National military formations during the Great Patriotic War. Educational and methodological material (senior group) on the topic: “Branches of troops during the Great Patriotic War

In this paragraph we will consider key points related to the participation of the Red Army in the Great Patriotic War and its condition after the end of the war.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact concluded in 1939 was violated on June 22, 1941, when the USSR was attacked by German troops.

By the day of the surprise attack by German forces, the number of field troops of the Red Army was 303 divisions and 22 brigades, which amounted to 4.8 million people. 9 brigades and 166 divisions, with a total number of 2.9 million people, were located on the western borders of the USSR. The Axis powers concentrated 18 brigades and 181 divisions, numbering 3.5 million men, on the Eastern Front. The first months of the invasion cost the Red Army the loss of hundreds of thousands of people in encirclement pockets, the loss of various weapons, combat aircraft, tanks and artillery. The Soviet leadership urgently announced general mobilization. As a result, by August 1, 1941, the Red Army included 401 divisions, despite the loss of 46 divisions in battle. Large losses are explained by low readiness for a surprise attack, poor coordination of leadership, and a focus on launching an instant counterattack in a situation when a systematic retreat and regrouping of forces could bring tangible military benefits.

The first significant success of the Soviet army was the counteroffensive near Moscow, which took place on December 5, 1941. As a result of this counteroffensive, German troops were driven back from the capital. But the subsequent attempt of the Red Army to launch a general, massive offensive ended in disaster.

The Soviet government resorted to a number of emergency measures in order to stop the retreating Red Army. One of the most effective means was the shooting of soldiers trying to escape from the battlefield. This measure was sanctioned by Stalin's order, which received the unofficial name “Not a Step Back.”

In the conditions of a fast-paced, mobile war, political commissars, positioned as party envoys assigned to monitor the commanders, lost their power. They were renamed political deputies, and became subordinates of the units to which they were assigned. A significant step, designed to strengthen the army by turning to the military tradition of the Russian state, was the restoration of pre-revolutionary insignia and military ranks, albeit with minor changes.

On November 19, 1942, during Operation Uranus, German-Romanian troops were encircled in Stalingrad, which was preceded by powerful artillery preparation. Enemy troops surrendered on February 2, 1943. Then, in the summer of 1943, during Operation Citadel, German troops attempted to destroy the Kursk ledge, but the advance of the Wehrmacht forces was stopped by the Red Army, which in the fall of 1943 launched a massive counteroffensive. The advancing Red Army reached the state border of the USSR in the summer of 1944. During the 1944 offensive, the Red Army moved to liberate the countries of Eastern Europe from the German occupiers. Soviet troops fought in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, occupied Bulgaria, and occupied East Germany.

The victorious march of the Red Army also had a long-term foreign policy perspective. The liberation of a number of Eastern European countries laid the foundation for the subsequent formation of the “socialist camp” in Europe. Although it should be noted, for example, that the communists in Yugoslavia came to power thanks to the partisan People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia, which was de facto independent of Moscow. Soviet troops did not conduct military operations on the territory of Albania.

Germany's military and socio-economic situation deteriorated further after the Allies opened a second front in Europe in 1944. On April 16, 1945, Soviet troops launched the Berlin operation, which ended with the surrender of German troops on the night of May 8-9, 1945.

During the Great Patriotic War, 29,574,900 people were drafted into the Red Army. This does not count the 4,826,907 who were under arms at the very beginning of the war. According to data released during Stalin's reign, the losses amounted to 6,329,600 people killed, 555,400 dead from disease, 4,559,000 missing (most of them prisoners). Moreover, of these 11,444,100 people, 939,700 joined the army in the liberated territories, and 1,836,000 people returned from German captivity.

Initially, at the first stage of the war, the Red Army had at its disposal weapons and military equipment of varying quality. The advantage was that the Soviet army had excellent artillery, but the disadvantage was felt in the field of automotive technology. As a result, the Wehrmacht was able to capture most of it. Soviet T-34 tanks were the best until 1943, but very often experienced supply problems.

The Air Force of the Soviet Union was initially much inferior to the Luftwaffe, and a significant part of them was destroyed in the first days and months of the war (many aircraft were lost on the first day, since airfields became the main target of the German attack - as a result, most of the aircraft were destroyed not even having time to take off). The rearmament process was significantly complicated by the fact that a significant part of the military industry of the Soviet Union ended up in occupied territory.

A special feature of the Red Army during the war was the BM-13 Katyusha rocket launchers, which gained wide popularity among the troops.

An important step by the Soviet leadership, which made it possible to further stabilize the process of reproduction of military equipment and constantly accelerate its pace, was the evacuation of industry to the east of the USSR. The military production that developed there made it possible to provide the Soviet army with the necessary weapons. Soviet superiority over Germany in the last stages of the war is estimated, for example, in 10,200 Soviet military aircraft against 3,100 Luftwaffe aircraft on the Eastern Front (1944), 6 million 354 thousand soldiers and officers of the Red Army against 4 million 906 thousand soldiers and officers Wehrmacht, SS troops, and troops allied with Germany, 95,604 artillery pieces of the Red Army against 54,570 German guns, 5,254 tanks and self-propelled guns of the Red Army against 5,400 tanks and assault guns of the enemy.

