Plasters. Glorious path Cossack special forces
In the Russian Empire, squads of scouts were called plasters, in fact, being analogous to modern special-purpose units. Such detachments from the Cossacks of the Kuban (formerly the Black Sea) Cossack army were completed. The Kubans were already known throughout the country for their excellent military qualities, and the plasters were indeed "the best of the best." Or, more precisely, "special of the best."
Back in the times of the Zaporizhzhya Sich, Cossacks — scouts — who could “flatten out” and quietly sneak into the enemy camp, were called plasters. When the Cossacks were resettled in the Kuban, the Black Sea army adopted the tradition of Plastonic troops. But now the rebels acted to the glory of the Russian Empire. In 1842, the Plastun team was established at the foot and equestrian units of the Black Sea army.
It was not so easy to get into the squads. It was required to possess outstanding qualities even by the standards of the other Cossacks-Kuban - physical strength, endurance, inconspicuousness, hunting skills. Historically, a rather complex system of selection of candidates for masses was formed. These candidates were chosen by “old men” from among the most tested and trained warriors, and young recruits were tried to be taken from “plastonic dynasties” - that is, families in which both father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were plasters.
From plastod expected a very high level of physical fitness. It was not so easy to wander day and night through the mountains and forests, in any weather, be it forty-degree heat, frost or torrential rain.
Therefore, the plastun was supposed to be a very hardy and patient man, ready to wait where he was needed and deprived of the fervor typical of many Cossacks. You can be a very good fighter, but not have patience - and then it will play a disservice, it’s not so easy to lie in the reeds for hours without giving out your presence in a single movement or rustle. What was worth one "shot at the crunch" - marksmanship in absolute darkness, with zero visibility, which did not prevent the plasters from hitting the target even in such conditions.
They were trying to select hereditary hunters as mockers, because it was one thing - military skills that could be taught to almost any recruit, and completely different things - those qualities that only a hunter could possess from an early age. Silently moving around, finding the right path, surviving in a deep forest or in the mountains — it would take more than months and years to teach this to an ordinary recruit. Hunters, on the other hand, got into the Plastun units, already possessing all the listed skills.
In addition, the plasters were taught to shoot, trained in hand-to-hand combat, and taught them the basics of artillery. At that time, they were arming riggers with rifled fittings, to which the hedgehogs adjoined. In fact, the plasters were "universal soldiers" who, from the middle of the XIX century, took part in almost all the wars of the Russian Empire - the Caucasian, Crimean, Russian-Turkish wars, the Russian-Japanese war and the First World War.
In everyday life, the mollusks wore clothes of the Circassian (Caucasian) type and were practically indistinguishable from the indigenous population of the North Caucasus, with whom they mostly had to fight during the long and bloody Caucasian war. Plastun outfit consisted of Circassian, papakha, dude (soft leather shoes without heels, which was ideally suited for quick and silent movement) of wild boar leather with bristles outward, greasers, a goat hornpod, a bowler hat, powder box, a bag for bullets, hand grenades, dagger and choke. Plastun wore the most famous Cossack saber only in part, or when he was to engage in open battle. Even the nozzle of plasters was not used in all cases, preferring to act with a dagger, whip or hands. Grenades were used as a last resort - as a rule, in order to throw an enemy in case of detection, and then "make legs."
In the conditions of the Caucasian war, the plasters turned out to be simply irreplaceable. They, well acquainted with the way of life of the Highlanders, opposed the latter in the same way that in the 20th century the special forces opposed the rebels in the Third World countries - they acted with their own methods. It seemed all the more terrible to be the scouts of the command of the European armies, which were to face the "Cossack special forces" during the Crimean War.
The raids were used by the Russian army to organize sabotage behind enemy lines and to knock out gunners, which made it possible to neutralize enemy artillery. 28 November 1854, the years of retaliation, slaughtered the French sentinels, captured the whole mortar battery and, forcing the prisoners to carry guns, carried three six-ship mortars into the Russian forces.
As a matter of fact, it was the use of plasters in the Crimean War that gave rise to the formation of military intelligence units as part of conventional army infantry regiments. At first, such units were “unofficial” - the regimental commanders selected the most courageous, intelligent and trained soldiers, armed them with fittings and sent them to night patrols. Of course, the level of training of such army intelligence officers was lower than that of the plasters, but this did not mean that they fought less bravely.
