Automobile troops of Russia

Automobile troops of the Russian Federation (the official reduction of the Armed Forces of Russia) are an alliance in the Armed Forces. They are intended for the transport of personnel, the delivery of food, fuel, ammunition and other materiel that are necessary for conducting combat operations. In addition, automobile troops are used to evacuate the sick, the wounded, and the equipment. They also transport other units that do not have their own transport.

There are automobile troops of Russia from the formations, units, institutions, and management. They can be part of units and structures of a general-military nature, types of armed forces, combat arms or make up separate automobile connections and units.

History of the automobile troops: tsarist Russia

The first automobile teams of the Russian Imperial Army appeared in 1906. They were part of the engineering troops. They served as a prototype of the modern avtobat. Four years later, on May 29, 1910, the first educational autorot was created in St. Petersburg. Today this date is celebrated as the Day of the Automobile Troops. A few months later, the Automobile Division of the Military Communications Division of the General Directorate of the General Staff was established. The first regular autorot appeared in the spring of 1911, at the same time the first motor rally of cargo transport was organized, which was planned to be adopted. The following year, cars were tested.

World War I

Before the outbreak of the war, in 1914, the Russian army consisted of five autorot, which included 418 trucks and 259 cars. Despite its small number, and also disgusting roads, motor transport played a big role in this war. As a result, the car troops were able to prove their worth. They were used to deliver military cargo, wounded, personnel, as well as mobile machine-gun and artillery points. At the same time, vehicles began to be worn in armor. So there were the first armored cars. In the Russian army there were 400 units, they were reduced to 50 armored squads, which successfully fought in the battlefields. By the beginning of the October Revolution, there were about ten thousand vehicles in the army, which amounted to 22 autorots.

Soviet time: civil war

Automotive equipment was widely used during the Civil War. So, in August 1918 the Council of People's Commissars adopted a special resolution, as a result of which half of the cars of the country were transferred to the military department. By the end of the year the Red Army numbered four thousand cars, and in 1920 - seven and a half thousand. Some of them were car detachments, and some were transferred to the troops. Replenishment of the car fleet was due to trophies. The main task of this kind of troops was the transportation of goods for long distances and for the rapid transfer of personnel. In addition, often on cars mounted weapons - guns and machine guns. In addition, vehicles were used as a sanitary, staff and radio communications.

Red Army: before WWII

After the end of hostilities in the Red Army, the renewal of worn-out vehicles begins. The first domestic car that entered the army is the AMO F-15 truck. In the same period, training vehicle battalions (consisting of five companies) are being formed with each military district. In 1933, the first mechanical body was created, which became the first mobile unit in the world, all arms and equipment of which had mechanical traction. By the state, it provided for more than two hundred cars. And by 1936, the RKKA had already formed four such corps.

Industrial Revolution

Rapid pace in the young Soviet state was industrialization, among other things, the old were reconstructed and new car plants were built. After updating the technical base of the AMO and renaming it into the plant named after. Stalin on it produces three-ton trucks ZIS-5. At the same time, the new Gorky plant is launching the release of the legendary GAZ-AA semitrailers. As a result, the car troops are equipped with modern technology, in addition, they improve the management of the service. Initially, they were subordinated to the Main Military Engineering Administration, in 1924 the GVIU was transformed into the Military Technical Supply Administration of the Red Army, and in 1929 the Motorization and Mechanization Department of the People's Commissariat of Defense was created. In 1935 another reorganization of UMM took place in the auto-armored department, and in 1939 - in the Main Automobile Armored Directorate.

