SOVIET VOROSHILOV ACADEMY LECTURES
REAR SERVICES LECTURE

View graphs for lectures on rear services

Organizing the rear service of the troops is as follows:


- combat readiness of rear service units and subunits;

- making the decision for and planning of the rear service support and assignment of missions to rear service units and subunits;

- specifying the area of the rear service of the troops;

- deploying (positioning) of the rear services in the departure area and its re-location during the attack;

- specifying supply and evacuation routes;

- material support;

- medical support;

- technical support;

- providing security, defense, and protection of the rear service area;

- continuous control of the rear service and uninterrupted communication;

- continuous control of the execution of given orders and instructions and assisting of subordinate units and subunits.

Combat Readiness of the Rear Service

Combat readiness of the rear service consists of the following:

- constant combat readiness;

- higher combat readiness;

- full combat readiness.

Contents of Measures for Bringing the Rear Service to the State of Full Combat Readiness

The contents of measures for bringing the rear service to the state of full combat readiness is as follows:

- upgrading the rear service of the troops to full wartime strength;

- leaving permanent locations and deployment of the rear service in "alert" assembly areas;

- augmenting of personnel, combat equipment, and material reserves up to established norms;

- distributing ammunition, hand grenades, special gas masks, helmets, portable tents, individual medical packages and chemical protection packages to personnel of units and large units;

- deploying and concealing the rear service in the departure area when the large unit is assigned to cover the state border;

- deploying the rear service control point at the specified place and taking over the control of subordinates and establishing continuous communication with them.

Contents of the Instructions of the Division Commander on Rear Service Support

The contents of the instructions of the division commander on rear service support is as follows:

- areas for deploying and directions for moving the rear service;

- supply and evacuation routes for material support;

- volume and time for establishing material reserves;

- consumption norms of material means prior to initiating the attack and during the first day of battle;

- method and time for preparing combat equipment and vehicles;

- method of repair and evacuating of combat vehicles and motors;

- principal measures on medical support;

- location of rear service control points.

Contents of the Division Order for Rear Service Support

The contents of the division order for rear service support is as follows:

- boundaries of the rear service area;

- areas for deploying rear service units, subunits, and installations, direction of their relocation, areas and lines for deploying during the attack;

- supply and evacuation routes of units and large units prior to initiating the attack and during the attack, missions relating to their preparation, movement support on these routes, troops and means allocated for such services;
- volume and time for establishing material reserves;

- missions on rear service support for every unit and subunit of the rear service prior to initiation of, and during the attack;

- organizing continuous security and defense of the rear service;

- locating rear service control points;

- time for readiness of the rear service.

Elements Participating in Planning of the Rear Service Support

The elements participating in planning of the rear service support are as follows:

- division rear service staff;

- division staff;

- chief of technical support;

- chief of artillery;

- chief of engineer;

- chief of chemical;

- etc.

Planning Measures Taken Prior to Receiving the Division's Orders and the Army's Directives

Planning measures taken prior to receiving the division's orders and the army's directives are as follows:

- preparing rear service areas in terms of engineer support;

- collecting mobile material reserve;

- repairing weapons, combat, and transport equipment;

- evacuating wounded and sick from medical points.

Contents of the Graphic Part of the Rear Service Support Plan

The contents of the graphic part of the rear service support plan is as follows:

- brief information about the enemy's disposition;

- boundaries of the rear service area;

- situation of friendly troops, missions of the division and regiments;

- areas for deploying the main elements of the division's combat formation;

- deploying rear service elements of the division in the departure area and relocating them during the attack;

- areas for deploying the division's separate material support battalion and relocating it during the attack;

- areas for deploying the rear services and rear service control points of the division and regiments in the departure area and relocating them during the attack;

- axis and "rokad" (lateral) routes of the army, division, and regiments;

- protection, security, and defense of the rear service area;

- points of supply of division vehicles with POL;

- etc.

