This Time Of Year, , ,

 (This Time Of Year, , ,)

One can readily say that talk of Trump or Biden or impeachment or investigations or politics in general has reached saturation. There is still a war on. And over almost the same battlefields. If one is remembering History, it can be said that Soviet operations in August, 1943 began its irrestable march to Berlin.


First, some context. While the German offensive at Kursk failed, the Ostheer (Eastern Army) had made penetrations into what had been the salient (bulge in the line), the more serious was the German attack in the south and the Soviet priority would be to reduce those penetrations. A Soviet formation that would play a significant role was the 1st Guards Tank Army. This armor heavy formation with over six hundred tanks, committed in Soviet offensive named RUMIANTSEV, 1st Guards Tank and the balance of forces advanced towards Belgorod. The Germans were forced to withdraw and eventually the army had its part in taking Berlin.


When World War II ended, the Soviets had several million men under arms but the whole force could not be wholly discharged. Some veteran formations, like the 1st Tank Guards Army, were retained to have in the eventually of the Cold War. Or, a war with Ukraine. Soviet, now Russian doctrine, envisaged massed mobile formations maneuvering to a point of contact and advancing against an enemy flank, achieving operational decision.


That was what was supposed to happen in the Ukraine. Far from that immediate decision, however, the war has persisted and the Russian army sustaining casualties, particularly among its armored corps, including the 1st Guards Tank Army, which had suffered its own set of losses in the Kursk battles as it was forced back from Kiev.


Like all committed formations in theater, 1st Guard Tank is having to be re-supplied and losses compensated. The war is an operational stalemate but if movement is not restored, and soon, and Russians again decide to take matters and push back against the Ukrainians, the continual ebb of capability, including the 1st Guards Tank Army, will continue to erode as well.

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