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Go to fight penal battalions

Go to fight penal battalions

«After all, we're not just, we - the penal,
We do not write: «consider a Communist»
VS Vysotsky

Probably, no more mythological themes in the history of the Great Patriotic War, what topic «the penalty box». In the perestroika and post-perestroika years, she has acquired so many lies and myths, that today even the most critically-minded people complete in the head «porridge» on this topic.

Here and millions of soldiers and officers, passed through battalions and «Shura» - penal company. And ruthless chopper people in these units, and detachments behind, whose guns were driven «the penalty box» for slaughter, and hundreds of thousands of criminals, pick up from the camps in «penal» and with his bare hands - weapons «the penalty box» allegedly not given - to cut the Germans shouting «Gu-ga!»

His contribution to the duping of the people have made and perestroika films, in which the theme of the penalty box to savor in every way and firmly concreted consciousness fictional images.

But in reality it was not so.

At first, «penal» - is not an invention of the Soviet allegedly perverted mind «Supreme Commander» Stalin. In fact, the domestic - and the world! - the history of the penalty box began many decades and even centuries before!

In the XVIII century in the Russian Imperial Army was the practice at fault demoted officers in the rank and file to sending them to war zones. Legend of that time was the famous dispatch Emperor Paul I «proshtrafishegosya» on the parade ground of the regiment in Siberia, which the, true, sent to Siberia, and in Tsarskoye Selo. But in reality, during the years of his rule hundreds of officers have been demoted to the ranks and sent to the far frontier fortress atone for their «guilt». Then «penal» It was exclusively nobles! Ordinary soldiers for faults just beaten to death or maimed, dispelling gauntlet shpitsrutenov or ramrods.

In the XIX century in the demotion «penal» a common practice. Only after the uprising at Senate Square 14 December 1825 years of court sentences was demoted and sent to the Caucasus more than three thousand officers, nobles and soldiers. It was the largest mass dispatch «the penalty box» to war, but then the verdicts were constantly, so that «penal» as part of the Caucasian troops constituted a considerable percentage. Therefore «the penalty box» It was, eg, friend of Mikhail Lermontov Rufim Dorokhov; «the penalty box» He became one of Prince Trubetskoy, Colonel Pavlograd Hussars, holder of two orders of the French company Gregory Nechvolodov, Loser cards breech money. And Lermontov himself, too, can be considered «the penalty box»…

Immediately after the abolition of serfdom and restrictions on the use of corporal punishment in the army, War Ministry of the Russian Empire were set up special «penalty» division - military penal company. They were heading lower ranks, sentenced to the penitentiary for military offenses. The residence time in these battalions are not enlisted in life. All the prisoners they were divided into two categories: test and correct. TO 1875 year, these companies was already nineteen! To correct the prisoners appointed obligatory daily work, silence observance, strict compliance with the authorized order, as well as the lessons of God's law.

curious, that in fact in the same embodiment, the company moved from the king in the Soviet army, but under the name of «disciplinary battalions», and lasted right up to the 2008 of the year.

The practice of using «the penalty box» and during the First World War. At the very beginning it was clear, that the Russian army is fighting bad. The troops were not eager to fight and often panicky retreat without orders or give up thousands of prisoners. Only the first two years of the war in prisoner surrendered two million soldiers and officers. In this situation, the command was forced to take emergency measures to restore order and combat effectiveness.

decrees were issued, in which all voluntarily surrendered captured soldiers after the war to prosecute, with the deprivation of land parcels and referring to Siberia. Families of soldiers who were captured were deprived of pensions. Then there were the prototypes of the future «zagradotrяdov». The order of the 11th Army of the 19 December 1914 of the year, its commander, General Vladimir Smirnov commanded:

«I order: every head, usmotrevshemu surrender of our troops, without waiting for any indication, immediately open fire on surrendering the gun, machine-gun and rifle!»

but the problem, as it appears, These draconian measures have not solved, and a year later in order from 5 June 1915 the legendary commander of the 7th Army General Alexei Brusilov almost repeated the order Smirnova:

«Besides, the back must have very reliable people and guns, that, if need be, go ahead and make slabodushnyh. We should not think before polls execution of entire parts of the attempt to turn back or, what is worse, to surrender to the enemy ... By surrendering should be directed and rifle, and machine-gun, and gunfire ... do not stop shooting and before polls«.

At the same time in the imperial army appeared entirely penalty units. So 1915 year of «the penalty box» castle battalion were formed, defending the fortress of Przemysl, Kovno and Brest-Litovsk. It had its penal battalions and the fleet. Exactly «penal», eg, heroically defended Moonzund Islands.

