cutting down trees

Sebastian Pye · Post by **Sebastian Pye** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 12:58 pm

To me it seems that the most effective method against partisans must have been to cut or burn down trees so they couldnt hide. Especially near camps, guardhouses, railroads, bridges etc. Did the germans think of that?

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 7:41 pm

Cutting down trees as I recall was a tax resistance policy used by Jews and Arabs in the Holy Land against the Ottoman Empire which taxed based upon the number of olive trees. No wonder the place looks
like a desert - I live on two acres of woods but were I taxed accordingly I'd chop down every darned one!

As to partisans - look at geographical maps and it becomes apparent that chopping down enough trees would take more than the German war effort had to give.

cheers
Reb

Gebirgsjaeger · Post by **Gebirgsjaeger** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:50 am

And please keep in mind that not even the American efforts in Vietnam with their different defoliant (?) agents were successful.

Nibelung · Post by **Nibelung** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 5:49 am

Reb,

what did you do in Rhodesia? Did you chop down trees (if there were any) and forrests to protect yourself from surprise attacks?

best,
Nibelung

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 6:28 am

Fixed positions weren't in my play book - the few times I encountered them others had constructed them. But the firebases and little forts that I did see naturally had fields of fire cleared.

In Rhodesia the bush was not typically all that dense, small AFrican type foliage rather than big American or European forests. Good enough to creep around in though.

cheers
Reb

Locke · Post by **Locke** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 6:37 am

Nibelung, do you remember a photograph in our history schoolbook for 8th class - I remember there was a photo, taken in Dolenjska: a road and trees which were cut on both sides - and the caption said this was a method which Italians used against partisans. But I reckon this hasn't been used on a large scale. I'll try to find the photo somewhere.

Nibelung · Post by **Nibelung** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 6:42 am

I remember that photo very well since I watched the phostos all year round, because I didn't even bother to listen to the teacher, since all she said were bollo*ks

I agree, that that kind of measures were not used much in Slovenia...

best,
Nibelung

Locke · Post by **Locke** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 6:47 am

Nibelung wrote:I remember that photo very well since I watched the phostos all year round, because I didn't even bother to listen to the teacher, since all she said were bollo*ks

I agree, that that kind of measures were not used much in Slovenia...

best,
Nibelung

Hehehe..then we were doing the same things during classes. You had Mrs Guzelj?

Regards,
Polona

Nibelung · Post by **Nibelung** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 6:50 am

I don't remember her name anymore...she was small and had a voice like a 100 year old radio. I think you know who i'm talking about

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 7:57 am

That might have had something to do with cordoroying the roads (sp?).
You cut down trees - put the wood on the road to spare your vehicles the mud and get a field of fire thrown in as a bonus.

Been used since Roman times at least.

cheers
Reb

AAA · Post by **AAA** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:14 am

http://www.feldgrau.com/reararea.html

To increase the safety of German rail lines, German construction requirements stated that in forested/wooded areas, a clear swatch of land of at least 300 yards in width was to be cut on both sides of the rail line. This was to help ensure that partisans could not sneak up on a train undetected

That 300m being small arms effective range. Not really possible off main routes of course. I remember reading the US did the same on the MSRs in vietnam in order to make fields of fire for units protecting convoys.

An interesting thing spotted repeatedly while trawling the net : those old german anti-partisan experiences (specifically that postwar historical DA PAM) are being dusted off in relation to current Iraq.

Nibelung · Post by **Nibelung** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:20 am

An interesting thing spotted repeatedly while trawling the net : those old german anti-partisan experiences (specifically that postwar historical DA PAM) are being dusted off in relation to current Iraq.

Isn't that a surprise...

Seem's everything usefull comes from Wehrmacht's experience.

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:25 am

They did the same thing in VN - the US military paid a lot of attention to Whermact experience in Russia. Plus everyone was reading Street Without Joy (Bernard Fall - re Indochinese War and excellent) but the key was they just didn't pay it any mind! The tactical guys were hip but the big shots were lame - to put it in the vernacular.

I remember as a kid watching a TV show they used to have about the army which showed French troops (whom I now know to be German Legionaires) teaching US troops have to have close combat against Russian tanks. The show was called The Big Picture and I never missed it!

cheers
Reb

Nibelung · Post by **Nibelung** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:34 am

I remember as a kid watching a TV show they used to have about the army which showed French troops (whom I now know to be German Legionaires) teaching US troops have to have close combat against Russian tanks. The show was called The Big Picture and I never missed it!

When did they show this show?

19?? 60's? I would be great to get a hold of them...which tanks were they destroying?

best,
Nibelung

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:03 pm

Well - I must admit it was the late fifties early sixties.

There were some other cool things as well - The Grey Ghost about Confederate raider John S Mosby and Mckenzie's Raiders about Ranald Mckenzie who took his cavalry over the Mexican border chasing injuns.

My favorite all time show was alcoa presents - they did one called "The Glorius Fourth" about the 4th Virginia (Stonewall Brigade) and another about the Crater at Petersburg with Richard Boone. Oh well - they're doing some good stuff now too - ever see Gods and Generals?

Reb