Before the Great Patriotic War, when the Soviet military-political leadership made enormous efforts to mechanize and motorize the Red Army, it seemed to many that cavalry had outlived its usefulness and, so to speak, had no place in the war of motors. A sharp reduction in the number of cavalry, its units and formations was carried out. As a result of the measures taken in the USSR, out of the 32 cavalry divisions and 7 corps directorates that existed by 1938, by the beginning of the war, on June 22, 1941, the Red Army troops had four cavalry corps located in the Belarusian, Kiev special, Odessa and Central Asian military districts, 13 cavalry divisions, of which four are mountain cavalry, 4 reserve cavalry and 2 reserve mountain cavalry regiments, a reserve horse artillery regiment.
Before the invasion of Nazi troops into the territory of the USSR, seven cavalry divisions were stationed in the border districts, including:
Western Military District (ZapOVO) - two cavalry divisions;
Kiev Military District (KOVO) - two cavalry divisions;
Odessa Military District (ODVO) - three cavalry divisions.
And then came probably the most fateful day in the history of our country in modern times - June 22, 1941. Fascist Germany, without declaring war, treacherously attacked the Soviet Union, as our country was called in the mid-20th century. The Great Patriotic War Soviet people began against the Nazi invaders. That night it turned over greatest page world history. Hitler's "Drang nach Osten" began, forcing Soviet people take up arms and begin the Great liberation war against the Nazi occupiers.
In the very first hours of the war, Soviet cavalrymen entered into a fierce battle with the aggressor. In Belarus, in the Lomza region, the 6th Chongar Cavalry Division of the 6th Cavalry Corps began to operate, in Ukraine - the 3rd Bessarabian. G.I. Kotovsky cavalry division of the 5th cavalry corps, in Moldova - the 9th cavalry division of the 2nd cavalry corps. On the Western Front, at one o'clock in the morning on June 22, the commander of the 6th Cavalry Chongar Division, General M.P. Konstantinov, received a call from the head of the 87th Border Detachment at the division headquarters and reported that the enemy was concentrating large forces of infantry and tanks on the border itself and it was possible that he is about to go on the offensive.
The border had already been restless before, and at the request of the head of the border detachment, on June 19, two cavalry squadrons, reinforced by two platoons of tanks, were sent to the detachment. As we see, not all commanders sat idly by and waited for instructions from above. On their own initiative, and at that time it could be severely punished, they nominated reinforcement units to help the border guards, which allowed them to stop the aggressor’s movement in these areas. At 3 o'clock an order was received from the district headquarters (via telegraph) to open the "red package", which meant that the division's units were raised on combat alert. After this, telegraph communication was disrupted. The 6th Cavalry Division was alerted by the division commander, Major General M.P. Konstantinov. Soon after this, the formation's location was subjected to an air raid, as a result of which parts of the division suffered heavy losses, but did not lose control and were concentrated in a forest three kilometers south of the military town.
The 48th Beloglinsky Cossack Cavalry Regiment was the first to enter the battle. Soon the 94th Belorechensky Kuban and 152nd Rostov Terek Cossack regiments approached the battlefield. The Cossacks dismounted and, taking up defensive positions on a wide front, began a stubborn battle. Despite the superior forces of the enemy, they repelled his furious attacks and drove back the German infantry with fire and bayonet strikes. The Germans' attempt to break through to Lomza on the move was repulsed. In the very first battles, the Nazis felt the strength of the resistance of the Soviet cavalrymen, who showed themselves to be courageous and skillful warriors. The 35th Tank Regiment was brought into battle. But numerical superiority remained with the enemy. The Cossacks did everything to complete the combat mission in their sector. By the way, it should be noted that it was the tank regiments of the cavalry divisions that in the first days of the war played a significant role in repelling attacks and preventing enemy breakthroughs in the action zones cavalry units and connections.
At 4 o'clock on June 22, the 36th Cavalry Division was also alerted. However, at 4 hours 20 minutes, Volkovysk, where parts of the cavalry division were stationed, was also bombed; nevertheless, the division set out to join the 6th cavalry division with the task of repelling the enemy’s offensive in the Lomzhensky direction. On June 24, a Soviet counterattack began in the Grodno area with the forces of a formed cavalry-mechanized group (KMG) under the command of deputy front commander, Lieutenant General I.V. Boldin. The combat-ready 6th Mechanized Corps of Major General M.G. was involved in the counterattack. Khatskilevich and the 6th Cavalry Corps, however, the air supremacy of German aviation, poor organization of the strike, an attack on a prepared anti-tank position and the destruction of the rear led to the fact that German troops managed to stop the troops of KMG Boldin.
The 11th Mechanized Corps of the 3rd Army operated separately, which even managed to reach the outskirts of Grodno. It should be noted that it was on this day, June 24, in the diary of the chief of staff ground forces General Halder writes about “rather serious complications that have arisen on the front of the 8th Army Corps, where large masses of Russian cavalry are attacking the western flank of the corps.” At dawn on June 25, enemy horse patrols appeared on the line of combat security of the 36th Cavalry Division, which were driven back by light machine gun fire (each Wehrmacht infantry division had a reconnaissance battalion, which included a cavalry squadron). Later, foot reconnaissance groups approached, trying to penetrate deep into the military outpost, but they were also unsuccessful. At noon, the combat guard was shot down and enemy infantry appeared in battle formations immediately in front of the division's front line of defense, which was stopped by machine-gun fire. The division had no artillery. After some time, the Germans began their offensive again, also without preliminary artillery preparation. But, finding themselves under heavy fire from heavy machine guns, and there were 48 of them in the first echelon of the division, they were stopped a second time.
The German 20th Army Corps was temporarily forced to take up defensive positions, but the remaining German corps of the 9th Army (8th, 5th and 6th) continued to cover the main forces of the Soviet army in the Bialystok salient. Due to the failure of the counterattack and the actual start of the encirclement at 20.00 on June 25, I.V. Boldin gave the order to stop attacks and begin a retreat.
On the night of June 26, a group of 300 people from the remnants of the 94th and 48th cavalry regiments of the 6th cavalry division retreated to Bolshaya Berestovitsa. The remaining units of this division repelled enemy attacks throughout the day, remaining in their previous positions. Further, the division, under attacks from superior enemy forces, retreated towards Minsk, where it was surrounded and almost all destroyed. The less bloodless 36th Cavalry Division, having taken up a position on the eastern bank of the Svisloch River by the morning of the 26th, covered the withdrawal of the Red Army units using the “mobile defense” method. On June 28, the remnants of the 36th cavalry and 27th rifle divisions managed to reach the area of the old border. On September 19, 1941, the 6th Cossack Cavalry Corps and its units were disbanded by order of Headquarters. The new 6th Cavalry Corps was formed on November 30, 1941.
In the zone of the Southwestern and Southern Fronts, combat operations in the initial period of the war proceeded somewhat differently than on the Western Front. On the Southwestern Front, the 5th Cavalry Corps was operationally subordinate to the commander of the 6th Army, which was part of this front.
On June 22 at one in the morning, the commander of the 6th Army, Lieutenant General I.N. Muzychenko, whose headquarters was in Lvov, by telephone ordered the commander of the 3rd Cavalry Division, General M.F. Maleev alerted parts of the division and sent them to the state border, to the area of the city of Parkhach. At 4.35 am on June 22, Wehrmacht formations and units crossed the border of the USSR. On a 140-kilometer section of the border, units of ten infantry divisions of the 17th Wehrmacht field army advanced against two border detachments, the 41st, 97th, 159th rifle and 3rd cavalry divisions of the 6th Army of KOVO. Fierce battles for the city of Parhach were fought by soldiers of the 1st Border Commandant's Office and two border outposts. Under the leadership of the site commandant, Captain P.F. Strokov's border guards repulsed several enemy attacks. Enemy units bypassed the heroic detachment, but the border guards continued to fight when surrounded. IN close proximity the 3rd Cavalry Division was located from the border. The 158th Cavalry Regiment was stationed closest to the border. He was the first to move to the border and, together with the border guards, entered the battle. By 9 o'clock the 34th cavalry and 44th tank regiments of the division approached Parhach.
Having deployed into battle formation with the support of six batteries of the 27th Horse Artillery Division, they immediately went on the attack. Commander of the 158th Cavalry Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Ya.I. Brovchenko hurried the squadrons and led them on the offensive, and the squadron of captain A.G. Dzimistarshvili, on horseback, directed the Nazis to bypass the flank. Having attacked the enemy, the cavalrymen killed up to three dozen fascists, and the rest fled. The enemy moved away from Parhach. It follows from this that on June 22, the 3rd Bessarabian Cavalry Division defeated the enemy units that attacked it, liberated the border commandant’s office surrounded by the Germans, threw them back across the state border and in some places went deeper into the territory of “ state interests Germany." But the increasingly revealed superiority of the enemy, alas, did not allow this success to be consolidated. The control of the 5th Cavalry Corps and the 14th Cavalry Division were located at some depth from state border and concentrated in the forest near the town of Slavuta - as a reserve for the front-line command. On the morning of June 23, the 5th Cavalry Corps under the command of General F.M. Kamkova received an order by radio from the front commander to take up defense along the right bank of the Ikva River and hold the line until the 36th and 37th Rifle Corps of the 6th Army arrived. On June 26, the 14th Cavalry Division, reaching the river line. Ikva, during the day, together with units of the 146th Infantry Division, successfully repelled enemy attacks.
On this day, the division's reconnaissance units entered into battle with approaching enemy units that were moving from the northwest and west. At 8.30 am a battle broke out on the right flank of the formation. Here German tanks and infantry tried to break through the cavalry defense. These were, as it later turned out, units of the 16th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht. The fight between cavalry and tanks began. The first German attack by an infantry battalion and 30 tanks was repulsed. The cavalrymen calmly allowed the Nazis to reach 500-600 meters and opened fire from their guns. The fire was accurate and destructive: in a few minutes the Germans lost 14 tanks and more than a company of infantry and retreated in disarray. History has preserved only the names of the battery commanders who so accurately hit the fascist vehicles. These were senior lieutenant Shubochkin, whose fighters knocked out 8 tanks, and senior lieutenant Shurda - his battery destroyed 6 tanks. Formations and units of the 5th Cavalry Corps clearly carried out those standing in front of them combat missions and at the beginning of July, by order of the command, they began an organized retreat in the general formations of the 6th Army. Troops Southwestern Front, having suffered defeat in a border battle and failed to detain the enemy on the state border of the USSR, they began to retreat to the line of the old fortified areas.
On the Southern Front in the first days of the attack fascist Germany The cavalrymen of the 2nd Cavalry Corps successfully operated in the USSR. On the night of June 22, 1941, by the decision of the commander and thanks to the timely orders of the chief of staff of the district, Major General M.V. Zakharov's corps units, like all troops in the district, were raised on alert approximately an hour before the start of enemy shelling. The 2nd Cavalry Corps received the task of covering the state border in the Chisinau direction and preventing an enemy invasion in the covered area. The 9th Cavalry Division managed to deploy part of its forces along the border along the eastern bank of the Prut and occupy the cover zone planned for the entire corps, stretching over 40 km along the front. Since dawn on June 22, three cavalry regiments of this division, together with border guards, were already fighting with the enemy.
