Словацкая артиллерия в первые месяцы германо-советской войны
SLOVAK ARTILLERY IN THE FIGHTING OF THE INITIAL PHASE OF THE GERMAN-SOVIET WAR (LATE JUNE - MID-AUGUST 1941)
At the initial stage of the war against the USSR, in addition to German troops, Allied armies, including Slovakia, participated in the fighting on the territory of Ukraine. This country exhibited a relatively small contingent, representing all major arms. A significant role in the fighting played artillery units.
On the eve of the war against the USSR, Slovakia had a large, though not too modern, artillery park (the share of modern artillery systems was 16.5%). However, its use in the first weeks of combat was very limited. In fact, only the artillery units of the Mobile Group reorganized into the Mobile Brigade were active in combat, initially one division (9 guns) and later an artillery regiment (36 guns). For this purpose the Slovak command has allocated the most modern artillery systems on mechanical traction - 100 mm howitzer vz. 30 and 105 mm guns vz. 35. In addition, infantry guns used a small number of 75 mm mountain guns vz. 15. The Mobile Brigade artillery demonstrated high efficiency during the largest fighting in the studied period with the participation of Slovak troops - the battle of Lipovec on July 22-23, 1941.
The second component of the Slovak contingent allocated to participate in the war against the USSR, the Army Group, had a significantly stronger artillery component. It initially consisted of four artillery regiments - two in divisions and two separate. However, they did not carry out any combat tasks by their intended purpose. This is compounded by the fact that the Army Group served in the rear area and performed order maintenance activities in the occupied territory.
All the artillery pieces used by the Slovak army were manufactured by Skoda. Among them were dominated by 100 mm howitzers of three different models - vz. 14/19, vz. 16/19 and vz. 30. The most modern model of artillery was the 105 mm heavy cannon vz. 35. Mountain 75 mm guns vz. 15 were used to directly support infantry.
Keywords: artillery, World War II, German-Soviet war, Slovakia, Ukraine.
Full article: https://www.academia.edu/43142387/%D0%A1%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%86%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%96%D1%8F_%D1%83_%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%85_%D0%B4%D1%96%D1%8F%D1%85_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BF%D1%83_%D0%BD%D1%96%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%86%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%BE-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%97_%D0%B2%D1%96%D0%B9%D0%BD%D0%B8