The question of the role of Lend-Lease (American military supplies) in the Red Army achieving superiority over Germany remains controversial in historiography to this day. Proponents of the first point of view focus on the fact that such supplies amounted to only a minority of the country’s own military production volume, namely no more than a quarter of the total amount of weapons and supplies. Supporters of a different point of view point out that supplies were concentrated on the most important things, such as automotive equipment and high-quality fuel for combat aircraft.

At the end of World War II, the Soviet army was the most powerful army in the world. It had more tanks and artillery than all other countries combined, and a larger number of soldiers. In subsequent years, the Red Army began to play the role of guarantor of the socialist camp being established in Eastern Europe. The technical improvement of combat weapons in service with the USSR continued.

In this paragraph, we analyzed the main stages of the Red Army’s conduct of hostilities during the Great Patriotic War and identified ideological, mobilization, technical and production factors that contributed to success in the war.

ARMED FORCES OF THE USSR, a state military organization that formed the basis of the military power of the USSR.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War they consisted of the Ground Forces, the Air Force, Navy, Air defense troops of the country's territory, Logistics of the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces also included border troops and internal troops. At the beginning of the war, on the territory of the country there were 16 military districts, 1 front (Far Eastern), and there were also 4 fleets (Northern, Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific) and 3 separate military flotillas (Pinsk, Caspian and Amur).

The highest leadership of the country's defense and armed forces was carried out by the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. He coordinated all activities aimed at strengthening the military potential and increasing the defense capability of the USSR by a special body of the Council of People's Commissars - the USSR Defense Committee.

Direct control of the Armed Forces was carried out by the People's Commissariat of Defense (from May 1940, People's Commissar Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko) and the People's Commissariat of the Navy (from April 1939, People's Commissar of the Fleet Flagship 2nd Rank, from June 1940, Adm. N.G. Kuznetsov). Under the chairmanship of the People's Commissar of Defense and the People's Commissar of the Navy, the main military councils of the Kyrgyz Republic functioned as collegial bodies. army and navy. General Staff of Kr. The army was headed by Gen. army G.K. Zhukov.

The situation grew rapidly in the late 1930s. the threat of war placed high demands on the organization and training of the USSR Armed Forces, increasing their combat readiness and combat effectiveness. The most important tasks in the construction of the Armed Forces at that time were to increase the number of troops (forces), increase their technical equipment, and establish an optimal ratio of the number of types of Armed Forces.

Based on the conclusions of Sov. military science that the main role in a future war will be assigned to the Ground Forces, the ratio of types of armed forces in terms of the number of personnel as of June 1941 was (in%): Ground Forces - 79.3; Air Force - 11.5; Navy - 5.8; Air defense troops of the country's territory - 3.4. In the Ground Forces, the main emphasis was on development rifle troops, armored forces, artillery. The cavalry, airborne troops, railway, road, engineering, chemical forces, Signal Corps. The Air Force focused on the development of fighter and bomber aircraft, and created attack aircraft. The Navy was replenished with new surface ships and submarines.

Particularly noticeable was the increase in the technical equipment of the USSR Armed Forces in 1939 - 1st half. 1941. Compared to 1939, the volume of military production in 1941 increased by 30%. During this period, new types of heavy and medium tanks were put into mass production, new artillery guns and powerful rocket weapons for salvo firing at area targets were developed, new types of fighters, a dive bomber, an attack aircraft, and several types of warships for light naval forces were created.

Scientists and designers ensured high quality and reliability of the owls. military equipment in many respects is the best in the world: La-5 fighters (designer S.A. Lavochkin) and Yak-9 (A.S. Yakovleva), Il-2 attack aircraft (S.V. Ilyushin), Pe-2 bomber ( V.M. Petlyakov), medium tank T-34 (M.I. Koshkin) and heavy KV (Zh.Ya. Kotin), rocket artillery combat vehicle BM-13 “Katyusha” (I.T. Kleymenov and G.E. Langemak) and others. Geologists discovered new deposits of strategic materials (bauxite, manganese, molybdenum). Methods were developed for demagnetizing warships (I.V. Kurchatov, A.P. Aleksandrov), automatic welding of armor (E.O. Platon), and automatic machines for producing cartridges were designed. Great strides have been made in the field of military medicine, which made it possible to subsequently return St. 70% of wounded soldiers.

The organizational structure of the troops has improved significantly. The rifle division included tanks, more powerful divisional artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery, which significantly increased their firepower and striking power. The RVGK artillery was further developed. Instead of separate tank and mechanized brigades, the formation of tank and motorized divisions began.

In 1941 it was planned to form approx. 20 mechanized corps. In the airborne troops, which consisted of brigades, airborne corps were formed. There has been a transition to a divisional organization in the Air Force.

Simultaneously with the technical re-equipment of the army and navy, their numbers increased. The Law on General Military Duty, adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on September 1, 1939, legally completed the transfer of the Red Army and Navy to a personnel system and allowed them to increase their numbers, which by mid-1941 amounted to 4.6 million people. In total, the Ground Forces by this time had 303 divisions (of which about 1/4 were at the stage of formation). However, not all planned organizational and other measures for the armed forces were completed by the beginning of the war. Motorization of the infantry remained insufficient; the rearmament of formations and units with new types of weapons and military equipment was not completed. Most of the units transferred to new states were not fully equipped with weapons, military equipment and vehicles. Sov. military science in the pre-war years did not fully take into account the possibility of a sudden invasion by large enemy forces and did not sufficiently develop methods of conducting defense on an operational and strategic scale.