Contents of the Written Instructions on the Division's Rear Service Support Plan

The contents of the written information on the division's rear service support plan is as follows:

- principal tasks of the rear service;

- composition of the rear service;

- material support of the troops;

- medical support of the troops;

- action of transport subunits;

- supply of vehicles with POL;

- method of foodstuff supply;

- repairing clothing and merchandise;

- protecting, securing, and defending the rear service targets;

- method for chemical decontaminating clothing;

- methods for troop control, diagrams for deploying the rear service control points, tables for call signs of individuals and command (control) points;

- other calculations of material means;

- etc.

Deploying Division's Rear Service Elements

Deploying division's rear service elements in the departure area is as follows:

- in the first-echelon: medical battalion, collection point of damaged vehicles, part of repair battalion;

- in the second-echelon: the rest of division's rear service elements, i.e. separate material support battalion, bakery transport subunits, combined depot, separate medical detachment, rest of repair battalion, etc.

Deploying division's rear service elements during the conduct of the attack is as follows:

- in the first-echelon: reserves of ammunition, POL and other means, medical battalion, part of the repair and evacuation means;

- in the second-echelon: separate material support battalion, mechanical bakery, combined depot, transport subunits, separate medical detachment, the rest of repair battalion, other subunits and the rear service control points.

Axis Routes

- division: from division depots to depots of first-echelon regiments and division artillery positions;

- regiment: from regiment depots to first-echelon bus rear service subunits and positions of regiment artillery.



Lateral Routes (Rokads)

- division: along the line of regiments depots parallel to the frontline;

- army: along the line of division depots parallel to the frontline.

Types of Material Means

The following are types of material means:

- all types of weapons ammunition and spare parts (supplies);

- armor supplies;

- motor-tractor supplies;

- engineer supplies;

- technical supplies;

- signal supplies;

- chemical supplies;

- POL supplies;

- foodstuff supplies;

- clothing supplies;

- medical supplies;

- veterinary supplies;

- fuel and lightening supplies;

- topography supplies;

- monetary supplies;

- water supplies.

Supplies Levels Total Div. Regt. Bn. Co.Individual Div. Depot Depot

ammo (unit of fire - small arms ammo --1.0 0.2

ammo (unit of fire arty. and mortar 1.0 0.2

ammo (unit of fire )reactive arty.1.0 0.2

ammo (unit of fire ) tank 2.25 0.5

ammo (unit of fire) air defense 2.0 0.5

POL (refill) gasoline 1.7 0.3

POL (refill) diesel 2.4 0.5

foodstuff (daily ration) 13 2

Transportation Principle

The following are transportation principles:

- from army to division: by army transport;

- from division to regiment: by division transport;

- from regiment to battalion: by regiment transport.

Organizing Medical Support in Large Units, Units, and Subunits

The following are elements in organizing support in large units, units, and subunits:

- timely conduct of first medical aid to the wounded and sick on the battlefield;

- collecting and evacuating wounded to medical points of units, large units, and army's separate medical detachments;

- extending medical assistance to wounded and sick, their treatment and preparation for further evacuation;

- extending qualified and special medical assistance to wounded and sick;

- conducting measures on providing hygiene and protection from epidemics and infectious disease;

- conducting measures for protecting personnel against enemy mass-destruction weapons, conduct of special and full decontamination.

Elements of Medical Support System in Units and Large Units

The following are elements of medical support systems in units and large units in battalions:

- battalion's medical point established by medical platoon.

The following are elements of medical support systems in units and large units in regiments:

- The regiment's medical point is established by the regiment's medical company. It collects rescues and transports wounded and sick from the battlefield and battalion medical points, conducts "physician" medical assistance, and prepares them for further evacuation.

The following are elements of medical support systems in units and large units in divisions:

- The division's medical point is established by the division's medical battalion. It is equipped with qualified medical assistance and evacuates the wounded and sick to forward medical hospitals of the front.

Types of Medical Assistance

The following are elements of first aid:

- self and mutual medical aid on the basis of instructions of subunit commanders and by medical personnel of the company on the spot.

The following are elements of pre-physician medical assistance:

- it is provided by paramedics (assistant physicians) particularly to counter life threatening events (bleeding, concussion) and protecting wounds from contamination and preventing shock.

