Combat service of the Marine Corps of the USSR. Soviet Marines in Angola. Reforming the Marine Corps

Voentorg "Voenpro" continues its series of materials about one of the most legendary military branches in Soviet and Russian history.

Our country is the real pride of the Russian people. After all, it was in these troops that a real Russian soldier dreamed and still dreams of serving to this day. It is here that those unforgettable moments of service await him, which will remain with him throughout his life.

History of the Marine Corps of the USSR

Now I would like to go back a little to the past and see in more detail how the Marine Corps was formed and developed in the USSR.

The history of the Soviet marines dates back to the distant 1700s, when Peter the Great ordered the formation of the first regiment of marines. The army was small compared to elite troops that time. However, she had her own traditions, which, after several centuries, are observed by soldiers to this day.

Significant experience, which decades later was used by the Soviet, Russian troops received after the war with Napoleon, as well as after the Crimean and Japanese battles. We do not exclude the fact that many infantrymen did not return back at that time, but, nevertheless, the marines are famous and proud of their soldiers. They fought steadfastly for Russia. The same principle was adopted from its predecessors by the Marine Corps of the USSR.

But, it is worth paying attention to the fact that with the advent of Soviet power the marines have completely disappeared. We do not exclude the version that the communists decided to completely destroy this type of troops. For what reason they were going to do this, we do not know. However, due to their resilience, the marines did not disappear. And resumed its existence in 1940. Just before the start of World War II.

It was at this time that she already acquired the status of permanence and contributed to the course of the war. After all, at that time it was already more than 350,000 people. All of them fought valiantly and proudly in military skirmishes. About five brigades of the Marine Corps of the Great Patriotic War clearly and timely fulfilled their mission. Now we can say with full confidence and pride that thanks to the participation of the Marine Corps in the battles of the Great Patriotic War, our troops managed to win more than one battle.

The Marine Corps still exists today. Only real Soldiers are taken to serve there, who will proudly carry out their service. Which, despite any difficulties, will glorify the marines and honestly carry out their service.

In our country, November 27 was dedicated specifically to the Marine Corps. On this day, it is customary to remember the main paraphernalia of the Marine Corps.

We are ready to offer you a wide range of different symbols of this holiday. It's no secret that many soldiers of the Marine Corps of the USSR and Russia are quite serious about their holiday. On this day, they do not bathe in fountains, do not shoot a gun, but it is customary for them to get Russia and with honor, walking the streets of their city, be proud that he is a real infantryman. In this case, a flag depicting the symbols of the Marine Corps will be an excellent gift for a real Russian fighter. In our store you can find large collection various flags depicting the main symbol of this holiday.

Other equally memorable gifts are also at your service. Namely, bright and original, tempting and memorable, key chains with the image, mugs and lighters with the main symbol of the upcoming holiday, as well as a large number of pleasant trifles with the image of the main symbol of the Marine Corps.

It doesn’t matter who you are: relatives, friends or just acquaintances, remember that by presenting a gift for the Marine Corps holiday to a real infantryman, you will give him, remembering the happy years of service in the Marine Corps of the USSR and Russia in the best army in the country.

And we are ready to help you make right choice. It is here that you can find something that is sure to please the marine. Large selection, first-class service, reasonable prices - this is all you need in order not to make a mistake with a gift. And remember that a gift for a marine fighter is, first of all, memories. That is what we are ready to offer you.

The military command of the young Soviet Republic highly appreciated the excellent moral and combat qualities of military sailors. In January 1918, the directive of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs stated: "It is necessary to dress up a platoon of comrade sailors for each echelon of volunteers (composition of 1000 people) in order to solder them." During the civil war, about 75 thousand sailors fought on the land fronts. The largest land formation of military sailors was created in 1920. in Mariupol for the defense of the coast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and combat operations in the landing forces, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Division, which was essentially a division of the Marine Corps. It consisted of four regiments of two battalions each, a cavalry regiment, an artillery brigade, an engineer battalion and numbered about 5 thousand people. The creation of the first Soviet generation of marines of the Navy began in the late 1930s, on the eve of World War II. The order of the commander of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet dated June 17, 1939 stated: “... In accordance with the instructions of the People's Commissar of the Navy, proceed with the formation of a separate special one for temporary peacetime states! rifle brigade stationed in Kronstadt ... "December 11, 1939 by order People's Commissar The Navy was instructed: "... The special rifle brigade of the KBF is considered a coastal defense unit with its subordination to the Military Council of the KBF." This was the first step towards the creation of the marines as regular special forces in the fleet. The year of the creation of the Soviet marines is 1940, when the order of the People's Commissar of the Navy on April 25, 1940 prescribed: "... By 05/15/1940, reorganize a separate special rifle brigade into the 1st special brigade of the marines." Unfortunately, in prewar years experience of land naval detachments has not been properly summarized and used. By the beginning of World War II, the USSR Navy had only one brigade of marines, and the need for it arose literally from the first hours and days of the war. It was necessary to make up for lost time in the most difficult conditions of the initial period of the war.

You can lament about the actions of the Marine Corps during the Great Patriotic War.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, most formations and units of the USSR marines were disbanded. Not a single battalion or brigade of the Marine Corps that participated in the Great Patriotic War was saved. The newly formed units had exclusively "land" roots in rifle divisions. The reasons for this are unknown, especially since the "dismounted" sailors showed indisputable valor rightly receiving the nickname "black death" from the Germans.

