ReachForTheSky's video: Company of Heroes: Weapons of War - Shock Troops

Welcome to the Weapons of War series, which aims to provide historical background information on the wide range of units and vehicles that make up Company of Heroes, supplemented with gameplay footage and historical media. The first episode of the Weapons of War series covers Soviet shock troops, the vanguard of many Russian offensive in the Great Patriotic War. In late 1941, five Soviet Shock armies were formed. These units were more heavily armed and better-trained than standard Russian infantry Army units, and received more armour and artillery support. Their primary purpose was to hammer the enemy's defences and force a breakthrough, in much the same fashion as the German blitzkrieg was performed. They usually went in first, before other units, and were sent where the fighting was thickest. They were considered the Soviet Union's premier elite formations until later when this role was assumed by the Guards, but the Shock Armies continued to play a pivotal role from their formation in 1941 until the War's end in 1945. It was the 3rd Shock Army that breached Berlin's outer defences and thrust deep into the city, and elements of the 5th shock army raised the banner over the Reichstag. The tactics of the Shock Armies were simple: strike hard, and strike fast. First, the enemy would be pounded with artillery and self-propelled guns before the Shock troops and tanks would charge in, cutting a swathe through the enemy's ranks, forcing the enemy to withdraw or devote a lot of manpower to reinforcing the threatened sector, leaving other areas exposed. Should the Shock troops fail to penetrate the enemy's lines, they would fall back, and another intense barrage would pound the enemy. The process would repeat until the enemy could no longer offer effective resistance, and the shock army would break through, leading the way for the Army units. The Shock Army Commander in Company of Heroes 2 illustrates well the idea of shock tactics, with an emphasis on overwhelming close-range firepower, artillery and air support. In-game, the Shock troopers wear SCS1B tan and brown camouflage overalls, and are equipped with Stalynoi Nagrudnik SN-42 steel body armour and PPSh sub-machine guns. They also have access to smoke and frag grenades as standard. The SN-42 breast plate is made of 2mm-thick pressed steel plates, a larger one covering the torso and a smaller one covering the groin. The SN-42 was capable of stopping an MP-40 round at 100 metres, or a Gewehr 43 round if the round struck at a sharp angle. The Kar98K's penetration was sufficient to perforate the plate at most ranges. The body armour was excellent for street fighting, where the proximity of engagements meant there wasn't a great deal of long-distance movement required. However, in the open, the extra weight was a detriment. Shock troops operated best when the enemy was within arm's reach, so they could make full use of their heavy weaponry and grenades. The same is true in Company of Heroes; Shock troops are very poor at long range, but at short range they are one of the best infantry units available. They can conceal their advance with smoke, let fly with grenades, and charge in, PPShs blazing. They work very well with armour, as they can protect vehicles from anti-tank infantry and use their smoke to break line of sight between AT weapons and the tank. In reality, not all Shock troops were armed with PPShs, but being an elite breakthrough force they would have had access to more specialist weaponry like the PPSh which worked very well in close quarter fighting. With their good training and equipment, the Shock troopers remained a potent enemy for the Germans throughout the Patriotic War, and won many victories for the Soviet Union in many pivotal battles. Just like in reality, the Company of Heroes shock troops are a force to be reckoned with.