Regarding soldiers of very young ages
There is generally documented experience of the Wehrmacht in this regard.
By the end of February 1944, the 357th and 359th infantry divisions of the 21st wave, formed in November 1943 in Poland from the remnants of defeated units and conscripts born in 1926, reached the front in the 4th TA.
The ZhBD of the 4th Tank Army specifically noted “Both divisions should be subject to lower requirements than the rest, since 2/3 of their personnel were born in 1926.”
Show it or not, but you still have to go into battle. About one of the regiments of these formations, during interrogation in Soviet captivity, an officer of the headquarters of the “Tarnopol fortress” spoke as follows: “As for 949 pp, he, so to speak, ruined the whole thing for us. The combat effectiveness of soldiers born in 1926 is exceptionally low.”
Beginning of the headquarters of the German 4th TA Fangor, when the army group headquarters began to blame him for the large losses of new formations, responded like this: “Having barely begun their training, they found themselves drawn into large-scale battles with large forces of enemy tanks. Despite all their desire, the youth could not withstand this, either physically or spiritually, which was greatly facilitated by poor weather conditions, roads and terrain. Today these soldiers are in a state of apathy and completely exhausted."
There was also a saying like “they look like a crowd.” Not like soldiers. “War is a matter for the young, a cure for wrinkles,” but there is also a lower limit to combat effectiveness.
(c) Alexey Isaev
There is generally documented experience of the Wehrmacht in this regard.
By the end of February 1944, the 357th and 359th infantry divisions of the 21st wave, formed in November 1943 in Poland from the remnants of defeated units and conscripts born in 1926, reached the front in the 4th TA.
The ZhBD of the 4th Tank Army specifically noted “Both divisions should be subject to lower requirements than the rest, since 2/3 of their personnel were born in 1926.”
Show it or not, but you still have to go into battle. About one of the regiments of these formations, during interrogation in Soviet captivity, an officer of the headquarters of the “Tarnopol fortress” spoke as follows: “As for 949 pp, he, so to speak, ruined the whole thing for us. The combat effectiveness of soldiers born in 1926 is exceptionally low.”
Beginning of the headquarters of the German 4th TA Fangor, when the army group headquarters began to blame him for the large losses of new formations, responded like this: “Having barely begun their training, they found themselves drawn into large-scale battles with large forces of enemy tanks. Despite all their desire, the youth could not withstand this, either physically or spiritually, which was greatly facilitated by poor weather conditions, roads and terrain. Today these soldiers are in a state of apathy and completely exhausted."
There was also a saying like “they look like a crowd.” Not like soldiers. “War is a matter for the young, a cure for wrinkles,” but there is also a lower limit to combat effectiveness.
(c) Alexey Isaev
1 yr. ago
