Misplaced Pages

#176823

56-565: The Jaeger Brigade specialises in training soldiers for the harsh climate of Lapland. The brigade is also responsible for developing arctic warfare tactics and equipment in cooperation with Swedish and Norwegian arctic forces. Their expertise in cold-weather warfare is widely recognized; members of the U.S. and other militaries come to Sodankylä in winter to learn from them. Troops are motorized by all-terrain vehicles Sisu Nasu and Bandvagn 206 due to their better movement in arctic conditions compared to heavily armed vehicles. The Brigade follows

112-708: A campaign to conquer Shinano, and by 1550 he controlled most of the province's south and center and also directly threatened the Uesugi in Echigo. Uesugi Kenshin consequently advanced into Shinano in order to halt Takeda Shingen's expansionism, resulting in a military conflict between the two that lasted years. The initial confrontations between the rival daimyōs in 1553–1555 on the Kawanakajima plain in Shinano were inconclusive, however, so Takeda Shingen decided to focus on

168-691: A great deal of Denmark consists of islands, it was usually safe from invasion, but in January 1658, most of the Danish waters froze. Charles X Gustav of Sweden led his army across the ice of the Belts to besiege Copenhagen . The war ended with the treaty of Roskilde , a treaty very favorable to the Swedish. During the Great Northern War , Swedish king Charles XII set off to invade Moscow, but

224-534: A new objective in 1557. Instead of fighting the Uesugi along the Chikumagawa River as he had done so far, he would secure the mountain passes that went from the Kawanakajima plain west to Togakushi , from where he could circumvent and cut off the castles of Iiyama and Takanashi, and then strike into Echigo. In order to take control of the passes up to Togakushi, however, the Takeda first needed to eliminate

280-916: A series of manuals that covered flight, engineer, and combat arms operations in winter. Issues covered included: In his 1981 paper, Fighting the Russians in Winter: Three Case Studies , Chew draws on experiences from the Allied-Soviet War in Northern Russia during the Winter of 1918–19 , the destruction of the Soviet 44th Motorized Rifle Division, and Nazi–Soviet Warfare during World War II to derive winter warfare factors pertaining to military tactics , materiel and personnel : Operational factors encompass planning for

336-569: A significant effect on military operations for one month or more each year." It describes regions that are either severely cold or moderately cold , each comprising approximately one quarter of the Earth's land mass. The manual also delineates the principal mountain ranges of the world, which lie along broad belts which encircle the Pacific basin and then lead westward across Eurasia into North Africa. Secondarily, rugged chains of mountains lie along

392-427: A spring at Joshoji temple on the lower slopes of its mountain for drinking water. The Takeda forces, however, were unaware of this weakness. The perfect opportunity to attack Katsurayama came in early 1557, when late snow made the passes from Echigo into Shinano impassable and thus isolated the castle from Uesugi reinforcements. As a result, a Takeda army of 6,000 samurai and ashigaru under Baba Nobuharu , one of

448-670: The Aleutian Islands in Alaska during World War II. The Battle of Chosin Reservoir was a stark example of cold affecting military operations in the Korean War . There were many cold injuries and malfunctions of materiel , both vehicles and weapons. The Sino-Indian War was a Himalayan border conflict between China and India that occurred in 1962. India initiated a Forward Policy in which it placed outposts along

504-676: The Kawanakajima campaigns . Katsurayama Castle was a strategically vital Uesugi stronghold in the contested Shinano Province and, when it was isolated from reinforcements due to late snow in early 1557, the Takeda clan used this opportunity to attack it. Although the castle garrison, consisting of the Ochiai clan and elements of the Murakami clan, defended Katsurayama furiously, the Takeda forces under Baba Nobuharu eventually stormed into

560-404: The Kawanakajima campaigns . Katsurayama castle was a strategically vital Uesugi stronghold in the contested Shinano Province and, when it was isolated from reinforcements due to late snow in early 1557, the Takeda clan used this opportunity to seize it under Baba Nobuharu , shielded from view by heavy snowfall. Sweden and Denmark fought several wars during the 16th and 17th centuries. As

616-771: The Northern Hemisphere . Some have occurred above the Arctic Circle where snow, ice, and cold may occur throughout the year. At times, cold—or its aftermath, thaw—has been a decisive factor in the failure of a campaign, as with the French invasion of Russia in 1812, the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939, and the German invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II . Northern and Eastern Europe were

