I was wondering if anyone had read a book called “Red thrust†I saw it at a used book store a short while ago and thought about picking it up it looked like it coverd a wide range of areas about how they are organized, it covered soviet armor and training tactics of the 60’s and early 80’s
Has anyone read this book and would they recommend it, or what other books on USSR unit setup and operations would you guys recommend?. I want to field a tank division and air defense unit and support troops and want to get them realistically structured.
History Books on soviet tactics??
Moderators: dnichols, GHQ, Mk 1
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Timothy OConnor
- E5
- Posts: 382
- Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:16 am
My friend (and forum member) Mark Luther has loaned me "Soviet AirLand Battle Tactics". See link below. Very good book! Mostly late Cold War theory and speculation based on period intel with a smattering of commentary based on the Afghan war. Focus is clearly on traditional NATO vs WARPAC in central Europe.
http://www.amazon.com/Soviet-Airland-Ba ... 0891411607
For real-world Soviet combat experience I highly recommend the following:
The Bear Went Over the Mountain
http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Went-Over-Mo ... 693&sr=1-8
The Soviet-Afghan War
http://www.amazon.com/Soviet-Afghan-War ... 693&sr=1-9
Afghan Guerrilla Warfare
http://www.amazon.com/Soviet-Afghan-War ... 693&sr=1-9
All provide excellent soure material for real world ORBATs, tactics, and scenarios. The focus is on anti-insurgency fighting but you're still dealing with very "wargame-able" battalion-level, combained-arms actions (combined arms on the Soviet side that is!). LOTS of mech and air assault infantry backed by tanks, helicopters, CAS, and arty.
http://www.amazon.com/Soviet-Airland-Ba ... 0891411607
For real-world Soviet combat experience I highly recommend the following:
The Bear Went Over the Mountain
http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Went-Over-Mo ... 693&sr=1-8
The Soviet-Afghan War
http://www.amazon.com/Soviet-Afghan-War ... 693&sr=1-9
Afghan Guerrilla Warfare
http://www.amazon.com/Soviet-Afghan-War ... 693&sr=1-9
All provide excellent soure material for real world ORBATs, tactics, and scenarios. The focus is on anti-insurgency fighting but you're still dealing with very "wargame-able" battalion-level, combained-arms actions (combined arms on the Soviet side that is!). LOTS of mech and air assault infantry backed by tanks, helicopters, CAS, and arty.
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olly_usafsoc
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:17 pm
Strange that this should appear, as i was aiming to ask a similar question but also for British and US side of things, specifically for the cold war era. I've read the third world war and really love the way in which the information is conveyed. However more specifically id like reccomendations for ;
US / British Doctorine/military theory and tactics in the era
Camoflauge, markings that sort of thing for Warsaw pact/US/UK vehicles and aircraft
And would anyone have and reccomendations for ideas for terrain around that era, specifically pictures and the like of Probable areas of combat (such as german towns etc) As i would like my boards to be relitivley accurate. Cheers, and sorry if this is pushing in on your thread ISNJH.
Olly
US / British Doctorine/military theory and tactics in the era
Camoflauge, markings that sort of thing for Warsaw pact/US/UK vehicles and aircraft
And would anyone have and reccomendations for ideas for terrain around that era, specifically pictures and the like of Probable areas of combat (such as german towns etc) As i would like my boards to be relitivley accurate. Cheers, and sorry if this is pushing in on your thread ISNJH.
Olly
Check out my blog at : http://6mmollyusafsoc.blogspot.com/ : )
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zaevor2000
- Posts: 84
- Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:33 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
For the Soviets I highly recommend:
David C. Isby's Weapons and Tactics of the Soviet Army, 1981, Jane's Publishing. Very comprehensive and pretty much covers it from top to bottom.
David C. Isby also collaborated on Jane's Armies of Nato's Central Front.
Red Thrust I have and is more of a Tom Clancy style book with first person perspectives of actions in each of the Soviet combat arms. You got a chapter of an infantryman, another of a tanker, another of a spetznatz soldier, etc.