Major miscalculations were made in determining the timing, direction and strength of the blows. troops. Serious errors occurred in the selection of aviation basing areas and the placement of material and technical supplies, most of which were located near the state. borders. The deployment of armed forces groups did not have a clear plan. The Red Army did not have sufficient experience in conducting modern warfare, organizing the interaction of troops, or effectively using new weapons and military equipment.

After the attack of Germany on June 22, 1941, the USSR began a radical restructuring of the entire military organization of the state. On June 30, 1941, an emergency body was formed - the State Defense Committee (GKO) under the chairmanship of I.V. Stalin, who also became People's Commissar of Defense (July 19, 1941) and Supreme Commander-in-Chief (August 8, 1941). For the strategic leadership of the Armed Forces, the Headquarters of the Main Command was formed on July 10, 1941 (see. Headquarters of the Supreme High Command), the main body of which became the General Staff of the Red Army, intermediate leadership bodies were created - the main commands of the troops of the directions (abolished in May - June 1942). On the basis of the border military districts, 5 fronts were formed (during the war there were 10–15 of them at different periods), which became operational-strategic formations of the Armed Forces. On July 1, 1941, 5.3 million people were drafted into the Armed Forces for mobilization. Active Army from June 1941 to November. 1942 increased from 2.9 million to 6.6 million people. Mobilization made it possible to expand preparations reserves and strengthen the main troop groups.

However, in the initial period of the war, the advanced strategic echelon of the Red Army was defeated, the enemy captured significant territory of the USSR and approached Moscow and Leningrad. By the end of 1941, through extraordinary measures, the self-sacrifice of the people, and the heroism of the army and navy, it was possible to stop the enemy and thwart his “blitzkrieg” plan. The Battle of Moscow 1941–42 dispelled the myth of his invincibility. army. In the summer of 1942, the center of military operations moved to the southern wing.

In ever-increasing sizes, the army received weapons and military equipment, and above all their main types - artillery, tanks, and airplanes. From Dec. 1941 to Nov. 1942 the number of the most important combat weapons increased: for guns and mortars - from 22 thousand to 77.8 (without anti-aircraft guns), for tanks - from 1954 to 7350, for combat aircraft - from 2238 to 4544 units. The organizational structure of all military branches and special forces continued to be improved. In June 1941, the formation of rocket artillery units began. In September, in the battles near Yelnya, the Soviet Guard was born. In 1941–42, mechanized corps, artillery divisions of the RVGK, engineer armies, regiments, battalions and radio communications divisions, companies of high-explosive flamethrowers, and departments were formed. flamethrower tank battalions and dept.

flamethrower-tank brigades of the RVGK, automobile battalions, railway brigades.

With the beginning of the war, the system of training and education of command personnel and specialists underwent restructuring. Academies and military school cadets graduated early. In 1942, 53 new military schools were opened. The capabilities of the pre-war network of military educational institutions were also increased by increasing their capacity and reducing the duration of training. A large number of front-line and army courses were created for accelerated training of junior officers. In July 1941, the institution of military commissars was introduced (abolished on October 9, 1942). The growth of the power of the USSR Armed Forces continued: by the summer of 1942, they included approx. 11 million people, including in the active army - St. 5.5 million people From mid-1942, the defense industry began to increase the output of military products and more fully meet the needs of the front. As a result of the measures taken by the USSR Armed Forces, despite the losses incurred, by mid-November. 1942 were significantly strengthened organizationally, their technical equipment improved, the troops acquired combat experience, and the combat skills of the personnel increased. In fierce battles and battles, the Red Army and Navy inflicted heavy defeats on the enemy near Leningrad, in Moscow and Battle of Stalingrad, in the North Caucasus and seized the strategic initiative in the war.

In the second period of the war (November 1942 - December 1943), organizational measures in the army and navy were aimed at ensuring the massive use and effective use of military equipment, a significant increase in the fire and strike power of all types of armed forces and branches of the military. By mid-1943, in the USSR Armed Forces, compared to the end of 1942, the number of weapons increased by 1.3 times, armored vehicles - by 1.4, aircraft - by 2.3 times. The Red Army surpassed him. troops in tanks and artillery almost 2 times, in aircraft 3 times. Total in the active army in December. In 1943 there were 11 fronts, 66 directorates of combined arms armies and 3 tank armies. The massive production of weapons in 1943 made it possible to strengthen divisional artillery and create corps, army and powerful artillery of the RVGK. A significant number of tank and mechanized corps were formed, most of which were later consolidated into tank armies of homogeneous composition. Armored and mechanized troops became the main striking force of the Ground Forces (by the end of 1943 they included 24 tank and 13 mechanized divisions, about 50% were part of 5 tank armies).