SECTION 10

#1732772526177

672-601: The 1982 Falklands War . The Siachen conflict is a military confrontation between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir . The conflict began in 1984 with India's successful Operation Meghdoot during which it gained control over all of the Siachen Glacier. A cease-fire went into effect in 2003. Paton offered a 2001 overview of human factors pertaining to cold in military operations. The understanding of cold injuries evolved in

728-592: The 19th and 20th centuries; understanding of the causes and treatment of frostbite and trench foot improved. In the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese learned the importance of foot care, keeping feet dry and warm with replacement socks. In World War I, doctors realized that trench foot was a prolonged exposure to cold, wet conditions on the feet, which were exacerbated by the use of tight puttees, bandage-like leg wrappings. The Soviet invasion of Finland during

784-703: The Arctic environment. Subsequently, the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation conducted by the Soviet Army against the Wehrmacht in 1944 in northern Finland and Norway drove the Germans out. In late 1944, Finland turned against its former cobelligerents of Nazi Germany under Soviet pressure and pressured the Germans to withdraw in the ensuing Lapland War . While use of ski infantry was common in

840-523: The Atlantic margins of the Americas and Europe. Temperature, wind, snow, and thaw are the primary conditions that affect the winter battlescape. The U.S. Army groups cold temperatures using categories. The temperature categories are (with quoted summaries): The combined cooling effect of ambient temperature and wind ( wind chill ) is an important factor that affects troops. For military purposes,

896-697: The Dolomites. The Finnish Army used ski troops during the Winter War and the Second World War in which the numerically-superior but road-bound Soviet forces were vulnerable to attack by mobile, white-clad ski troops, approaching from untracked, frozen terrain. The Wehrmacht maintained elite mountain troops, Gebirgsjäger . They were organized in small, specialized units, which relied on pack animals. Typical weapons were light machine guns, mortars, and anti-tank guns. Control of ridge lines

952-690: The Finns, it was at the cost of 200,000 fatalities against 25,000 on the Finnish side. The German invasion of the Soviet Union induced more than 250,000 cold injuries in one year. The French Army occupying the Maginot Line experienced 12,000 cold injuries. Experiences from the disastrous 1941 German advance on Moscow in winter conditions led to the 1942 Taschenbuch für den Winterkrieg ("Pocket book for Winter War"), which highlighted ideal approaches to handling winter, but acknowledged that improvisation in

1008-449: The Ochiai clan and some troops of the Murakami clan, long-standing enemies of the Takeda. The overall commander of Katsurayama was Ochiai Haruyoshi , also known as Ochiai Bitchu no kami, a samurai from Saku who was determined to defend his castle at all costs. Despite this, the castle reportedly had one major weakness: while well stocked on food supplies, it lacked a source of fresh water within its walls. Katsurayama thus depended on

1064-601: The Parliamentarian stronghold of Aylesbury England. 500 men are reported to have frozen to death on 21 January. On 25 January a sudden thaw caused a bridge to collapse over the River Weaver, splitting Royalist cavalry forces at the Battle of Nantwich resulting in their defeat. The 1557 Siege of Katsurayama was fought between the forces of the Japanese daimyō Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin as part of

1120-729: The Soviet Army, Germany formed only one division for movement on skis. From June 1942 to August 1943, the United States and Canada fought the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands Campaign in the Alaska Territory . The following actions were fought in the Arctic by land and naval forces in World War II between 1941 and 1945 in the following theaters of operations: Finland – The Winter War

1176-543: The Swedish shore within 70 kilometres (43 mi) from the Swedish capital, Stockholm . This daring maneuvre decided the outcome of the war. Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 resulted in retreat in the face of winter with the majority of the French army succumbing to frostbite and starvation, rather than combat injuries. The Battle of Weihaiwei was a battle of the First Sino-Japanese War in

SECTION 20

#1732772526177

1232-409: The Takeda army settled into a siege, though it did not occupy the spring near Joshoji temple. The castle thus remained tenuously supplied with drinking water, but their situation remained precarious. Were the Takeda forces to learn of their low supply of clean drinking water, they would know that the garrison could not possibly hold out long enough for Uesugi reinforcements, providing a major advantage to

1288-406: The Takeda to seize the nearby Togakushi Shrine , thus boosting both the military situation as well as the morale of the Takeda clan. From there, the Takeda army advanced against Iiyama castle in the east and besieged it. This time, however, the Uesugi army managed to relieve the castle garrison in late April 1557, forcing the Takeda to retreat. Consequent maneuvers by the opposing armies resulted in

