The Rude Pundit - Sorry, Gun Nuts: Hitler Actually Relaxed Most Gun Laws

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151. You are missing how serious the fuel shortage was post 1941

A German Infantry DIVISION on its way to Stalingrad were only issued 10% of what had been standard issue pre-War. This was to save the fuel for the Armor and Air forces (The standard was three Infantry divisions to each Armour Division). Supplies came by coal fired steam trains. From the train-heads to the front trucks were used, in good weather, but to the actual units fighting it was all by horse drawn wagon. During the Freeze, Winter and Thaw, Horse draw wagons were preferred (horse drawn wagons did better in the subsequent mud during the Thaw and Freeze). Horses lasted three to six months on the front, at that point they had to to be withdrawn to recover, they would lose that much weight and either had to go back, or they just died, either way the unit needed new horses.

I bring this up, for in the movies the German troops are moving around in trucks and VW Kabelwagens, but rarely on horse or on foot. The US Army, during WWII, ended up using 2 1/2 ton trucks to move troops. The US kept them in Motor pools, but ended up one truck per infantry platoon, to haul the equipment of the platoon and its three squads. The Germans could NOT do this and thus retain the traditional one mule to squad (Mules was preferred but horses were used when Mules could NOT be obtained). The Platoon, Company and higher levels also used horses for hauling supplies. Through the Germans only maintain one horse mounted calvary Divisional unit unit during the war, and it was switched to vehicles late 1944. The reason for this was by 1942 the Germans were recruiting Russians and Ukrainians to fight on horse back for them, using them NOT only in Russia, but in Italy and Normandy.

Each German Infantry Division had ten infantry battalions, one of which used bicycles for greater maneuverability, these bicycle battalions were from after 1941, to replace truck units, the other nine battalions walked into combat.

I bring the above up for its shows how bad the fuel situation was for the German Army after 1941. The German army just did NOT have the fuel to move any unit QUICKLY outside the front lines. Fuel for Trucks were used in important operations (For example the Germans moving Croat Troops (Who technically were also fighting the Germans) when their leader agree to help the Germans against Tito's forces. Thus trucks and fuel was available, if high enough priority. For example the Death Camps used trucks during 1942, but then built a rail siding from the local rail head to the camp.

In a pinch troops can march 50 miles in a day on foot, but average about 10, if little or no opposition, less if serious opposition occurs. Thus Germany lost control effective control over any area behind their lines if it was more then 10 miles from a rail-line. Worse the need for horses on the front, and the resistance to sell to the Germans their horses by the Poles and French, horse mounted troops were NOT an option. Thus it was Infantry on foot or on bicycles.

Thus most of Poland more the 10 miles from a Rail line OR 20 miles from the actual front, were beyond German Control. This gave the Poles some safe locations to operate from (through not as much as the Serbs under Tito). The lost of Control in Rural France is under reported, but given the more extensive rail lines in France, less then in Eastern Europe(this is related to the rural Right wing and Communist infighting in France during WWII).

Weapons were needed, but so was organization. This is where France, Italy and Serbia had an advantage over Poland, all but Poland had a strong Communist Party before WWII, and it was the Communist Party that did most of the resistance during WWII. The Poles had a problem, to far from England and Stalin did not trust them. Thus no Weapons for the Poles. The Polish Home Army tried to organize the resistance, but then committed itself to freeing Warsaw.

In addition to weapons, a Resistance group MUST have a place to retreat to, to patch its wounds. This can move around if need be. The lost of Control over Rural areas of Poland, Serbia, Italy and France permitted such "safe areas" to exists. The Germans, after 1941, could close any area down, but not for long and then not more then one at a time. The US ran across a similar situation in Vietnam, we could close down one such safe area for the Viet Cong, then when US Forces left, the Viet Cong would return. Same thing in Iraq, and Afghanistan. Prior to 1941, the Germans had the fuel to destroy such safe havens, and keep out any returning resistance troops, but could NOT do that after 1941. Thus resistance was possible after 1941, but not before.