During the Great Patriotic War, the Germans called the Tuvans “Der Schwarze Tod” - “The Black Death”. The Tuvans fought to the death even with the obvious superiority of the enemy, and did not take prisoners.
"This is our war!"
The Tuvan People's Republic became part of Soviet Union already during the war, August 17, 1944. In the summer of 1941, Tuva was de jure an independent state. In August 1921, the White Guard detachments of Kolchak and Ungern were expelled from there. The capital of the republic became the former Belotsarsk, renamed Kyzyl (Red City). Soviet troops were withdrawn from Tuva by 1923, but the USSR continued to provide all possible assistance to Tuva, without claiming its independence. It is commonly said that Great Britain was the first to support the USSR in the war, but this is not so. Tuva declared war on Germany and its allies on June 22, 1941, 11 hours before Churchill's historic radio statement. Mobilization immediately began in Tuva, the republic declared its readiness to send its army to the front. 38 thousand Tuvan arats stated in a letter to Joseph Stalin: “We are together. This is our war too." Regarding the declaration of Tuva War on Germany, there is a historical legend that when Hitler found out about this, he was amused and did not even bother to find this republic on the map. But in vain.
Everything for the front!
Immediately after the start of the war, Tuva transferred to Moscow its gold reserves (about 30 million rubles) and all production of Tuvan gold (10-11 million rubles annually). Tuvans truly accepted the war as their own. This is evidenced by the amount of assistance that the poor republic provided to the front. From June 1941 to October 1944, Tuva supplied 50,000 war horses and 750,000 head of cattle for the needs of the Red Army. Each Tuvan family gave from 10 to 100 heads of cattle to the front. Tuvinians are in literally put the Red Army on skis, supplying 52,000 pairs of skis to the front. Prime Minister of Tuva Saryk-Dongak Chimba wrote in his diary: “they destroyed the entire birch forest near Kyzyl.” In addition, the Tuvans sent 12,000 sheepskin coats, 19,000 pairs of mittens, 16,000 pairs of felt boots, 70,000 tons of sheep wool, 400 tons of meat, ghee and flour, carts, sleighs, harnesses and other goods totaling about 66.5 million rubles. To help the USSR, the arats collected 5 echelons of gifts worth more than 10 million Tuvan aksha (rate 1 aksha - 3 rubles 50 kopecks), food for hospitals worth 200,000 aksha. According to Soviet expert assessments, presented, for example, in the book “USSR and foreign countries in 1941-1945", the total supplies of Mongolia and Tuva to the USSR in 1941-1942 in volume were only 35% less than the total volume of Western allied supplies in those years to the USSR - that is, from the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Union of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand combined.
"Black Death"
The first Tuvan volunteers (about 200 people) joined the Red Army in May 1943. After a short training, they were enlisted in the 25th separate tank regiment (since February 1944, it was part of the 52nd Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front). This regiment fought on the territory of Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. In September 1943, the second group of volunteer cavalrymen (206 people) were enrolled, after training in Vladimir region, part of the 8th Cavalry Division. The Cavalry Division took part in raids behind enemy lines in western Ukraine. After the battle of Durazhno in January 1944, the Germans began to call the Tuvans “Der Schwarze Tod” - “ Black Death" The captured German officer G. Remke said during interrogation that the soldiers entrusted to him “subconsciously perceived these barbarians (Tuvians) as the hordes of Attila” and lost all combat effectiveness... Here it must be said that the first Tuvan volunteers represented themselves as a typical national part, they were dressed in national costumes and wore amulets. Only at the beginning of 1944, the Soviet command asked Tuvan soldiers to send their “objects of Buddhist and shamanic cult” to their homeland. The Tuvans fought bravely. The command of the 8th Guards Cavalry Division wrote to the Tuvan government: “... with the obvious superiority of the enemy, the Tuvans fought to the death. So, in the battles near the village of Surmiche, 10 machine gunners led by the squad commander Dongur-Kyzyl and an anti-tank rifle crew led by Dazhy-Seren died in this battle, but did not retreat a single step, fighting until the last bullet. Over 100 enemy corpses were counted before a handful of brave men who died the death of heroes. They died, but where the sons of your Motherland stood, the enemy did not pass...” A squadron of Tuvan volunteers liberated 80 Western Ukrainian settlements.Tuvan heroes
Of the 80,000 population of the Tuvan Republic, about 8,000 Tuvan soldiers took part in the Great Patriotic War. 67 soldiers and commanders were awarded orders and medals of the USSR. About 20 of them became holders of the Order of Glory, and up to 5,500 Tuvan soldiers were awarded other orders and medals of the Soviet Union and the Tuvan Republic. Two Tuvans were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union - Khomushka Churgui-ool and Tyulush Kechil-ool.Tuvan squadron
The Tuvans not only helped the front financially and fought bravely in tank and cavalry divisions, but also provided the Red Army with the construction of 10 Yak-7B aircraft. On March 16, 1943, at the Chkalovsky airfield near Moscow, the Tuvan delegation solemnly handed over the aircraft to the 133rd Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Red Army Air Force. The fighters were handed over to the commander of the 3rd Aviation Fighter Squadron, Novikov, and assigned to the crews. On each one was written in white paint “From the Tuvan people.” Unfortunately, not a single aircraft from the “Tuvan squadron” survived until the end of the war. Of the 20 servicemen of the 133rd Aviation Fighter Regiment, who made up the crews of the Yak-7B fighters, only three survived the war.