One cavalry and tank regiment of the 9th Cavalry Division were in reserve and were ready to support the first echelon regiments. Nazi troops were rushing to the crossings on the Prut River. In the first hours of the war on June 22, the enemy captured two bridges and a bridgehead position on our bank. Corps commander P.A. Belov ordered the commander of the 9th Cavalry Division to eliminate the enemy's bridgehead positions and blow up the bridges over the Prut, using for this, in addition to the 108th Cavalry Regiment, the 72nd Cavalry Regiment, which was in reserve. It was established that the bridgehead position on the left bank of the Prut was held by a reinforced battalion of Romanian Guards infantry, which was supported by west bank fire from 7 - 9 enemy artillery batteries. The enemy infantry managed to dig in at the bridgehead position. Some of the enemy guns in the area of the bridges fired directly. In order to knock down the enemy from captured positions, Corporal Belov allocated to carry out the task, creating a combat group consisting of two cavalry regiments, a company of border guards, and five batteries of horse artillery, believing that the allocated forces would be enough to solve the problem. In addition, the headquarters of the 9th Army organized squadron support attack aircraft(P5 aircraft). Thanks to the decisive actions of our troops, the enemy's bridgehead position on our bank of the river. Prut was liquidated in stubborn battles on June 24-26. These battles were skillfully led by the assistant commander of the 9th Cavalry Division (later Lieutenant General, commander of the 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps N.S. Oslikovsky).
On the night of June 24, mounted sappers of the 9th Cavalry Division blew up a highway bridge. The second bridge, a railway bridge, was blown up only on the night of June 26. During the explosion of these bridges they distinguished themselves battle group cavalrymen under the command of Senior Lieutenant Nesterov, a platoon of Sergeant Sedletsky and a machine gun crew under the command of Red Army soldier Misherovsky, as well as horse sappers. For the successful liquidation of the bridgehead in the Falchiul area by Decree of the Presidium Supreme Council The USSR 72nd and 108th cavalry regiments, as well as the 12th separate cavalry artillery division, were awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Subsequently P.A. Belov recalled that at that time the situation in all combat areas of the corps was so favorable that it would have been possible to carry out active countermeasures against the Romanian troops, but the prohibition to cross the Prut, i.e. “violate the state border,” which was still in force, “doomed us to passive defensive actions. Parts of the corps only repelled the enemy’s attempts to cross the Prut with fire and counterattacks of small units.” The 2nd Cavalry Corps, with the support of aviation and border guards, successfully completed the task of covering the state border for 9 days. On July 1, the 2nd Cavalry Corps was replaced by the 150th Infantry Division, which arrived from Odessa.
After the shift, on July 2 the corps was withdrawn to the army reserve in the forests south of Chisinau. Unlike the sixth cavalry corps, which was virtually defeated in a border battle, the cavalry of the Southwestern and Southern fronts (the fifth and second cavalry corps of generals F.V. Kamkov and P.A. Belov) survived the endless battles of the summer-autumn period of 1941 . At the end of October, the 2nd Cavalry Corps railway were transferred to the defense of Moscow, and the 5th was taken to the front reserve and sent in marching order to the village. Krasnoarmeyskoe Kharkov region for replenishment.
In the battle for Moscow, for skillful combat operations, courage and courage shown by the personnel of units and formations, the 2nd and 5th cavalry corps were awarded honorary title"Gvardeysky". They began to be named accordingly: the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps and the 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps.
They carried their corps banners to the Elbe, where on the victorious days of May 1945, according to the old Cossack tradition, they watered their horses with water from this river.
To summarize, it can be noted that the cavalry formations deployed near the state border entered into battle with the Nazi aggressors in the very first hours of the war. Cavalrymen, skillfully combining fire and maneuver, both on horseback and on foot, together with tankers quite successfully repelled enemy attacks in their defense areas and actively counterattacked him, inflicting significant damage. All three cavalry corps began to retreat only on orders from higher command.
We are the red cavalrymen
One of the little-known pages of the Great Patriotic War was the history of Cossack units and formations.
It so happened that the Cossack units, as during the Civil War, found themselves on both sides of the front. Cossack divisions and corps fought in the ranks of the Red Army, but the Wehrmacht also included Cossack units. Some Cossacks fought under the red banner, others - under the tricolor Vlasov banner and swastika.
Now their history has become a convenient ground for all kinds of insinuations and fraud. There were also those who openly tried to make fighters for Russia and martyrs of honor out of Hitler’s minions. What is the historical truth? Who really fought for the freedom and independence of Russia? About it - historical essays famous military historians Alexei Isaev, Igor Pykhalov and journalist Yuri Nersesov.
NEW COSSACKS
Even a decade before the start of the war, it was hard to even imagine Cossacks in the ranks of the Red Army. From the first days of the existence of Soviet power, relations between it and the Cossacks were tense, if not openly hostile. During the Civil War, the word “Cossacks” became almost a household name for the white cavalry.
However, the irreconcilable hostility was not destined to last forever. It was not the Cossacks who changed - the way of life that had developed over centuries could not be broken in a couple of decades. Attitudes have changed new government to the Cossacks.
In 1936, the Soviet government lifted restrictions on the Cossacks prohibiting them from serving in the Red Army.
Moreover, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense K.E. Voroshilov No. 67 of April 23, 1936, a number of cavalry divisions received the name Cossack. First of all, this affected the territorial divisions, which actually existed as a system of training camps for the population of the region in which they were stationed. The tenth territorial cavalry North Caucasus division was renamed the 10th Terek-Stavropol territorial Cossack division.
The 12th Territorial Cavalry Division stationed in the Kuban was renamed the 12th Kuban Territorial Cossack Division.
On the Don, in accordance with Voroshilov’s order, the 13th Don Territorial Cossack Division was formed.
The renaming affected not only territorial, but also personnel units. This was already a real recognition of the Cossacks in the USSR. So the 4th Cavalry Leningrad Red Banner Division named after. Comrade Voroshilov was renamed the 4th Don Cossack Red Banner Division named after. K. E. Voroshilova; 6th Cavalry Chongar Red Banner named after. Comrade Budyonny - to the 6th Kuban-Tersk Cossack Red Banner Division named after. S. M. Budyonny.
L. D. Trotsky in his book “The Betrayed Revolution” assessed these events as follows: “there was a restoration of some orders and institutions of the tsarist regime. One of the manifestations of this was the restoration of the Cossack troops abolished by the October Revolution, which made up independent part royal army, endowed with special privileges." Further, Trotsky writes with indignation: “A. Orlov recalled with what amazement the participants of one of the ceremonial meetings in the Kremlin greeted the presence in the hall of Cossack elders in the uniform of tsarist times, with gold and silver aiguillettes.”
The revival of the Cossacks as part of the army, as we see, was a significant event that received a completely unambiguous assessment from the remaining ardent revolutionaries.
Among the troops, the attitude towards the new names was much calmer. The cavalry in the 1930s was the elite of the Red Army. Many famous military leaders came from its ranks. Without listing everyone by name, it is enough to say that the commander of the 4th Cavalry Division in 1933–1937 was G.K. Zhukov. He later recalled: “The 4th Don Cossack Division always took part in circumferential maneuvers. It went into maneuvers well prepared, and there was never a time when the division did not receive the gratitude of the high command.”
The cavalry was a “forge of personnel” for commanders with “cavalry thinking”, vital in the maneuverable warfare of mechanized troops. At the same time, the role and place of cavalry units in the Red Army in the last pre-war years was steadily declining. They were replaced by tank and motorized formations. The Zhukovskaya 4th Don Division in the spring of 1941 became the 210th Motorized Division. However complete elimination Of course, there was no cavalry at the beginning of the war. She had her niche on the fronts of the approaching great war, and its preservation was by no means retrograde. In addition, the 1941 cavalry was far ahead of the Civil cavalry - it received tanks and armored vehicles. In June 1941, the Red Army had 13 cavalry divisions, including one Cossack division, the 6th Kuban-Tersk. It was its fighters who were destined to become one of those who took upon themselves the first, most powerful and terrible blow of the enemy.
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH INFANTRY
At the beginning of the war, the 6th Cavalry Division was located at the very border - in the Lomza area, at the “top of the head” Bialystok salient. The Germans struck the base of the ledge with two tank groups, trying to reach Minsk and encircle Soviet troops near Bialystok. The Cossack 6th Division was removed from a relatively calm section of the front near Lomza and abandoned near Grodno. She joined the front-line cavalry-mechanized group under the command of I.V. Boldin.
The dive bombers of Richthoffen's VIII Air Corps became the terrible enemy of the cavalrymen near Grodno.
This unit specialized in striking targets on the battlefield. In the conditions of the destruction of Western Front aviation on the ground and in the air, it was no longer possible to provide adequate air cover for the cavalry corps. Already on June 25, there was an order for a general withdrawal of the troops of the Western Front.
However, it was not possible to avoid being surrounded.
Among those surrounded in the Bialystok “cauldron” was the 6th Division. Only a few of its soldiers and commanders managed to escape from the encirclement. The division commander M.P. Konstantinov was wounded and subsequently fought in a partisan detachment.
The unfavorable development of events for the USSR in the initial period of the war forced us to reconsider many pre-war plans. Looking into the cold eyes of reality, I had to make decisions that seemed absurd yesterday.
On July 11, 1941, according to a directive from the General Staff, the 210th Motorized Division was ordered to be reorganized into the 4th Cavalry Division. Indeed, a well-knit and trained cavalry division was more needed at the front than a motorized division that was weak and inactive due to the lack of vehicles. The process did not stop with the restoration of one cavalry division.
This was just the beginning. In July 1941, the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief decided to form 100 light raid cavalry divisions. Subsequently, this ambitious plan was revised, and 82 divisions were actually created. In Kuban alone, in July and August 1941, 9 divisions were formed.
The most famous of them are 50th Kuban Cavalry Division by I. Pliev and 53rd Stavropol Cavalry Division by K. Melnik. They reached the front already in July 1941 and became part of the so-called Dovator group. The group's first task was a raid on the rear of the 9th Army. Such a raid, naturally, could not radically change the situation at the front. However, he forced the Germans to divert forces to guard the rear and created supply problems. Interestingly, in the Sovinformburo report the group was directly called Cossack; on September 5 it was reported: “The Cossack cavalry group under the command of Colonel Dovator penetrated the rear of the fascists and for a long time destroyed fascist troops and communications.” Having passed through the rear of the Germans, Dovator’s cavalrymen reached the location of the 30th Army in early September. This happened just in time to take an active part in the battle for Moscow. Soon Dovator's group was transformed into the 3rd Cavalry Corps. Dovator himself received the rank of major general.
Shoulder to shoulder with Rokossovsky's army, Dovator's corps retreated to Moscow from line to line, holding back the onslaught of German tanks. Selfless military labor The cavalry was appreciated by the command. On November 26, 1941, Dovator's corps became the 2nd Guards, and the two Cossack divisions that were part of it became the 3rd and 4th Guards Cavalry Divisions. This title was all the more valuable because the 1st Guards Corps became the Belov Corps of the pre-war formation. Dovator’s corps did not receive the official honorary name “Cossack”, but at the place of formation, of course, it was such.