The presence of only one formation is known - the 1st Marine Division of the Baltic Fleet. She was stationed on the Porkkala-Udd peninsula leased from Finland. It was formed on the basis of the 55th Mozyr Red Banner Rifle Division in November 1944 after the transfer of the last of the Ground Forces to the Navy. It consisted of: 1st infantry regiment (former 107th Luninets Red Banner joint venture), 2nd infantry infantry regiment (former 111th Luninets Red Banner joint venture), 3rd infantry infantry regiment (former 228th Pinsk joint venture), 1 -th ap mp (former 84th ap), 1st TP mp (former 185th Leningrad order. Kutuzova detachment). The connection lasted until January 1956, when it and its units were withdrawn from Finland and were disbanded.

However, attempts to use even specially trained units of the Ground Forces in the sea landing operations did not lead to positive results. In this connection, in the late 1950s, the question arose of creating specialized amphibious assault formations. And then, under the patronage of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet S. G. Gorshkov, according to the directive of the Ministry of Defense No. ORG / 3 / 50340 of June 7, 1963, on the basis of the 336th Guards fleet that received the exercises. SMEs from the BVO, in July of the same year, the 336th Bialystok Order of Suvorov and Alexander Nevsky Guards Separate Marine Corps Regiment (OPMP) was formed. The location of the regiment is the city of Baltiysk (Kaliningrad region). The first commander - Mrs. Colonel Shapranov P.T.

In December 1963, the 390th OMP was created at the Pacific Fleet (base in Slavyansk, 6 km from Vladivostok).

In July 1966, on the basis of the 61st motorized rifle regiment of the 131st motorized rifle division of the LVO, the 61st separate Red Banner Kirkenes marine infantry regiment was formed in the Northern Fleet.

Then, after joint exercises, just created, the Baltic OMPP together with the Romanian and Bulgarian armies on the territory of Bulgaria, in November 1966, one of the battalions of the regiment remained at the Black Sea Fleet as the 309th OMP and next year served as the basis for the formation of the 810th OPMP of the Black Sea Fleet (formed in November 1967).

In 1967-68, in the Pacific Fleet, the 55th Marine Division was deployed on the basis of the existing 390th Marine Corps. To preserve historical continuity, the regalia of the former division of the MP BF, disbanded in 1956, but with a different numbering of regiments, passed to it.

Later, a separate battalion of marines was additionally formed as part of the Caspian flotilla.

Thus, by the beginning of the 1970s, the Soviet marines had one division, three divisions. shelf and one otd. battalion.

The Cold War was such only on paper; in fact, the intensity of its battles was a little less than the "hot" war. The Marine Corps took Active participation V long hikes and often assigned to specific tasks. Our marines had to visit many corners the globe: Egypt, Syria, Ethiopia, Malta, Greece, Angola, Vietnam, India, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Madagascar, Somalia, Pakistan, Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome - you can’t list everything. The Soviet "black berets" had to pacify both separatists and terrorists. As it happened in Ethiopia, where a company of marines, reinforced by a tank platoon, landed in the port of Massau and entered into combat contact with the separatists who were in charge of the city. In the Seychelles in November 1981, a landing of marines under the command of Captain V. Oblogi prevented an attempted coup d'état.

Our marines also contributed to the independence of Egypt, although few people remember this. But in Port Said, a battalion of marines for several days in the morning occupied positions in the second echelon of defense of the Egyptian army, covering its rear, and in the evening returned back to the ships. However, our marines did not have to participate in the hostilities. As the former head of the coastal troops of the Navy, Lieutenant General Pavel Shilov, recalled, “with the advent of the first Soviet landing ships near Port Said, the Israelis stopped taking any active actions in the nearest border zone, although before that the city and the positions of the Arab troops around it were repeatedly raided enemy aircraft and shelling.

In fact, since 1967, combat service for the Soviet marines in the oceans has become regular. Navy MP units carried it mainly on board Project 771 medium landing ships - a reinforced platoon of marines with weapons and military equipment, as well as Project 775 large landing ships - as part of a reinforced company of marines (the capacity of such ships is up to 12 armored vehicles), or projects 1171 and 1174 - as part of a reinforced battalion of marines (capacity of ships, respectively - up to 40 and up to 80 units of various armored vehicles, including main battle tanks). Sometimes such combat services lasted for six months or more, and in March 1979, for example, the 1st Marine Battalion of the 61st Marine Regiment of the Red Banner Northern Fleet (landing commander Major A. Noskov) was sent to combat service of record duration - 11 months. Which surpasses most autonomous navigation of nuclear submarines.

A fundamentally new stage in the history of the Soviet marines began in November 1979, when, on the basis of the directive of the Main Headquarters of the Navy No. 730/1/00741 of September 3, 1979, individual regiments were reorganized into separate brigades.

It should be noted that the transfer of a regiment to a brigade is not just a renaming, as it may seem from the outside, but, in this case, a change in status military formation from a tactical unit to a tactical formation, in other words, it receives a status equivalent to a division. At the same time, the battalions that make up the brigade become tactical units and are referred to as "separate".

In the early 1980s, in addition to the existing formations, the 175th Division was additionally formed in the Northern Fleet. marine brigade.

During this period, the Marines took an active part in various exercises. For example, in the summer of 1981, a battalion tactical group of the MPs of the USSR Navy under the command of Lieutenant Colonel V. Abashkin, at a joint Soviet-Syrian exercise, successfully carried out a landing afloat in an unfamiliar area - in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe city and the Syrian naval base of Latakia. And then our marines advanced deep into the territory, into the desert and crushed the resistance of the imaginary enemy.

In 1982, the Luch exercise was conducted in the Pacific Fleet, within the framework of which, under conditions as close as possible to combat, a large amphibious landing was carried out from ships on the coast fortified by the enemy. The uniqueness of the teaching was that it took place at night without the use of any lighting devices. Management was carried out only with the help of infrared equipment. And that was over thirty years ago!

