High-Speed Offensive Combat - Most Important Aspect of a Battle

In WW2, Red Army battle norming paradigms proved beyond all doubt that high-speed offensive combat was the most important aspect of a battler or war-winning scheme.
For example, the Soviets discovered that high speed offensive advances resulted in fewer casualties and lesser consumption of most of the critical supplies needed by any army.

(from Red Blitzkreig)

“Soviet analysis of offensive operations conducted by tank armies in 1944-45 shows that, when they advanced at 16-45 kilometers (km)/day, they used only one-third the amount of fuel and one-sixth the amount of ammunition required when the rate of advance was only 4.5-13 km/day. At the higher rate of advance, they also took only one-third of the personnel and two-thirds of the tank casualties (and most of the latter were repairable mechanical breakdowns). Plainly, such calculations have considerable impact on the desirability of achieving surprise.” (as well as the importance of offensive action)

The modern conventional American ground forces fighting inside Iraq and Afghanistan spend too much time on the defensive. As a result, they loose more men, equipment, and consume more supplies than if they were attacking constantly. Constant attacks must be based on good intelligence. Such intelligence locates the enemy and identifies targetable weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The US military cannot depend upon the incompetent CIA, and its own intelligence resources are still weak and improperly utilized. However, we cannot afford to use that excuse any longer to justify a lack of good offensive performance. US military has existed for nearly 300 years. So, it has no excuse for not ruthlessly transforming itself into a continuous offensive juggernaut.

For more detail insight into this offensive concept, read Thunder of the Euphrates, Thunder from the East, Red Blitzkrieg, Daring Thrust; Deep Battle, Disgraced; the Soft Corps, and Halls of Vahalla.

Future Blogs to look for here at Military History Matters:

• Alternative View of Infantry Weapons
• A Measure of Combat Effectiveness: Useful for Military History Junkies and Wargamers
• The Strange Relevance of Horse Cavalry Operations on the Eastern Front (WW2)
• The Reconnaissance Battle
• Clauswitz’s Critik Method
• Sun Tzu Warfighting Contributions