The increasing role of aviation during the war, the quantitative and qualitative growth of the aircraft fleet determined the need for new, significant organizational changes in the Air Force. The composition of air divisions, corps and air armies has increased. The country's Air Defense Forces have strengthened organizationally and grown in numbers. The Navy continued to create naval defensive areas, the number of marines increased, and new naval formations were formed. The problem of creating strategic reserves was successfully resolved. Thus, during the winter campaign of 1942/43, the Headquarters transferred to the fronts from its reserve 4 tank armies, 29 tank and mechanized corps, 108 rifle, 23 artillery, 26 anti-aircraft artillery, 19 aviation divisions, 16 engineering brigades and other formations and units, and in the summer and autumn of 1943 there were 2 times more combined arms formations, and 3 times more tank and aviation formations than in winter.

In 1943, a qualitatively new stage in the construction of the USSR Armed Forces was completed: significant changes took place in their military-technical equipment and organizational structure, in the development of military art, and the personnel accumulated a wealth of experience in conducting combat operations. This was reflected in the newly published statutory documents: the Combat Manual of the Infantry (1942), the draft Field Manual of the Red Army and a number of regulations of the military branches. At the beginning of 1943, new insignia were introduced - shoulder straps. In order to increase the authority of command personnel and their responsibility, in July 1943 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established a new procedure for assigning military ranks. All command and management personnel in the rank of ml. Lieutenant up to and including colonel began to be called officers. The growth of combat power and the strengthening of the morale of the troops allowed the USSR Armed Forces to win victories in, Battle of Kursk Battle of the Dnieper 1943

In the third period of the war (Jan. 1944 - May 1945), the Red Army continued to be equipped with weapons and military equipment. Compared to the first period of the war, the number of fronts on the fronts increased: tanks and self-propelled guns - by 4-6 times, guns and mortars - by 4-5, aircraft - by 4-8 times. By the beginning of 1945, there were 9.4 million people and 144.2 thousand troops in the active army, in the Reserve Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, on the southern and Far Eastern borders. and mortars, 15.7 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 22.6 thousand combat aircraft. Compared to June 1944, the number of armed forces increased by more than 300 thousand people, the number of tanks and self-propelled guns - by 3.9 thousand, guns and mortars - by 11 thousand, combat aircraft - by 820. Most of the USSR Armed Forces were concentrated in Soviet-German front, where they outnumbered the enemy in guns and mortars by almost 4 times, in tanks and self-propelled guns by 3 times, and in combat aircraft by 8 times. The dominant position was still occupied by the Ground Forces. In terms of personnel, by the end of the war they accounted for 80%, the Air Force - St. 8%. The share of air defense troops increased from 3.3% in December. 1941 to 5% in May 1945, and the Navy fell from 5.8% in 1941 to 3.6% in June 1943, and then increased to 5.3% in May 1945.

In 1945, the USSR Armed Forces together with the allied armies of the countries anti-Hitler coalition liberated Europe from occupation and finally defeated Germany and its allies.

The final act of World War II for the Sov. The union became the Soviet-Japanese war of 1945 in the Far East, in which the USSR Armed Forces quickly defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army.

During the Great Patriotic War, the USSR Armed Forces covered themselves with unfading glory. For the military feats of St. 7 million owls soldiers were awarded orders and medals, approx. 11.6 thousand were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The defeat of the most powerful and dangerous armed forces for the world community, fascist Germany and militaristic Japan, was a severe test for the armed forces and peoples of the USSR, and they passed this test with honor.

The Soviet Armed Forces expelled the enemy from the USSR and defended the independence and territorial integrity of the country. The fascist bloc suffered a complete and crushing defeat, Germany unconditionally capitulated. The USSR Armed Forces played a decisive role in ridding the peoples of Europe and Asia from the threat of the Nazis. enslavement brought them freedom and peace. The entry of the USSR into the war in the Far East accelerated the defeat of militaristic Japan.

Research Institute (Military History) VAGS of the RF Armed Forces

The shortage of command personnel has reached astronomical proportions. For example, in the Kiev Military District alone there were a shortage of 3,400 platoon commanders; individuals who had no experience in commanding units were appointed as formation commanders. The commander of the Transbaikal Military District, Lieutenant General I. S. Konev, spoke about the same thing, in particular, at one of the meetings: “I consider it completely unacceptable, given all the need for personnel that exists, for commanders to be appointed to the position of division commanders, not never commanding a regiment." Therefore, it is not surprising that after a sudden attack by Nazi troops on June 22, 1941, control of many Red Army formations was lost and they ceased to exist as combat units. Rifle troops In accordance with State No. 4 approved on April 5, 1941 /100 rifle division of the main composition included 3 rifle regiments and, unlike the infantry divisions of the armies of other countries of the world, not one, but two artillery regiments.

In addition to these units, the division included anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery divisions, and direct fire support for the actions of the rifle units was provided by artillery and mortar batteries that were part of the rifle regiments and battalions. Each rifle regiment, except three rifle battalions, included a battery of 76.2 mm regimental guns, a battery of 45 mm anti-tank guns and a battery of 120 mm mortars. The battalion had a platoon of 45 mm anti-tank guns and a company of 82 mm mortars. Each of the division's 27 rifle companies had two 50 mm mortars.

