Barrage detachments in the Second World War. 33 barrage detachment, 63 barrage detachment, 53 army

Since Khrushchev's "thaw" some historians have carefully cultivated and "cultivate" one "terrible and terrible" myth to this day. This is a tale of how a protective detachment, originally created with a very specific, reasonable and decent purpose, has now turned into a horror film.

What it is?

The very concept of this military formation is very vague, it says, in particular, about "the performance of certain tasks on a certain section of the front." By this one can understand even the formation of a separate platoon of special purpose. As the composition, so the number and the tasks of the detachments of the barrier throughout the war have changed many times. When did the first barrage appear?

History of occurrence

It should be remembered that in 1941 the legendary NKVD was divided into two diverse objects: the Internal Affairs Committee and the State Security Department (NKGB). Counterintelligence, from which the detachments went, was separated from the interior of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs. At the end of July 1941, a special directive was issued on work in wartime, after which the formation of special units began.

It was then that the very first defensive detachment was created, whose task was to detain deserters and "suspicious elements" in the front line. They did not have any "firing right" in these formations, they could only detain the "element" and then convoy it to the bodies.

Again, when the two divisions were reunited, the guard detachment passed under the jurisdiction of the NKVD. But even then no special "relief" was done: members of the formations could arrest deserters. In special cases, which included only episodes of armed resistance, they had the right to be shot. In addition, special units had to fight with traitors, cowards, panic-strikers. Known NKVD order number 00941 from 19.07.1941. It was then that special companies and battalions were formed, staffed by NKVD troops.

What function did they perform?

It was these defensive detachments in the Second World War that played the most significant role. Again, there were no "mass executions" in their charge: these units had to create defensive lines to defend themselves against counterattacks by the Germans and detain (!) Deserters with their transfer to the investigative authorities within the next 12 hours.

If a person is simply behind his part (which was normal in 1941), again, nobody shot him. In this case, there were two options: either the serviceman was sent to the same unit, or (more often) they were reinforced by the nearest military unit.

In addition, the defensive detachments in the Great Patriotic War played the role of a "filter" through which people who escaped from the German captivity and those persons in the front line, whose testimony raised doubts, were allowed to pass. A case is known when such a detachment caught a group of German spies ... on paper clips! Commandants drew attention to the fact that the "seconded Soviet soldiers" on the documents (ideal, by the way) were brand new clips of stainless metal! So it is not necessary to consider fighters of internal forces as murderers and sadists. But this is how they are represented by many modern sources ...

The fight against banditry and the role of the 33rd detachment

One of the tasks that some categories of historians "forget" for some reason, was the fight against banditry, which in some regions was taking on frankly menacing proportions. So, for example, showed himself a 33 barrage detachment (North-Western Front).

Especially a company that was separated from the Baltic fleet. Even several armored cars were "attached" to it. This detachment operated in the Estonian forests. The situation in those parts was serious: defections in the local parts were practically non-existent, but the local units of the Nazis greatly impeded the army. Small gangs constantly attacked small detachments of servicemen and civilians.

Estonian Events

As soon as the "narrow specialists" from the NKVD entered the game, the frenzied mood of the bandits quickly faded. In July 1941, it was the defensive detachments that took part in the cleansing of the Virtsu island, which had been repulsed as a result of the counter-offensive of the Red Army. Also along the way, the German outpost was completely destroyed. Many bandits were neutralized, a pro-fascist organization in Tallinn was defeated. Attacking detachments also participated in reconnaissance. The formation mentioned above, which acted "on behalf" of the Baltic Fleet, directed its own aviation to the found positions of the Germans.

During the battle for Tallinn, the same zagradotryad involved in a heavy fight, covering (and not shooting) the retreating soldiers and repulsing the counterattacks of the Germans. August 27 was a terrible battle, during which our people repeatedly threw a stubborn opponent. Only at the expense of their heroism was possible organized retreat.

During these battles, more than 60% of the entire personnel of the protective detachment, including commanders, were killed. Agree, this is not very similar to the image of the "cowardly commandant" hiding behind the backs of his soldiers. Subsequently, the same formation participated in the fight against the bandits of Kronstadt.

The Commander-in-Chief's Directive of September 1941

Why did such fame appear in the barrage parts? The thing is that September 1941 was marked by an extremely difficult situation at the front. It was allowed to form special units in those units that had time to prove themselves as "unstable". In just a week, this practice spread to the whole front. And what, there the protective detachments of the NKVD shot thousands of innocent soldiers? Of course not!