With the start of the counteroffensive near Moscow in December 1941, Dovator’s corps took an active part in it. On December 19, General Dovator died near the village of Palashkino on the banks of the Ruza River. In March 1942, the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps was headed by V.V. Kryukov, who commanded it continuously until May 1945. It must be said that Kryukov was associated with the Cossack units even before the war; in the mid-1930s he commanded a regiment in Zhukov’s Don division. Kryukov's corps went through fierce battles for Rzhev in 1942, and advanced on the Oryol arc in the summer of 1943. He ended the war near Berlin.
Naturally, no one threw the Cossacks onto the streets of the city. They were given a task quite suitable for cavalry - attacks on the German 9th Army, surrounded in the forests southeast of Berlin. On May 3, 1945, Cossack guards reached the Elbe. The Americans from the other bank looked in amazement at the dusty and powder-covered warriors who were watering their horses in the river in the middle of Germany.
Cossack cavalrymen fought in almost all directions of the Soviet-German front. The exception, perhaps, was the positional front in the forests and swamps near Leningrad and Volkhov. Cossack units I even had a chance to fight in a sea fortress on the Black Sea. 40th Cavalry Division, formed in 1941 in the village of Kushchevskaya Krasnodar region, fought in Crimea.
The 42nd Krasnodar Division also operated there. Together with the defenders of Crimea, they retreated to positions near Sevastopol in the fall of 1941. Due to the losses suffered, the two divisions were combined into one - the 40th. Here it fought until April 1942, and then was used partly to staff units of the Sevastopol fortified area, and partly to form new cavalry units in the North Caucasus. Nevertheless, the Cossacks, together with sailors and infantrymen Primorsky Army wrote their lines into the history of the legendary defense of Sevastopol.
A SPECIAL TOOL OF WAR
Oddly enough, the most famous Cossack formations during the Great Patriotic War, it was initially formed as a militia. If in the industrial regions of the country the militias joined the infantry, then in the Cossack regions they joined the cavalry.
Back in July 1941, the formation of Cossack volunteer detachments (hundreds) began both on the Don and in the Kuban.
Everyone was enrolled in the militia, without age restrictions.
Therefore, in the hundreds being formed, there were both 14-year-old boys and 60-year-old old men with “egories” for the First World War.
The formation of militia divisions was completed by the winter of 1941–1942. The 15th and 118th cavalry divisions were formed on the Don, and the 12th and 13th cavalry divisions on the Kuban. At the beginning of 1942 they were united into the 17th Cavalry Corps.
The corps received baptism of fire in July 1942. Lieutenant General N. Kirichenko then became the corps commander.
The Cossack militia had to defend their region; in July and August, battles took place in the Don and Kuban. As a result of the battles, the corps and the Don and Kuban divisions that were part of it received the guards rank, the 17th corps became the 4th Guards. In November 1942, the corps was divided in two. Two Kuban divisions (9th and 10th Guards) became part of the 4th Guards Cavalry Corps of N. Kirichenko, and two Don divisions (11th and 12th Guards) became part of the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps of A. Selivanova. Both corps soon took part in the pursuit of those leaving the North Caucasus German troops.
The participation of the Cossacks in the war was not limited to cavalry units.
The 9th Mountain Rifle Division in 1943 was reorganized into the 9th Plastun Rifle Krasnodar Red Banner, Order of the Red Star Division. Its regiments consisted of rifle hundreds and Plastun battalions. Plastuns (from the word “plast”, to lie in a layer) are Cossacks who fought on foot, masters of reconnaissance and ambushes.
As part of the 1st and 4th Ukrainian Fronts, the Plastun division participated in the Lviv-Sandomierz, Vistula-Oder, Upper Silesian, Moravian-Ostrava and Prague operations. The summer of 1943 marked the beginning of the triumphant advance of the Red Army to the west. The cavalrymen of the second half of the war changed greatly compared to 1941–42. Instead of light tanks, they received Thirty-Fours and Lend-Lease Valentines. Despite the name “cavalry”, they had a lot of cars, including powerful Studebakers. All this made the Cossacks a special instrument of warfare. They were not constantly on the front line, but engaged in in-depth combat training in reserve.
When the army broke through the front, their time had come. The element of cavalry was maneuver, detours and envelopments. For example, in July 1943, on the Mius Front, Kirichenko’s cavalry corps remained in reserve and was not introduced into positional battles. The cavalrymen were thrown into battle at the end of August, when the enemy’s defenses were broken and it was necessary to develop success in depth. Moreover, a system of unification under a single command of cavalry and mechanized corps - horse-mechanized groups (CMG) - has emerged. The advancing corps covered 25 km or more per day. They went to the rear of the Germans, forcing them to hastily abandon their established and developed defense lines.
It must be said that the use of Cossack corps in the south of the Soviet-German front was completely justified - large open spaces favored maneuver operations.
However, they also concealed the danger of frightening air strikes; in open areas it was more difficult for cavalrymen and their horses to hide from attacks. But in 1943 Soviet aviation She was already standing quite firmly on her feet. When the cavalrymen of the 4th Guards Cavalry Corps complained about the lack of cover in August 1943, they began to be covered by Airacobras from jump airfields right in the corps’ location.
Cavalry equipment the latest systems weapons allowed cavalrymen to confidently participate in battles in which large masses of tanks were used. So the 5th Guards Don Cavalry Corps took part in the Korsun-Shevchenko operation. He was on the inner front of the encirclement. Interestingly, the Germans tried to break through not through the cavalry positions, but in a neighboring area.
RIGHT TO PARADE
The defeat of German troops in Romania made it possible to launch an offensive in Hungary. The Kuban and Don Corps actively participated in it, each was used as part of the KMG. On October 20, 1944, they captured the Hungarian city of Debrecen.
In November, the advancing Soviet troops reached the approaches to Budapest through the autumn impassable roads. Interestingly, the traditionally temporary association - KMG - became permanent for Pliev’s Cossack corps. By directive of the Headquarters, the 1st KMG was formed, which remained until the end of the war. Its headquarters was formed from the headquarters of the 4th Guards Cavalry Corps, and its permanent commander was Issa Pliev.
In the battles near Budapest and Balaton, the Don Cavalry Corps of General Gorshkov became a kind of personal guard commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front F. Tolbukhin. The corps took an active part in both the January and March defensive battles at Lake Balaton.
The cavalrymen quickly moved towards the intended direction of the enemy's main attack and put up a strong barrier in its path. The main thing was not to allow the enemy to knock you out of position with the first blows.
Then artillery, tanks, and rifle units arrived, and the chances of a breakthrough quickly dwindled. Neither in January nor in March did the Germans manage to break through the cavalry positions.
In the final battles of the Great Patriotic War, the paths of the Kuban and Donets diverged again. KMG Plieva advanced in Czechoslovakia, liberated Brno and ended its journey in Prague. The Don Cavalry Corps provided the left flank of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in the attack on Vienna and ended its campaign in the Fischbach area in the Austrian Alps.
As we see, Cossack units took part in almost all major and significant battles of the Great Patriotic War. They shared with the country and people both the bitterness of the defeats of 1941–1942 and the joy of the triumphs of 1943–1945. With full right, the Cossacks marched in parade formation along Red Square on June 24, 1945. Also, few people know that the Cossacks had their own Victory Parade in the city of Rostov-on-Don on October 14, 1945.
Alexey ISAEV
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Cavalry is a mobile branch of troops capable of conducting combat operations over vast spaces and in difficult terrain. Forests and water barriers presented no obstacles to the cavalry.
Possessing high mobility and maneuverability combined with a swift and powerful strike, cavalry played in many battles decisive role. The ability to conduct independent actions in a significant separation from one’s own troops, to overcome a short time long distances, suddenly appearing on the flanks and behind enemy lines, quickly deploying for battle, moving from one action to another, both on horseback and on foot, provided the cavalry with the opportunity to successfully solve a variety of tactical and operational-strategic tasks.
Until the end of the 1930s, cavalry was one of the privileged branches of the military. It is no coincidence that it was from the cavalry commanders that a number of famous Soviet commanders subsequently emerged, including not only Marshals S.M. Budyonny, S.K. Timoshenko, G.K. Zhukov, but also the commanders of the Southern Front I.V. Tyulenev, I D. Cherevichenko, D. I. Ryabyshev and many other generals.
Soviet military works, official manuals and regulations devoted to the strategy of military operations provided for the possibility widespread use cavalry for the development of breakthrough and pursuit, mainly in close cooperation with armored and mechanized troops and aviation. “Sudden and decisive strikes, supported and coordinated by fire and technical means, provide cavalry with the greatest success,” stated the Cavalry Field Manual adopted in 1940. (Cavalry combat regulations (BUK-40) Regiment, squadron, M. Voenizdat, 1941, p. 4)
The military cavalry was intended to conduct reconnaissance in the interests of its combined arms formations to a depth of 25-30 km. For this purpose, rifle regiments had platoons of mounted reconnaissance officers, and rifle divisions had a cavalry squadron.
The Cavalry Combat Manual (BUK-40) also stated that “the combination of actions on foot and horseback, the rapid transition from foot to horse combat and vice versa are the main methods of cavalry action in battle.” (Cavalry combat regulations (BUK-40) Regiment, squadron, M. Voenizdat, 1941, p. 40)
The draft Field Manual of the Red Army (PU-39) especially emphasized: “Cavalry formations capable of carrying out quick maneuver and decisive strike must be used to carry out active actions to defeat the enemy.
It is most advisable to use cavalry formations together with tank formations, motorized infantry and aviation ahead of the front (in case of contact with the enemy), on the advancing flank, in developing a breakthrough, behind enemy lines, in raids and pursuit.
Cavalry formations are able to consolidate their success and hold the terrain. However, at the first opportunity they should be relieved of this task in order to preserve them for maneuver.
The actions of a cavalry unit must in all cases be reliably covered from the air.” (Gosvoenizdat NKO USSR, 1939, p. 29)
Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov in his “Memories and Reflections” wrote about combat training during his command of the 6th Cavalry Corps in Belarus in 1937-1938: “In the 6th Corps I had to do a lot of operational work. Most of all, we worked on the issues of combat use of cavalry as part of a cavalry-mechanized army. They were big back then problematic issues. We assumed that a cavalry-mechanized army consisting of 3-4 cavalry divisions, 2-3 tank brigades, a motorized rifle division, in close cooperation with bomber and fighter aircraft, and subsequently with airborne units, would be able to solve the largest operational tasks as part of the front, contributing to the successful implementation of strategic plans." (Zhukov G.K. Memories and reflections. M.: APN, 1984, p. 147)
The leadership of the Red Army considered cavalry, first of all, as a highly mobile branch of troops, capable of penetrating deeply into enemy rear lines, enveloping his flanks and cutting off rear communications. First Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny, noting important role cavalry in maneuver warfare, at the same time he advocated the technical re-equipment of the army, and initiated the formation of cavalry-mechanized formations. Cavalry from behind rapid growth Mechanized troops and aviation began to lose their role as the main striking force of the Red Army, and the country began a stage of significant reduction in cavalry formations and units. Many of them were reorganized into mechanized units.