The big avenue of approach in the US sector was the Fulda Gap (around the city of Fulda) which was a valley flanked by two enormous ridge lines and the Hof Corridor (Coberg to Hof) which was a heavily wooded area with numerous roads going through it. Both of these areas are covered in detail with the units involved in the old SPI games Fifth Corps and Hof Gap... Good luck on finding them and it will set you back around $100 EACH if one of them does happen to pop up on e-bay or elsewhere. Fifth Corps came out in large numbers in the Strategy & Tactics magazine, and Hof Gap came out as a small booklet game. Both are extremely hard to find (especially Hof Gap) due to the small print run. Good luck!
The Brits were in the North and BAOR is a good game to see the possible gaming sites.
Hope this helps!
BTW, research indicates that a 1979 attack in the US sector would have matched US M60a1s and M113s against Soviet T-62s/BMPs/BTRs. The British sector would have Chieftains/FV432s vs. Soviet T-62/T-64s and BMP/BTRs.
Germans were spread out both north and south (after all they were defending their own country!) and would have been primarily Leopard1s and Marders. Very few Leopard 2s until later...
Frank
David C. Isby's Weapons and Tactics of the Soviet Army, 1981, Jane's Publishing. Very comprehensive and pretty much covers it from top to bottom.
David C. Isby also collaborated on Jane's Armies of Nato's Central Front.
Red Thrust I have and is more of a Tom Clancy style book with first person perspectives of actions in each of the Soviet combat arms. You got a chapter of an infantryman, another of a tanker, another of a spetznatz soldier, etc.
The big avenue of approach in the US sector was the Fulda Gap (around the city of Fulda) which was a valley flanked by two enormous ridge lines and the Hof Corridor (Coberg to Hof) which was a heavily wooded area with numerous roads going through it. Both of these areas are covered in detail with the units involved in the old SPI games Fifth Corps and Hof Gap... Good luck on finding them and it will set you back around $100 EACH if one of them does happen to pop up on e-bay or elsewhere. Fifth Corps came out in large numbers in the Strategy & Tactics magazine, and Hof Gap came out as a small booklet game. Both are extremely hard to find (especially Hof Gap) due to the small print run. Good luck!
The Brits were in the North and BAOR is a good game to see the possible gaming sites.
Hope this helps!
BTW, research indicates that a 1979 attack in the US sector would have matched US M60a1s and M113s against Soviet T-62s/BMPs/BTRs. The British sector would have Chieftains/FV432s vs. Soviet T-62/T-64s and BMP/BTRs.
Germans were spread out both north and south (after all they were defending their own country!) and would have been primarily Leopard1s and Marders. Very few Leopard 2s until later...
Frank
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BattlerBritain
- E5
- Posts: 628
- Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2005 7:00 pm
- Location: Somerset, UK
David c isby's 'Weapons and Tactics' is a fantastic source and was updated in 1989 as well. 'Armies of NATO's Central Front' is also a must have.
If you're interested in the SPI's Central Front series there are a Cyberboard modules for Fifth Corps, Hof Gap and BAOR available, a good source being over at http://www.limeyyankgames.co.uk/ .
There are also modules available for the expansions called 'North German Plain' and 'Donau Front' that use the same scale maps and units but with amended rules and counter values. The maps can be linked with the earlier modules, however, so you can game from Denmark to Austria at 1 hex to 4km.
If you want other articles on these SPI games try over at Nick Bell's Aide De Camp site where you can download an ADC module that puts all 5 maps together and uses counters for all 5 maps with the original rules and values. These can be found at:
http://67.155.107.229/Game_Sets/SPI/spi.htm under Central Front. There are articles from various magazines there as well describing the weapons and tactics used by both sides.
Enjoy
If you're interested in the SPI's Central Front series there are a Cyberboard modules for Fifth Corps, Hof Gap and BAOR available, a good source being over at http://www.limeyyankgames.co.uk/ .
There are also modules available for the expansions called 'North German Plain' and 'Donau Front' that use the same scale maps and units but with amended rules and counter values. The maps can be linked with the earlier modules, however, so you can game from Denmark to Austria at 1 hex to 4km.
If you want other articles on these SPI games try over at Nick Bell's Aide De Camp site where you can download an ADC module that puts all 5 maps together and uses counters for all 5 maps with the original rules and values. These can be found at:
http://67.155.107.229/Game_Sets/SPI/spi.htm under Central Front. There are articles from various magazines there as well describing the weapons and tactics used by both sides.
Enjoy