On the Question of Organization and Activity of Divisions of the NKVD of the USSR in 1941-1942

The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 was a period of the greatest trials for our country. They concerned all state structures and, of course, law enforcement agencies, which included the NKVD of the USSR. During the war, these structures underwent a number of reorganizations, as the situation demanded. On the one hand, formed in a short period of time, NKVD rifle units took part in combat operations on various fronts together with the Red Army. On the other hand, as military formations of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, they were intended to solve a variety of official tasks inside the country, ensuring the security of the front and rear.

Participation in the Great Patriotic War is one of the heroic pages of the activity of the NKVD units of the USSR, which in 1941 included: border troops. included: border troops, internal (operational) troops, convoy troops, troops to protect the railroads (railroad facilities), troops to protect especially important industrial enterprises, troops to protect the rear of the active Red Army (since 1943), troops of local air defense (since 1943) and troops of government high-frequency communications (since 1943) [1, p. 21]. By the beginning of the war in the USSR NKVD troops numbered 173.9 thousand people, of whom 27.3 thousand people served in the operational troops; 63.7 thousand people served in the troops for the protection of railroads. - in the troops for protection of railroads; 29.3 thousand people. - in troops for the protection of especially important industrial enterprises; 38.2 thousand people in - convoy troops; 15.4 thousand people in military schools and other institutions of internal troops. [2, с. 12]

The restructuring of the activities of the NKVD troops of the USSR in connection with the introduction of martial law in the country in 1941 was carried out in the following areas:

• -    reception of replenishment and formation of new units and formations;

• -    organization of rear-guard protection of the fronts of the Red Army;

• -    Combating criminal and political banditry and sabotage groups;

• -    strengthening the protection of especially important industrial facilities;

• -    evacuation of military plants inland from the front zone;

• -    protection of railroad facilities and escorting the most important cargoes delivered by rail;

• -    combating desertion;

• -    guarding and convoying prisoners of war;

• -    evacuation of prisoners from the front line;

• -    protection of public order;

• -    garrison service in cities and settlements liberated from fascist occupants, etc. The war required mobilization and strain.

The war required mobilization and strain of all the country's resources to repel the enemy, deployment of strategic reserves, structural reorganization of all branches and genera of the Armed Forces according to wartime standards, including internal troops. After the mobilization measures by 1942 the number of all types of troops of the NKVD of the USSR amounted to about 274 thousand people [3, p. 14].

In addition to the troops, the structure of the NKVD included: the Main Directorate of State Security (NKGB), the Main Directorate of Militia (GUM), the Fire Department (UPO), the Department for Prisoners of War and Internees, the Main Directorate of Camps (GULAG), the Main Directorate of Highway Construction (GUSHODOR), the Department of Cartography and Geodesy.

II.    DISCUSSION AND RESULTS

The complex military-strategic situation at the fronts in the early period of the war required the maximum use of all available state forces and means. The government decree of June 29, 1941 from the troops of the USSR NKVD planned to create 10 infantry divisions to transfer them to the active army [4, P. 5-8].

Later the original task was clarified: it was proposed to form 15 infantry divisions, but in a reduced composition. In total, 23 thousand soldiers were allocated from the internal troops to staff them, from the border troops 15 thousand. After a short-term combat training all divisions were sent to the armies of the Reserve, Northern, Western and other fronts. During the first months of the war military educational institutions of the NKVD of the USSR sent to the front more than 5.5 thousand young commanders. [5, P. 221-223].

Order of the NKVD of the USSR on January 19, 1942 № 00150 Main Directorate of Internal Troops of the NKVD was disbanded and instead of it was created three departments: Directorate of the NKVD USSR troops to protect the railroads (chief - Kombrig A.P. Kurlykin), the Department of troops of the NKVD of the USSR to protect the railroads (chief - Kombrig. Kurlykin), the Department of NKVD troops of the USSR to protect especially important industrial enterprises (head of the department - Major General I.S. Lyuby), the Department of convoy troops of the NKVD USSR (head of the department - Kombrig M.S. Krivenko) [6, P. 221 ]. The construction of operational (internal) troops of the USSR NKVD had its own peculiarities. Assigning them the tasks of garrison service in the settlements liberated by the Red Army from the enemy, assisting in the search for enemy agents and anti-Soviet elements, as well as the need for unified leadership of compounds and units of troops subordinate to the heads of rear guard fronts.

