Cold Weather Warfare: Strategies and Tactics in Extreme Climates

By Fouad Sabry

What is Cold Weather Warfare

Cold-weather warfare, also known as 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 the strategies and tactics used by military forces in these situations and environments.

How you will benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Cold-weather warfare

Chapter 2: Snow

Chapter 3: Winter War

Chapter 4: Battle of Suomussalmi

Chapter 5: Operation Gauntlet

Chapter 6: Ushanka

Chapter 7: Ski warfare

Chapter 8: Rasputitsa

Chapter 9: Russian Winter

Chapter 10: Polar ecology

(II) Answering the public top questions about cold weather warfare.

Who this book is for

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Cold Weather Warfare.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: May 29, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1: Cold-weather warfare

Cold-weather warfare, often known as arctic warfare or winter warfare, includes military operations affected by snow, ice, thawing conditions, or cold, both on land and at sea, as well as the strategies and tactics employed by military forces in these circumstances and locales.

At high elevations or latitudes, cold-weather conditions persist year-round, whereas elsewhere, they manifest only during the winter season. Mountain warfare frequently occurs in cold weather or on ice- and snow-covered terrain, such as the Alps and the Himalayas. Historically, the majority of such operations have occurred in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter. Some have taken place above the Arctic Circle, where snow, ice, and cold can exist year-round.

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 are examples of campaigns where cold or its aftermath, thaw, played a major role in their defeat.

Several well-documented winter campaigns were conducted in Northern and Eastern Europe. Several actions took place above the Arctic Circle during World War II. In the Himalayas, recent cold-weather battles have happened.

In 1242, Novgorod won the Battle on the Ice on Lake Peipus over the Teutonic Order.

In 1520, the decisive Battle of Bogesund between Sweden and Denmark occurred on the ice of lake Åsunden.

Throughout the Finnish War, the Russian army unexpectedly crossed the frozen Gulf of Bothnia from Finland to Åland and, by March 19, 1809, 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the Swedish capital reached the Swedish beach, Stockholm.

This audacious maneuver determined the war's result.

Napoleon's army's bivouac during their retreat from Russia in 1812

Japanese forces during the Battle of Weihaiwei in 1895

During the First World War, soldiers engaged in trench combat on the Western front endured frigid temperatures, trench foot, frostbite, and sickness. The winter of 1916-17 was particularly cold, resulting in severe hardships and many troop deaths. Equipment and vehicles were also unsuitable for the frigid temperatures.

At the Action of Sarikamish, Ottoman forces were unprepared for winter combat and suffered significant losses, with 25,000 soldiers freezing to death before the battle began.

On the Italian front, trench warfare became entrenched in mountainous terrain. On White Friday, avalanches in the Dolomites killed thousands of men from both sides.

During the Winter War and the Second World War, when the numerically superior but road-bound Soviet forces were susceptible to attack by mobile, white-clad ski troops advancing from untracked, icy terrain, the Finnish Army employed ski troops. From June 1942 to August 1943, the United States and Canada engaged the Japanese in the Alaska Territory's Aleutian Islands Campaign.

Land and naval forces fought the following actions in the Arctic during World War II between 1941 and 1945 in the following theaters of operations::

The Winter War between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Finland was a military confrontation. It began with the Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940, three and a half months later.

In the Battle of Suomussalmi, the Finns utilized frigid weather to their advantage by attacking Soviet field kitchens and campfires, depriving the Soviet troops of heat and nourishment.

Operation Birke (birch) was a late-war German operation in Finnish Lapland designed to preserve access to nickel.

Operation Nordlicht (northern lights) was a German retreat operation in Finland after the conclusion of World War II.

The 1944 Petsamo–Kirkenes Effort was a major military offensive undertaken by the Soviet Army against the Wehrmacht in northern Finland and Norway during World War II.

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir was a striking illustration of the impact of cold on military operations during the Korean War. There were numerous cold-related injuries and vehicle and weapon failures.

Paton provided an assessment of cold-related human issues in military operations in 2001. In the 19th and 20th centuries, our understanding of cold injuries evolved, as did our knowledge of the causes and treatment of frostbite and trench foot. The Japanese learnt the importance of foot care during the Sino-Japanese War, keeping their feet dry and warm with replacement socks. During World War I, medics discovered that trench foot was caused by extended exposure to cold, wet conditions on the feet, which was exacerbated by the usage of tight puttees, or bandage-like leg wrappings.

The Taschenbuch für den Winterkrieg manual contains sections on the influence and duration of winter, The seasons of muck and melting, preparations for winter hostilities, winter warfare techniques and morale maintenance, includes the utilization of printed material, lectures, movies, and joy through strength exercises.

Other chapters deal with marches, The preservation of highways, Winter encampments and shelter, development of winter jobs, Camouflage and disguise, characterization of the adversary, clothing, rations, evacuating the injured, maintenance and usage of arms and equipment, signal communication, & winter travel.

The guidebook was intended to give officers with information for non-commissioned officer-level indoctrination of troops.

This guidebook is intended to instruct soldiers in the following areas::

Snow and cold protection for troops, vehicles, and weaponry

Training employees to be resistant to faced conditions and ready to improvise shelter from finding objects.

Mobility on skis, winter highways, ice crossings, and the transformation of wheeled vehicles into tracked models.

Ice construction of places and obstacles

Combat in Extreme Cold and Deep Snow

Among the highlights are addressing:

Human aspects - Providing the appropriate level of clothes to preserve agility and prevent overheating. Maintaining a modest and steady marching pace to prevent wind chill. Boosting morale with current newspapers from home and the surrounding neighborhood. Offering makeshift shelters and bivouacs. Hygiene with an accent on cleanliness.

The construction and maintenance of winter roads and trails. engine preheating for dependable startup.

Positions and fortifications - constructing trenches and gun emplacements