1344-571: The U.S. Army categorizes snow as light, moderate, or heavy. Each classification affects visibility and ground movement due to accumulation and is quoted below: Snow and snowdrifts can create advantages on the battlefield by filling in ditches and vehicle tracks and flattening the terrain. It also creates hollows on the downwind side of obstacles, such as trees, buildings, and bushes, which provide observation points or firing positions. Snowdrifts may provide cover for soldiers to approach an objective. Soviet Army doctrine cited 30 centimetres (12 in) as

1400-529: The Uesugi fortress of Katsurayama, which Kenshin had built in 1553. Katsurayama castle thus became the new primary target for the Takeda forces. Katsurayama was a Japanese mountain castle typical of its time. Built using wood on a mountain peak west of Zenkō-ji and north of the Susohanagawa river, it was a well defensible fortress. Relatively small, it had a circular, wooden wall and a strong gatehouse as well as watchtowers. Its garrison consisted of

1456-470: The Winter War showed the power of asymmetric warfare on the Finnish side, where small units were able to cut the road-bound Soviet invading troops into segments, like firewood, and vanquish each segment. The small units arrived silently on skis or with light artillery pulled by reindeer over frozen, untracked terrain, using winter conditions as an advantage. Although the Soviet Union gained territory from

1512-524: The autumn of 1812 and also the German attempt to take Moscow in the autumn of 1941. The 1942 Taschenbuch für den Winterkrieg acknowledges that neither tracked nor wheeled vehicles can maneuver during conditions of thaw and that aircraft operations must be constrained to concrete runways. It addresses minimizing the use of roads during this period and dismantling bridges that are likely to be taken out by ice floes. It emphasizes how positions in frozen soil must be improved to avoid deterioration from thaw and

1568-465: The besiegers. According to popular accounts, the Ochiai consequently decided to deceive the Takeda by pouring white rice from the castle walls. The torrent of rice looked like a waterfall from the Takeda lines, thus fooling the besiegers into thinking that the Katsurayama garrison had such ample water supplies that they could waste them in taunting displays. This ruse was uncovered, however, when

1624-586: The border in 1961. China launched simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMahon Line on 20 October 1962. Chinese troops advanced over Indian forces in both theaters. Much of the fighting took place in harsh mountain conditions , entailing large-scale combat at altitudes of over 4,000 metres (14,000 feet). Many troops on both sides succumbed to the freezing cold temperatures. Argentine troops suffered from cold-wet conditions, holding positions in

1680-457: The castle garrison was able to beat off the attacks. The fighting was fierce, leading to heavy casualties on both sides. Historian Stephen Turnbull notes for example the Takeda samurai Chino Yugeinojo who fought in all the Battles of Kawanakajima and accompanying campaigns, collecting eight heads in total; of these, he took four at Katsurayama alone. As these initial attacks did not succeed,

1736-407: The castle. Most of the garrison was killed in combat, while the families of the defenders committed mass suicide and the castle was burned to the ground. Before the 1550s, Shinano Province had acted as buffer between the powerful Takeda and Uesugi clans whose strongholds were located to its south ( Kai Province ) and north ( Echigo Province ) respectively. In 1542, however, Takeda Shingen launched

Jaeger Brigade - Misplaced Pages Continue

1792-405: The castle. This time, the attackers managed to set fire to the castle buildings, and thus broke Katsurayama's defenses. Baba Nobuharu's men then launched a final assault, overrunning the last Ochiai and Murakami soldiers who died fighting in a last stand alongside their commander Ochiai Haruyoshi. With the majority of the castle garrison killed in combat, the wives, female attendants and children of

1848-443: The chief priest of Joshoji temple told Baba Nobuharu's army that the castle's only source of water was located near his temple. The Takeda troops consequently occupied the spring at Joshoji, thus cutting off the defenders from fresh water. Turnbull notes that this story, though not unlikely, might be legendary and based on accounts of other sieges in Japanese history. In any case, the Takeda eventually made one final attempt to storm

1904-593: The climate and weather in which military operations are required with snow, ice, mud and cold being the primary considerations. Military tactics , materiel , combat engineering and military medicine all require specialized adaptations to the conditions encountered in cold weather. In its 2016 "Mountain Warfare and Cold Weather Operations" manual, the United States Army defines cold regions as "where cold temperatures, unique terrain, and snowfall have