Summer 1940 The control of the 3rd Cavalry Corps of the BOVO and the 11th Cavalry Division are directed towards the formation of the control and units of the 6th Mechanized Corps. The administration of the 4th KK and the 34th Cavalry Division became the basis for the 8th Mechanized Corps KOVO. The commander of the cavalry corps, Lieutenant General Dmitry Ivanovich Ryabyshev, headed the mechanized corps and led it in June 1941 into battle against German tanks near Dubno. The 7th and 25th cavalry divisions are directed to form units of the 3rd and 1st mechanized corps. 16kd was directed towards the formation of armored forces of KOVO and ZakVO.
On January 1, 1941, the total number of cavalry in wartime states was: people - 230,150, horses - 193,830. (TsAMO, f.43, op.11547, d.9, l.118)
At the beginning of 1941, People's Commissar of Defense S. Timoshenko and Chief of the General Staff G. Zhukov presented Stalin and Molotov with a note outlining the mobilization deployment scheme of the Red Army. On its basis, on February 12, 1941, a draft mobilization plan was drawn up. According to this document, 3 cavalry corps directorates, 10 cavalry and 4 mountain cavalry divisions, as well as 6 reserve regiments - 4 cavalry and 2 mountain cavalry, were to remain in the Red Army, the total number of cavalry was 116,907 people. (1941: in 2 books. Book 1, p. 607, 631, 633, 637, 641)
As part of the mobilization plan, on March 11, 1941, the 1st Special Cavalry Brigade was turned to the formation of the 46th tank division of the 21st mechanized corps; on March 18-19, the 4th Don Cossack Cavalry (brigade commander F.A. Parkhomenko) and the 19th Uzbek Cavalry were reorganized into the 220th and 221st motorized divisions. mountain cavalry (Colonel G.M. Roitenberg) divisions, 10 Terek-Stavropol Cossack (Major General N.Ya. Kirichenko), 12 Kuban Cossack (Major General G. T. Timofeev), 15 Kuban (Major General A.A. Filatov), 22 (Major General N.A. Dedaev) cavalry divisions.
Total number The cavalry of the Red Army according to wartime states as of June 22, 1941 was: people - 133940, horses - 117970.
The Red Army had 4 directorates of cavalry corps, 9 cavalry divisions and 4 mountain cavalry divisions, as well as three separate cavalry regiments (245, 246 and 247), three reserve cavalry regiments, including 2 reserve mountain cavalry regiments and one reserve cavalry artillery regiment (10, 21, 87 zkp and 47 zkap).
IN western districts on 6/22/41 the following were stationed: 2nd Cavalry Corps (5 and 9th Cavalry Corps - 11/26/41 transformed into 1st and 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps) - corps commander Major General Belov - in the Odessa Military District in the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Comrat region; 5th Cavalry Corps (3rd and 14th cavalry corps - 12/25/41 transformed into 5th and 6th cavalry cavalry corps) - corps commander Major General Kamkov - in the Slavuta area, Zholkiev; 6th Cavalry Corps (6th and 36th Cavalry Corps - died near Bialystok) - corps commander Major General Nikitin - in Western Belarus - Lomza, Volkovysk, Graevo. 4th Cavalry Corps (18th, 20th and 21st Civil Division) - corps commander Lieutenant General Shapkin, was part of the troops of the Central Asian Military District. The headquarters of the corps, formed on March 18, 1941, was stationed in Tashkent. Separate cavalry divisions - 8, 24 and 32 cavalry divisions, 17th cavalry division. (TsAMO, f.43, op.11547, d.75, l.6-24)
The Cavalry Corps of the Red Army (consisting of two cavalry divisions) numbered 18,540 people, 15,552 horses, was armed with 128 light tanks, 44 armored vehicles, 64 field, 32 anti-tank and 40 anti-aircraft guns, 128 mortars of 50 and 82 mm caliber, 1,270 vehicles and 42 tractors . (TsAMO, f.43, op.11547, d.9, l.119)
Unlike the corps of rifle troops, any special units, except for the communications division, the cavalry corps did not have. The cavalry division, numbering 8,968 people, included four cavalry regiments, a horse artillery division consisting of two four-gun batteries of 76mm divisional guns and two four-gun batteries of 122mm howitzers, a tank regiment consisting of four squadrons of BT-7 tanks (64 vehicles), an anti-aircraft division consisting of two batteries of 76mm anti-aircraft guns and two complex anti-aircraft machine guns, a communications squadron with 18 armored vehicles, a sapper squadron, a decontamination squadron and other small support units. There were 21 tractors (tractors) for towing artillery and evacuating tanks. Transport - 635 vehicles. The number of horses in the division was 7625.
The cavalry regiment, numbering 1,428 people, consisted of four saber squadrons, a machine gun squadron (16 heavy machine guns and 4 mortars of 82mm caliber), regimental artillery (4 guns of 76mm caliber and 4 guns of 45mm), an anti-aircraft battery (3 guns of 37mm caliber and three M-machine gun mounts). 4), half-squadron of communications, engineer and chemical platoons and support units.
Unlike the cavalry division, the mountain cavalry division, numbering 6,558 people, did not have tank regiment, its artillery batteries were armed with only 26 mountain guns of 76mm caliber and mountain mortars of 107mm caliber. The number of horses in this division is 6827.
All cavalry units were maintained in peacetime according to staffs that were practically no different from wartime staffs, and were well staffed with trained personnel.
The enemy, in the early morning of June 22, 1941, with the entire mass of troops crossing the border of the USSR all the way from the Baltic to the Black Sea, led a rapid offensive with mobile mechanized units and forced units of the Red Army to retreat.
During border battles, regular cavalry corps fought defensive and rearguard battles, holding back the enemy's onslaught, covering the systematic withdrawal of rifle units and ensuring through their actions the mobilization of Red Army units. During the battles, cavalry divisions suffered heavy losses. The 6th and 36th cavalry divisions did not emerge from the battles surrounded on the Bialystok ledge, the rest suffered heavy losses. Since at the same time, for the same reasons, many tank and motorized divisions were disbanded, an urgent need arose for mobile formations with at least some striking force.
The situation required that in a short time (1-1.5 months) the creation of cavalry mobile units for operations in the enemy’s rear, capturing his headquarters, destroying communications and disrupting the systematic delivery and supply of the enemy’s front. Light cavalry divisions of the “fighter type,” according to the authors of their project, were intended: for partisan operations behind enemy lines; to combat enemy airborne assaults in our rear; as a mobile command reserve.
The main organizational principle and requirements for a light cavalry division: mobility, maximum cross-country ability, absence of bulky rear areas (reliance on providing food from local resources), ease of control and, under all these conditions, combat effectiveness.
According to its organizational structure, the light cavalry division included: a division control with a radio platoon and a commandant platoon, three cavalry regiments and a chemical defense squadron. (TsAMO, f.43, op.11547, d.9, l.120)
In the light cavalry division (staff 7/3, 7/5) numbering 2931 people and 3133 horses, the cavalry regiments had: 4 saber and 1 machine gun squadron, a regimental battery consisting of four 76mm PA guns and four 45mm anti-tank guns (as anti-tank weapons) . The squadrons were armed with light and heavy machine guns, rifles and sabers. (TsAMO, f.43, op.11536, d.154, l.75-83)
Later, the cavalry regiment's staff included sapper-demolition and anti-aircraft machine-gun platoons. On August 9, by GKO Resolution No. 466ss, in order to increase firepower, a mortar battery of six 82mm mortars was added to the cavalry regiment, and one 50mm mortar was assigned to each saber platoon. In total, the cavalry division received 48 50mm mortars on packs and 18 82mm mortars on carts.
Now the cavalry regiment consisted of four saber squadrons, a machine gun squadron, a regimental battery (4 76mm PA guns and 4 45mm anti-tank guns), a mortar battery (6 82mm mortars), a radio platoon, a demolition engineer and an anti-aircraft machine gun platoon and service units.
The State Defense Committee, by Resolution No. GKO-23ss dated 07/04/41, began the formation of the first light cavalry divisions, enshrined in the General Staff Directives No. org/935 - org/941 dated 07/05/41 on the formation of 15 divisions - 1, 4, 43, 44, 45 , 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 cavalry division (the cavalry division received its combined arms numbers in mid-July 1941). (RGASPI, f.644, op.1, d.1, l.86)
Another 15 divisions - 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42 cd are formed according to Resolution No. GKO-48s of July 8, 1941. “On the formation of additional rifle divisions”, which sets a two-week period for the formation of the first six cavalry divisions - no later than July 23, and Resolution No. 207 of 7/19/42 indicates the numbers and locations of deployment. (RGASPI, f.644, op.1, d.1, l.154-155)
The organization of the “fighter type” cavalry division (staff 07/3, 07/4, 07/5) numbering 2,939 people and 3,147 horses was not designed for fighting in the general front line with its own troops, much less a protracted battle. Of the combat units, the light cavalry division of the “fighter type” included: 3 cavalry regiments - approximately the same organization as the personnel ones, but without air defense systems and without special units(sapper, communications, chemists); an armored car squadron consisting of 10 vehicles of the BA-10 type (practically, the vast majority of light divisions did not have this squadron). According to the staff, the divisions were armed with: rifles - 2628, PPD and PPSh - 200, light machine guns - 50, heavy machine guns - 36, 45mm anti-tank guns - 12, 76mm regimental guns - 12.
Light cavalry divisions had neither divisional artillery, nor divisional sappers and signalmen, and no rear support from divisional transports to regimental kitchens and regimental convoys. They were unable to transport ammunition, food and fodder, or feed their personnel.
Regimental and divisional commanders could only control the battle of their formations using 19th-century methods - horse and foot messengers, trumpets and voices. To contact higher headquarters there were a very limited number of radio stations.