Thus, the rifle division was supposed to have 210 guns and mortars (excluding 50-mm mortars), which made it possible to classify it as a rifle-artillery formation (already in 1935, 40% of the division’s personnel were artillerymen and machine gunners). Another feature of the division was a fairly strong reconnaissance battalion, which included, in addition to other units, a company of amphibious tanks (16 vehicles) and a company of armored vehicles (13 vehicles). Before the mass deployment of mechanized units began in 1940, many rifle divisions of the Red Army also had a tank battalion consisting of two or three companies of light tanks (up to 54 vehicles). Taking into account the presence of an automobile battalion in the division (more than 400 vehicles, in wartime - 558), the division commander had the opportunity, if necessary, to form a powerful mobile formation consisting of reconnaissance and tank battalions and an infantry regiment on trucks with artillery. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, tank battalions remained in three rifle divisions of the Trans-Baikal Military District. These divisions also included additional motor transport units and were called motorized rifle divisions. Each of the motorized rifle divisions had a strength of 12,000 people.

According to state number 4/100, the strength of the rifle division was 10,291 people, all of its units were deployed, and in the event of mobilization to complete the wartime staff, the division was supposed to receive an additional 4,200 personnel, 1,100 horses and about 150 vehicles. The strength and equipment of the wartime Soviet rifle division in 1941 and the Wehrmacht infantry division on the eve of the war are shown for comparison in the table below.
Mu was followed by a sharp reduction in cavalry units and formations - ten cavalry divisions and a separate cavalry brigade were disbanded. The personnel of these units and formations became part of the formed formations of armored forces. On the eve of the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army had 4 directorates of cavalry corps, 9 cavalry divisions and 4 mountain cavalry divisions, as well as four reserve cavalry regiments, 2 reserve mountain cavalry regiments and one reserve cavalry artillery regiment. Three cavalry corps included two cavalry divisions. , and in one, in addition, there was a mountain cavalry division. Unlike the rifle corps, the cavalry corps did not have any special units other than the communications division.

This will be my first blog post. It’s not a full-fledged article in terms of the number of words and information, but it’s a very important note, which can be read in one breath and has almost more benefits than many of my articles. So, what is a squad, platoon, company and other concepts known to us from books and films? And how many people do they contain?

What is a platoon, company, battalion, etc.

• Branch
• Platoon
• Battalion
• Brigade
• Division
• Frame
• Army
• Front (district)

These are all tactical units in the branches and types of troops. I have arranged them in order from least number of people to most to make it easier for you to remember them. During my service, I most often met with everyone up to the regiment.

From the brigade and above (in number of people) during the 11 months of service, we didn’t even say. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I do not serve in a military unit, but in an educational institution.

How many people do they include?

Department. Numbers from 5 to 10 people. The squad is commanded by the squad leader. A squad leader is a sergeant's position, so commode (short for squad leader) is often a junior sergeant or sergeant.

Platoon. A platoon includes from 3 to 6 sections, that is, it can reach from 15 to 60 people. The platoon commander is in charge of the platoon. This is already an officer position. It is occupied by a minimum of a lieutenant and a maximum of a captain.

Company. A company includes from 3 to 6 platoons, that is, it can consist of from 45 to 360 people. The company is commanded by the company commander. This is a major position. In fact, the commander is a senior lieutenant or captain (in the army, a company commander is affectionately and abbreviated as a company commander).

Battalion. This is either 3 or 4 companies + headquarters and individual specialists (gunsmith, signalman, snipers, etc.), a mortar platoon (not always), sometimes air defense and tank destroyers (hereinafter referred to as PTB). The battalion includes from 145 to 500 people. The commander of the battalion (abbreviated as battalion commander) commands.

This is the position of lieutenant colonel. But in our country, both captains and majors command, who in the future can become lieutenant colonels, provided they retain this position.

Regiment. From 3 to 6 battalions, that is, from 500 to 2500+ people + headquarters + regimental artillery + air defense + fire-fighting tanks. The regiment is commanded by a colonel. But maybe also a lieutenant colonel.

Brigade. A brigade is several battalions, sometimes 2 or even 3 regiments. The brigade usually has from 1,000 to 4,000 people. It is commanded by a colonel. The abbreviated title for the position of brigade commander is brigade commander.

Division. These are several regiments, including artillery and, possibly, tank + rear service + sometimes aviation. Commanded by a colonel or major general. The number of divisions varies. From 4,500 to 22,000 people.

Frame. These are several divisions. That is, in the region of 100,000 people. The corps is commanded by a major general.

Army. From two to ten divisions of different types of troops + rear units + repair shops and so on. The number can be very different. On average from 200,000 to 1,000,000 people and above. The army is commanded by a major general or lieutenant general.

Front. In peacetime - a military district. It’s difficult to give exact numbers here. They vary by region, military doctrine, political environment and the like.

The front is already a self-sufficient structure with reserves, warehouses, training units, military schools, and so on. The front commander commands the front. This is a lieutenant general or army general.

The composition of the front depends on the assigned tasks and the situation. Typically the front includes:

• control;
• missile army (one - two);
• army (five - six);
• tank army (one - two);
• air army (one - two);
• air defense army;
• separate formations and units of various types of troops and special troops of front-line subordination;
• formations, units and establishments of operational logistics.

The front can be strengthened by formations and units of other branches of the Armed Forces and the reserve of the Supreme High Command.