The first Tuvan volunteers (about 200 people) joined the Red Army in May 1943. After a short training, they were enlisted in the 25th separate tank regiment (since February 1944, it was part of the 52nd Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front). This regiment fought on the territory of Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
In September 1943, the second group of volunteer cavalrymen (206 people) were enrolled, after training in the Vladimir region, into the 8th Cavalry Division.
The Cavalry Division took part in raids behind enemy lines in western Ukraine. After the battle of Durazhno in January 1944, the Germans began to call the Tuvans “der schwarze Tod” - “Black Death”.
The captured German officer Hans Remke said during interrogation that the soldiers entrusted to him “subconsciously perceived these barbarians (Tuvians) as the hordes of Attila” and lost all combat effectiveness.
Here it must be said that the first Tuvan volunteers were a typical national part, they were dressed in national costumes and wore amulets. Only at the beginning of 1944, the Soviet command asked Tuvan soldiers to send their “objects of Buddhist and shamanic cult” to their homeland.
The Tuvans fought bravely. The command of the 8th Guards Cavalry Division wrote to the Tuvan government:
“With the enemy’s obvious superiority, the Tuvans fought to the death. So, in the battles near the village of Surmiche, 10 machine gunners led by the squad commander Dongur-Kyzyl and an anti-tank rifle crew led by Dazhy-Seren died in this battle, but did not retreat a single step, fighting until the last bullet. Over 100 enemy corpses were counted before a handful of brave men who died the death of heroes. They died, but where the sons of your Motherland stood, the enemy did not pass.”
A squadron of Tuvan volunteers liberated 80 Western Ukrainian settlements.
Image source: Russian Seven
Today, very little is mentioned about the role of the very first ally of the USSR in the fight against Nazi Germany. This ally became the Tuvan People's Republic.
The rewritten modern history mercilessly erases the faces and destinies of those who stood to the end in one of the bloodiest wars of the past century. During the Great Patriotic War, the Germans called the Tuvans “Der Schwarze Tod” - “Black Death”. The Tuvans fought to the death even with the obvious superiority of the enemy, and did not take prisoners. They received this nickname already in the very first battle.
On January 31, 1944, in the battle of Derazhno (Ukraine), Tuvan cavalrymen jumped out on small shaggy horses with sabers at the advanced German units. A little later, a captured German officer recalled that the spectacle had a demoralizing effect on his soldiers, who on a subconscious level perceived “these barbarians” as the hordes of Attila. After this battle, the Germans gave the Tuvans the name “Der Schwarze Tod” - “Black Death”.
In his memoirs, General Sergei Bryulov explained:
“The horror of the Germans was also connected with the fact that the Tuvans, committed to their own ideas about military rules, did not take the enemy prisoner as a matter of principle. And the command of the USSR General Staff could not interfere in their military affairs, after all, they are our allies, foreign volunteers, and in war all means are good.”
From the report of Marshal Zhukov comrade. To Stalin:
“Our foreign soldiers, cavalrymen are too brave, they do not know the tactics, strategy of modern war, military discipline, despite preliminary training, they do not know the Russian language well. If they continue to fight like this, by the end of the war none of them will be left alive.”
To which Stalin replied:
“Take care, do not be the first to attack, return the wounded in a delicate manner with honors to their homeland. Living soldiers from the TPR, witnesses, will tell their people about the Soviet Union and their role in the Great Patriotic War.”
“THIS IS OUR WAR!»
The Tuvan People's Republic became part of the Soviet Union already during the war, on August 17, 1944. In the summer of 1941, Tuva was de jure an independent state. In August 1921, the White Guard detachments of Kolchak and Ungern were expelled from there. The capital of the republic became the former Belotsarsk, renamed Kyzyl (Red City).
Soviet troops were withdrawn from Tuva by 1923, but the USSR continued to provide all possible assistance to Tuva, without claiming its independence.
It is commonly said that Great Britain was the first to support the USSR in the war, but this is not so. Tuva declared war on Germany and its allies on June 22, 1941, 11 hours before Churchill's historic radio statement. Mobilization immediately began in Tuva, the republic declared its readiness to send its army to the front.
38 thousand Tuvan arats stated in a letter to Joseph Stalin: "We are together. This is our war too."
Regarding the declaration of Tuva War on Germany, there is a historical legend that when Hitler found out about this, he was amused and did not even bother to find this republic on the map. But in vain.
At the time of entry into the war with Germany, there were 489 people in the ranks of the army of the Tuvan People's Republic. But it was not the army of the Tuvan Republic that became a formidable force, but its assistance to the USSR.
EVERYTHING FOR THE FRONT!
Immediately after the declaration of war fascist Germany Tuva transferred to the Soviet Union not only the entire gold reserve of the republic, but also the production of Tuvan gold - for a total amount of 35 million of the then rubles (the payment and purchasing power of which is tens of times higher than the current Russian ones).