The Great Patriotic War

A new stage in the development of motor troops was the Great Patriotic War. The rapid change in the operational situation, the growing dynamism of the conduct of hostilities, necessitated the transfer in the shortest possible time of a large amount of material assets and personnel of the army. All this demanded an increase in the number of automobile troops and a more perfect form of their organization. As a result, in July 1941, a road authority was created, which is subordinate to the rear of the Red Army. Such departments are created under the control of all fronts. The number of vehicles in the ranks of the Red Army in this period was 272,600 units. They were based on passenger cars GAZ-61 and GAZ-M1, as well as trucks and special cars based on GAZ-AA, GAZ-AAA, GAZ-MM, ZIS-6 and ZIS-5. In the first months of the war, the car troops suffered catastrophic losses both in personnel and in material parts. Partially, these losses were compensated for by mobilizing technology from the national economy, and partly by the production of new ones, but due to the occupation of the industrial regions of the country, the total production was not high. In addition, the acquisition of detachments also occurred as a result of the supply of equipment from abroad. In addition, trophy vehicles were widely used (in the period from 1942 to 1943, the Red Army received 123,000 cars as trophies). All this made it possible to significantly increase the possibilities of military transportation. Immediately after the end of hostilities in the army, there were more than 664,000 cars, of which 33 percent were lend-lease equipment, and 10 percent were captured. During the Great Patriotic War, tens of thousands of fighters of the autobat were awarded state awards, and many - high-ranking Hero of the Soviet Union.

Postwar time

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the issue of equipping the army with all-wheel drive vehicles, including special purpose vehicles, became acute. In this regard, since the late 1940s, Soviet industry has started the production of army cars that had a 6x6 ZIS-151 wheel platform. In 1953 the first ZIL-157 and ZIL-164 descended from the conveyors of the Likhachev plant, and the Gorky plant began the production of GAZ-53. During the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century, work continues on equipping the troops with new types of equipment. So, the armament receives UAZ-469, Ural-375, GAZ-66, ZIL-131. In 1975, the Soviet Army created an automobile service, which in common parlance was almost immediately nicknamed "Autobat". In the same year, the first representatives of the Kama Automobile Plant KAMAZ-5310 arrived in the troops.

The Afghan War

At the beginning of this military conflict, transportation of material assets to the troops of the fortieth army was carried out by thirteen automobile battalions. So, the delivery was carried out by automobile columns, which included on-board trucks (up to fifty units) and collateral vehicles (up to ten units). In addition, they included refrigerators. Movement was carried out only during the daytime. Column protection was carried out by BMP, BTR and ZSU. During the hostilities in Afghanistan, the car was transported a lot of cargo, the total weight of which amounted to more than ten million tons. In 1987, another reorganization is taking place, and the automobile troops are subordinated to the Central Automobile and Road Administration of the Ministry of Defense (CACD). They have a fairly branched structure. Now the troops of various branches of the armed forces have received their units, which ensure the transportation of personnel and military cargoes. The most powerful vehicles that carry out road transport in operational and strategic scales are special automobile brigades, which are in front, army and central subordination.

New time

In 2000, the Order of the Military Motorist was established by the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. This holiday is celebrated by servicemen of the Autobots throughout the country. In Petrograd, Moscow and other Russian cities, the car troops congratulate me on May 29. On this day, motorists-soldiers hear words of gratitude from their relatives and command. In addition, on the occasion of the Military Motorist Day, it is customary to congratulate officers of the reserve and veterans who served in the Autobat of the Russian Federation. In 2010, this kind of troops turned 100 years old. For the holiday, an exhibition was held in the city of Bronnitsy (Moscow region). Here were presented cars, which are now in service with modern parts of the Autobat.

Is it easy to service in the Autobath?

To date, many recruits seek to enter this service, and most of them for some reason consider it easier compared to other military units. However, it is not easier to give a debt to the Motherland in the Autobat, and at times it is much more difficult than other troops. Frequent march transitions of military transport columns will be able to withstand far from everyone, besides this, one should take into account the main direction of the kind of troops to which this automobile part is attached. For example, the Autobat in the engineer corps takes a constant part in the installation of pontoon crossings, and this is a very difficult task.

Training of officers for automobile troops is carried out in the Military Engineering Schools and Academies, because there is simply no special school for automobile troops. In addition, six civilian universities in Russia have military departments specializing in this area.

Emblem of the Russian Automobile Troops and other attributes

The form of this kind of troops is combined arms. Distinctive signs are the chevrons and buttonholes and the emblem of the automobile troops. The photo provided in this article demonstrates this attribute. The flag of the automobile troops is a black cloth with a chevron emblem framed by a St. George ribbon, as well as the motto: "Automobile troops are always ready for a throw."