7, 2022 at 12:38 am, Dan said:
Ukraine has a long history of being invaded. The Ukrainians have had no small experience at fighting back though not always effectively. They DO know the land however.
On March 7, 2022 at 6:18 am, Wes said:
Your take on these things is appreciated. I pondered with a Polish friend awhile back the notion of timetables. We sipped our coffee, kicked around the fact that Mother Nature does not use a hack watch, looked at each other and said, “Mud.”
As a friend points out, Ivan has never done logistics real well. Move fast with overwhelming power, rations for 3 days and, after that, take sustenance from the local population. However, that assumes you’ve bent that source to your will.
On March 7, 2022 at 7:53 am, Fred said:
@wes, that type of plan never endears the population to the invader. The armies of the north in Lincoln’s war of aggression used the same plan, and the hatred lingers generation after generation. Of course I don’t think “hearts and minds” is a serious goal in war anyway. It’s war, which means kill the people, wreck their stuff, and take what you want.
On March 7, 2022 at 9:28 am, Mill Tone said:
Appreciate your perspective, captain.
Here’s to thick, rich, deep and overwhelming mud.
How can MUD be utilized by the beloved TRUCKERS to destroy the tracks of the globohomo cartel?
Milton
On March 7, 2022 at 9:55 am, Bill Sullivan said:
Fred- I know a couple of guys in Georgia who still get upset (seriously) over Sherman. Like foam at the mouth upset.
On March 7, 2022 at 2:04 pm, Alex Lund said:
@Wes,
during WWII the Russians build their tanks with wide tracks so that they stayed mobile, while the Germans had no wide tracks and were nearly immobile.
So, wouldnt the people of this region (Russians, Ukrainians, etc) be accustomed to the weather and plan their vehicles accordingly?
On March 7, 2022 at 2:55 pm, HouseWolf said:
I have mentioned numerous times, on numerous forums, rasputitsa, and it’s effect on mechanized. Ukraine has experienced a relatively warm winter, adding to the condition.
On March 7, 2022 at 11:09 pm, Matthew said:
@HouseWolf – is rasputitsa worse than what we get in the Upper Midwest, when the plains get saturated with snowmelt and then spring rains flood everything? I’ve always heard of the mud season of the steppe, but I’ve never heard it compared to anything I know firsthand.