What other similar tactical terms exist?

Subdivision. This word refers to all military formations that are part of the unit. Squad, platoon, company, battalion - they are all united by one word “unit”. The word comes from the concept of division, to divide. That is, the part is divided into divisions.

Part. This is the main unit of the Armed Forces. The term “unit” most often means regiment and brigade. The external features of the unit are: the presence of its own office work, military economy, bank account, postal and telegraph address, its own official seal, the commander’s right to give written orders, open (44 tank training division) and closed (military unit 08728) combined arms numbers. That is, the part has sufficient autonomy.

IMPORTANT! Please note that the terms military unit and military unit do not mean exactly the same thing. The term “military unit” is used as a general designation, without specifics. If we are talking about a specific regiment, brigade, etc., then the term “military unit” is used. Usually its number is also mentioned: “military unit 74292” (but you cannot use “military unit 74292”) or, for short, military unit 74292.

Compound. As a standard, only a division fits this term. The word “connection” itself means to connect parts. The division headquarters has the status of a unit. Other units (regiments) are subordinate to this unit (headquarters). All together there is a division. However, in some cases, a brigade may also have the status of a connection. This happens if the brigade includes separate battalions and companies, each of which has the status of a unit in itself.

An association. This term combines corps, army, army group and front (district). The headquarters of the association is also the part to which various formations and units are subordinated.

Bottom line

There are no other specific and grouping concepts in the military hierarchy. At least in the Ground Forces. In this article we did not touch upon the hierarchy of military formations of the aviation and navy. However, the attentive reader can now imagine the naval and aviation hierarchy quite simply and with minor errors.

Now it will be easier for us to dialogue, friends! After all, every day we are getting closer to speaking the same language. You are learning more and more military terms and meanings, and I am getting closer and closer to civilian life!))

I wish everyone to find in this article what they were looking for,

"Branches of troops during the Great Patriotic War"

Border troops

The Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 was a severe test of the strength of the social and state system, the economic development of the country and the combat power of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Border guard soldiers also made a significant contribution to the victory over the enemy. They were the first to engage in mortal combat with the fascist invaders and courageously defended our Motherland, defending every inch of Soviet land.

The main purpose of the Border Troops of any state is to protect its state border, ensure its sovereignty on land, river areas and in the territorial waters of the sea, based on international legal documents. In some states they have a different name: border guards, border guards, border police, but the essence of these formations is the same.
In June 1941, the USSR Border Troops were an integral part of the Soviet Armed Forces. The range of tasks solved by the Border Troops was determined by the legislation of the country, and the legal situation was regulated by the USSR Law on universal military service, regulations on military service, charters and instructions of the Red Army and Navy.

Cavalry

Cavalry (cavalry) - a branch of the military in which horseback riding was used for combat operations and/or movementhorse .

How did the cavalry operate during World War II?

Horses were used as a means of transportation. There were, of course, battles on horseback - saber attacks, but this was rare. If the enemy is strong, sitting on a horse, it is impossible to cope with him, then the command is given to dismount, the horse handlers take the horses and leave. And the horsemen work like infantry. Each horse breeder took five horses with him and led them to a safe place. So there were several horse handlers per squadron. Sometimes the squadron commander said: “Leave two horse handlers for the entire squadron, and the rest in a chain to help.”

Infantry

Infantry (Infantry people) - main genus troops V ground forces , armed forces states .

Infantry intended for maintainingmilitary operations on foot (on your ownfeet ), is the most ancient and massive branch of the military (previously calledtype of weapon ) in the history of wars andarmed conflicts .

Decades after the end of the war, the German commander Eike Middeldorf, while holding the rank of lieutenant colonel in the German Army, published the book “Tactics in the Russian Campaign,” which, according to Western historians and our military experts, is considered a fairly objective source. In this book, Middeldorf paid a lot of attention to Russian soldiers: “The Russian soldier is a master of forest combat. Russian troops have the ability to move over any terrain, off roads. They fight for every meter of territory and can go for days without supplies. If in the summer and autumn of 1941 we surrounded and destroyed Russian units that were tactically poorly prepared and had no combat experience, then already at the beginning of the winter of 1941 the Russians were able to master the skills of conducting defense" For example, by the end of 1941, Soviet troops began to use defensive tactics using reverse hill slopes, establishing positions outside the line of sight of German observers.

In many ways, the failure of the blitzkrieg was due precisely to the courage and tenacity of the infantry units of the Red Army, which, in fact, resisted the latest German developments in the field of weapons with small arms and hand grenades. According to Middeldorf, the national character of the Russians also played a role - the soldier’s ability to endure everything, endure and die in his rifle cell. All this was very important for organizing a fierce and stubborn defense.

Artillery

Artillery - one of the three oldestmilitary branches , main impact forceground forces whose main weapons areartillery pieces - firearms relatively largecaliber : guns, howitzers, mortars, etc.

Soviet artillery played an extremely important role in the Great Patriotic War and became the main firepower of the Ground Forces. It was the backbone of the defense of the Soviet Army and was the force that helped stop the enemy. In the battle of Moscow, the myth of the invincibility of the fascist army was dispelled. Soviet artillery demonstrated formidable fighting qualities in the great Battle of the Volga. In the battles near Kursk, artillery with its fire played a decisive role in creating a turning point in the course of hostilities, and then ensured the advance of our troops.