According to the memoirs of Rear Admiral Kirill Tulin, who served in those years in the division of the KTOF amphibious assault forces, landing on ships also took place at night. The ships were landing with their lights off, using only IR equipment. Crews were strictly forbidden to use means of communication, as well as those who made the march. Commanders could only use protected lights.

The landing forces and attached fire support ships numbered more than fifty units of various classes and types (projects). They were divided into two landing detachments and a support detachment. The transition to the landing site in the Vladimirskaya Bay of the Ussuri Bay was completed in three days. At the appointed time, at night, the detachments approached the landing site. Of all the lights, only “glowing” bombs hanging in the air, with the help of which attached aircraft naval aviation highlighted "workable" targets. Before the ground had settled from the explosions of the last bombs, fire support ships moved forward. And the earth reared up again. Then the landing ships quickly passed through the formation of support ships, and the actual landing began.

Airborne assault units of the marines went to the bridgehead on project 1206 landing hovercraft (of the Kalmar type), which were fired from the large-capacity large-capacity landing ships Ivan Rogov and Alexander Nikolaev. Moreover, for better orientation, the paratroopers were given hydrofoil torpedo boats. Hundreds of fighters quickly left the landing craft and ships, taking turns capturing the lines of defense of a mock enemy. And all this in complete darkness! As far as the author knows, such an event has not been held in any country in the world. Even in the United States, which has ten times the size of the Russian Marine Corps.

But a year later, in June 1983, an even larger exercise was held on the Black Sea. For the first time, the Marine Brigade in full force landed at night afloat with the simultaneous release of paratroopers. According to the recollections of the participants in that exercise, about two thousand marines (including reservists called up from the reserve), who had at their disposal up to four hundred units of various equipment, went to the bridgehead from the sea and from heaven to the bridgehead.

In 1985, a battalion of marines from Baltic Fleet was put on landing ships that made the transition from Baltiysk to the Rybachy Peninsula in the North. There, they immediately landed afloat on an unfamiliar training ground, completed their task, and then made a return landing on landing ships located far from the coast and returned by sea to their place of permanent deployment.

In 1989, during the period of preparation for the Treaty on the Limitation of Armed Forces in Europe (hereinafter referred to as CFE), four motorized rifle divisions were transferred to the Coastal Forces.

November 29, 1989, in the period of preparation for the Treaty on the Limitation of Armed Forces in Europe (hereinafter - CFE), instead of 2 branches of the fleet forces (MP and BRAV), a single branch of forces was created - Coastal Forces (BV), while being part of the BV, on December 1 1989, four motorized rifle divisions were transferred (during the transfer they received the names of coastal defense divisions), one artillery brigade and two artillery regiments, as well as a detachment. machine gun artillery battalion.

Organizationally, the Marine Corps was part of the Coastal Forces - a branch of forces (troops) of the Navy, which, in addition to the MP, also included the formation of the coastal defense troops themselves - parts of coastal artillery and coastal installations of anti-ship missiles, security and defense units of the Naval Base (objects), anti-sabotage units (including . and PDSS), etc. In 1989, troops were added to these forces capable of conducting a combined arms battle with an enemy landing force that had seized a bridgehead and drop it into the sea. In addition to the indicated motorized rifle divisions, some artillery units were also transferred to the BV. A natural question arises, why were they transferred only in 1989, and not earlier? The fact is that these forces had a similar purpose before, but a similar task (destruction of the landing troops) was assigned not to the fleet, but to the SV. In 1989, preparations were underway for the signing of the Treaty on the Limitation of Armed Forces in Europe (CFE). Since the forces of the fleet were not subject to reduction, four motorized rifle divisions were transferred to the Navy (they became known as coastal defense divisions), one artillery brigade, two artillery regiments, as well as a separate machine gun and artillery battalion. The navy used to have coastal defense units. They were called the Coastal Rocket and Artillery Troops (BRAV), just like the marines, they were a separate branch of the fleet forces that had their own tasks. These are artillery units and divisions of coastal missile systems, security and defense units of naval bases and facilities, anti-sabotage units.

After December 1989, the BRAV was formally merged with the Marine Corps, creating a single Coastal Forces. Former land formations and units were also added to them. They had heavy weapons and could conduct combined arms combat on the coast, fight enemy amphibious assaults. It must be said that the fight against landings has always been entrusted to the Ground Forces, and, at first glance, little has changed from the transfer of divisions to the fleet. But in this way they kept the defense potential from reduction. And besides, the former ground divisions strengthened the overall potential of the fleet, including the marines - one of the most trained constituent parts armed forces.

Motorized rifle divisions and artillery subordinate to the fleet could participate in landing operations in the second echelon, gaining a foothold on the bridgeheads captured by assault units. Having heavy weapons, they could conduct an offensive and develop the success of naval operations. All these forces did not change their point of permanent deployment and were based in coastal areas. Such a reorganization could give a new impetus to the development of the fleet forces. If this had not been prevented by an unforeseen circumstance... On June 14, 1991, at the CFE conference in Vienna, at the initiative of MS Gorbachev, the Soviet delegation decided to take on additional norms for the reduction of conventional weapons. The last president of the USSR, just before the destruction of the country, decided to make a gift to NATO - he included the weapons of the Coastal Forces (including the marines) in the overall reductions. Thus, all the benefits from the transfer of ground formations and units to the fleet were destroyed and the development of one of the most successful military branches in our history was suppressed.

