River Flotillas in Support of Offensive Ground Operations: The Soviet Dnieper River Flotilla Experience

Abstract

ABSTRACTLarge rivers and lakes have served as major arteries of industry and commerce, defensive barriers, lines of communication, and avenues of advance. These bodies of water have been and are prime factors in European warfare. Armies are more accustomed to solving the problem of crossing rivers rather than controlling stretches or the entirety of the river or lake. Yet control of the river or lake can be more decisive to a campaign than a crossing. Large rivers rise also to the level of a naval problem. Armies should interact closely with brown-water or green-water navies as they attempt to control the important inland waterways. There are almost no contemporary studies that illuminate this important operational environment in the European theater. However, the Soviet experience in WWII does offer a rich examination and one that offers lessons for consideration today. This study examines the interactions of the Soviet Dniepr River Flotilla and Red Army during Operation Bagration in World War II and draws applicable lessons for the present. The lessons of this campaign are still studied in Russian military academies and colleges and are applied in active training today.