Armored division average cross-country speed, 1942

[Haydn]

In an Italian account of the 1942 North African battles, I found an
interesting comparison between German Panzerdivision and Italian armored
division average off-road combat cruise speed across the desert -
respectively, 20 kms / hour and 7 kms / hour.

Which, by the way and in addition to German communications being rated
as three to four times faster than Italian communications due to better
and more efficient German C3 technology, helps explain the gap in
operational performance between the two formations.

Are there any data about 1942 British and American armored division
average off-road speed?

Haydn

[Don Phillipson]

Post by Haydn
In an Italian account of the 1942 North African battles, I found an
interesting comparison between German Panzerdivision and Italian armored
division average off-road combat cruise speed across the desert -
respectively, 20 kms / hour and 7 kms / hour. . . . Are there any data
about 1942 British and American armored division average off-road speed?

Standard staff college curricula in all Western armies
provided notional speeds for the movement of each
type of large unit (e.g. division), viz. infantry afoot,
motorized infantry, armour, etc. Such speeds were
essential in calculating timetables for movement orders,
a major part of the staff college curriculum. Instructors
also taught that actual speeds vary with weather,
terrain and so on.

[David Wilma]

Post by Don Phillipson
Standard staff college curricula in all Western armies
provided notional speeds for the movement of each
type of large unit (e.g. division), viz. infantry afoot,
motorized infantry, armour, etc. Such speeds were
essential in calculating timetables for movement orders,
a major part of the staff college curriculum. Instructors
also taught that actual speeds vary with weather,
terrain and so on.

Shooting will slow things down.