In addition to RBS, MP, and other things, the coastal and ground forces of the Navy included: the 1st security battalion of the Main Headquarters of the Navy (Moscow), Nth battalion protection and escort of cargoes of the Navy (Moscow), four separate battalions of protection of the headquarters of the fleets (for example, the 300th - in the Black Sea Fleet) and in each fleet - a separate company of protection and escort of cargoes.

The Marine Corps as a separate combat unit did not participate in the hostilities in Afghanistan in 1979-1989, although a voluntary recruitment was carried out among the Marines to form infantry units. So, for example, in November 1984, the 12th Motorized Rifle Regiment was formed in Kaliningrad, which included a lot of marines from Baltiysk and the training camps of the Baltic Military District, because. they fit in every way. Naturally, everyone was dressed in infantry uniforms, vests were taken away, leaving short boots, because. The time for issuing uniforms has passed. At the end of the war, this regiment was disbanded.

The total strength of the Soviet MP in 1990, according to peacetime states, was: in the European part - 7.6 thousand, and with a 5,000th division of the Pacific Fleet - approx. 12.6 thousand hours (according to other sources, the total number of Soviet marines in peacetime was about 15,000 people.) In wartime, the number of MP formations increased significantly - about three times at least and, in addition, additional units were formed (for example, the 8th reserve regiment of marines in the Northern Fleet).

General information on the composition and deployment of formations and units of the Soviet marines and coastal defense at the beginning of 1991 is presented in the following table:

Unlike all other types and branches of the military, the division of the military heritage of the Soviet Union between the newly formed state formations almost did not affect the marines. The only one who could claim the formation of the MP on its territory was Ukraine. But, oddly enough, being very reverent about everything that remained of the USSR Armed Forces, she did not begin to show these feelings for the 810th Black Sea Brigade (she received only 50% of the share of her weapons and equipment, which were due under the Treaty on the Division of the Black Sea Fleet). In Kyiv, for some reason, they decided to form their own marines from a "clean slate". The first battalion appeared at the beginning. 1993, and by the end of 1994 the entire brigade was deployed (see table in the article

Defense of Odessa.

Marine of the Baltic Fleet. 1941 year.

1941, the defense of Odessa. Marines from different ships of the Black Sea Fleet communicate with the infantry.

1941, the defense of Odessa, Dalnik. Marines consider trophies.

Serious signalman. Most likely - also the defense of Odessa.

Odessa port. Evacuation of Marines from Odessa to Sevastopol. October 41st.

On guard of the Motherland. October 41st.

Marines of the KBF against the backdrop of the Hermitage.

Kislyakov, Vasily Pavlovich. The first Hero of the Soviet Union in the Northern Fleet.

Chief Petty Officer M.P. Anikin, who distinguished himself in the landing operation.

Many of the fighters believed that they would look better in the photo if they equipped themselves with all the weapons of the squad, or even the platoon))

similar situation))

Marines at rest. Crimea, autumn 1941.

Marines of the Northern Fleet on the Kola Peninsula pose with Lenl-Lease Tommy Guns.

Marine nurses.

Marine signalmen at work.

Rubakho Filipp Yakovlevich, sniper. He destroyed 346 enemy soldiers and officers (according to other sources - 323), blew up 8 bunkers, a tank, a mortar, trained 72 snipers. GSS posthumously.

Marines of the Baltic Fleet with a little girl, Lyusya, whose parents died during the blockade.

The landing of the marines.

Marine Corps goes ashore in Sevastopol.

Performance of the Song and Dance Ensemble in front of the defenders of Sevastopol. Early 1942

Most likely - an airborne assault on the Arabat Spit before landing. Kerch-Feodosiya operation.

On the left is the political instructor of the assault detachment of the Feodosia landing Ponomarev, on the right is the commander of the machine-gun platoon chief foreman Semichev, who shielded him from the bullet.

Soviet marines install a ship's guis on the very high point Kerch - Mount Mithridates. Crimea.

Bayonet attack.

Sevastopol, 1942.

Sevastopol, 1942.

Apparently Crimea, 1942.

Crimea, 1942.

Soldiers of the 7th Marine Brigade in action. Crimea, 1942.

A group of scouts from the 7th Marine Brigade is returning from a mission. Crimea, April 1942.

Soldiers of the 7th brmp. Sevastopol, May 1942.

Red Navy sailors P.P. Strepetkov and P.I. Rudenko destroyed 17 German soldiers in hand-to-hand combat.
Sevastopol, May 1942

Armored train of the Azov flotilla "For the Motherland" with 76-mm universal naval guns. North Caucasian Front, August 1942.

Troopers of the Northern Fleet.

Radna Ayusheev, sniper of the 63rd BRMP. The photo was taken during the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation. Only during this operation, Radna Ayusheev destroyed 25 Nazis. Missing.

Soviet Marine with captured PP.

Landing on vehicles paratroopers of the 254th Marine Brigade, 1942. If you look closely, it is noticeable that most are armed with captured weapons.

Stalingrad, autumn 1942.
A soldier from the North Sea of ​​the 92nd Rifle Brigade receives a party card before the battle.

Signalman in Stalingrad.

Soviet patrol in Stalingrad.

Probably Malaya Zemlya.

Sniper of the 255th Marine Brigade Yelizaveta Mironova. On September 10, 1943, in the battles for Novorossiysk, she was seriously wounded and died on September 29 in a hospital at the age of 19. Personal account - about 100 Nazis. The photo was taken in Novorossiysk shortly before his death.

Training of soldiers of the assault battalion Ts. Kunikova. North Caucasus, winter 1943.

A Soviet marine fishes captured Germans out of the water.

A Soviet marine is guarding captured German naval gunners. Crimea, early 1944.

Marines of the landing squad of Caesar Kunnikov in Gelendzhik after the award.

