German Air Anti-Armor Operations on the Eastern Front: Lessons for Tomorrow's Army

摘要

As the world enters the 1990's the tank remains the centerpiece of the majority of armies, most particularly, the Soviet Army. Efforts to counter the threat of the shock, mobility and firepower of the tank began in World War I and continue today. Unfortunately, as planning for future anti-armor operations continues, the lessons of the history of air anti-armor operations have largely been forgotten. During World War II, the German Luftwaffe developed effective air anti-armor operations on the Russian Front in some of the largest tank battles the world has known. The focus of this article is to review the development of German air anti-armor operations in 1943-1944 and to analyze the implications of this German experience on the future of U.S. air aniti-armor operations.