All this led to the creation in January 1942, the Directorate of Internal Troops of the NKVD of the USSR. Major General I.S. Sheredega was appointed its chief. The increase in the number of internal troops of the NKVD of the USSR and NKVD troops subordinate to the chiefs of rear guard of the fronts, and consequently the volume of work of the Department of Internal Troops of the NKVD of the USSR led to its reorganization. Order of the NKVD of the USSR on April 28, 1942 № 00852 it was transformed into the Main Directorate of Internal Troops of the NKVD of the USSR, which was organized by the Directorate of the NKVD of the USSR troops to protect the rear of the active Red Army. [7, L. 223]

The new structure concentrated the leadership of all compounds and military units that were protecting the rear (both border and internal), as well as resolved issues of application, interaction, logistics, training, education and manning of troops. Major General I.S. Sheredega was appointed as the head of the NKVD GUVV of the USSR NKVD, and Senior Major of State Security A.M. Leontiev was appointed as the head of the Department of NKVD troops to protect the rear of the active Red Army.

Subordinate to the Department of NKVD troops to protect the rear of the active Red Army were eleven departments of troops to protect the rear (10 front and 1 army), which included 37 border regiments, a separate rifle brigade, 3 schools for junior officers and other units. The total number of border troops transferred to the NKVD troops to protect the rear of the active army, amounted to more than 65.9 thousand people. [8, P. 183.]

Thanks to this General Directorate of Border Troops was able to concentrate the main efforts of the remaining in its subordination of border units to protect the state border.

An important role in the organization of the troops played military councils of directions and fronts, which were at the disposal or in the interests of which acted units of the NKVD USSR. Resolutions of the front councils regulated the use of combat formations of the military structure of the NKVD both in direct defense or offensive, and in the rear maintenance of order and security. Units of the NKVD of the USSR performed tasks to protect the rear of the active army, carried out the fight against desertion, detained disorganized retreating soldiers and civilians in the front line.

In time, the war required the separation from the NKVD bodies of special structures that would conduct intelligence and counterintelligence activities. The creation of special departments "Smersh" significantly contributed to the identification of those who tried to penetrate the front and deep rear and sabotage on transport communications, communication lines, military and defense plants. Intelligence NKVD USSR performed the functions of state security, operated on enemy territory and together with partisan and sabotage detachments did everything to reveal the enemy's intentions, reveal his plans and prevent their implementation. Analysis of factual materials on the activities of internal affairs bodies during the war leads to the conclusion that they did much to solve the problems of ensuring the security of the front and rear in the extreme conditions of wartime. Joint interaction with the NKVD troops and the activists of district party organizations made it possible to promptly and comprehensively solve many problems related to ensuring order and security in the cities of the USSR, especially in the front line.

As a result of reorganizations carried out during 1941-1942, the leadership of various types of NKVD units were carried out: the Main Directorate of Border Troops of the NKVD of the USSR; the Main Directorate of Internal Troops of the NKVD of the USSR; the Directorate of the NKVD of the USSR for the protection of railroads; the Directorate of the NKVD of the USSR for the protection of especially important industrial enterprises; the Directorate of Convoy Troops of the NKVD of the USSR; the Directorate of Military Supply of the NKVD of the USSR.

NKVD troops played an important role in the deployment of the partisan movement. Thus, only in the partisan detachments of the Leningrad region in August - September 1941 joined more than a thousand soldiers of internal troops, and in 1942 another 300 fighters. In the ranks of the people's avengers joined the troops, coming out of the enemy encirclement. Commanders and political workers were seconded to leadership positions in partisan detachments and compounds. NKVD troops prepared reconnaissance and sabotage detachments and groups for actions behind enemy lines.