181st Special Reconnaissance Detachment of the Northern Fleet. Autumn 1944, after cape Krestovoy was taken.

Leonov Viktor Nikolaevich, commander of the 181st special reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet. The only twice Hero Soviet Union in the marines.

Agafonov Semyon Mikhailovich, commander of the 181st special reconnaissance detachment of the Northern Fleet, foreman of the 1st article. Hero of the Soviet Union.

Sergeant Major Grigory Pashkov, 1944

In liberated Bucharest.

Consolidated regiment of the Navy at the Victory Parade on Red Square. June 45th.

The same, in the same place, but colored.

Amur military flotilla. Foreman of the 1st article of the monitor "Krasny Vostok" V.P. Pilipenko. 1945 year.

Sailors-paratroopers Pacific Fleet hoist the naval ensign over the bay of Port Arthur. August 25, 1945.

Sailors of the Pacific Fleet after the liberation of the Far East.

And in a separate section, not in chronological order:

Evdokia Zavaliy. Reconnaissance platoon commander of the 83rd Marine Brigade. "Frau Black Commissar". 4 wounds, 2 contusions.

Ekaterina Demina, GSS. She went to the front at the age of 15.

Sanitary instructor of the 369th separate battalion of marines of the Danube military flotilla chief foreman Mikhailova E.I. On August 22, 1944, when crossing the Dniester estuary, she was one of the first to reach the coast as part of the landing force, provided first aid to seventeen seriously wounded sailors, suppressed the fire of a heavy machine gun, threw grenades at the bunker and destroyed over 10 Nazis.

Jung from the sunken leader "Tashkent".

Nakhimov Petya Parovov, born in 1928 guard sergeant. In the battles at the front, he was one of the first to break into Novgorod occupied by the Nazis.

Nakhimovites - participants in the war, from left to right: Grisha Mikhailov - during the liberation of Kharkov, captured a fascist staff officer, Kostya Gavrishin - a cabin boy on a minesweeper, wounded in the head, drowned, saved the flag of the ship, Vova Fedorov - partisan near Smolensk from the age of 12, Petya Parovov, Sasha Starichkov - fought on three fronts, was the liaison commander of the regiment, Kolya Senchugov - cleared the minefield.

One of the pages unknown wars" THE USSR

In 1977, on the Arabian Peninsula and in Africa, the situation escalated sharply, as the political officer simply explained to us, “the Somali separatists rolled a barrel against the socialist Ethiopians”, they also claimed the Yemeni territories.

So our trip began from the port of Mogadishu, but the Somalis did not let us into the port. Then the escort ship BOD "Chapaev" approached, made a U-turn in the harbor, and the port was open for us.

Families of diplomats and specialists were taken away by other vessels, and our ship (large craft "50 years of patronage of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League") was loaded with airfield equipment, aviation tankers. On the high seas, we transferred all this to dry cargo ships. The task was not easy, but did it carefully, only one KrAZ had a broken frame.

And after that we went to Socotra to explain to the Somalis whose island it was. By that time, Yemen had already sent troops there, we transferred their tank brigade (T-34), specialists, products to the island.

The command of the Somali army knew firsthand what the Soviet marines were capable of.

Back in September-October 1972. in the course of joint exercises in the area of ​​​​the port of Bulakhar (west of Berbera), the Soviet marines of the Pacific Fleet immediately broke through the prepared antiamphibious defense of the Somali troops after landing and, having made an 80-kilometer march in the desert, reached the port of Berbera.

The Minister of Defense of Somalia, General M.A. Samantar, was also present at the exercises.

Accordingly, in November 1977. after the landing in Mogadishu with one PT-76 amphibious tank and two BTR-60 armored personnel carriers, the Somalis did not try to counteract the actions of our sailors, and did not interfere in anything.

Moreover, this was fraught for the Somalis themselves, because what appeared before the eyes of our marines outraged them very much.

Here is what one of the landing participants recalled: “On the shore, stacks of boxes with the very property that the Somali leadership decided to appropriate for themselves rose like a wall. Behind these piles on a high-rise were armed people. And in front of the stacks on a narrow strip along the pier were Soviet specialists with families, or rather, some of them. The rest were at the Mogadishu airport.

On this narrow strip of land they spent either two or three days under the scorching sun. It was scary to get out of there, because from time to time they shot at the piles. The people were in despair.

When the landing craft came to their rescue, the women cried, and one of them could not stand it and jumped into the water from a high pier with her child. The sailors immediately picked her up, and then fired several bursts over that barricade of boxes. The situation returned to normal, everything went like clockwork.”

When our ships from the Gulf of Aden pulled up to Berbera, it was already known that the Somalis announced the confiscation of all Soviet property and provocations from the Somalis were possible, up to the seizure of ships in the port.

The Soviet colony was surrounded by internal troops, searches are underway, nothing is allowed to be taken out or taken out of the Soviet colony.

Rumors reached the sailors that atrocities had been committed against our people at the airports. The leadership of Somalia issued a decree prohibiting our ships from approaching Somali ports. There was no time to wait for detailed instructions from the center to the command of the 8th operational squadron of the Navy: it was necessary to urgently save compatriots.

So they had to resort to a little psychic demonstration. The guns and missiles of the ships were brought into combat condition, the paratroopers were openly preparing for landing. Our amphibious assault with tanks and artillery looked so impressive that the detachments of the Somali internal troops did not dare to interfere in anything. People were evacuated, then our sailors dismantled all Soviet property and loaded onto the bark

Everything went without shots and excesses and was done in the shortest possible time.

