Bernd
03/07/2019 (Thu) 19:49:20
No.23625
del
10. Only offensive plans were made.
For starters I have to mention the deep operation doctrine, I already told it's highly offensive nature.
They created plans but there were none defensive among them because when the Germans attacked they didn't just pull out and used the one which were made for this case. The Soviet high-command had to improvise and come up with new plans. And when they sent the first directives these still weren't defensive in nature but still offensive. Cautious, restrictive but offensive. Because this is what they could build upon so suddenly.
The original plans were sent out with the 5 May directive. It was ordered to wait for the signal and use the content of the envelope. However in a defensive war there is no need for waiting the instructions as the defense starts automatically. And it starts not from the highest ranks (not the high command notices first that the enemy attacks) but from the lowest (the soldiers on the field is alerted first by the projectiles flying towards him).
If there were defensive or counter-offensive plans the German attack couldn't have disrupted these (and the Soviet plans were disrupted, that's why they had to figure out new ones right at the moment) it would just put them in effect.