On July 15, 1941, a directive letter from the Headquarters of the Supreme Command, summarizing the experience of the first three weeks of hostilities and signed by the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army G.K. Zhukov, said: “Our army somewhat underestimates the importance of cavalry. Given the current situation on the fronts, when the enemy’s rear stretches for several hundred kilometers in forested areas and is completely unprotected from major sabotage actions on our part, raids by Red cavalrymen along the enemy’s extended rear could play a decisive role in disrupting the command and control and supply of German troops and , therefore, in the defeat of German troops. If our cavalry units, now hanging out at the front and in front of the front, were thrown into the enemy’s rear, the enemy would be placed in a critical situation, and our troops would receive enormous relief. Headquarters believes that for such raids behind enemy lines it would be enough to have several dozen light fighter-type cavalry divisions of three thousand people each, with a light convoy without overloading the rear. It would be necessary to begin gradually, but without any damage to combat operations, the reorganization of the existing cavalry corps and cavalry divisions into light fighter-type cavalry divisions of three thousand people each, and where there are no cavalry units, cavalry divisions of the mentioned lightweight type should be organized to carry out raids and strikes in the rear enemy. There can be no doubt that such cavalry divisions, operating behind enemy lines, will be surrounded by partisans, will receive great help from them and will increase their strength tenfold.” (Historical archive. 1992. No. 1, p. 56)
Already on July 13, by Headquarters directive No. 00304, for actions against the enemy’s rear and communications, 5 cavalry divisions formed in the North Caucasus began to be transferred to the front. Subordinate to the commander in chief Western direction Timoshenko in the Velikiye Luki, Kholm region, 50 and 53 cd are united into a cavalry group. The second group (43 and 47 cd), according to directive No. 00330 of July 14, was supposed to operate in the area of Rechitsa, Shatsilki, Mozyr. 31kd is sent to the Novgorod, Luga region at the disposal of Voroshilov. (TsAMO, f.48a, op.3408, d.4, l.28, 29, 38)
On July 18, a directive from Headquarters was issued to organize a raid of a group (43, 47 and 32 cavalry divisions) under the command of the commander of the 32nd cavalry division, Colonel Batskalevich, to defeat the rear of the Bobruisk, Mogilev and Smolensk enemy groups. (TsAMO, f.48a, op.3408, d.4, l.50-52)
The actual use of “fighter-type” light cavalry divisions had nothing to do with the projects of the authors of their formation. These divisions, not suitable for combat (the first of them already in August 1941), were thrown towards the advancing German armored formations, which were approaching the Dnieper River along a broad front. In oncoming battles with German mechanized formations, most of these light cavalry formations suffered very heavy losses. Attempts to send these light cavalry divisions to operate behind enemy lines (43 and 47 cavalry divisions of Colonel Batskalevich’s group, 50 and 53 cavalry divisions of Colonel Dovator’s group), despite a number of successful tactical cavalry actions, did not produce any tangible operational results. (TsAMO, f.43, op.11536, d.154, l.78)
On July 23, by order of the General Staff No. 4/1293/org, the remnants of the personnel 3 and 14 cavalry divisions of the Southwestern Front were reorganized into four cavalry divisions light type(3, 19, 14, 22 cd), and on July 24, the 24th cavalry and 17 mountain cavalry divisions of the Transcaucasian Front, by order of the General Staff No. 783/org, were also reorganized into 24, 23, 17, 1 cd. A total of 2939 men and 3147 horses in each division. Division control according to the state 07/3, numbering 85 people and 93 horses, three cavalry regiments according to the state 07/4, numbering 940 people and 1018 horses each, an armored squadron according to the state 07/5, numbering 34 people. (TsAMO, f.48a, op.3408, d.15, l.272-275; l.280-282)
By Decrees of the State Defense Committee No. 205 of 7/23/41, 3 cavalry divisions are formed - 35, 38, 56 cavalry divisions and No. 459 of 08/11/41, another 26 divisions (staff 07/3, 07/4, 07/6, 07/7 - 3501 people) - 19, 57, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 87, 89, 91 , 94 cd.
The bulk personnel light divisions came from reserves and there was no time to put together units, and the horses came from stud farms and horse farms, from pasture, completely unaccustomed to campaigns and not shod. The divisions were sent to the front without receiving the required weapons, and there was also a shortage of small arms. The marching squadrons entered the battle without even having time to receive weapons, which further increased losses.
Already in July-August, in accordance with the decision of the Government, 48 light cavalry divisions were formed, and by the end of 1941 there were 82 in the Red Army (author - according to my calculations 80) cavalry divisions. A significant part of the cavalry divisions were formed in the former Cossack regions of the Don, Kuban and Terek, which were part of the North Caucasus Military District (NCMD).
The 43rd, 47th, 50th, 52nd and 53rd cavalry divisions, formed in the North Caucasian Military District, fought in the western strategic direction. The 40th, 42nd and 72nd cavalry divisions fought in Crimea. Most of the Don, Kuban, Terek and Stavropol cavalry formations had to fight the enemy in close proximity to the places of their formations. Combat operations as part of the Southern Front were carried out by those created in the summer and autumn of 1941 in Rostov region 35th (commander - Colonel S.F. Sklyarov), 38th (Major General N.Ya. Kirichenko), 56th (Colonel L.D. Ilyin) and 68th (Colonel N.A. Kirichenko ), formed in the Krasnodar region - 62nd (Colonel I.F. Kuts), 64th (Colonel N.V. Simerov), 66th (Colonel V.I. Grigorovich), in Voroshilovsk (Stavropol) - 70 -I (Colonel N.M. Yurchik) cavalry divisions. Together with them, in the Rostov direction in the fall of 1941, the 26th, 28th, 30th, 34th and 49th cavalry divisions of the Red Army fought with the enemy. It should be noted that it was not possible to fully provide all light cavalry divisions with weapons and equipment, even with their extremely limited staff. Due to the parallel formation of a large number of rifle, artillery and engineer-sapper formations, the logistics warehouses of the North Caucasus Military District were significantly empty - there were not enough artillery pieces and mortars, machine guns and automatic rifles, radio stations, field bakeries and kitchens, baggage equipment and other weapons and military equipment. The cavalry divisions formed in the North Caucasian Military District in the fall of 1941 (60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70 and 72) were even worse equipped.
In August 1941, it was decided to disband the 2nd and 5th Cavalry Corps that had remained by that time on the Southwestern and Southern fronts (the 6th Corps died in an unequal fight with German armored columns in the very first days of the war) and reorganize the entire cavalry of the Red Army into separate light cavalry divisions of the “fighter type”, the formation of which was widely deployed with the announcement of general mobilization in the USSR. (TsAMO, f. 43, op. 11536, d. 154, l. 77)
By Resolution No. GKO-446ss of August 9, 1941, a battery of six 82mm mortars (on carts) was introduced into the cavalry regiments, and one 50mm mortar (on packs) was introduced into each saber platoon of the regiment. (RGASPI, f.644, op.1, d.6, l.72)
In accordance with Resolution No. GKO-459ss of 08/11/41, cavalry divisions formed from August 1941 must have people - 3277 people, horses - 3553, rifles - 2826, heavy machine guns - 36, light machine guns - 50, PPSh - 200, cannons 45mm anti-tank guns - 12, 76mm PA guns - 12, 82mm mortars - 9, 50mm mortars - 48, trucks - 15 and special vehicles - 10. (RGASPI, f. 644, op. 1, d. 6, l. 151-153)
That is, in the regiment, instead of a mortar battery of 6 82mm caliber mortars, at first, a mortar platoon of 3 82mm caliber mortars was introduced into the regimental artillery battery.
By December 1941, ten cavalry divisions from the 76 divisions of the 1941 formation were disbanded and reorganized into other branches of the army: 2CD, formed from the 1st Odessa Cavalry Division of Major General I.E. Petrov (the remnants were included in the 2SD); disbanded without completing the formation of 19, 22 and 33 cd; 37kd - died in September near Chernigov; 45kd - died on 10/14/41, breaking out of encirclement near Vyazma; 43 and 47 cd cavalry group A.I. Batskalevich, who died surrounded (the remainder in September-October were used to replenish 32kd); 42 and 48 kd, which participated in the defense of Sevastopol (remains in September-October were used to replenish 40 kd). (NKO Order No. 00100 dated 22.5.42 “Exclusion from the Red Army of military formations, units and institutions as not subject to restoration”)
Cavalry divisions, arriving from formation at the front, were immediately brought into battle and suffered greater losses in tough battles. So, for example, 54cd sent to Northwestern Front On July 25, August 3 it entered the battle, emerging from encirclement with heavy losses, and was re-formed in August in the Valdai area. Created at the end of July by dividing the personnel of the 3rd and 14th cavalry divisions into light ones, the 19th and 22nd cavalry divisions were disbanded already in August, as they were sent to replenish the 3rd, 14th and 34th cavalry divisions. To support the former personnel divisions, as the most prepared, they are sent from rear areas more and more marching squadrons, partly from new divisions being formed.
On August 19, 1941, in accordance with the order of the USSR NCO No. 0285-1941 and the instructions of the Deputy NCO of the USSR, Army Commissar 1st Rank E. Shchadenko, separate squadrons were introduced into the staff of all cavalry divisions, including mountain cavalry chemical protection, according to state number 07/6, consisting of two platoons - a chemical reconnaissance platoon and a degassing platoon, which, according to this order, were assigned the numbers of the same cavalry divisions to which they were included. And in September, the staff of the 06/22 divisional veterinary hospital of 10 people was approved. command staff, 7 people. MNF, 61 privates, a total of 78 people, 17 horses and 6 trucks.
On September 22, 1941, by order of NKO No. 0365 “On the introduction of the position of permanent deputy commanders of combat units and units of the Red Army,” the pre-war positions of deputy commanders of squadrons, batteries, artillery divisions, and regiments were restored. (TsAMO, f. 4, op. 11, d. 66, l. 68-69)
Only on December 16, 1941, a separate horse artillery division was introduced into the cavalry division (staff 06/105 - two 76 mm artillery batteries and two 120 mm mine batteries, later replaced by staff 06/214 with the exception of one artillery battery) and a separate artillery park (staff 06/104 - 143 people).
In November 1941, on the initiative of the Inspector General of the Red Army Cavalry, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for the Formation and Recruitment of Troops, Colonel General O.I. Gorodovikov, the State Defense Committee November 13, 1941. issued Resolution No. 894 on the formation of 20 national cavalry divisions in Tajikistan (104 cavalry divisions), Turkmenistan (97, 98 cavalry divisions), Uzbekistan (99, 100, 101, 102, 103 cavalry divisions), Kazakhstan (96, 105, 106 cavalry divisions), Kyrgyzstan (107 , 108, 109 kd), Kalmykia (110 and 111 kd), Bashkiria (112, 113 kd), Checheno-Ingushetia (114 kd), Kabardino-Balkaria (115 kd), as well as 5 cavalry divisions in the Cossack region of the Don and the North Caucasus ( 10, 12, 13, 15, 116 cd), according to the states of a separate cavalry division of 3,500 people each.
10th, 12th and 13th Kuban Cossack divisions people's militia were formed in the North Caucasus Military District in Kuban. Don Cossack cavalry divisions were formed: 15kd - on the middle Don in the village of Mikhailovka, Novo-Annensky district of the Stalingrad Military District (the district was created on the basis of the administration of the Kharkov Military District on November 26, 1942), 116kd - by the North Caucasus Military District on the lower Don with a deployment in Salsk.
There were special requirements for the selection of personnel of national formations. The party-Komsomol layer was supposed to reach 25%. The age of cavalrymen should not exceed 40 years, in combat units - 35 years.
North Ossetia and Dagestan did not form their own national cavalry units, since most of those liable for military service were called up during the first mobilizations, as having undergone training in the Red Army.
The formation of cavalry divisions was entrusted to the military district, regional committees of the CPSU (b) and the Councils of People's Commissars of the republics.