Chichev Vladimir Nikolaevich recalls: “On the last day of loading (and we were given 72 hours to evacuate) on the Berbera roadstead, further than the 12-mile zone of territorial waters, our warships stood. This gave us confidence that we would not be left in trouble.

Nevertheless, the main ship's engine worked for us at low idle speeds, on the poop, by order of the commander, a sailor was on duty with a huge sharp ax in his hands (to cut the mooring ropes connecting the ship with the pier on command), on the navigation bridge and along the waists there was additional guards with military weapons were put up.

Somali torpedo and missile boats undertook provocative maneuvers - either leaving the harbor towards our ships, or returning to the harbor at full speed, turning on signal sirens and opening the hatches of the vehicles.

During the evacuation of the PMTO, special equipment was loaded onto a dry cargo ship into the hold by ship crane beams, and, as it seems to me, the cars got to the port on their own.

I did not watch the loading of equipment. I remember that there was a lot of property from the PMTO, it was brought to the port, brought onto the ship and fixed in different corners and rooms. They worked almost without rest, because everyone was covered by the alarming tension from what was happening.

In the end, the families of our mission employees and specialists were brought from the town. For their accommodation, a part of the cabins was allocated on the midshipman and officer decks. People complained about the Somali lawlessness, since everything that they had in the town from personal property, more or less valuable, was requisitioned.

How they tore off the PD - I don’t remember. It seems that at first a dry cargo ship left the port (I don’t understand anything about the purpose of the ships, so I named this ship that way), then they pulled out the dock, and the last to leave was PM-156. On the raid, outside the territory of Somalia, civilians were transferred to another ship. They took the dock in tow and dragged it to Aden.

To organize the evacuation of machinery and equipment located in Somalia, part of the auxiliary ships of the Black Sea Fleet that were in combat service in the Mediterranean Sea were sent through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean.

The detachment of ships commanded by the commander of the 162nd division of rescue ships, Captain 2nd rank V. Vasilyev, included the rescue ship of project 527M "SS-21" (captain 3rd rank V. Aslamov), the killer ship "KIL-33" and two tugboats of project 733 ( one of them "MB-19") from the auxiliary fleet.

The main task of the support vessels was the withdrawal of the large floating dock "PD-66" and equipment loaded onto its deck from the port. The floating dock "PD-66" was torn off the pier and, together with the floating workshop "PM-156", was sent to Aden.

“There was a moment in the history of our fleet when we were “expelled” from Somalia. The command decided to withdraw the Soviet dock from there, which, for the period of basing our ships in the country, provided docking of ships and vessels. When events in relation to our Navy began to develop hostilely, it was necessary to urgently evacuate the property.

A group from the SS-21 landed on the shore, laid explosive charges under the anchor chains, and tore the dock from its place. "SS-21" took him in tow and pulled him out of the territorial waters. Here they were met by the RRC "Vladivostok" and escorted to Aden, then the dock was dragged to Dahlak Island in the Red Sea.

For this, V. Aslamov was awarded the order Red Star.

The history of Soviet basing in the ports of Somalia is over.

Left without Soviet support, Somalia began to actively look for new sources to replenish the arsenals that were melting in the war with Ethiopia. Western countries refused to supply Somalis with weapons while the conflict was going on, but Muslim countries, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, provided support, only Egypt during the war transferred military equipment to Somalia for 30 mil. dollars. However, the Somali army, faced with Ethiopian armed forces Soviet technology, who were supported by Cuban units and Soviet advisers, was defeated and in March 1978. announced her departure from the Ogaden.

S. Barre's regime became close to the Americans. In August 1980 The United States and Somalia signed an agreement granting the right to American warships to use Somali ports, and to the American Air Force air bases in Berbera, Mogadishu and Kisimayo. In return, the Americans supplied weapons to the Somali regime. There was an armed struggle of various groups in the country.

In 1991, as a result of armed clashes between government forces and opposition groups, the United Somali Congress came to power. President M. S. Barre was overthrown.

The country plunged into chaos, in which it actually remains to this day.

The Marine Corps of the USSR Navy is a branch of forces (arms of service) of the USSR Navy, designed to conduct combat operations in coastal areas, in the interests of both fleets and coastal ground forces.

In the course of the further construction of the navy, Peter the Great realized the need to create special trained marine infantry formations on an ongoing basis, which he formulated in the fall of 1704 in the document “Determination of the Beginning Fleet on the Ost See”. Officially new genus The troops were called Naval Soldiers.

The date of foundation of a separate branch of forces in the navy Tsarist Russia, among Russian historians it is customary to consider November 27 (16 according to the old style) 1705. On this day, by decree of Peter the Great, Naval regiment(regiment of naval soldiers). The basis of the regiment was made up of several companies of the Semyonovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments.

Reforming the Marine Corps

In the course of further reforms, the branch of the armed forces repeatedly changed its organizational structure and name.

In 1714, the branch of service was divided into separate naval battalions, instead of naval regiments.

In 1732, the battalions of naval soldiers were united into naval regiments.

In 1754, the so-called "soldier teams" were created on sailing and galley ships that served as marines. These commands were distributed among the ships in proportion to their displacement. Thus, the marines at that time consisted of two naval regiments and soldier teams distributed among the ships of the Baltic and Black Sea fleets. In the Caspian flotilla was created soldier team the size of a company.

Abolished in 1762 soldier teams and a return to the battalion scheme. 4 naval battalions were created, each of which consisted of 7 musketeers and 1 grenadier company. Soldier teams were left on galley (rowing) ships.

The battalion scheme operated until the beginning of the 19th century.