The strategic offensive of the Soviet Army after the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk continued until the very end of the Great Patriotic War. Each operation of our troops began under the thunder of artillery cannonade from hundreds and thousands of guns and developed with continuous artillery support. The main defense was anti-tank artillery. It accounts for over 70% of enemy tanks destroyed. Respect for artillery was so great that since 1940 it was called the “god of war.”

During the years of the Great Patriotic War, our artillery increased quantitatively 5 times. The Soviet Union outsold Germany in the production of guns and mortars by 2 and 5 times, respectively, the USA by 1.3 and 3.2 times, and England by 4.2 and 4 times. During the war, our industry supplied the front with 775.6 million shells and mines, which made it possible to deliver crushing fire strikes against the enemy. The power of artillery, mass heroism and military skill of Soviet artillerymen together ensured victory in this difficult war.

"Katyusha"

Katyusha - a unique combat vehicle of the USSRwhich had no analogues in the world. The unofficial name for barrelless field rocket artillery systems (BM-8, BM-13, BM-31 and others) was developed during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45.

There is no single version of why the BM-13 began to be called “Katyusha”. There are several assumptions. The most common and well-founded are two versions of the origin of the nickname, which are not mutually exclusive:

• Based on the name that became popular before the warsongs Blantera to words Isakovsky "Katyusha" . The version is convincing, since the captain's batteryFlyorova fired at the enemy, firing a volley into the city's Market SquareRudnya . This was one of the first combat use of Katyushas, ​​confirmed in historical literature. The installations were shooting from a high, steep mountain - the association with the high, steep bank in the song immediately arose among the fighters. Finally, until recently, Andrei Sapronov, a former sergeant of the headquarters company of the 217th separate communications battalion of the 144th Infantry Division of the 20th Army, was alive until recently, later a military historian, who gave it this name. Red Army soldier Kashirin, having arrived with him at the battery after the shelling of Rudnya, exclaimed in surprise: “What a song!” “Katyusha,” answered Andrei Sapronov (from the memoirs of A. Sapronov in the Rossiya newspaper No. 23 of June 21-27, 2001 and in the Parliamentary Gazette No. 80 of May 5, 2005). Through the communications center of the headquarters company, the news about a miracle weapon called “Katyusha” within 24 hours became the property of the entire 20th Army, and through its command - the entire country. On July 13, 2012, the veteran and “godfather” of Katyusha turned 91, and on February 26, 2013 he passed away. On the desk he left his latest work - a chapter about the first salvo of Katyusha rockets for the multi-volume history of the Great Patriotic War, which is being prepared for publication.
• The name may be associated with the “K” index on the mortar body - the installations were produced by the Comintern plant. And front-line soldiers loved to give nicknames to their weapons. For example, a howitzerM-30 nicknamed “Mother”, the ML-20 howitzer gun - “Emelka”. Yes, and the BM-13 was at first sometimes called “Raisa Sergeevna,” thus deciphering the abbreviation RS (missile).

The weapon was inaccurate, but very effective when used in large numbers. The emotional effect was also important: during the salvo, all the missiles were fired almost simultaneously - within a few seconds, the territory in the target area was literally plowed up by rockets. The mobility of the installation made it possible to quickly change position and avoid a retaliatory strike from the enemy.

Tank forces

At the end of the thirties, on the eve of the start of World War II, the tank forces of the USSR had no equal. The Soviet Union had a colossal superiority over all potential opponents in the number of units of equipment, and with the advent of the T-34 in 1940, Soviet superiority began to be of a qualitative nature. At the time of the invasion of Poland by German troops in September 1939, the Soviet tank fleet already consisted of over 20 thousand vehicles.

Thanks to its combat qualities, the T-34 was recognized by a number of experts as the best medium tank of the Second World War. During its creation, Soviet designers managed to find the optimal balance between the main combat, operational and technological characteristics.

Medium tank T-34 was created by a group of designers headed by M.I. Koshkin.

Wehrmacht General and engineer Erich Schneider wrote: “The T-34 tank created a sensation... The Russians, having created an exceptionally successful and completely new type of tank, made a great leap forward in the field of tank building... An attempt to create a tank modeled after the Russian T-34 after its a thorough check by German designers turned out to be impracticable.”

From to 1945 basic large-scale production of the T-34 was launched at powerful machine-building plants in the Urals and Siberia, and continued in the post-war years. The leading plant for modifying the T-34 wasUral Tank Plant No. 183 . Latest modification (T-34-85 ) is in service with some countries to this day.

The T-34 tank is the most famous Soviet tank and one of the most recognizable symbols of the Great Patriotic War.

Modern Russian battle tank T-90SM. New digital technologies are a distinctive feature of the modernized tank. Moreover, the entire system was both conceived and produced by Russian enterprises, which means it does not depend in any way on foreign supplies.

Aviation in the Great Patriotic War

In the first days of the war, “enemy aviation reigned supreme in the air, so all regroupings, movements and offensive actions had to be carried out at night, since during the day the enemy’s bomber and fighter aircraft inflicted huge losses and thwarted any plans,” this is how the twice Hero of the Soviet describes the events of these days Union Army General Lelyushenko D.D. , then commander of the 21st Mechanized Corps of the North-Western Front.

