I read a book recently (forgotten the name, i'm such a nub) but it mentioned the logistical challenges behind the Blitzkrieg.
Could any of you German WW2 experts elaborate on these challenges?
Well yes, i think it was Guderian that said 'Any competent officer can command a Panzer division, it takes a genius to supply one.'
Fact that the supply lines had to follow the extremely quick advances of the Panzergruppes, this required trucks and a good road system through the occupied land. What made it more difficult was that the tanks and trucks of the divisions needed oil to advance, without oil they couldn't move, thus putting even more pressure on the logistical support. The Germans were able to do this because they got the amount of supply vehicles in their divisions right, they had fewer tanks, but (i believe) thrice the amount of support vehicles of for ex. a Soviet tank division.
The Panzergruppes often had to take supplies from the enemies. Later in the war it became vital to steal supplies from the enemies, such as in Operation Wacht am Rhein (Battle of the Bulge)
This worked out perfectly in France where the distances where smaller and the road network was good, less so in Russia where the distances where larger and the road network was awful.
Supplies are slow, former examples of blitzkrieg, like the Mongol invasion of Europe, proved that supplying a large army is indeed a task, it takes time for the supplies to reach.
The mongols lived of foraging of the enemy country.
But the bottom line is, is that with Blitzkrieg, if you're not really careful, you find yourself closer to your enemies, than to your friends....
But that was ofcourse the entire purpose of it, to not give the enemies any breathing room, to be hot on their heels.