Order of the commander of the North Caucasus Military District No. 00494 dated November 25, 1941 set specific tasks for the formation of 110 and 111 cavalry divisions in Kalmykia, each consisting of 3,500 people, consisting of the Division Directorate - according to the staff of 07/3, three cavalry regiments - according to the staff of 07/ 4, a separate armored squadron - according to the state 07/5, a separate chemical defense squadron - according to the state 07/6. (TsAMO, f. 143, op. 13049, d. 6, l. 45-47)
From December 1, 1941 according to the order of NKO No. 0444 dated November 26, 1941. “On the territorial composition of the military districts of the European part of the USSR”, the Stalingrad Military District (commander - Lieutenant General Vasily Filippovich Gerasimenko) is separated from the North Caucasus Military District: Stalingrad Region (excluding the Elansky, Uryupinsky and Novo-Annensky districts), Rostov Region with the border on south along the Don River to the border with the Stalingrad region, Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Astrakhan district, West Side West Kazakhstan region (districts Dzhanybeksky, Kaztalovsky, Urdinsky, Furmanovsky). District headquarters - Stalingrad. The North Caucasus Military District (commander - Lieutenant General Reiter Max Andreevich) remained: the southern part of the Rostov region (from the Don River), Krasnodar region(with the Adygea Autonomous Region), Ordzhonikidze Territory with the Kizlyar District, Karachay and Cherkessk Autonomous Regions, Kabardino-Balkarian, Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics. District headquarters - Armavir. Transfer to the commanders of the military districts military units, institutions and establishments transferring territorially to other military districts, to be completed by December 5, 1941. The administration of the Kharkov Military District has turned to the formation of the administration of the newly created Stalingrad Military District in its entirety. (TsAMO, f.4, op.11, d.66, l.253-255)
So the 110th and 111th separate cavalry divisions became part of the Stalingrad Military District, where they continued their formation.
Resolutions of the Kalmyk regional committee of the CPSU (b) and the Council of People's Commissars of the Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic dated November 26 and December 2, 1941 determined the main organizational, economic and technical measures for the formation of the 110 and 111 Kalmyk cavalry divisions, aimed at staffing the rank and file by mobilizing military personnel aged 18 to 40 years old and accepting volunteers of these ages.
For the entire period of recruitment and training of fighters, divisions must be provided with food, fodder, uniforms and equipment at the expense of collective and state farms, handed over in excess of state plans.
The Council of People's Commissars of the Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic approved the cost estimate for uniforms and maintenance of cavalry divisions at the expense of public funds in the amount of 16,190,600 rubles. (TsAMO RF, f.St.VO, op. 4376, d.1, l.45, 48; NARC, f.r-131, op.1, d.1018, l.12, 13)
The mobilization of those liable for military service and the deployment of new divisions, their supply with all types of food, uniforms and training - all these issues were the focus of attention of local party and Soviet organizations. The Kalmyk Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, under the leadership of First Secretary Pyotr Vasilyevich Lavrentyev, and the Council of People's Commissars of the Republic, headed by Chairman Naldzhi Lidzhinovich Garyaev, carried out organizational and mass political work to create national cavalry formations in the republic. The general management of the creation of cavalry formations was carried out by a specially created republican commission. The conscription of those liable for military service, the selection of horses, the provision of vehicles and equipment were carried out by commissions, which included the first secretaries of the ulus committees of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, chairmen of executive committees and ulus military commissars.
Republican and ulus commissions were created to select people and horse stock. Party and Komsomol organizations of the Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic sent the best communists and Komsomol members, members of ulus party and Komsomol committees to the units being formed.
Collective and state farms of Kalmykia provided horses, saddles, food, fodder and other materials. Clothing, shoes and horse equipment, and individual weapons (checkers, etc.) for the division's soldiers were manufactured at industrial enterprises and artels of the republic.
The staffing of command, political, sergeant and rank-and-file units took place with the help of the Kalmyk regional party committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the republic by ulus and republican military commissariats. Issues of forming the division were repeatedly considered at joint meetings of the bureau of the regional committee of the CPSU (b) and the Council of People's Commissars of the republic.
People's militia units became a good reserve for manning divisions, in which by the end of 1941, 2,236 people were undergoing military training, as well as more than 15 thousand conscripts who had undergone general military training. Because it was required certain time to prepare the barracks fund, and people for the new divisions arrived immediately upon conscription, the regional committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of People's Commissars of the Republic decided to bring them into cavalry groups (detachments), which were first kept at collective and state farms, where they received initial military training .
Each fighter mobilized into the national cavalry units was required to have two pairs of underwear, one of them warm, boots, felt boots, a sheepskin coat, a cotton sweatshirt and trousers, a cavalry-style overcoat, mittens, a warm hat, a summer tunic and trousers, a blade and a whip. Even before the onset of cold weather, a collection of warm clothes was organized in the republic, some of them went to the 110th Cavalry Division, and by March 1, 1942, over 23 thousand pairs of felt boots, 3652 short fur coats, 964 fur vests, 8296 hats with ear flaps and many other uniforms arrived at military warehouses. (Kalmykia in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945: Documents and materials. Elista, 1966, pp. 70-71, 93)
The regional committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks showed special concern for establishing political and educational work with conscripts. According to the instructions of the bureau of the regional party committee, formulated in the decree “On universal compulsory military training” dated September 20, 1941, the political department of the military registration and enlistment office developed and sent out to all uluskom of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks a program of political training for citizens undergoing compulsory military training. General education points were supplied with educational literature, visual aids and posters.
All these events improved the political and moral state of conscripts and created the preconditions for their successful learning upon arrival at the unit.
By orders of the republican commission, enterprises of the Kalmpromsoyuz, the industrial cooperative and the union of disabled people produced uniforms and horse equipment for the cavalry divisions formed on the territory of the republic. By February 1942, 10,872 sets of uniforms and 3,115 saddles were produced at these enterprises and in specially created workshops.
In the workshops of the city of Elista, in the forges of MTS, state farms and collective farms, by December 1941, 1,500 blades, 272 lances and 23,700 bottles with flammable liquid were produced. This made it possible to organize training for conscripts in equestrian and military affairs. Later, these blades and pikes were transferred to divisions for training purposes.
To provide the Red Army with combat horses, as well as wagons with harnesses, the creation of the “Horse - Red Army” and “Defense - Cart with Harness” funds was intensified on collective farms, state farms, state and cooperative enterprises and institutions.
It should be noted that the formation of Kalmyk cavalry divisions was carried out against the background when, by GKO resolution No. 1150ss of January 14, 1942. “On the mobilization of horses for the army” in the national economy of the country, during January and half of February, 150,000 horses were mobilized to staff 70 rifle divisions and 50 rifle brigades.
110 Separate Kalmyk Cavalry Division named after S.M. Budenny with headquarters in M. Derbety was formed as part of the 273 Sarpinsky, 292 Maloderbetovsky, 311 Privolzhsky cavalry regiments, a separate horse artillery division, a medical squadron, a separate chemical defense squadron, a separate half-squadron of communications, reconnaissance and sapper squadrons, a divisional veterinary hospital, a field postal station, transport unit and commandant platoon. The division created bodies of the military prosecutor's office, a military tribunal and a special department.
With the help of ulus and republican party and Soviet bodies, medical institutions, communications organizations, units were provided with special equipment for the first time until they received field technical communications equipment, chemistry, medical, veterinary and engineer equipment.
In the western uluses of Kalmykia, 111kd named after O.I. was formed. Gorodovikov with headquarters in the German-Khaginka (274 Elistinsky, 293 Bashantiysky, 312 Primorsky cavalry regiments).
December 22, 1941 the editorial of Pravda, entitled “On horseback!”, wrote that “if in the first strong blows inflicted on the fascists in the south and near Moscow, the cavalry played a significant role, but there is no doubt that even more outstanding role will belong to our glorious horsemen in the coming defeat and complete destruction of the fascist hordes. Now in the rear, powerful reserve armies of cavalry are training and preparing for decisive battles with the enemy...” (archive of the newspaper "Pravda", 12/22/1941)
The experience of cavalry combat in 1941 required the abandonment of light cavalry divisions numbering 3,000 people (July 1941 model) and on December 14, 1941. The Supreme Command Headquarters issued a directive emphasizing the fallacy of using mobile formations and units in disparate groups. Cavalry, as one of the mobile types of troops, was given special importance. The structure of cavalry corps, subordinate directly to the front command, and consisting of 4 divisions of 3,500 people each, is being returned. 5 anti-tank rifles are introduced into each saber squadron of a cavalry division. In addition, the cavalry corps should have included: a tank brigade; separate guards mortar division (12 RS installations); separate horse artillery division (12 - 76mm USV guns); mortar regiment (18 – 120mm and 18 – 82mm mortars); separate division communications. Deputy People's Commissar of Defense Shchadenko was instructed to provide the troops with the staff of the cavalry corps departments and make appropriate changes to the staff of the cavalry divisions. (TsAMO, f. 148a, op. 3763, d. 93, l. 120, 121)
Mounted corps were intended for joint operations with armored and mechanized forces “to develop success in breaking through defenses, to pursue a retreating enemy and to combat his operational reserves,” as required by the pre-war doctrine of “deep operations.”
January 4, 1942 The Supreme High Command Headquarters decides to change the existing staff in each cavalry division to have one battery of USV guns, two batteries of 120-mm mortars (8 pieces) and 528 PPSh. Accept the Serdyuk rifle grenade as a mandatory supply to the cavalry corps, for which each squadron must have at least 15 specially trained soldiers. (TsAMO, f. 148a, op. 3763, d. 131, l. 3-5)
During the implementation of this directive, on January 6, 1942, new staffs No. 06/230 were introduced - the management of the cavalry division and No. 06/233 - the cavalry regiment, but they were also repeatedly revised in 1942 for better management and maintenance of weapons (January - 4484, February – 4487, March – 4560, July – 4605). By the beginning of the summer German offensive in the south, the cavalry corps (with the exception of the 2nd Guards Corps) were not fully formed and especially not equipped with artillery weapons and tanks.
By letter of the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, Army Commissar 1st Rank E. Shchadenko No. ORG/7/780355 dated January 15, 1942, in pursuance of GKO Resolution No. 894ss of November 13, 1941, for the preparation of secondary command staff For national formations by January 25, 1942, at the Novocherkassk Cavalry School, it was ordered to form a squadron of cadets, numbering 150 people, including: Kalmyks - 100 people and Kabardino-Balkars - 50 people. (TsAMO, f.43, op.11547, d.11, l.16)
On February 17, 1942, in pursuance of the directive of E. Shchadenko, the headquarters of the Stalingrad District, by order No. OM/1/0758, for the timely preparation of marching reinforcements for the Kalmyk national cavalry divisions, began the formation of the 17th reserve cavalry regiment in the Priyutnoye area (southwest of Elista), numbering 964 permanent and 3286 people of variable strength (according to staff 06/170), which was supposed to be completed by March 15, 1942. (TsAMO, f. 143, op. 13049, d. 6, l. 5)
Large group Kalmyks with higher or secondary education, good command of the Russian language, and those drafted into the 110th and 111th cavalry divisions were sent to study in Novocherkassk cavalry school, where they made up three cadet platoons of a special “national” course (two more platoons were formed from cadets of the 114th and 115th cavalry divisions).