Tuvans accepted the war as their own. This is evidenced by the amount of assistance that the poor republic provided to the front.
From June 1941 to October 1944, Tuva supplied 50,000 war horses and 750,000 head of cattle for the needs of the Red Army. Each Tuvan family gave from 10 to 100 heads of cattle to the front. The Tuvans literally put the Red Army on skis, supplying 52,000 pairs of skis to the front.
Prime Minister of Tuva Saryk-Dongak Chimba wrote in his diary:“They destroyed the entire birch forest near Kyzyl.”
In addition, the Tuvans sent 12,000 sheepskin coats, 19,000 pairs of mittens, 16,000 pairs of felt boots, 70,000 tons of sheep wool, 400 tons of meat, ghee and flour, carts, sleighs, harnesses and other goods totaling about 66.5 million rubles
To help the USSR, the arats collected five echelons of gifts worth more than 10 million Tuvan aksha (rate 1 aksha - 3 rubles 50 kopecks), food for hospitals worth 200,000 aksha.
Almost all of this is free of charge, not to mention honey, canned fruit and berry concentrates, dressings, medicinal herbs and traditional medicines, wax, resin...
From this reserve, 30 thousand cows were donated to Ukraine in 1944. It was with this livestock that the post-war revival of Ukrainian livestock farming began.
FIRST VOLUNTEERS
In the fall of 1942, the Soviet government allowed admission to military service volunteers from Tuva and Mongolia. The first Tuvan volunteers - about 200 people - joined the Red Army in May 1943 and were enrolled in the 25th separate tank regiment (since February 1944 it was part of the 52nd Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front). The regiment fought in Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
And in September 1943, the second group of volunteers - 206 people - were enrolled in the 8th Cavalry Division, which participated, in particular, in raids on fascist rear areas and Bandera (nationalist) groups in western Ukraine.
The first Tuvan volunteers were a typical national part; they were dressed in national costumes and wore amulets.
Only at the beginning of 1944 did the Soviet command ask Tuvan soldiers to send their “objects of Buddhist and shamanic cult” to their homeland.
One can cite many other military episodes that characterize the courage of the Tuvans. Here is just one such case:
The command of the 8th Guards Cavalry Division wrote to the Tuvan government: “... with the obvious superiority of the enemy, the Tuvans fought to the death. So, in the battles near the village of Surmiche, 10 machine gunners led by the squad commander Dongur-Kyzyl and an anti-tank rifle crew led by Dazhy-Seren died in this battle, but did not retreat a single step, fighting until the last bullet. Over 100 enemy corpses were counted before a handful of brave men who died the death of heroes. They died, but where the sons of your Motherland stood, the enemy did not pass...”
This year, the next, already 305th, anniversary will be celebrated by one of the most famous branches of the Russian Armed Forces - the Marine Corps. Eras changed, changed political system in the country, the color of the banners, uniforms and weapons changed. One thing remained unchanged - the high skill and high moral and psychological level of our marine, who was the image of a true hero, capable of breaking the will of the enemy with just his menacing appearance. For more than three centuries of existence, the Marine Corps, which has covered itself with unfading glory, has taken part in almost all major wars and armed conflicts waged by our state.
"Marine Regime"
The first marine regiment in our country, called the “marine regiment” and formed under the command of Admiral General Franz Lefort during the famous Azov expedition carried out by Peter I in 1696, consisted of 28 companies and provided invaluable assistance during the siege of the enemy fortress. The Tsar was listed as only the captain (commander) of the 3rd company of that same regiment. The “Maritime Regiment” was not a regular formation, it was formed only on a temporary basis, but the experience gained prompted Peter I to make a final decision on the need to “officially” form marine detachments as part of the Russian fleet. So, already in September-October 1704 in “Discourse on the nascent fleet on the Baltic Sea” Russian Emperor pointed out: “It is necessary to create regiments of naval soldiers (depending on the number according to the fleet) and divide them according to captains forever, to which corporals and sergeants should be taken from the old soldiers for the sake of better training building and order."
However, the course of the hostilities that soon followed summer campaign 1705 forced Peter I to change his decision and, instead of disparate teams, form a single naval regiment, intended to serve in boarding and landing teams on warships of the Russian fleet. Moreover, taking into account the complex nature of the tasks assigned to “ naval soldiers" tasks, it was decided to staff the regiment not with newly recruited recruits, but with already trained soldiers from army regiments. This matter was entrusted to Admiral General Count Fyodor Golovin, who on November 16, 1705 gave the order to the commander of the fleet on the Baltic Sea, Vice Admiral Cornelius Cruys: “I am required, by order of His Majesty, to have one naval regiment, and so I ask you, please compose this, so that it consists of 1200 soldiers, and what belongs to that, what kind of gun and so on, please send it to me and not leave the rest; and how many are there in number or there has been a great decline, then we are trying to find recruits.” This date, November 16 according to the old style, or November 27 according to the new style, 1705, is considered the official birthday of the Russian Marine Corps.
