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Author Topic: WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons  (Read 1680 times)

Offline armchairgeneral

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WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons
« on: October 04, 2019, 10:16:30 PM »
I am trying to find out what sort of lighter support weapons WW1 Russians had that I could realistically introduce in platoon/company games in addition to the artillery, mortars and heavy machine guns that were more common place.

I know they had flame throwers and trench guns. What about LMGs? I guess the Russian army was so big such weapons were not available in enough quantities for standard numbers say per battalion?

Offline cuprum

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Re: WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2019, 01:31:53 AM »
During the First World War, more than 11 thousand Lewis machine guns were delivered to Russia, about 6 thousand Shosh machine guns, and 1200 Madsen machine guns remained since the Russo-Japanese war.
Of course, this is not enough for a millionth army. Machine guns were part of special machine gun teams, which were at the level of the regiment (and on secondary sections of the front - even division). And headed to the most tense sections of the front.

Offline armchairgeneral

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Re: WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2019, 07:07:40 AM »
Thanks Cuprum. I was hoping you would chime in  :)

I have seen a Russian WW1 figure on Siberia Miniatures website with a Lewis gun but I can’t seem to find it now.

Can you send me a link to it please?
« Last Edit: October 05, 2019, 07:15:17 AM by armchairgeneral »

Offline cuprum

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Re: WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2019, 04:46:34 PM »
Alas, at the moment all such figures are sold. I hope they will be available again within a month.

Offline monk2002uk

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Re: WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2019, 11:19:31 AM »
I have just finished Sergeyev-Tsensky's novel, translated into English as 'Brusilov's Break-through'. It is a fascinating book, highlighting the 1916 offensive from Brusilov's perspective as well as the perspectives of a divisional and a company commander. I can't tell how accurate the book is historically - I don't believe the author saw active service in the Great War but he was in the Russian army at that time. The content does have face validity though. The 101st Infantry Division is featured in the novel, which comprised 4 regiments of militiamen. Their performance sees the division upgraded to 'shock' status but it is interesting to see how few support weapons are mentioned. Some medium machine guns, mountain guns on one occasion but no trench mortars, automatic rifles/LMGs, or flame-throwers. Mortars are mentioned in the book but these appear to be medium howitzers. During an assault, the lead companies would be supplied liberally with grenades. Most of the men used captured Austrian rifles.

Robert

Offline cuprum

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Re: WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2019, 01:06:38 PM »
The formation date of the 101st Infantry Division is March 1915 (3rd mobilization stage). Former 1st Division of the State Militia.

1st Brigade (former 29th Militia Brigade)

401th Karachevsky Infantry Regiment - 169th, 170th and 171st Oryol militia battalions
402nd Ust-Medveditsky Infantry Regiment - 172nd Orlovskaya, 173th and 174th Don Militia battalions

2nd brigade (former 36th militia brigade)

403rd Volsky Infantry Regiment - 211, 212 and 213th Saratov Militia battalions
404th Kamyshin infantry regiment - 214, 215 and 216th Saratov militia battalions

Each brigade had six separate battalions, one militia mounted hundred, one battery of six guns and one sapper half-company. In the division there was one machine gun team of eight machine guns. The squads were armed with Berdan's old single-shot rifles. The cartridges for them were with black powder.
The division was re-equipped with captured Austrian rifles.

For the entire division - eight machine guns. But this is the military unit of the third stage, formed on the basis of the militia and supplied according to the residual principle.

Offline monk2002uk

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Re: WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2019, 01:35:39 PM »
Thank you, cuprum. The novel centres around the 402nd Ust-Medveditsky Regiment, with Ensign Liventsev assigned as commander of 13th Company, 4th Battalion on the eve of the Brusilov Offensive in 1916. He goes on to become the Battalion Commander before being wounded in his last action of the book - the elimination of an Austro-German salient on the right bank of the Styr River. The novel concludes with the crossing of the Styr River in the vicinity of Verben, Ukraine.

Robert

Offline Curassier

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Re: WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2019, 06:53:58 PM »
Is that rather wonderful machine gun in the Empress Russo-Japanese war series usable for the civil war era ?
JM

Offline cuprum

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Re: WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2019, 01:44:17 AM »
Do you mean a machine gun on an artillery carriage? Such carriages were completely replaced by more modern ones. I know only one exception. Machine guns on an artillery carriage continued to be used for training cadets of military schools in Moscow, and were used by them in urban battles in October-November 1917. Apart from this episode, nowhere and never such guns are not mentioned.

Offline Curassier

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Re: WW1 Russian Army Support Weapons
« Reply #9 on: October 20, 2019, 02:36:36 PM »
Yes indeed on artillery carriage and thanks for the useful response.
JM