Subordinate to these divisions commanders of the division, had in service transport and heavy equipment. The main task is to maintain order, help the command of units. Members of the detachments had the right to use military weapons in those cases when it was required to stop the withdrawal urgently or to eliminate the worst of the panic-strikers. But it happened so rarely.

Varieties

Thus, there were two categories of detachments: one consisted of NKVD fighters and fished deserters, and the second - prevented the willful abandonment of positions. The latter had a much larger staff, since they were made up of Red Army men, and not fighters of internal troops. And even in this case their members had the right only to shoot some panic-strikers! No one has ever massed his own soldiers! Moreover, if there was a counterattack, it was the "beasts from the defensive detachments" who took over the entire attack, allowing the soldiers to retreat in an organized manner.

Results of work

Judging by 1941, these units (especially the 33 blocking detachment distinguished themselves) detained about 657,364 people. Officially arrested 25,878 people. They shot 10,201 people on the verdict of the military court. All the others were again sent to the front.

A considerable role defensive detachments played in the defense of Moscow. Since the combat-ready parts for the defense of the city itself were sorely lacking, NKVD cadres were literally worth their weight in gold, they organized competent defensive lines. In some cases, protective detachments were created on the local initiative of the authorities and law enforcement agencies.

On July 28, 1942, the Stavka issues a well-known order No. 227 of the NKO. He ordered the creation of separate detachments in the rear of unstable units. As in the previous case, the fighters had the right to shoot only individual panic-strikers and cowards who left their positions on their own. The troops were provided with all necessary transport, the most capable commanders were placed in their chapter. There were also separate barrage battalions at the divisional level.

Results of military operations of the 63rd detachment

By mid-October 1942 had managed to create 193 army detachment. By this time they managed to detain 140,755 Red Army men. Arrested were 3980 of them, and shot 1189 soldiers. All the rest were sent to the fines. The Don and Stalingrad directions were the heaviest, there was recorded an increased number of arrests and detentions. But this is "trifles". More importantly, such units provided real help to their colleagues during the most critical moments of the battle.

Thus appeared the 63 barrage detachment (53 army), coming to the aid of its unit, to which was "seconded". He forced the Germans to stop the counteroffensive. What are the implications of this? Simple enough.

The role of these compounds in restoring order was very great, they also managed to return a considerable number of servicemen back to the front. So, once the 29th Infantry Division, whose flank was able to break through the advancing German tanks, began to retreat in panic. Lieutenant of the NKVD Filatov, at the head of his department, stopped the runners, along with them coming to the fighting positions.

In an even more difficult situation, the defensive unit, commanded by the same Filatov, enabled the soldiers of the heavily battered rifle division to retreat, but began the battle with the advancing enemy, forcing him to retreat.

Who were they?

In critical situations, the soldiers did not shoot their own, but competently organized the defense and themselves headed the offensive. So, the case is known when the 112th Infantry Division, in the most difficult battles, having lost almost 70% (!) Of its personnel, received an order to retreat. Instead of them, the position of Lieutenant Khlystov's defensive detachment, which held positions for four days, did this until the reinforcement approach arrived.

A similar case is the defense of the "dogs of the NKVD" at the Stalingrad railway station. Despite their strength, which was considerably inferior to the German, they held positions for several days and waited until the approach of the 10th Infantry Division.

Thus, the barrage detachments are the units of the "last chance". If the fighters of the linear part leave their positions unmotivated, the members of the battalion will stop them. If the military unit bears the hardest losses in battle with a superior enemy, the "guards" give them the opportunity to retreat and continue the battle themselves. Simply put, protective detachments are military units of the USSR, during the battle they play the role of defensive "bastions". Parts composed of NKVD troops, among other things, could identify German agents and capture deserters. When was their work completed?

End of work

Order of October 29, 1944 barrage detachments in the Red Army were disbanded. If the personnel were recruited from ordinary linear parts, similar compounds were formed from them. The soldiers of the NKVD were sent to special "flying squads", whose activities consisted in the purposeful capture of the bandits. By that time there were practically no deserters. Since the personnel of many detachments were recruited from the best (!) Fighters of their units, these people were also often sent to further study, forming a new core of the Soviet Army.

Thus, the "bloodthirstiness" of such parts is nothing more than a stupid and dangerous myth that offends the memory of people who liberated the countries captured by the fascist armies.