In 1803, during the next reform, all battalions were united into regiments. As a result of the reorganization, 4 naval regiments were created. Three regiments belonged to the Baltic Sea, two of which were stationed in Kronstadt and one in Reval. The fourth regiment was created as part of the Black Sea Fleet and was stationed in Azov. Each regiment consisted of 3 battalions: 1 grenadier and 2 musketeers. Each of the battalions consisted of 4 companies. The personnel of each regiment consisted of 2,085 military personnel of various ranks.

As part of the Caspian Flotilla in 1805, on the basis of a soldier's team, the Caspian Naval Battalion was created, consisting of 4 musketeer companies.

Naval regiments were distributed according to the so-called naval crews to assigned ships. All naval crews also received serial numbering. The composition of the naval crew, in addition to the unit of naval soldiers, included the crew of the vessel and coastal support units assigned to the ship. Thus, naval soldiers had double subordination - to the commander of the ship and the commander of the battalion.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the existence at that historical period, stationed in Kamchatka, the so-called crew company(numbering 500 people), naval company in Okhotsk (190 people) and naval company in Arkhangelsk (156 people).

Abolition of the Marine Corps

The historical realities of the early 19th century and the actual state of the armed forces in terms of the level of combat training, discipline, as well as different views on the concept of using both naval soldiers and simple infantry units, formed an opinion among the naval leadership that the need to maintain specially trained marine there are no foot soldiers.

In connection with the above reasons, as well as the need to prepare naval regiments for war with Napoleon's Army on land, the question arose of their reassignment. On January 17, 1811, the naval regiments were included in the 25th and 28th infantry divisions of the Russian Imperial Army with the transfer from the Naval Ministry to the Military Ministry.

In fact, since 1811, the marines of the imperial fleet ceased to exist as a kind of troops.

From the second half of the 19th century, the leadership of the imperial fleet finally leaned towards the concept of using naval crews for the functions of the marines.

In all subsequent military conflicts in which the Russian Empire participated until the First World War, crews of warships, infantry and Cossack units were involved as marines.

The last attempt to create a marine corps in Tsarist Russia

A century after the liquidation of the marines by order of Alexander the First in 1811, the naval leadership, summing up the results of recent military conflicts, as well as the experience of the leading world powers in armed forces which there were formations of the Marine Corps, concluded that it was necessary to recreate this type of troops.

The last attempt in the Russian Imperial Navy to re-create the marines as a branch of service was made in 1911 with the development by the Main Naval Staff of a project to create permanent marine infantry units. According to the project, it was supposed to create a naval regiment in the Baltic Fleet, a battalion in Black Sea Fleet and a battalion in Vladivostok.

During the implementation of the project in August 1914 in Kronstadt, the 1st and 2nd separate naval battalions and the 3rd battalion from the personnel of the 1st Baltic naval crew were created from the personnel of the Guards naval crew. In the same year, on the basis of the 2nd Baltic naval crew, the 4th separate naval battalion was created. All battalions consisted of 2 companies and had a strength of about 550 people.

In March 1915, the 4th battalion was reorganized into the 1st naval regiment.

In 1915 in Maritime Ministry the draft "Regulations on the Marine Corps" was developed, which outlined the structure and tasks of the newly created branch of the armed forces.

Due to the fact that the Russian Empire, due to participation in the First World War, was at that time in a difficult political and economic situation, plans to recreate the Marine Corps were not fully implemented.

With the overthrow of the tsarist autocracy in 1917, the Russian Imperial Navy ceased to exist.

History of the Marine Corps of the Navy of the USSR

Civil War

During civil war, from the moment the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army was created, the military leadership of the RSFSR did not consider the issue of creating such a separate type of troops as the marine infantry from units and formations of permanent composition.

During the war years, more than 75,000 military sailors were sent to the land fronts from the fleets, who were used during small tactical landings on the banks of rivers and lakes.

The only precedent for the creation of a temporary consolidated formation that performed the functions of the Marine Corps can be attributed to the events of August-September 1920. It is associated with the active advance of the troops of General Wrangel to Northern Tavria.

Urgently in the Southeastern Front, to counter the troops of Wrangel, was formed 1st Naval Expeditionary Division. The division of 5000 people included 4 infantry regiments of 2 battalions, a cavalry regiment, an artillery brigade and an engineer battalion. The task of the division was to land from ships on the coast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and its defense in the Mariupol region.

At the end of hostilities off the coast of the Azov and Black Seas, the 1st Naval Expeditionary Division was disbanded.

Interwar period

After the Civil War, the leadership of the USSR Armed Forces did not attach importance to the need to create a marine corps.

Only in July 1939 was the Baltic Fleet created Separate Special Brigade, which in 1940 was renamed the 1st Marine Brigade. In addition to this brigade, there were separate companies of marines as part of the Danube and Pinsk military flotillas.

However, despite the fact that such a brigade appeared, there were no marines as such, since there was no special landing training, and there were no special landing ships in the USSR Navy.

The Great Patriotic War

With the outbreak of hostilities, the attitude of the leadership of the Armed Forces of the USSR towards the Marine Corps changed dramatically. A significant number of marine formations were created, with a total strength of 100,000 to 200,000 people.

In July 1941, the formation of marine brigades from the personnel of the fleets began.

According to the decision of the NKO of the USSR of October 18, 1941, in November of the same year, the formation of 25 naval rifle brigades began in 5 military districts (SAVO, UrVO, PriVO, SKVO and SibVO). For the formation of these brigades, the command of the USSR Navy allocated 39,052 military sailors.

Features of terminology

Historians' opinions about what should be included in the concept of "naval infantry" in relation to the composition of the Soviet troops during the Great Patriotic War differ significantly.