Subsequently, taking into account the experience of the Northern War, the marine corps was reorganized: instead of a regiment, several naval battalions were created - the “vice admiral’s battalion” (assigned the tasks of serving as part of boarding and landing teams on the ships of the vanguard of the squadron); “admiral’s battalion” (the same, but for ships in the center of the squadron); “rear admiral’s battalion” (rearguard ships of the squadron); “galley battalion” (for the galley fleet), as well as “admiralty battalion” (for guard duty and performing other tasks in the interests of the fleet command). By the way, during the Northern War, for the first time in the world, Russia formed a large landing force - a corps of more than 20 thousand people. So in this we were even ahead of the Americans, who took similar steps only during the Second World War.
From Corfu to Borodino
Since then, our marines have taken part in many battles and wars that have become fateful for Russia. She fought in the Black and Baltic Seas, stormed the fortifications of Corfu, which were considered impregnable, landed in Italy and the Balkans, and even fought in battles for land areas hundreds and thousands of kilometers away from the sea coast. Commanders repeatedly used Marine battalions, famous for their swift onslaught and powerful bayonet strike, as assault troops in the main attack directions in many battles.
Marine detachments took part in the famous assault on Izmail - three of the nine assault columns attacking the fortress were composed of personnel from naval battalions and coastal grenadier regiments. Alexander Suvorov noted that the marines “showed amazing courage and zeal,” and in his report he noted among those who particularly distinguished themselves eight officers and one sergeant of the naval battalions and almost 70 officers and sergeants of the coastal grenadier regiments.
During the famous Mediterranean campaign of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, there were no field troops on his squadron at all - all the tasks of storming coastal structures were carried out by the marines Black Sea Fleet. Including taking the previously considered impregnable fortress of Corfu by storm from the sea. Having received news of the capture of Corfu, Alexander Suvorov wrote the famous lines: “Why wasn’t I at Corfu, even though I was a midshipman!”
Even near the seemingly completely “land” village of Borodino, even then the Marines managed to distinguish themselves and gain the reputation of formidable warriors - persistent in defense and swift in the offensive. On the land fronts of the Patriotic War of 1812, two brigades formed from naval regiments, combined into the 25th, fought. infantry division. In the Battle of Borodino, after Prince Bagration was wounded, the left flank of the Russian troops retreated to the village of Semenovskoye, the Life Guards light company No. 1 and the artillery team of the Guards naval crew advanced here - for several hours the sailors, with only two guns, repelled powerful attacks of the enemy and fought a duel with the French artillerymen. For the battles at Borodino, the artillery sailors were awarded the Order of St. Anna, 3rd degree (Lieutenant A.I. List and Non-Commissioned Lieutenant I.P. Kiselev) and insignia of the Military Order of St. George (six sailors).
Few people know that in the Battle of Kulm in 1813, soldiers and officers of the Guards Fleet Crew, located in St. Petersburg and formed in 1810, took an active part, the only formation in the history of our country, and, perhaps, of Europe, that was not just a ship's crew, but also an elite infantry battalion.
The Marines did not stand aside during the Crimean War of 1854–1855, in Russian-Turkish war 1877–1878, in Russian-Japanese war 1904–1905 and, naturally, in the First world war, during which a number of units and units of the Marine Corps distinguished themselves in the Baltic, taking part in operations to defend naval bases and islands and solving the tasks assigned to them as part of the landing forces. Based on the experience of combat operations in 1916–1917 in the Black and Baltic Seas, the formation of two marine divisions began, which, however, for obvious reasons, was not carried out in time.
At the same time, however, more than once, due to the short-sighted policy of the military-political leadership, especially the army command fixated on the “land character of the country,” the Marine Corps was subjected to disastrous reorganization and even complete liquidation, with the transfer of its units to the ground forces. For example, despite the high efficiency combat use units of the marine corps and the Guards naval crew during the wars with Napoleonic France, in 1813, parts of the marine corps were transferred to the army department and over the next almost 100 years the fleet did not have any large formations of the marine corps. Even the Crimean War and the defense of Sevastopol could not convince Russian leadership in the need to recreate the Marine Corps as a separate branch of the military. Only in 1911 did the Main Naval Staff develop a project for the creation of permanent “infantry units” at the disposal of the command of the main naval bases - a regiment in the Baltic Fleet and a battalion each in the Black Sea Fleet and Far East, in Vladivostok. Moreover, the Marine Corps units were divided into two types - for operations on land and for operations in naval theaters of operations.
Soviet marines
And what about those events that we usually call the Kronstadt rebellion? There, the marines and artillerymen of the coastal batteries, forming the backbone of those dissatisfied with the anti-revolutionary, in their opinion, policy of the then leadership of the Soviet Republic, showed considerable fortitude and courage, for a long time repelling numerous and powerful attacks by a huge mass of troops sent to suppress the uprising. There is still no unambiguous assessment of those events: there are supporters of both. But no one doubts the fact that the detachments of sailors showed an unbending will and did not show even a drop of cowardice and faint-heartedness even in the face of an enemy many times superior in strength.
