Everyone know Waffen-SS formations (they wer bravest, fight to the last solider, newer surrender, were fantics etc.) But only a few people know they were not alone and unique and not the first fantics army created inside army for maintain army. Rusians were inventors of special political army. NKVD knows on the world rather as inteligence and secret political police has a very big military force with his own artilery, tanks and aircrafts. So if we d'like compare this to well know nazi regime NKVD was rather something like SS than Gestapo.
First qestion
Why this forces were created?
NKVD military forces was created because like SS in germany were pretorians of the Stalin. They were a loyal force to defend the fater of the nation against political enemy in army for example rebel high rank comanders that is the reason of existing tanks and another military toys in this forces. They were a silent threat for every commander from Red Army. Party has too a weapons like your unit so be polite.
Qestion two
Structure of NKVD military force?
- Border Guard NKVD units
The base of this forces were "Border Units" similar regiment in red army. They were in juni 1941 in 17 district olong the border existing 96 units. Besides this big formations were to border hedeqarters units 18 similar to infantery battalion from red army. And 52 indenpendent border company. Reserve of this border force were 10 motorized rifle regiments , 7 regiments of cavalery and one leg rifle regiment. The number was circa 127.3 thousand soliders along the borders, 26.1 thousand in reserve together with rear units is 158 thousand soliders border guard service only.
- Operational NKVD force
Created 28.02.1941 the moust important was 1 Indenpendent Rifle Motorised Division for special duties of F. Dzierzynski. Moreover this force consists from 13 indenpendent regiments of motorised infantery, 1 infantery regiment, 4 cavalery regiments, 4 indenpendent infantery battalions and one indenpendent infantery company. After Barbarossa from this units were created 4 motorised NKVD divisions. Manpower of this forces were 27.8 hundreds soliders.
- Railway guard forces
Created in 1928. Was organised into regiments of infantery. Insaid this force was too a crews of armoured trains. In 02.1941 regiments were join into Railway guard infantery divisions. Manpower in 06.1941 was 63.7 hundred soliders.
- Forces of the guard importants structures
This forces was made from Divisions. Manpower in 06.1941 was 29.3 hundred soliders.
- Convoy forces
This force was similar to SS Einsatsgruppen from germany. That was the crew of Death Camp on archipelago Gulag. This solider were on watch towers and guards prisoners during work. Were organized into rifle division. Exists two rifle divisions and six indenpendent regiments. Manpower 38.3 hundreds soliders.
- In the years 1939-1941 this forces were consolidated from regiments into brigades and in 02.1941 into divisions and created this divisions of full strenght.
1 Rifle motorised Div of F.Dzierzynski (in Moskva from operational force)
2 Rifle Div (in Leningrad from railway force)
3 Rifle Div (Western military district from railway force)
4 Rifle Div (Kiev military district from railway force)
5 Rifle Div (Siberia from railway force)
6 Rifle Div (seaside cauntry from railway force)
7 Rifle Div (Siberia from railway force)
9 Rifle Div (Western military district from railway force)
10 Rifle Div (South Western military district from railway force)
11 Rifle Div (Moskva from Forces of the guard importants structures)
12 Rifle Div (Moskva from Forces of the guard importants structures)
13 Rifle Div (Western Ukraine from Convoy forces)
14 Rifle Div (Moskva from Convoy forces)
20 Rifle Div (Leningrad from Forces of the guard importants structures)
21 Rifle Div (Far North front from operational force)
22 Rifle Div (West North front from operational force)
23 Rifle Div (West-South front from operational force)
Qestion three
What role play special NKVD. What are they doing?
First and more important they keep a discipline and order in good condition in another units. They control civilians on the occupied teritory and fight with real and imaginary diversants and enemys. In the critical situations they were throw on the front in the most important places like SS units for rescue the frontline. The strenght of this units follow like in SS from fanantics. This soliders never surrender (germans don't takes NKVD soliders as POW). For this forces are taken only young men birth after 1917 this people was political "certain" the kids of political commissioner, party activist, the members of Konsomol(comunist Hitlerjugend), ideological comunists. The selection plays very important role like for Waffen-SS
Qestion Four
NKVD Army?
Yes exists during war. In the october 1942 was created whole 70th NKVD army in the Swierdlowsk and was under direct cammand from STAVKA (High HQ) gen. Tarasow. Consists from 102, 106, 140, 162, 175 and 181 rifle divisions with tanks units and artilery. In the February 1943 fight in the Orel direction for relive Woronez front. The atack was a disaster general Tarasow was replaced. Than this army fight near Kursk with german 505s.pz.Abt with Tiger tanks and Ferdinands from 654 pz.JAbt. and also with tanks from 2 PZ Division. During this fights 50% of strenght was lost. Then after replacements fight on Belorusian front on the direction Lublin-Briest Litvowsk and than in 1945 in Torun and Gdansk. Than in Szczecin and in direction Rostok-Wismar. This army has his own museum in Jekaterynburg created in 1975 because before existing of this army was Top Secret and speech abut this army was forbiden.(Rusians: sekretno)
Qestion Five
Armament of NKVD units?
Was like in front units but similary like in SS they has first the new weapons and precedence for supply. For example the first aquired american jeep and new trucks from Leand lease gooes to NKVD. So they were one of the best equiped rusian soliders during war.
In the erly thirty years NKVD tanks units based on T-27 tankettes they have 52 of this vehicle. Than about 1936 they take from fabric about 200 BT-7 tanks. They have too armoured cars like FAI , BA-20, BA-6 and BA-10. During the war tanks moust be similar to tipical red army units.
So as you see the force of Secret police was wery big similar to medium europe cauntry in this time. They are not "famous" like SS unit because his role was cover by secret like all about rusian political police.
Links to pages about NKVD military forces and their operations during war
http://www.1jma.dk/articles/1jmaarticlesNKVD.htm
http://www.1jma.dk/articles/1jmaarticleswwNKVD2.htm
My source the book Army of NKVD 1917-1946 [WOJSKA NKWD 1917-1946]in polish with the creator of NKVD Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky know as Iron Felix on the cover.
Re: NKVD Force
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