1960-413: The defenders committed mass suicide by jumping off the mountain cliffs. Katsurayama castle was burned down completely, ending the "long and desperate struggle". The destruction of Katsurayama castle allowed the Takeda forces to advance into the mountains, where they captured Nagahama castle on the borders of Echigo. Nagahama controlled one of the crucial passes into Uesugi-held lands and also allowed

2016-639: The enemy. The threat of Finnish snipers, whom the Russians called "cuckoos", further demoralized the Soviets. The Finns mined ice routes over lakes to sink Soviet equipment. The Lapland War was fought between Finland and Germany from September 1944 to April 1945 in Finland's northernmost Lapland Province . It included: Norway – The liberation of Finnmark was a military operation, lasting from 23 October 1944 until 26 April 1945, in which Soviet and Norwegian forces wrestled away control of Finnmark ,

2072-417: The field would be necessary when supplies were lacking. The Soviet troops in that period had felt-lined boots and quilted uniforms, but the Germans continued fighting in their summer uniforms. The Taschenbuch für den Winterkrieg manual contains sections on the influence and duration of winter, the seasons of mud and thaw, preparation for winter warfare, winter combat methods and maintaining morale, including

2128-518: The men of Lapland. The Lapland Jaeger Battalion traces back its roots to the 1st Bicycle Battalion, founded in 1921. That unit later formed the 1st Jaeger Battalion which fought during the Winter War and the Continuation War. Rovaniemi Air Defence Battalion traces its lineage to the 151st Light Air Defence Battery, founded in 1941. In 1944, following the Continuation War, this unit became the 1st Battalion of Air Defence Regiment 2. In 1967,

2184-402: The necessity of changing uniforms from ones for cold to those for wet conditions. The dominant tactical concern in cold conditions is the ability to maneuver in vehicles or on foot. Additionally, during winter, night operations become the norm at higher latitudes with their long periods of darkness. Snow enhances night vision because of high reflectivity and the visibility of combatants against

2240-443: The northernmost county of Norway, from Germany . It started with a major Soviet offensive that liberated Kirkenes . Northern Russia – Operation Silver Fox was a joint German –Finnish military operation offensive during World War II . It failed to achieve its main goal to cut off and ultimately capture the key Soviet port at Murmansk through attacks from Finnish and Norwegian territory. Spitsbergen – Operation Gauntlet

2296-471: The renowned " Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen ", launched an assault on Katsurayama in March 1557. This attack was effectively "a race against time", as the Uesugi would send reinforcements as soon as the thaw set in and the mountain passes were open again, and so the Takeda had to capture the castle before that could happen. Baba Nobuharu's men repeatedly attempted to scale the walls of Katsurayama, but

Jaeger Brigade - Misplaced Pages Continue

2352-537: The strategies and tactics used by military forces in these situations and environments. Cold-weather conditions occur year-round at high elevation or latitudes, and elsewhere materialize seasonally during the winter period. Mountain warfare often takes place in cold weather or on terrain that is affected by ice and snow, such as the Alps and the Himalayas . Historically, most such operations have been during winter in

2408-665: The threshold snow depth that impairs mobility for troops, cavalry and vehicles, except tanks for which the threshold was 50 centimetres (20 in). Thawing conditions can impair mobility and put soldiers at risk of trench foot by turning soil to mud; it can also weaken and break up ice cover on bodies of water. Maintaining roads becomes more difficult during spring-thaw run-off periods and requires mud removal by heavy equipment. Slushy and muddy ground causes clothing and equipment to become wet, damp and dirty. Muddy conditions greatly inhibited Napoleon's ability to maneuver in Russia in

2464-679: The traditions of the 27th Prussian Jaeger Battalion , JR 27 (27th Infantry regiment) (which fought during the Finnish civil war ) and the 6th Division (which fought during the Continuation War ). In addition, the Brigade carries the traditions of Pohja Brigade, Ostrobothnia Jaeger Battalion ( Finnish : Pohjanmaan Jääkäripataljoona ) In addition to these, the Brigade carries the traditions of numerous other historical units that have either been its organisational predecessors or manned by

2520-511: The unit received the provincial name of Ostrobothnia Air Defence Battalion ( Finnish : Pohjanmaan Ilmatorjuntapatteristo ), which was changed to the current name in 1974. During 1989–2014, the battalion was part of Lapland Air Defence Regiment. Cold-weather warfare Cold-weather warfare , also known as cold-region warfare , arctic warfare or winter warfare , encompasses military operations affected by snow , ice , thawing conditions , or cold, both on land and at sea, as well as