As part of the Armed Forces of young Soviet Russia, the Marine Corps did not officially exist, although in 1920 the 1st Marine Expeditionary Division was formed on the Sea of Azov, which solved problems characteristic of the Marine Corps, took an active part in eliminating the threat from the landing of General Ulagai and contributed to squeezing out White Guard troops from the Kuban regions. Then, for almost two decades, there was no talk about the Marine Corps, only on January 15, 1940 (according to other sources, this happened on April 25, 1940), according to the order of the People's Commissar of the Navy, the separate special rifle brigade created a year earlier was reorganized into the 1st Special Marine Brigade infantry of the Baltic Fleet, which took an active part in the Soviet-Finnish war: its personnel participated in landings on the islands of Gogland, Seskar, etc.
But most fully, all the spiritual strength and military skill of our Marines were revealed, of course, during the bloodiest war in the history of mankind - World War II. 105 marine infantry formations (hereinafter referred to as MP) fought on its fronts: one marine division, 19 marine brigades, 14 marine regiments and 36 separate marine battalions, as well as 35 naval rifle brigades. It was then that our marines earned the nickname “black death” from the enemy, although in the first weeks of the war, German soldiers, faced with fearless Russian soldiers who rushed into the attack in their vests, gave the marines the nickname “striped death.” During the years of the war, which for the USSR was predominantly of a land nature, the Soviet marines and naval rifle brigades landed 125 times as part of various landing forces, the total number of units taking part in which reached 240 thousand people. Acting independently, the Marines - on a smaller scale - landed behind enemy lines 159 times during the war. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of the landing forces landed at night, so that by dawn all units of the landing detachments would be landed on the shore and take up their assigned positions.
People's War
Already at the very beginning of the war, in the most difficult and difficult year for the Soviet Union, 1941, the USSR Navy allocated 146,899 people for operations on land, many of whom were qualified specialists in their fourth and fifth years of service, which, of course, harmed the combat readiness of the fleet itself, but such was the severe necessity. In November - December of the same year, the formation of separate naval rifle brigades began, which were then formed into 25 with a total number of 39,052 people. The main difference between a naval rifle brigade and a marine brigade was that the former was intended for combat operations as part of land fronts, and the latter for combat operations in coastal areas, mainly for the defense of naval bases, solving amphibious and anti-amphibious missions, etc. n. In addition, there were also connections and units ground forces, whose names did not contain the word “marine”, but which were staffed primarily by sailors. Such units can also, without any reservations, be attributed to the Marine Corps: during the war years, on the basis of Marine Corps units and formations, a total of six Guards Rifle and 15 rifle divisions, two guards rifle, two rifle and four mountain rifle brigades, and a significant number of sailors also fought as part of 19 guards rifle and 41 rifle divisions.
In total, during 1941–1945, the command of the Soviet Navy formed and sent units and formations with a total number of 335,875 people (including 16,645 officers) to various sectors of the Soviet-German front, which amounted to almost 36 divisions according to the army staff of that time. In addition, marine units numbering up to 100 thousand people operated as part of the fleets and flotillas. Thus, almost half a million sailors fought shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers and commanders of the Red Army on the shore alone. And how it was fought! According to the recollections of many military leaders, the command always sought to use naval rifle brigades in the most critical sectors of the front, firmly knowing that the sailors would staunchly hold their positions, causing great damage to the enemy with fire and counterattacks. The attack of the sailors was always swift, they “literally rammed the German troops.”
During the defense of Tallinn, marine units with a total number of more than 16 thousand people fought on the shore, which accounted for more than half of the entire Tallinn group Soviet troops numbering 27 thousand people. In total, the Baltic Fleet formed one division, nine brigades, four regiments and nine battalions of marines with a total number of more than 120 thousand people during the Second World War. During the same period of time, the Northern Fleet formed and sent three brigades, two regiments and seven battalions of marines with a strength of 33,480 people to various sectors of the Soviet-German front. The Black Sea Fleet accounted for about 70 thousand marines - six brigades, eight regiments and 22 individual battalions. One brigade and two battalions of marines, formed in the Pacific Fleet and taking part in the defeat of militaristic Japan, were converted into guards.
It was the Marine Corps units that thwarted the attempt of the 11th Army of Colonel General Manstein and the mechanized group of the 54th Army Corps to immediately capture Sevastopol at the end of October 1941 - by the time the German troops found themselves under the city of Russian naval glory, the troops were retreating through the Crimean The mountains of the Primorsky Army have not yet approached the naval base. At the same time, the formations of the Soviet Marine Corps often experienced a serious shortage of small arms and other weapons, ammunition and communications equipment. Thus, the 8th MP Brigade, which took part in the defense of Sevastopol, at the very beginning of that famous defense, with 3,744 personnel, consisted of 3,252 rifles, 16 heavy and 20 light machine guns, as well as 42 mortars, and the newly formed 1st Baltic Brigade, which arrived at the front The MP brigade was provided with riflemen only 50% of the required supply standards, having no artillery, no ammunition, no grenades, or even sapper blades!
The following record of a report from one of the defenders of the island of Gogland, dated March 1942, has been preserved: “The enemy is stubbornly climbing our points in columns, a lot of his soldiers and officers have been filled, and they are still climbing... There is still a lot of enemy on the ice. Our machine gun has two cartridges left. There were three of us left at the machine gun (in the bunker - author), the rest were killed. What do you want me to do?” To the order of the garrison commander to defend to the last, a laconic answer followed: “Yes, we are not even thinking of retreating - the Baltic people do not retreat, but destroy the enemy to the last.” People fought to the death.