From sailors formed at fault heavy artillery divisions. Why? It's very simple - the Germans had an overwhelming advantage in the heavy artillery, and every Russian a shot followed by an immediate response dozen German guns. It was therefore a huge mortality in heavy artillery battalion. This artillery battalion served as an ensign writer Boris Lavrenev, recognized in mobilizing politically unreliable and directed to heavy artillery battalion. another well-known «the penalty box» then I became «fined Seaman 2nd Class» Kulibin, convicted in the marine battalion under Dvinsk, - the great-grandson of the famous inventor-nugget Ivan Kulibina, struck the Empress Catherine II of his own design hours.

«the penalty box» also sent to other parts of, where losses exceeded the normal level. Beginning with 1916 of the year, chickened out and fled from the battlefield officers proposed to replace the service tribunal in the squadron or Armored Division, where the losses were very high.

Such strict measures to maintain military discipline have yielded positive results. The number of deserters surrendered prisoner, drastically reduced. AT 1916-1917 years in captivity were all 5 thousands of Russian soldiers and officers, And almost all - injured or unconscious ...

In the Red Army penal division: companies and battalions, - appeared in the July-August 1942 years after the publication of the order number 227, nicknamed the troops «Not one step back!». And this order, with his «zagradotrяdami», not invent anything new, but only returned from the historical past has proven method to combat desertion and cowardice!

contrary to the myths, at «shtrafbatah» They never served any criminals, no soldiers. It was the only officer of formation.

Enlisted men were sent to the penal company, they were sent to and released from the camp on amnesty convicted. But their percentage was minimal. On «heavy» (of murder, robbery, etc.) and «political» amnesty did not apply.

In total, during the war years was formed 65 penal battalions and 1037 free mouth.

But here it is necessary to clarify, that is the total number for the whole war. At the same time at the front had such a number has not been. And penal battalions, and penal company were temporary units, which were formed and disbanded for various reasons.

Myths are stories, about it, what «penal» did not receive weapons - companies and battalions were armed by state rifle companies and battalions of the Red Army. Furthermore, sometimes it «penal» tested new weapons, as, for example a separate officer penal battalion near Velikiye Luki in the summer 1942 year, received special steel shells for testing - prototypes of modern body armor.

The same myth is a story about «penalty» commanders of these units. «the penalty box» commanded conventional infantry officers, whose only privilege was the period of service - five days in one day command, in contrast to the usual front three days.

Go to fight penal battalions

Lies are also allegations, that the free part of the penalty was only possible through injury. Actually, paragraph 15 Order №227 read:

«For military distinction penalty box can be released ahead of the presentation of the penal battalion command, the approved front military council. For outstanding battle honor the penalty box, Besides, It seems to government award«.

It was only in the 18th paragraph determines the final term: «penal, were wounded in combat, deemed to have served their sentence, restored in rank and in all rights, and after recovery are sent for further service…»

Few people know, but an officer with a past «penal» It could be determined by the characteristic «recruitment» awards. Among «officer» awards and medals rarely met a soldier's medal «Glory» III degrees, and this, usually, testified, that its owner has gone through «shtrafbat», where by status everyone was considered ordinary and for feats awarded soldiers prizes ...

Go to fight penal battalions

For all the years of World War II, through the red units of the Red Army passed 427 910 human.

If consider, that through the Armed Forces of the USSR in the same time has passed 34 476 700 human, the the proportion of soldiers and commanders «the penalty box» is about 1,24%.

And what the enemy?

Disciplinary battalions in the Wehrmacht appeared before the start of World War II. AT 1939 there were eight. They were mainly used as military construction and engineer units. But the Soviet counter-offensive near Moscow in December 1941 years put the German army in an emergency, which threatened the eastern front crash. Many of the fleeing, casting equipment and armament, and it demanded that the Nazi leadership of emergency measures.

On the orders of Hitler on the Eastern Front was formed 100 free mouth. Or, as they are officially called, «parts of the probationary period». Condemned to the soldiers and officers for a term of six months to five years. AND, Unlike the Red Army, where injured or heroism becomes an automatic reason for the liberation and restoration of the rank and rights, German «the penalty box» He is serving his sentence from start to finish. No awards and distinctions he was not supposed, and even after a hard injury, he came back into its penal company.

Total, according to official data, through the system of the German penal battalions during the Second World War took place 198 thousands of people, accounting for nearly 0,9% of the total population in the Wehrmacht 18 millions.

Wehrmacht servicemen punished follows.

The most terrible punishment was imprisonment in a penal camp field (Field penal camp). Possibility of survival was minimal in these camps. Quote from the order of the chief of the army command from the rear 7 September 1942 of the year:

«Involve arrested for the heaviest work during the indispensable danger and, possibly, directly into a combat zone: demining, Fallen enemies funeral, building bunkers and digging trenches, Cutting barbed wire«.