This required the creation of specialized aircraft capable ofhit enemy infantry from low altitudes with machine-gun fire and small-caliber fragmentation bombs.

The successful single-engine two-seat attack aircraft Il-2 was created at the end of 1939 under the leadership of Sergei Vladimirovich Ilyushin.

The Soviet attack aircraft Il-2 became the most popular combat aircraft in history. He took part in battles in all theaters of military operations of the Great Patriotic War. The designers called the aircraft they developed a “flying tank,” and German pilots nicknamed it Betonflugzeug—“concrete airplane”—for its survivability.

It had an armored engine and cabin, special safety tanks and powerful weapons. During the Great Patriotic War, the Il-2 was the main aircraft of attack aircraft, and also became the most popular military aircraft in the world - over 36,000 copies were produced. The plane deservedly received the name flying "tank" , although the enemy called it nothing more than “black death” - the demoralizing effect of his attacks was so great that when the Il-2 appeared, the crews of German tanks simply abandoned their vehicles.

This aircraft was produced in 1941-1944.

The war is over, but time does not stand still.

Modern, newest domestic attack aircraft SU-39.

This is a perfect “shock complex”. Although its main purpose is to strike tanks and surface targets, it effectively hits fortified positions, enemy infrastructure, aircraft and helicopters in the air, and air defense systems. The Su-39 independently identifies targets, determines the priority one and the type of weapon.

The new Su-39 has a NUMBER OF INNOVATIONS: the Su-39 pilot is placed in an all-welded cabin made of aircraft-grade titanium armor, but its total weight, compared to its predecessor, has been reduced by 153 kg or 25%. At the same time, the mass of polyurethane foam and the rapidly swelling outer protector of fuel tanks of increased capacity has increased almost as much. Filling the compartments adjacent to the fuel tanks with elastic porous materials prevents the impulse splashing of fuel through holes from shells and their fragments, preventing a fire. The gaps between the fuel tanks and the air intake channels virtually eliminate the possibility of a fire from fuel entering the engine inlet.

Navy

On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany treacherously attacked our country.
The command of the German army counted on the fragility of the Soviet state, on the weakness of the Red Army and Red Navy. Hitler's generals and admirals, arrogantly neglecting the combat effectiveness of the Red Army soldiers and sailors, drew up a plan for the “lightning-fast” defeat of the armed forces of the Soviet Union. With regard to our fleet, they hoped to weaken the Red Fleet with a sudden powerful air strike on ships and bases, a mine and underwater blockade of bases and communications, and then capture the bases and remnants of the fleet from land. But the barging enemy miscalculated.
The attack of Nazi Germany did not take the Navy by surprise. The Navy countered the surprise of the attack with a high degree of combat readiness; on June 22, 1941, we did not lose a single ship or naval aircraft. All attacks on fleet bases were repelled by naval and coastal artillery fire. And in August 1941, when our troops were retreating on all fronts after heavy fighting, long-range naval aviation aircraft flew to bomb Berlin.

The Navy guarded our external and internal sea communications and inflicted heavy damage on the enemy’s sea communications, sinking thousands of ships and transports with troops and cargo from the Germans and their allies.

Submarines

During the Great Patriotic War, Soviet submarines performed a wide range of important combat missions. Possessing great autonomy of navigation, they reached the enemy’s sea communications, and without detecting themselves, attacked enemy ships.In the Barents, Baltic and Black Seas, submarines destroyed more than 300 transports with a total capacity of over 1 million gross tons and about 100 warships with torpedo and mine weapons.

Submarines played an important role in solving such tasks as protecting their sea communications and naval bases, reconnaissance, patrol duty, delivery of ammunition and food to besieged Sevastopol, and navigation and hydrographic support for amphibious assault forces.
The active actions of submarines forced the Nazi command to divert significant forces and resources from solving other tasks, in particular from providing assistance to their ground forces in coastal areas, which reduced the combat capabilities of the fascist fleet as a whole.

The Great Patriotic War was not only a serious and comprehensive test of the combat qualities of Soviet submariners, but also an important stage in the development of tactics for the use of submarine forces. At the beginning of the war, the positional method of using submarines was mainly practiced; later, the Soviet naval command began to plan cruising in limited areas and redeployment of boats using the method of maneuvering positions. At the end of the war, the group use of boats in curtains became widespread in the Northern Fleet.

From the first day and continuously during the four years of the war, the Navy of the Soviet Union waged an active war on water, under water, in the air and in coastal areas using all combat means.

The Russian fleet is still considered one of the largest in the world, with powerful potential for carrying out combat and reconnaissance missions.

According to a statement by Russian Defense Minister S. Shoigu, the Navy will receive 24 new submarines by 2020. Such ships of different designs and classes will help update and raise the combat potential of the fleet to a qualitatively new level. The Ministry of Defense has a clear plan for the development of the submarine navy over the coming decades. It is divided into three stages, each of which has its own goals and characteristics. The first period is already in full swing and will end in 2020, immediately after it the second will begin, which will end in 2030, and the last will last from 2031 to 2050.