By Order of Headquarters No. 003 of 01/04/42, simultaneously with the creation of 14, 16 and 17 cavalry corps, in order to change the existing staff of the cavalry division, one USV battery remains in the horse artillery division, the other two receive 120mm mortars instead of cannons (8 pieces in total), the number automatic weapons increases to 528 PPSh. (TsAMO, f.43, op.11547, d.11, l.3)
To quickly replenish existing and replenish newly formed cavalry divisions by order of Headquarters Supreme High Command dated March 3, 1942 No. 043 is ordered to disband twenty cavalry divisions, of which: 11 cavalry divisions of the active armies (which have a large shortage) and 9 national cavalry divisions that have not yet completed the formation (96, 98, 101, 102, 103, 109, 111, 113 cd; instead of 114 cd, 255 are being formed separate Checheno-Ingush regiment). By order of the SVGK dated March 16, 1942. No. 054, in order to create the necessary resources for the timely provision of cavalry units, the 9th, 14th, 16th cavalry corps and another 12 cavalry divisions of the active armies are disbanded (due to large losses, including 70 cavalry divisions) and three national cavalry divisions (100, 106) that are being formed , 108 cd). The 10th Kuban Cossack Division was also disbanded.
At the same time, the 17th reserve cavalry regiment was disbanded without completing its formation. From that moment on, the 15th reserve cavalry regiment, stationed in Voroshilovsk, was preparing reinforcements for the 110th Separate Kalmyk Cavalry Division.
In order to strengthen the combat effectiveness of the cavalry and staff it with qualitatively better human and equine personnel, by order of the NKO dated July 15, 1942. No. 0144, the number of cavalry personnel is reduced from 333,477 people to 190,199 people, while the 97, 99, 104, 105, 107 national cavalry divisions of the Central Asian Military District are disbanded.
Thus, of the 20 national cavalry divisions that began forming in November 1941, 110 Kalmyk, 112 Bashkir, 115 Kabardino-Balkarian cavalry divisions and 255 Chechen-Ingush cavalry regiment, formed during the disbandment of the 114th cavalry regiment, took part in battles on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War.
IN post-war period the role of the cavalry in the Great Patriotic War was somehow diminished; the cavalry lost the aura of heroism and romance that it acquired during the Civil War. No more films were made about cavalry, no books were written, the heroes became others who were more in keeping with the spirit of the times - tank crews, pilots and reconnaissance officers... I admit that the goal was noble - to show the victorious army is always modern, powerful and maneuverable, and the cavalry is - heroic past. As a result, cavalry began to be perceived as something archaic, and a stereotypical image became entrenched in the mass consciousness: an attack on horseback with swords drawn, a picture born of films about the Civil War.
The information void is always filled with rumors, speculation and myths. In the 90s, anti-Stalin forces, aiming at Stalin, made the cavalry one of their targets to “expose the crimes of the regime.”
Here's a fresh one. Boris Sokolov “On myths old and new.” 08/08/2010, the article is a criticism of A. Isaev’s work “10 myths about World War II” http://vpk-news.ru/articles/5936
Thus, while proving that cavalry, which was much more numerous in the Red Army on the eve of World War II than in the armies of other great powers, was very useful in combat, Mr. Isaev is not telling the whole truth. He tries to present the Soviet cavalry only as riding infantry, practicing mounted attacks in exceptional cases when the enemy is upset and cannot offer strong resistance. Meanwhile, such examples during the Great Patriotic War were far from rare. At the same time, more than once cavalrymen were thrown at the enemy, who managed to take up defensive positions and had a sufficient number of fire weapons. As a result, the cavalry was subjected to a real beating. Here we can recall the tragic consequences of the use of two cavalry divisions of the 16th Army near Moscow in November 1941.
Cavalry charge
There is no criticism as such here. Well, it’s not clear from the text... was the cavalry useful or not? If not, where is the evidence? It is stated that the cavalry "was significantly larger than the armies of other great powers." Although it would be fair to say “slightly more”
For your information
in France, from 1931 to 1940, 3 light mechanized cavalry divisions were formed - Division Legere Mecanique (DLM), which were essentially tank divisions from the cavalry. Each of them included a headquarters, a reconnaissance regiment (two battalions consisting of a squadron of motorcyclists and a squadron of armored vehicles - 20 units), a tank brigade (two tank regiments - 160 vehicles), mechanized brigade(a regiment of dragoons - three battalions, more than 3,000 people and 60 tanks), an artillery regiment, an anti-tank battalion (20 guns), an anti-aircraft battery (6 guns), an engineer battalion and various services.
In addition, 5 light cavalry divisions of the Division Legere de Cavalerie (DLC) had their own mechanized units. Classic cavalry was represented in them by a cavalry brigade. The mechanized units, combined into a light brigade, consisted of a reconnaissance tank regiment, a motorized dragoon regiment, a squadron of 25-mm anti-tank guns and a repair and technical squadron. Each DLC had 44 tanks and armored vehicles. These above-mentioned cavalry formations were part of the metropolitan army and took part in hostilities in 1940. The 6th Light Cavalry Division was in Tunisia, and the 4th Light Mechanized Division never left the formation stage. In total, 5 cavalry divisions, 4 separate cavalry brigades took part in the hostilities on the French side...
In the 16th Army on November 12, 1941 there were 5 cavalry divisions, the 16th Army was commanded by K.K. Rokossovsky. Let us turn to his memoirs “A Soldier’s Duty”, there are the following lines: “Arrived from Central Asia The 17th, 20th, 24th and 44th cavalry divisions (each with 3 thousand people) formed the second echelon...” Further... The 16th Army attacked on November 16, 1941. Now let’s use a Google search and type “16th Army, death of cavalry divisions”... and, lo and behold, we find out that the candidates for the “beating” were the 44th and 17th Cavalry Divisions, both divisions were. At this address http://wikimapia.org/20308702/ru/Place-of-death-of-the-44th-and-17th-cavalry-divisions, the map even shows the place: between the settlements of Musino and Telegino. Now let’s perform a refined search: “death of 44 17 cavalry divisions”...
We just don't know! Newspaper “Forty One” No. 40 dated 10.28.11 (http://www.id41.ru/printing/8406/)
“Rokossovsky’s counterattacks…. On the same day, the 17th and 44th cavalry divisions, arriving from Central Asia, were thrown into an attack on the dug-in German infantry and tanks. The description of this battle was preserved in the combat log of the 4th Panzer Group of Gepner: “... It was hard to believe that the enemy intended to attack us on this wide field... But then three ranks of horsemen moved towards us. By illuminated winter sun In space, horsemen with shining blades rushed to attack, bending down to the necks of their horses. The first shells exploded in the thick of the attackers. Soon a terrible black cloud hung over them. People and horses torn to pieces fly into the air.”
Etc. and so on. I advise you to repeat my search experiment, you will learn a lot of interesting things!
The most amazing thing is that no matter how much you search, you will not find any other source of information confirming the fact of this attack, except for the notorious “description of the battle from the combat log of the 4th Panzer Group of Gepner”, only everyone quotes it and refers to it. True, it turns out that this is not an entry in the combat log, but an unnamed “combat report.” In terms of writing style, “combat report” is more like fiction, and the words: “an unstoppable stream of small black shaggy horses with Asians grown into them” clearly belong to a descendant of Baron Munchausen.
Of course, the text of the “document” must be shown in full, I immediately apologize for the very long quote
Read the report
On November 16, General of Infantry Ruof's 5th Corps (2nd Tank Division, 35th and 106th Infantry Divisions), on the left flank of the 4th Panzer Group, was the first of the group to go on the offensive from the Volokolamsk area in the direction of Klin . The 23rd Infantry Division follows as a reserve. The task of the corps is to capture the city of Klin and then, turning to the southeast, cut off Moscow from the north. The enemy is trying by all means to prevent his capital from being captured. Fierce fighting breaks out. What means the Russians resort to in this struggle can most clearly be seen in the example of one combat report, which describes the attack of the enemy 44th Cavalry Division, which took place on November 17 in the Musino area. This Asian cavalry was hastily transferred by the enemy to the most threatened northern flank of the Moscow defense.
"At 9.00 morning fog dissipates and finally one can see the cold winter landscape around. We are located at the top of a hilly ridge, somewhat east of Musino, at the observation post of one battery. 3 kilometers away from us the forest begins, disappearing beyond the horizon. Between us and the forest there are narrow fields with small bushes. Furrows and stubble are visible through the thin snow cover. The sun is rising higher. One of our regiments has the task of advancing in a northern direction. He occupies the starting line in the village behind us. 10.00 am.
Suddenly, in the direction of the planned offensive of the regiment, 60-70 horsemen appear, who, after several shots from our artillery, hide in the depths of the forest. But our command is counting on the presence of cavalry from the enemy, so the appearance of cavalry is not considered special significance. To our right we can see the wooden thatched huts of the village of Parfinikovo. The houses stretched out like a horseshoe towards the forest. This village was the scene of fierce fighting just yesterday, and today it still remains a tempting target for Soviet troops.
Suddenly, four tanks appear in front of these huts, occupied by soldiers from one of the battalions of our regiment. Now they are not moving gropingly and carefully, as usual, but are rushing across the frozen field straight towards their intended goal. Toleo once they make a short stop and then rush on. Why are the well-camouflaged howitzers and anti-tank guns on the outskirts of the village silent, we ask ourselves. True, there are no accompanying infantry behind the tanks, but the danger of a breakthrough seems increasingly likely. But behind the guns and guns are battle-tested soldiers, who just yesterday destroyed more than one tank at short distances; and then the first shells explode. After bursting into flames, the lead tank travels another 100 meters and then explodes. Within 10 minutes, the other three suffer the same fate. Enemy tanks are slowly burning out.
All our attention is still focused on this quickly unfolding battle, when suddenly a short command from the division commander standing in front forces us to turn our gaze from south to east. His sharp gaze spotted cavalry galloping along a narrow clearing in the depths of the forest. It seems that these are large forces that either disappear behind the trees, then reappear in small clearings, and finally, moving south, disappear into the thicket. By telephone, short, clear orders are transmitted to the battery. Suddenly, 3000 meters from us, horsemen appear at the edge of the forest. At first there are only a few of them, then 50, 100, 300, and finally, from the right and left from the thick of the forest, more and more masses of cavalry are rushing to the west. We still can’t believe that the enemy intends to attack us on this wide field, which seems to be intended only for parades. True, on occasion they talked about this possibility, they also talked about small cavalry attacks in defensive battles near Smolensk, but an attack with the forces of more than one squadron against our perfect weapons and on terrain over which we completely dominate seems a reckless undertaking.
And yet the enemy uses this last trump card of his. Masses of cavalry appearing in disarray from the forest imperceptibly and quickly take up battle formation. Now these are three ranks, echeloned one after another, which are galloping in a southerly direction, moving away from the forest.
This is an indescribably beautiful sight when, in a clear, sunny winter landscape, a cavalry regiment rushes to the attack, saddle to saddle, bending low to the necks of the horses, with shiny sabers drawn. It seems that the times of the Mongol invasion have returned, and an unstoppable stream of small black shaggy horses with Asians grown into them is rapidly rushing into the countries of the West.