In the initial period of the battle for Moscow, the Germans managed to approach the Moscow-Volga canal and even force it north of the city. The 64th and 71st naval rifle brigades were sent from reserve to the canal area, throwing the Germans into the water. Moreover, the first formation consisted mainly of Pacific sailors, who, like General Panfilov’s Siberians, helped defend the country’s capital. In the area of the village of Ivanovskoye, the Germans several times tried to launch, funny to say, “psychic” attacks against the sailors of the 71st naval brigade of Colonel Ya. Bezverkhov. The Marines calmly allowed the Nazis to march at full height in dense chains and then shot them almost point-blank, finishing off those who did not have time to escape in hand-to-hand combat.
About 100 thousand sailors took part in the grandiose Battle of Stalingrad, of which only in the 2nd Guards Army there were up to 20 thousand sailors from the Pacific Fleet and the Amur Flotilla - that is, every fifth soldier in the army of Lieutenant General Rodion Malinovsky (the latter later recalled: “The Pacific sailors fought wonderfully. It was a fighting army! The sailors - brave warriors, heroes!”).
Self-sacrifice - highest degree heroism 
“When the tank approached him, it lay freely and prudently under the caterpillar” - these are lines from the work of Andrei Platonov, and they are dedicated to one of those marines who stopped the column near Sevastopol German tanks – historical fact, which formed the basis of the feature film.
The sailors stopped the German tanks with their bodies and grenades, of which there was exactly one per brother, and therefore each grenade had to hit a German tank. But how to achieve one hundred percent efficiency? A simple decision comes not from the mind, but from the heart, overflowing with love for one’s Motherland and hatred for the enemy: one must tie a grenade to one’s body and lie down exactly under the caterpillar of a tank. There was an explosion and the tank stopped. And after the commander of that combat barrier, political commissar Nikolai Filchenko, a second one rushes under the tanks, followed by a third. And suddenly the unimaginable happens - the surviving Nazi tanks stood up and retreated. The German tank crews simply lost their nerves - they gave up in the face of such terrible and incomprehensible heroism! It turned out that the armor was not the high-quality steel of German tanks, the armor was Soviet sailors dressed in thin vests. Therefore, I would like to recommend that those of our compatriots who admire the traditions and valor of the Japanese samurai, look at the history of their army and navy - there they can easily find all the qualities of professional fearless warriors in those officers, soldiers and sailors who for centuries defended against various adversaries our country. These, our own, traditions must be supported and developed, and not bowed down to a life that is alien to us.
By order of the People's Commissar of the USSR Navy dated July 25, 1942, a Northern defensive region of 32 thousand people was formed in the Soviet Arctic, which was based on three brigades of marines and three separate machine-gun battalions of marines and which for more than two years ensured the stability of the right flank of the Soviet- German front. Moreover, in complete isolation from the main forces, supplies were carried out only by air and sea. Not to mention the fact that war in the harsh conditions of the Far North, when it is impossible to dig a trench in the rocks or hide from aircraft or artillery fire, is a very difficult test. It is not for nothing that a saying was born in the North: “Where a reindeer passes, a marine will pass, and where a reindeer does not pass, a marine will pass anyway.” The first Hero of the Soviet Union in the Northern Fleet was senior sergeant of the Marine Corps V.P. Kislyakov, who remained alone at an important height and held back the onslaught of an enemy of more than a company for more than an hour.
Major Caesar Kunikov, well-known at the front, became the commander of a combined naval landing detachment in January 1943. He wrote to his sister about his subordinates: “I command the sailors, if you could see what kind of people they are! I know that people on the home front sometimes doubt the accuracy of newspaper colors, but these colors are too pale to describe our people.” A detachment of only 277 people landed in the Stanichka area (future Malaya Zemlya), so frightened the German command (especially when Kunikov plainly transmitted a false radiogram: “The regiment landed successfully. We are moving forward. We are waiting for reinforcements”) that they hastily transferred units of as many as two divisions there!
In March 1944, a detachment under the command of Senior Lieutenant Konstantin Olshansky, consisting of 55 Marines of the 384th Marine Battalion and 12 soldiers from one of the neighboring units, distinguished itself. For two days, this “landing into immortality,” as it was called later, pinned down the enemy in the port of Nikolaev with distracting actions, repelled 18 attacks by an enemy combat group of three infantry battalions, supported by half a company of tanks and a gun battery, destroying up to 700 soldiers and officers, as well as two tanks and an entire artillery battery. Only 12 people survived. All 67 soldiers of the detachment were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union - a unique case even for the Great Patriotic War!
During the offensive of the Soviet troops in Hungary, boats of the Danube Flotilla constantly provided fire support to the advancing troops and landed troops, including as part of units and units of the Marine Corps. For example, a battalion of marines distinguished itself by landing on March 19, 1945 in the Tata area and cutting off the enemy’s escape routes along the right bank of the Danube. Realizing this, the Germans sent large forces against the not very large landing force, but the enemy was never able to drop the paratroopers into the Danube.
