Operational use of armoured vehicles in the Russian Civil War

[Altius]

Hi guys! Would anyone have information about how tanks and armoured cars were used in the Russian Civil War? I understand that these vehicles were fairly scarce for this conflict, but what I want to know is how were they organized and deployed in combat? Were they individually attached to infantry or cavalry units or were they separated into their own platoons/companies and operate as their own units? Did tanks and ACs have different roles on the battlefield or were they used interchangeably?

[FramFramson]

I think that they almost certainly would have been used as supports for infantry and attached to infantry units, as there were no large armour battles in the RCW, but Mark or Cuprum or another soul more knowledgeable than I will be along to verify that soon, no doubt.

[cuprum]

Both "red" and "white" actually copied the structure of the armored units of the Imperial Army. All armored vehicles were reduced to "automobile armored detachments". The composition assumed 4 armored vehicles (ideally - 1 with a cannon and 3 with machine guns), 5 trucks, 4 cars, a tank truck, a mobile auto repair shop on a truck chassis, 4 motorcycles, 5 bicycles, about 100 people. In reality, the composition could vary greatly due to losses and breakdowns. The armored detachment was attached, if necessary, to any military unit - usually a division, and acted in accordance with the orders of its leadership. From the description of the battles, I got the impression that they tried to use armored cars in pairs so that they could cover each other. In battle, they were used to support infantry (rarely cavalry) in the offensive and to cover the retreat. Their use was complicated by the fact that they were almost impossible to use off-road.



Red automobile armored detachment


As for the tanks, they were formed in approximately the same, but already "Tank Detachments". Tanks were expressly forbidden to be used alone, but only as part of a tank detachment. Often several detachments were used simultaneously, i.e. in fact, they tried to use massively. The main purpose of the tanks, of course, was to break through the enemy's front line, which they did repeatedly and with great success.



Auto-tank detachment of the Shock-Fire Brigade of the Red Army, 1920

[Mark Plant]

I second Cuprum's note about armoured cars being used in at least pairs, wherever possible. They broke down so often that a single one was too vulnerable.

I suspect that tachankas were actually more useful in supporting cavalry -- being faster. more reliable and being able to cross more difficult terrain.

[Altius]

Thanks for the responses. That's very helpful. 

[Mark Plant]

Tom Hillman's book on Armoured cars (https://pygmywars.com/rcw/history/adverts/cars.html) has a half-dozen pages in specifics about the use of armoured cars.

Tanks were so difficult to transport and service that largely used in assaults on fortifications -- their unique ability to break through wire defences made them invaluable -- or when the lines had been stationary for a long period. The Poles had lots of them, but barely got to use them, because the lines moved far too fast.

[Pan Marek]

Mark-
I don't want to seem nitpicky, but here goes-   The notion that armored cars and tanks were used in large detachments seems at odds with what I've read, especially in your notes on Pygmy Wars about wargaming the RCW.  I got the impression that such vehicles were used sparingly, as there were not many of them.

Did I misinterpret you?   Or, did these vehicle only show up in large detachments in the biggest battles?

Thanks

[Mark Plant]

Both sides used armour as much as they could. They didn't spare it for special occasions.

There were a lot of armoured cars, and they popped up all over the place. The limits of roads, lack of fuel and the need to use trains for any long distance were greater barriers than any operational reasons. (Same for planes actually -- there were lots of air-frames and not that many sorties -- but they used them as soon as they got them and had fuel for them.)

If they had 4 cars in a divizion, and all were active, they would likely use them in two spots. But they would not usually have four, due to losses and mechanical issues.

Tanks were very different. They were always "massed", in the sense that if they had six, then they used all six at the same place, not spreading them out over the front. Being such a key weapon, the tanks were always sent to the most crucial places. So, yes, the key spots in the biggest battles.

It is not that they were sparing with the tanks, just that it took so long to move them to the front, get them operational, and drive them into place that they didn't get to most of the battles in time.

For example they were delayed from getting to Tsaritsyn by a destroyed bridge taking weeks to repair, which fell basically as soon as they went into operation, after weeks of fruitless assaults. Then the tanks could not be transported to the Kamyshin theatre, which was the new front line for weeks. Then they were used again when the Reds pushed Wrangel back to Tsaritsyn. Where they were once again crucial in keeping the Reds at bay. Wrangel would have loved them at Kamyshin -- he wasn't saving them.

[Black Burt]

That said I don't think I will invest in any tanks for the scale of battles I will do, just armoured cars.
If people want to use tanks in a game maybe they should test beforehand to see if they where actually available on the day.

[FreakyFenton]

Both "red" and "white" actually copied the structure of the armored units of the Imperial Army. All armored vehicles were reduced to "automobile armored detachments". The composition assumed 4 armored vehicles (ideally - 1 with a cannon and 3 with machine guns), 5 trucks, 4 cars, a tank truck, a mobile auto repair shop on a truck chassis, 4 motorcycles, 5 bicycles, about 100 people. In reality, the composition could vary greatly due to losses and breakdowns. The armored detachment was attached, if necessary, to any military unit - usually a division, and acted in accordance with the orders of its leadership. From the description of the battles, I got the impression that they tried to use armored cars in pairs so that they could cover each other. In battle, they were used to support infantry (rarely cavalry) in the offensive and to cover the retreat. Their use was complicated by the fact that they were almost impossible to use off-road.



Red automobile armored detachment


As for the tanks, they were formed in approximately the same, but already "Tank Detachments". Tanks were expressly forbidden to be used alone, but only as part of a tank detachment. Often several detachments were used simultaneously, i.e. in fact, they tried to use massively. The main purpose of the tanks, of course, was to break through the enemy's front line, which they did repeatedly and with great success.



Auto-tank detachment of the Shock-Fire Brigade of the Red Army, 1920

Those are some cracking sketches and photographs! Thank you for sharing!

[Mark Plant]

That said I don't think I will invest in any tanks for the scale of battles I will do, just armoured cars.
If people want to use tanks in a game maybe they should test beforehand to see if they where actually available on the day.

I recently played a Kriegsspiel game with tanks, because someone asked me, but I have never used them on the tabletop.

[Leapsnbounds]

Thank you, Cuprum.  I had the same question.  This is really appreciated.