Every day, prisoners were required to work 12-14 hours, holidays and weekends - not less 4 hours. The prisoners were not considered soldiers; were cases, when they after a while sent to serve his sentence in a concentration camp.

Go to fight penal battalions

Prisoners field spetsbatalona (Feldsonderbatallon) contained and worked about the same, but, after all, officially considered military. Their term of imprisonment or, rather, service was typically 4 of the month, then, with good behavior and diligence, soldiers heading to any of the pereformiruemuyu. When misconduct had to be 6 months. His allowance (while in spetsbatalona) halve.

the same, who are reeducated and six months later did not want, deprived of military status and sent to a concentration camp. Penal involved at the front only to work. Part of the penalty box to serve the teams to fight the guerrillas, but not against the regular Soviet troops.

To this difficult construction of the penal side stuck another «structure» - so called «test of the». It is they who have received the letter '500 battalions (500, 540, 550, 560, 561). by the way. 561-Battalion is very savagely fought near Leningrad on Sinyavinskiye heights, has given us an extremely high price. So they were most like our penalties and battalions - they were armed, sent to the front.

But just the Germans denied the penal nature of such compounds. For them it was precisely «test» parts, different from parts «special purpose». Although they sent all the same soldiers and officers, threatened by a prison or camp. Just the commander or the court deigned to change their form of punishment. Here, as saying the German witnesses, fighters «tested» in the truest sense of the word.

More 80 thousands of people marched through «five-hundredth» battalions, and losses were, as well as in our, extremely large. These units were sent to the most dangerous sections of the front., where should they «fight, like lions», and sometimes ... work as detachments, being in positions in the rear of unstable troops and firing «cowards»! Well, in his own way - too «rehabilitation»... Especially paradoxical, what in «battalions 500» sent and convicted deserters.

500-e or their analogues existed in all German military branches: land, air, naval and ss. It was the fines SS used in the fight against partisans, famous for his cruelty, because, apparently, many considered it necessary to dissociate themselves from them.

In addition to these battalions, Germans 1 October 1942 years also created the so-called «Second Class Soldier Formations» - 999th Todt Organization Battalions and Test Facilities. The latter can be called military hard labor, since the Todt Organization was in charge, basically, military and defensive construction. They got here, whom wehrunwurdig recognized - «unworthy to carry weapons».

The servicemen who got here were deprived of service, titles and awards. And fell into «second class» they, who committed serious criminal offenses, refused to fulfill the order, beat superior commanders or was even seen in active resistance to the Nazi regime. Here also fell, who not «corrected» in the 500th battalions or even committed a new crime in them. In this sense, such units are often called German penal battalions.. In these units, usually, about rehabilitation or amnesty it was not at all.

It is believed, that approximately 999th battalions passed 30 thousands of people. Although the battalion in the Wehrmacht is a conditional concept. Same 999 the battalion soon after creation grew to the size of the division. From september 1944 years, these parts began to disband, and their personnel were sorted into ordinary parts, - except for those, who were sent to concentration camps, considering «incorrigible» or unreliable. However, there is information, that part of these battalions lasted until the end of the war.

Another kind of German penalties, only informal, there were field penalty units - Feldstrafgefangenabteilungen (FstrGAbt). They were manned directly in the combat zone from among military personnel, committed crimes and misconduct. To be strict, then these parts were not a separate type of fines. properly, those got here, whom front-line command (they were subordinate to the corps) for one reason or another did not want to be sent to official penal units.

Likely, informally, everything depended on the severity of the misconduct and on the understandable desire of the commanders to have «own» the penalty box. more precisely, have your own «expendable» unit, which could be directed to complex engineering work - for example, mining directly in combat, when sorry for professional sappers; for assault missions, on reconnaissance in battle and raids on enemy rear. Well, first of all, presumably, - to cover the outgoing parts. For that cover, which was supposed to fly by itself, but delay the advancing enemy.

In German «penalties» there was a division according to the combat arms. tankers, pilots, sailors - all served in different units. There were separate penal tank battalions («Kostf Campgroup») and penal squadrons «Luftwaffe». And even inside the fines there was a hierarchy. Penalized fines sent to demining battalions, where mortality was huge even by the standards «the penalty box»! At the same time, the principle of caste was strictly observed.: there were officer penal companies, non-commissioned officers and soldiers.

Also in the Wehrmacht, beginning with 1943 of the year, penal battalions of criminals were formed. I.e all «Penalty» myths of Russian liberals are based on the practice of the Wehrmacht, not the Red Army.

/Vladislav Shurygin, military expert, shurigin.livejournal.com/

A source

                          
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