Infantry Against Tanks 1941

[Ratzki]

I have to agree with you MR. I am just 2/3's through Colossus Reborn by David Glantz, what an eye opener. The Russians did have small victories in 41 and early 42 but it seems they came on the heels of poor German logistics, or timely German delays, to name a few. Not to take away anything from the Russian soldiers that fought, I am sure they did the best they could under severe conditions, but at no time did they ever stand toe to toe with their German counterparts in 41 and early 42 and fight them to a stand still. There was just not enough combat moxie in the Russian command to get a favourable result consistantly. Small victories here and there by the occaisional formation did not stop any determined German punches.
I checked C.D. Pettibone's OOB books on Russian divisions as well as some of Glantz's stuff, it would seem that this division was kept at near full strength in order to be used as more of a fire brigade and therefore it's strength was kept up at around the 10,000 man level. This is a giant division at this time of the war for the Russian side. Also, I could not find the battle that would honour the division with the "Guards" title, as well it is documented that this divisions early commander's performances bordered on attrocious. It would seem that this title was given when the division was reformed into a mech. division from a rifle division. With the amount of titles given including Proltarian-Minsk, Moscow Proletarian, Moscow-Minsk, Guards Moscow, Guards Mech., it kinda leads me to believe that this division in it's various forms might have been given the Guards title amung others in order to keep up morale, more so then from great battle performances. Now, I did just take a quick look, so I very well could be mistaken. MR, you will for sure have more information at your fingertips then do I.
MR is also correct, that the amount of new men and equipment entering on the Russian side was absolutely dwarfing any German reinforcements at the time. From early fall through winter in 41 the Russians were spitting whole divisions into the fight at a staggering pace. It was only German attrition that stopped the advances, not Russian battleworthiness, and still the Germans greatly outperformed the Russian soldiers, the Russian tanks, the Russian artillery, the Russian supply system, The Russian commanders at all levels, and in just about every way possible, all while German numbers decreased and the Russian numbers increased.
I think that if the Russians had been performing so greatly and consistantly across the fronts and that the mighty molotov was indeed so mighty, the Germans would have picked up the weapon and produced it in great numbers instead of investing research into the Pzfaust and other AT weapons. As well, there should be Russian formations that are common knowledge of everyone, that are well know for combat greatness like many German formations such as the GD and several SS divisions, to name a few.