The following are elements of first "physician" medical assistance:

- It is provided by physicians in the unit's (regiment's) medical point. It includes changing of bandages and dressings, stopping bleeding by medical means, fixing fractures, simple surgical operation, and preventing shock.
The following are elements of qualified medical assistance:

- It is provided by physicians, specialists, and surgeons normally at the division's medical point and army's separate medical detachments. It includes surgical operations, stopping bleeding, dressings, and preparing wounded for evacuation to front hospitals.

The following are elements of specialized medical assistance:

- It is provided by specialist physicians (internal, eye, orthopedic, etc.) at front hospitals with full medical facilities. It is normally the final phase of medical assistance.

Types of Technical Support

The following are types of technical support:

- rocket technical support;

- radio-electronic technical support;

- aviation technical support;

- artillery technical support;

- armor technical support;

- motor and tractor technical support;

- engineer technical support;

- chemical technical support;

- signal technical support;

- rear service technical support.

Principle Measures of Technical Support

The following are the principle measures of technical support:

- technical service and maintenance;

- supply of weapons, combat equipment, ammunition, and technical equipment;

- organizing repair and evacuation of damaged equipment;

- organizing the training of personnel who are learning the use of weapons and technical equipment;

- control of technical support troops and means during the battle.

Technical Service and Maintenance for Tanks

The following are elements for technical service and maintenance for tanks during control inspections:

- Conducted by the crew prior to learning the park, during the march (in halts), before firing and exercises to test the readiness of tank for use, normal function of major assemblies and mechanisms, instruments and systems. It takes fifteen to thirty minutes. During the march it takes ten to fifteen minutes.

The following are elements for technical service and maintenance for tanks during technical service no. 1:

- It is conducted after each return of the tank to the park, in march, during intervals in the battle regardless of the distance covered by the tank. It is conducted by the crew which inspects the level of fuel, lubricants, ammunition, and conducts cleaning of parts and tests the technical status of major part for security and normal functioning.

The following are elements for technical service and maintenance for tanks during technical service no. 2:

- It is different for different types of tanks. For T-54 it is conducted after 1,000-1,100 km. It takes 6.5-9.5 hours to conduct the service.

The following are elements for technical service and maintenance for tanks during technical service no. 3:

- It is conducted after 2,000-2,200 km. It takes eight to twelve hours to conduct.

Technical service no. 2 and no. 3 include close inspection of the technical status of the tanks, conduct of adjustments, replenishment or change of POL, and lubricating of major assemblies. In addition to these there are two more technical services:

- seasonal technical service: it is conducted to witness or summarize the tank which includes change of special oil and preparing the tank for winter or summer;

- seasonal technical service: to prepare the vehicle for use (or after use) in special conditions such as high mountainous areas, before or after river crossings, etc.

Technical Service for Automobiles

The following are technical services for automobiles:

- Combat test (inspection): Before moving out of the park. It takes fifteen to twenty minutes to conduct. It is also conducted in march halts for ten to fifteen minutes.

- Routine technical inspection: After each return to the park or after 100-150 km. It takes 1-1.5 hours and includes inspection of replenishment with POL, cleaning of parts, inspection of the technical status of major parts for security and normal functioning.

- Technical inspection no. 1: It is normally conducted after 1,000-1,200 km during 3 hours.

- Technical inspection no. 2: It is conducted after 5,000-6,000 km during 8 hours.

Most of the maintenance service of combat and transport vehicles are conducted by tank crews, vehicle drivers under direct supervision of subunit commanders and chiefs of technical service. To provide assistance to them in removing the malfunctions, repair means can also be assigned.

Repair Levels

The following are repair levels:

- routine repairs: conducted in the unit repair plant and sometimes in the division repair plant with the participation of drivers and crews;

- medium repair: conducted by division (and army if reinforced by repair units) and the front.

- major repair: normally conducted in repair plants and front repair facilities

Priorities for Evacuation

The following are priorities for evacuation:

- in the first priority vital equipment such as control means, rockets, and other lightly damaged equipment is evacuated from under enemy fire;

- in second priority equipment is evacuated which may be repaired by division and regiment repair facilities;

- in the third priority the rest of the damaged equipment is evacuated.