But the charm dissipates. The observation officer shouts shooting data into the telephone receiver. Machine guns roll out to the edge of the trenches, soldiers throw off their warm mittens and a performance begins that even the greatest imagination cannot depict. The battery fires from an open firing position. The first shells fly out of the barrels with a hiss and explode in the mass of attackers. They are joined by explosive shells from anti-tank guns. From the village to the south of us all the guns that had just destroyed Russian tanks are firing. A solid black cloud hangs over the squadron, which continues to gallop. Apparently, nothing can restrain this impulse, although shells now and then tear out huge gaps in the solid mass of horse bodies. And it is completely inexplicable how, in this sea of fire, the squadron turns slightly to the right, and its vanguard is carried straight to the open side of the village.
The fire of our artillerymen forms a solid wall. Horse corpses fly into the air. It is impossible to make out where the people are and where the horses are. The squadron lost control and the goal of its attack. What had recently been a parade-like scene has now turned into a helpless mass. The entire mass of the squadron is marking time aimlessly in place. Now to the right, now to the left the horses running wild in this hell are rushing away, crushing everything that remains alive in their path. The few cavalrymen still on their horses are drowning in this continuous mass, and our artillery finishes off the last remnants of the attack.
And now the second cavalry regiment rushes out of the forest to attack. It is impossible to imagine that after such a death of all the squadrons of the first regiment, the nightmare performance would repeat itself again. The direction of the attack and the distance are now known, and the death of the second regiment occurs even faster than the first. Only 30 cavalrymen, led by an officer on a beautiful horse, gallop almost to the village itself, and here they die in the fire of our machine guns.
Deep silence reigns over the battlefield. Everyone looks to where just now, as if in a dream, numerous horses were rushing. One of the first big cavalry attacks of the Second World War took place near Moscow. We must hope that she was the first and last in this war, and maybe in the whole military history. But then sharp orders come. The regiment goes on the offensive."...
Source of all this: collection Russian Archive: Great Patriotic War T. 15(4-1), Moscow, ed. "TERRA", 1997, p.50-52
Did this attack really happen?
Let's check what happened to the 17th and 44th cavalry divisions next. The 44th division included the 45th, 51st and 54th cavalry regiments, after spending a little time we find:
Breaking through prepared defenses with rifle formations(Based on the experience of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945). Digest of articles. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1957. - 376 p., notebook of diagrams. / Military Academy named after. M. V. Frunze
Battles of the 8th Guards Rifle Division to capture the enemy defense center in Kryukovo (December 7–8, 1941)
- 45th Cavalry Regiment with the third tank battalion of the 1st Guards tank brigade(6 tanks) - formed the reserve of General Revyakin and had the task of concentrating in the Malino area, in readiness to repel enemy counterattacks from Kryukovo and Kamenka;
- The 54th Cavalry Regiment was tasked with capturing the southwestern part of Kryukovo; further advance in the direction of the Hospital. He was supported by the 44th Horse Artillery Regiment;
— The 51st Cavalry Regiment with the motorized rifle battalion of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade was tasked with capturing Kamenka and subsequently advancing in the direction of Zhilino. The regiment's advance was supported by the 35th Horse Artillery Regiment of the 44th Cavalry Division;
— The commander of the 8th Guards Division also brought his reserve, the 45th Cavalry Regiment, into battle at the junction between the 54th and 51st Cavalry Regiments, returning it to the subordination of the commander of the 44th Cavalry Division. The cavalry division was ordered to accelerate the capture of the village of Kamenka
— The offensive zone of the operational group along the front reached 6 km; The 8th Guards Rifle Division advanced in a zone 2 km wide, the 44th Cavalry Division (without one cavalry regiment, but with a motorized rifle battalion of a tank brigade) - 1.5 km, and the 17th Rifle Brigade - 2.5 km. The tactical density was 1.5 battalions, about 20 guns and mortars, 3.3 tanks per 1 km of front.
- On December 8, fascist German troops began to retreat along the entire front of the 16th Army. To pursue the retreating enemy, the army commander created a mobile group on the right flank of the army consisting of the 145th tank brigade, the 44th cavalry division and the 17th rifle brigade under the command of General Remezov. The group was ordered to begin vigorous pursuit of the enemy in the direction of Zhilino, Maryino and further to the Istra reservoir. The 8th Guards Rifle Division was transferred to the army reserve.
Somehow the 44th Cavalry Division bears little resemblance to the “completely” lost 3 weeks ago...
We read about the 17th Cavalry Division in the biography of Lieutenant General F.D. Zakharov.
“The combined group (133rd, 126th rifle and 17th cavalry divisions) under the command of Zakharov, defending the approaches to the Moscow Canal, as a result of the rapid advance of Nazi troops on Klin and Yakhroma, found itself cut off from its troops and led heavy fighting with fascist tanks and infantry in the area of the villages of Olgovo and Yazykovo. On December 5, 1941, taking advantage of the blow of the 44th and 71st naval rifle brigades that came to the rescue, Major General Zakharov led his group into the defense zone of the 1st Shock Army of the Western Front.”
and in the book “The failure of Hitler’s attack on Moscow. - M.: Science, 1966.”
“By order of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, from December 1, 1941, the 1st Shock Army became part of the Western Front. Subordinate to her was Zakharov’s group, consisting of the 126th Infantry and 17th Cavalry Divisions and a cadet regiment, which fought surrounded in the Olgovo, Kharlamovo, and Klusovo areas.
By order of the commander of the Western Front, the army troops were tasked with striking on the left flank in the direction of Dedenevo, Fedorovka on the morning of December 2 and liberating Zakharov’s group on the same day; in the future - to advance in the direction of Klin, in cooperation with the 30th and 20th armies, defeat the Klin-Solnechnogorsk enemy group and reach the Klin-Solnechnogorsk line.”
As you can see, rumors about the death of the 44th and 17th cavalry divisions in a saber attack on an entrenched enemy are slightly exaggerated
25.09.2014
“The horse and the cart will still show themselves...”
Budyonny S.M.
Today, many disputes arise between historians about how important the role the cavalry played in the Great Patriotic War. Archives are being studied and new research is being conducted to more fully and accurately cover this issue. What is known about battle path, courage and exploits of Soviet cavalrymen?
Horses in the Great Patriotic War were used by the warring parties both for transporting troops, heavy artillery, equipment, and, to a large extent, in mobile cavalry forces.
During World War II, the Soviet Union and Germany combined to take over six million horses into combat.
By the beginning of the war, the Red Army was significantly motorized, but lost most of its military equipment at the very beginning of Plan Barbarossa. These losses urgently began to be eliminated by forming mounted infantry, which was successfully used in battles, in particular, as shock forces in the battle of Moscow.
One of the main reasons for the widespread use of horses was off-road conditions; where heavy vehicles got stuck and where massive tanks could not pass, these hardy animals easily passed through. The pride of Soviet horse breeding, massive heavy-duty horses, were especially loved by our artillerymen; they towed howitzers without much difficulty, without requiring special care or special feed. Having found their way from comfortable Europe into the Russian dirt, the Germans quickly appreciated the merits and advantages of “four-legged power,” and the number of horses in the German army quickly increased, mainly due to the confiscation of horses from the population of the occupied territories.
It would seem that the history of the use of horses on the battlefield should have ended with the massive appearance of tanks, artillery and machine guns. Unprotected horses, and with them the cavalry, automatically fell out of business and became an anachronism. But nevertheless, it was too early to write off the horse cavalry.
The “quasi-motorized infantry” of the Red Army turned out to be indispensable when carrying out breakthroughs, surprise raids, sabotage and raids on enemy rear lines. Unlike mechanized units, the cavalry were able to survive countless encirclements and retreats for 41 years. And in the first war years they began to play the most important and irreplaceable roles in defensive and offensive operations. They covered the withdrawal and evacuation of the population and military units, launched attacks and counterattacks on the flanks of the breaking through enemy.
Cavalry divisions of Belov P.A. and Kamkova F.V. became a rescue team in the South-Western direction. The “riding infantry” took part in the attempt to unblock the Kyiv “cauldron”.
The German Marshal Guderian wrote about these events: “On September 18, a critical situation developed in the Romny area. Early in the morning, the noise of battle was heard on the eastern flank, which became increasingly intensified over the next period of time. Fresh enemy forces - the 9th Cavalry Division and another division together with tanks - advanced from the east on Romny in three columns, approaching the city at a distance of 800 m ... " And only one cavalry corps of General Dovator during the battles near Moscow for a long time pinned down the rear of the German army. And the enemy could not do anything about the elusive cavalrymen.
In his report, the chief General Staff Wehrmacht troops General Halder wrote: « We constantly encounter mounted units. They are so maneuverable that it is not possible to use the power of German technology against them. The consciousness that no onethe commander cannot be calm about his rear, it has a depressing effect on the morale of the troops.”
In a world-famous, one of the most decisive battles Second World War, Battle of Stalingrad, the cavalry corps played a role that is difficult to overestimate. In November 1942, the 81st cavalry division fought deep in the formation of Paulus's army. If they had not been there, nothing could have prevented the German 6th Panzer Division from wasting no time in advancing towards Stalingrad. Cavalrymen, at a cost colossal losses, delayed the enemy until the main forces arrived and forced the enemy to spend reserves and time on a defensive and then an offensive battle with them.
The main tasks set for the cavalrymen in 1943–1945 were to carry out deep envelopments, detours and breakthroughs into the depths of the German defense.
On good roads and the highway cavalry certainly lagged behind the motorized infantry. But in forests, on dirt roads and in swampy areas, they were simply irreplaceable. Moreover, unlike equipment, cavalry did not require constant delivery of fuel. And breakthroughs into the German rear, to great depths, made it possible to save the “manpower” of the infantry. Also, since 1943, to increase firepower, the use of cavalry corps as part of mechanized groups has become widespread.
By the end of World War II, the number of cavalry corps and tank armies was approximately equal. In 1945, six tank armies were formed, and seven cavalry corps. Most of both were awarded the proud title of Guards. Tank armies became the sword Soviet army, and the cavalry - with a long and sharp sword.
Almost at the end of the war, General Blinov's cavalry division was able to rescue about 50,000 Soviet prisoners of war. And the 7th Cavalry Corps successfully took the cities of Brandenburg and Rathenow. The 3rd Guards Corps stormed Rhineburg and met the allies on the Elbe. Cavalrymen took an active part in crossing the Dnieper, in the Battle of Kursk, helped liberate the occupied territories of the Soviet Union and Europe, and stormed Berlin. Many of them earned the title of heroes of the Soviet Union, thousands were awarded medals and orders.
Unfortunately, the lives of horses in the war were not particularly long. They could not hide from bullets and shrapnel in the trenches. It is believed that more than a million horses died on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War. However, the veterinary service operated quite successfully and efficiently at the front. And after treatment, a significant part of the wounded and sick horses returned to duty. Until now, the names of all the dead and missing Soviet soldiers are not fully known, let alone these modest four-legged front workers. They were not given titles or awarded orders, although, undoubtedly, they made a significant contribution to the approach of general victory.