For their heroism and courage, 200 marines were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and the famous intelligence officer Viktor Leonov, who fought in the Northern Fleet and then stood at the origins of the creation of naval reconnaissance and sabotage units of the Pacific Fleet, was awarded this award twice. And, for example, the personnel of the landing force of Senior Lieutenant Konstantin Olshansky, after whom one of the large landing ships of the Russian Navy is named today, who landed in March 1944 in the port of Nikolaev and at the cost of his life fulfilled the task assigned to him, was awarded this high reward fully. It is less known that of the full holders of the Order of Glory - and there are only 2562 people, there are also four Heroes of the Soviet Union, and one of these four is Marine Sergeant Major P. Kh. Dubinda, who fought as part of the 8th Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet .
Individual parts and connections were also noted. Thus, the 13, 66, 71, 75 and 154th Marine Brigades and Marine Rifle Brigades, as well as the 355th and 365th Marine Battalions were transformed into guards units, many units and formations became Red Banner, and the 83rd and the 255th brigade - even twice Red Banner. The great contribution of the Marines to achieving a common victory over the enemy was reflected in Order No. 371 of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of July 22, 1945: “During the period of defense and offensive of the Red Army, our fleet reliably covered the flanks of the Red Army, which abutted the sea, and dealt serious blows to the trade enemy fleet and shipping and ensured the uninterrupted operation of its communications. The combat activities of Soviet sailors were distinguished by selfless steadfastness and courage, high combat activity and military skill.”
It remains to be noted that many famous heroes of the Great Patriotic War and future commanders fought in the Marine Corps and Marine Rifle Brigades. Yes, creator airborne troops Hero of the Soviet Union, General of the Army V. F. Margelov during the war years was one of the best commanders of marine regiments - he commanded the 1st Special Ski Regiment of the Marine Corps of the Leningrad Front. The commander of the 7th Airborne Division, Major General T.M. Parafilo, who at one time commanded the 1st Special (Separate) Marine Brigade of the Baltic Fleet, also left the Marine Corps. At different times, such famous military leaders as Marshal of the Soviet Union N.V. Ogarkov (in 1942 - brigade engineer of the 61st separate naval rifle brigade of the Karelian Front), Marshal of the Soviet Union S. F. Akhromeev (in 1941 - first-year cadet of the M.V. Frunze Military Military Academy - 3rd fighter separate brigade Marine Corps), Army General N. G. Lyashchenko (in 1943 - commander of the 73rd separate naval rifle brigade of the Volkhov Front), Colonel General I. M. Chistyakov (in 1941–1942 - commander of the 64th naval rifle brigade ).
Today is the holiday of the Marines, this branch of the coastal troops of the Navy is rightfully considered part of the elite of the Armed Forces - along with paratroopers and special forces. Over their more than 310-year history, Marines have fought in hundreds of battles, accomplished many feats, and repeatedly routed the enemy with their mere appearance.
Great Patriotic War only confirmed the indestructible heroism of the Marines.
One of the first heroic pages in the history of the Soviet Marine Corps was the famous Evpatoria landing in January 1942. The operation was preceded by a successful sortie of Soviet sailors from besieged Sevastopol, carried out a month earlier.
A detachment of 56 marines under the command of Captain Vasily Topchiev landed from two boats in the Crimean Yevpatoria, defeated the gendarmerie and police department, destroyed a German plane at the airfield, and several enemy ships and boats in the port. In addition, the soldiers managed to free 120 prisoners of war and return to Sevastopol without losses.
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The Soviet leadership assessed the results of the raid and decided to organize a new, larger-scale operation. On January 5, 1942, the second group under the command of the same captain Topchiev landed in the Evpatoria port.
Having landed troops and unloaded ammunition, the minesweeper and tugboat, firing back, retreated to the sea.
From hotel roofs "Crimea" And "Beau Rivage" Large-caliber machine guns fired at the paratroopers. A fierce battle took place for the hotel "Crimea", was affected by the lack of heavy weapons. The Marines rushed deeper into the city.
Having captured the area of modern street. Revolutions, both churches on which German searchlights stood, and the building of the labor school (now gymnasium No. 4), the main forces of the landing moved to the area of the old city, from where the uprising of the townspeople was supposed to begin.
The sailors broke into the city hospital, where at that time there was a German hospital. The charge of hatred towards the occupiers was so high that the Germans were even killed with their bare hands.
From the memoirs of A. Kornienko: “We burst into the hospital... we destroyed the Germans with knives, bayonets and rifle butts, threw them through the windows into the street...”
The good knowledge of the neighborhoods by the Evpatoria sailors ensured success at the first stage of the operation. The police station (now the Makarenko Library) was occupied by employees of the Evpatoria city department of the NKVD, who transported a safe, documents and photographs from the police department and photo studio to the ships.
While the battle was flaring up in the center of the city, a group of reconnaissance captain-lieutenant Litovchuk that had landed earlier moved forward, encountering virtually no resistance. They threw grenades at a coastal battery located on Cape Karantiny and captured a power plant located here.