A special contribution to achieving victory was made by soldiers of the Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of Special Purpose (OMSBON). Here was gathered the color of Soviet sports, students, the best scouts of the country. 25 servicemen of the brigade became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

The transfer of the strategic initiative to the Red Army in 1943 and the deployment of active offensive actions in this regard required strengthening and strengthening of the NKVD troops to protect the rear of the active army, as well as improving their leadership. By order of the NKVD of the USSR in 1943 was established the Main Directorate of the NKVD troops to protect the rear of the active Red Army with the subordination of all departments of rear guard of the fronts and military units included in their composition. One of the tasks of the internal troops during the war was to provide radio countermeasures against the enemy. For this purpose, in 1942 the troops were included in the composition of the troops transferred from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Red Army radio units of special interfering communication to interfere with the enemy's radio stations on the battlefield. In 1943, the Internal Troops received from the Red Army Main Communications Directorate 135 separate line-building HF communications companies, which were organized into 6 regiments and 12 separate battalions with a total strength of more than 31 thousand men. In this regard, the Directorate of Government Communications Troops was established as part of the Main Directorate of Internal Troops. Already by the middle of 1943 under its leadership were 12 separate regiments and 4 separate battalions of the NKVD troops. During the Great Patriotic War NKVD troops also carried out garrison service in liberated areas, guarded railroads, military factories and other important facilities, convoyed and guarded prisoners of war, fought against banditry.

In the final period of the Great Patriotic War service and operational activities of the troops were carried out on a large territory along the front and in depth, characterized by great tension and numerous combat encounters. Thus, just to clear the rear of the 1st Ukrainian Front from the gangs of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the remnants of the Ukrainian SS Division "Galicia" in the area of Rava-Russkaya in late August -early September 1944, a Chekist and military operation was carried out on the territory with a total area of more than 3,600 square kilometers. More than 6 thousand servicemen of the NKVD troops with artillery and armored vehicles took part in it.

Defensive battles on the close approaches to Leningrad. September 1941. From the website of the Ural State Military History Museum.

The NKVD divisions of the 1st, 2nd, 20th, 21st and 22nd made a significant contribution to the defense of Leningrad's borders in the North-Western direction, and from the beginning of the blockade prevented enemy units from entering the city. In close contact with the command of the fronts, units and formations of the Red Army in the harshest conditions of the blockade battles, the Department of Special Divisions of the Leningrad Front promoted the combat readiness of the Red Army units, including NKVD divisions.

The 21st NKVD division did not allow the Wehrmacht units to break through from the south, thwarted the Germans' attempt to break into Leningrad. The 21st NKVD Division, since September 16, 1941, was subordinated to the commander of the 42nd Army of the Leningrad Front, participated in landing operations, on January 15, 1944 broke through the enemy defenses in the area of the "Northern Shaft".

The 1st Division of the NKVD from August 31 to September 8, fighting with superior enemy forces, for eight days delayed the advance of German units to Shlisselburg, prevented the Germans from breaking through to the right bank of the Neva. On September 22 it became a part of the Neva Task Force. It participated in forcing the Neva in the fall and winter of 1941 and 1942, in the operation "Iskra" January 1943.

The 20th NKVD Division with its regiments strengthened the bridgehead on the "Nevsky Patch", since October 24, subordinated to the commander of the Nevsky Task Force. It inflicted heavy damage to the enemy in manpower and equipment, suffered heavy losses during the forcing of the Neva, repeatedly parts of the division participated in landing operations.

In all areas where the NKVD divisions fought, the enemy suffered heavy losses. NKVD divisions suffered losses from 50 to 70% of personnel, but fulfilled their duty to the peoples of Russia.

In total, at the final stage of the Great Patriotic War, the NKVD troops conducted thousands of Chekist and military (special) operations to combat banditry and nationalist formations in the western regions of the Soviet Union.

III.    CONCLUSION

Thus, in the activities of the NKVD units of the USSR during the initial period of the Great Patriotic War two main directions were defined: first, the participation of individual units in combat operations as part of regular units of the active army, partisan detachments and fighter battalions; second, the implementation of measures to maintain public order, the fight against enemy spies and criminal elements, guarding and escorting special contingent. All this undoubtedly helped to organize a powerful repulse to the German fascist invaders in 1941-1942 and contributed to a radical turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.