2576-399: The use of reading material, lectures, movies, and "strength through joy" exercises. Other sections cover marches, the maintenance of roads, winter bivouacs and shelter, construction of winter positions, camouflage and concealment, identification of the enemy, clothing, rations, evacuation of the wounded, care and use of weapons and equipment, signal communication, and winter mobility. The manual

2632-682: The venues for some well-documented winter campaigns. During World War II several actions took place above the Arctic Circle. Recent cold-weather conflicts have occurred in the Himalayas. In 1242, the Teutonic Order lost the Battle on the Ice on Lake Peipus to Novgorod. In 1520, the decisive Battle of Bogesund between Sweden and Denmark occurred on the ice of lake Åsunden . In 1643 or 1644, Prince Rupert made an abortive attack on

2688-491: The white background. The German Taschenbuch für den Winterkrieg emphasizes reconnaissance to ascertain the conditions and capacity of the roads to be used. It describes snow clearing from roads and recovery of bogged-down vehicles. Siege of Katsurayama Takeda victory The siege of Katsurayama in March 1557 was fought between the forces of the Japanese daimyō Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin as part of

2744-749: The winter of 1895 in Weihai , Shandong, China between the forces of the Japan and Qing China . Through a well coordinated offensive of both naval and land forces, hampered by snow and cold, the Japanese destroyed the forts on shore and sank much of the Chinese fleet. During the First World War , soldiers on the Western front involved in trench warfare were forced to deal with freezing conditions, trench foot , frostbite, and disease. The winter of 1916-17

2800-636: Was a Combined Operations raid by Canadian troops, with British Army logistics support and Free Norwegian Forces servicemen on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen , 600 miles (970 km) south of the North Pole, from 25 August to 3 September 1941. Operation Fritham was a Norwegian military operation , based from British soil, that had the goal of securing the rich coal mines on the island of Spitsbergen (a part of Svalbard ) and denying their use to Nazi Germany . Operation Zitronella (Citronella)

2856-881: Was a military conflict between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Finland . It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II , and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940. In the Battle of Suomussalmi , Finns leveraged cold weather to disadvantage the Soviet enemy troops by targeting field kitchens and campfires for their attacks, thereby denying those troops warmth and nutrition. The Finns rotated their troops so that they could regularly return to warm shelters to recuperate after an attack or patrol. Heavy Soviet equipment and their associated troops were restricted to roads, while Finnish ski troops had broad mobility to outflank

SECTION 50

#1732772526177

2912-566: Was an eight-hour German raid on Spitzbergen on 8 September 1943. This marks the highest latitude at which a land battle has ever been fought. However, given the extreme conditions, the German and Allied troops were at times compelled to assist each other to survive. United States – The Aleutian Islands Campaign was a campaign conducted by both the United States and Imperial Japan from 3 June 1942 to 15 August 1943 in Attu and Kiska , part of

2968-571: Was designed to provide information at the officer level for indoctrination of troops via the non-commissioned officer ranks. The scope of the manual is to train troops in the following areas: Some highlights include addressing: The Soviet Army learned from its 1939–40 Winter War experiences and the 1941 German advance on Moscow. The high command realized that it must prepare entire divisions for winter warfare in 1942, beginning with warm uniforms, winter equipment (skis, etc.), and training for winter operations. Analysis of previous experiences resulted in

3024-665: Was eventually defeated at the Battle of Poltava after being weakened by cold weather and scorched earth tactics. Sweden suffered more casualties during the same war as Carl Gustaf Armfeldt with 6,000 men tried to invade Trondheim . Three thousand of them died of exposure in the snow during the Carolean Death March . During the Finnish War , the Russian army unexpectedly crossed the frozen Gulf of Bothnia from Finland to Åland and, by 19 March 1809, reached

3080-560: Was exceptionally cold, which caused great hardship and deaths among the soldiers. Equipment and vehicles also were not suited for the freezing conditions. At the Battle of Sarikamish , Ottoman troops were unprepared for winter fighting and suffered major losses, with 25,000 freezing to death before the battle even began. On the Italian front , fighting bogged down in trench warfare but at mountain elevations. On White Friday , thousands of troops from both sides were killed in avalanches in

3136-454: Was paramount, using a limited number of outposts. They operated on the principles of fewer arms, but more ammunition per weapon and the economical use thereof. In Operation Barbarossa in 1941, both Russian and German soldiers had to endure terrible conditions during the Russian winter . The German-Finnish joint offensive against Murmansk (Operation Silver Fox) in 1941 saw heavy fighting in

#176823