According to one of the opinions during the war years, there were three types of marines:

1. formations and parts of the Marine Corps;
2. naval infantry brigades;
3. formations and military units of the ground forces, which did not have the words “marine” or “marine” in their names, but were staffed mainly by sailors and were used in battles as marines.

According to another opinion, only two types of formations should be attributed to the marines:

1. formations and parts of the Marine Corps;
2. naval infantry brigades;

Under the formations and units of the Marine Corps are understood marine brigades And independent marine battalions. Difference between Marine brigades And naval infantry brigades was their purpose. Marine brigades were intended for amphibious and antiamphibious operations in coastal areas. Naval rifle brigades were intended for use on land fronts in the coastal zone. In this regard, the marine brigades were subordinate to the command of the fleets, and the marine rifle brigades were subordinate to the command of the fronts. Also, the difference was in the recruitment of brigades: marine brigades were recruited exclusively from sailors who had undergone the necessary training.

Composition of the Marine Corps

In total, during the war years, different stages, on various fronts as part of associations and formations of ground forces, fleets and flotillas, of the formations in whose names “marine infantry” was used were:

Separate Marine Brigade (obrmp) included:

• Brigade management;
• 3-6 battalions of marines;
• 1-2 artillery battalions;
• tank battalion (for obrmp Baltic Fleet);
• mortar battalion (until 1942);
• reconnaissance company;
• a company of anti-tank rifles;
• sapper company;
• communications company;
• air defense platoon;

The number of personnel of the marine brigades ranged from 5,000 to 8,000 people.

Naval Rifle Brigade (sea ​​brigade) included:

• Brigade management;
• 3 rifle battalions;
• a separate artillery battalion;
• separate anti-tank battalion;
• a separate mortar division;
• communications battalion;
• reconnaissance company;
• a company of anti-tank rifles;
• sapper company;
• air defense platoon;
• logistics units.

The personnel of the marine rifle brigade - 4,500 people. Of these, from 33 to 80% were seafarers.

It should be noted that the only division of the Marine Corps during the war years (1st Division of the Marine Corps) was formed from the 55th Rifle Division already with its withdrawal from the Active Army in November 1944.

post-war period

Abolition of the Marine Corps

After the end of the hostilities of the Great Patriotic War and the Soviet-Japanese War, as well as the subsequent demobilization of the USSR Armed Forces in 1945-1946, the USSR Navy included 6 brigades, 2 regiments and 10 separate battalions of marines.

The only in the Navy of the USSR, the 1st Mozyr Red Banner Division of the Marine Corps in 1948 was reorganized and renamed the 1st Machine Gun Artillery Mozyr Red Banner Division ( 1st pool). This division formed the basis of the naval base "Porkkala-Udd" in Finland. In 1955, the Soviet naval base was liquidated, and in January 1956, the peninsula was returned ahead of schedule to Finland. Due to this 1st pool was disbanded.

In the period up to October 1955, all brigades and battalions of the Marine Corps created during the war years were disbanded.

In March 1956, the 14th Naval Infantry Brigade, stationed in Kamchatka, which was created in January 1946, was disbanded.

Revival of the Marine Corps

see also

Notes

1. Danchenko V.G. « Marine soldiers Russian Empire. Essays on the history of the Marine Corps. - M. : "CenterPolygraph", 2006. - S. 6-48, 141-225. - 256 p. - ISBN 5-9524-2306-X.
2. Kibovsky A.V., Leonov O.G."300 years of the Russian marines". Volume 1 (1705-1855). - M.: Fund "Russian Knights", 2008. - S. 17-29, 32-42, 48-82, 109-125, 134-224, 226-264. - 384 p. - ISBN 978-5-903389-09-4 .
3. Marines in the defense of Donbass in 1920
4. V.P. Kuzin, V.I. Nikolsky " Navy USSR 1945-1991". - St. Petersburg: "Historical Maritime Society", 1996. - S. 524-533. - 653 p. - ISBN UDC 623.823.1.
5. Abramov E.P. « Black Death» Soviet marines in battle. - M. : "Yauza" "EKSMO", 2009. - 576 p. - ISBN 978-5-699-36724-5.
6. redesignated Marine Division upon withdrawal from the Active Army
7. List No. 5: rifle, mountain rifle, motorized rifle and motorized divisions that were part of the Army in the field during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Site Soldat.Ru
8. 1st Mozyr Red Banner Division of Marine Infantry of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet
9. Feskov V.I., Golikov V.I., Kalashnikov K.A., Slugin S.A. Armed Forces of the USSR after the Second World War: from the Red Army to the Soviet. Part 1: Ground Forces. - Tomsk: Tomsk University Publishing House, 2013. - P. 143-145, 184-185. - 640 p. - ISBN 978-5-89503-530-6.

Literature

• Danchenko Vladimir Gennadievich Naval soldiers of the Russian Empire. Essays on the history of the marines. - M. : Tsentrpoligraf, 2006. - 256 p. - 3,000 copies. - ISBN 5-9524-2306-X.
• Alexander Vladimirovich Kibovsky, Oleg Gennadievich Leonov. 300 years of the Russian marines. - Moscow: Russian Knights Foundation, 2008. - T. 1 (1705-1855). - 256 p. - 1200 copies. - ISBN 978-5-903389-09-4 .
• V.P. Kuzin, V.I. Nikolsky. Chapter X. Coastal troops of the Navy of the USSR// "The Navy of the USSR 1945-1991". - St. Petersburg: "Historical Maritime Society", 1996. - P. 524-533. - 653p. - 500 copies. - ISBN UDC 623.823.1.
• Abramov E.P."Black Death" Soviet Marine Corps in battle. - M. : Yauza EKSMO, 2009. - 576 p. - 3,000 copies. -