Having gained a foothold, the sailors began to move along the sea along the street. Gorky towards the new city. Here, behind the Udarnik sanatorium, a detachment of reconnaissance officers entered into battle with an enemy unit and forced it to retreat to the Gestapo building (the building of the resort clinic of the Udarnik sanatorium).
A hand-to-hand fight broke out in the courtyard of the building where the Gestapo was located. The Gestapo building was defended mainly by local accomplices of the occupiers, who defended themselves desperately, realizing what awaited them if they were captured. The paratroopers were unable to occupy the Gestapo building; there were too few scouts.
The sailors who landed on the grain pier were also initially successful. Having shot the Romanian mounted patrol on the street. Revolutions, they, practically without resistance, took possession of the warehouses "Zagotzerno" and a prisoner of war camp located near the cemetery. Up to five hundred military personnel were released from captivity.
The paratroopers received unusually active support civilian population. Of the prisoners of war released from a camp near warehouses "Zagotzerno", the sailors formed a detachment with the name "It's all about Hitler" numbering up to 200 people, the rest were so exhausted that they practically could not move or hold weapons in their hands.
By morning almost all Old city was cleared of the Germans. The front line ran along the modern streets of Dm. Ulyanov - International - Matveev - Revolution. All new town and the resort area remained in the hands of the Nazis. Fierce battle for the building of the Crimea Hotel ended only at 7 am. The battalion headquarters was located here.
Unfortunately, she was unable to repeat the success of the first. The Germans, taught by bitter experience, pulled large forces into the city and quickly surrounded the detachment, and after two days of continuous fighting it was defeated.
From the memoirs of the commander of the 70th Engineer Battalion, Hubert Ritter von Heigl: “The Russians fired at the attackers mercilessly. Our forces were exhausted, but with the arrival of the reconnaissance battalion of the 22nd division and the 70th engineer battalion, the army regiments were quickly replenished. By 1400 we were taking house after house. The offensive continued with the help of the effective introduction of fighters into the battle. .. From behind every corner and barely fortified shelters, someone showed up and shot. Sappers took over the protection of the units, with their own means of fighting. They attacked the resistance with flamethrowers, demolition ammunition and gasoline."
The fierce battle lasted up to 4 hours. The sailors were sorely short of ammunition. Ammunition for the 100th gun " was also coming to an end.
Taking into account the situation of the battalion, Lieutenant Commander K.V. Buzinov gave the order for a general retreat to the sea in order to hold at least the embankment until the arrival of the second echelon. However, there was no communication between the headquarters and many units. In fact, the battle broke up into a series of street fights. The story with the hospital repeated itself, but now the roles have changed.
About fifty seriously wounded ended up in the hands of the enraged Germans. They were shot at point-blank range. All sailors took enemy bullets in the face, not one turned away. Doctors Glitsos and Balakhchi (both Greeks by nationality), as well as one of the orderlies, died along with them.
Around five o'clock in the evening at the hotel "Crimea" the surviving paratroopers gathered. Of the seven hundred and forty people, only 123 remained, many were wounded, along with them there were about two hundred fighters from among the liberated prisoners and local residents, but there were few weapons, there were almost no cartridges.
It became clear that the shore could not be held. Therefore, Buzinov made a decision - to split into groups and make their way through the city into the steppe. We fought our way along Krasnoarmeiskaya Street to Internatsionalnaya, then went through Slobodka.
Some paratroopers managed to escape from the city. 48 people went to the Mamai quarries (according to another version, they hid for a day in a house on Russkaya Street, 4 near Praskovya Perekrestenko and Maria Glushko), and from there, in fives, they dispersed throughout the surrounding villages, many subsequently fought in partisan detachments. Some of the fighters tried to take refuge in the city. The last center of resistance in the city was a group of paratroopers entrenched on the upper floors of the Crimea Hotel. Here the battle continued until the morning of January 6.
From the memoirs of the commander of the 70th engineer battalion, H.R. von Heigl: “Before daylight, we were so close to the last center of resistance... that the retreat of the Russian infantry became impossible. I, with my strike group with flamethrowers, explosive charges and 4 cans of gasoline, managed to capture the basement of the main building... The Russians defended the last bastion until they complete destruction is incredibly courageous..."
17 paratroopers, led by Buzinov, were surrounded by the Nazis near the village of Oraz (now Koloski). They took up defensive positions on top of an ancient mound. During the battle, all paratroopers died. In 1977, during archaeological excavations, the remains of naval belts, ribbons from caps, spent cartridges, a naval badge, and a field bag were discovered on the top of the mound. All this is in the trench where they took last Stand sailors of battalion commander Buzinov.
Soon the submarine M-33 landed 13 scouts ashore to search for the missing group. The Germans pressed them to the sea too. A hopeless situation developed - it was impossible to evacuate the detachment due to the storm. A week later, the group commander, Commissar Ulyan Latyshev, transmitted the last radiogram - “We are blowing ourselves up with our grenades. Farewell!”
Later, the enemy repeatedly noted the open contempt of the Soviet marines for captivity and their willingness to die rather than leave their positions. No wonder the Germans respectfully nicknamed the Marines “Black Death.”