During the battles during the defense of Sevastopol, many Kuban plastians distinguished themselves, and the 2 th Kuban Plastun battalion even received the St. George banner with the inscription “For an approximate difference in the defense of Sevastopol 1854 and 1855”. The 8 th Plastun Battalion was awarded the St. George banner with the inscription "For the difference in taking the Anapa fortress 12 on June 1828, and exemplary courage in defending Sevastopol 1854 and 1855."
During World War I, the 24 Plastun Battalion went to the front. Interestingly, the squadrons fought on almost all sectors of the front. For example, on the Caucasian front, squads of plastuses could even seep into the territory of present-day Iraq. One of the most prominent episodes in stories Relay was the defense of Sarykamysh. The Turkish division, which was moving in the vanguard of the main forces of the Turkish army, was stopped by a combined detachment of border guards and militias, and then troops began to pull into the city. For four days, the 1-I Kuban Plastun Brigade led fierce battles in the streets. But the Turks were still able to seize the station and barracks. On the fourth day of the fighting, only two hundred 6 of the Kuban Plastun Battalion remained in the reserve, which the command decided to throw into battle in the late evening. Without making a single shot, the plasters were able to penetrate the disposition of the Turkish troops and arrange a real massacre there.
Soon the Turks began to retreat, and the rebels, pursuing them, chopped up numerous Turkish squad in hand-to-hand fighting. The Turks then lost about 800 people killed and wounded. Russian army was saved by plasters from the environment. And the higher command did not leave the feats of the scouts without reward. The 6 th Kuban Plastun Battalion for the battle in Sarykamysh received the right to wear the monogram of the emperor, and Nicholas II personally arrived at the front to produce a reward for brave plasters.
Reservoirs distinguished themselves in a number of landing operations. For example, it was the plastuns that ensured the capture by the Russian army of the most important Turkish port of Trebizond, from which the 3 of the Turkish army operating against the Russians was supplied. Three of the composition was replaced in the Plastonic units during the years of the First World War. The losses were high, but also the reed fought extremely courageously.
The revolution and the Civil War marked the end of the Plastonic units of the old Russian army. Most of the rebels were in the composition of the Volunteer Army, fought on the side of the "white" in the Caucasus. Who died, who went into exile. By the way, in emigration some Cossacks-plastons entered the service in the foreign armies and there made a significant contribution to the formation of special units of the armies of foreign states.
In Soviet Russia, they forgot about plunts for a long time - “rasskazachivanie” did not allow to recall the heroism of the brave soldiers. On the other hand, new special reconnaissance and sabotage divisions of the Red Army and the NKVD were created, which were not inferior to the plasters of the imperial army in their level of training.
At the end of 1930, the Soviet leadership lifted restrictions on the service of the Cossacks in the Red Army. Some cavalry units were called "Cossack". In the years of the Great Patriotic War, they remembered about the shootings. In early September, 1943, the 9-I Mountain Division, which had participated shortly before this in the battles for Krasnodar and received the honorary name Krasnodar, was withdrawn to the reserve of the Supreme Commander. Soon, it was completely reformed and on its base the 9-I Plastunskaya Infantry Krasnodar Red-Banner Red Star Division of the CEC of the Georgian SSR was created.
The division was staffed mainly by representatives of the Kuban Cossacks — by this time the Soviet leadership had already understood that the Cossacks were serious warriors and it would be foolish not to use their natural courage and fighting qualities. The 9 divisions of the Plastun Division took part in the Vistula-Oder, Moravian-Ostrava, Prague and other operations, freed the city and settlements of the western regions and republics of the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe from the Nazi invaders.
The 9 Division consisted of the 36-th Plastunal Rifle Regiment, the 121-th Red Banner Plastun regiment, the 193-th Plastunian Rifle Regiment, the 1448-th self-propelled artillery regiment, the 256-th artillery regiment, the 55 -th artillery regiment, the X-th independent artillery regiment, the 26 th artillery regiment, the 140 -th independent armory regiment, the 232 th regiment, the 1432 regiment, the 123 regiment, the 553 regiment , 161 th reconnaissance company, 104 th sapper battalion, 156 th separate communications battalion (203 th separate communications company), 216 th medical and sanitary battalion, 1900 th separate chemical protection company, 1969 th motor transport company, XNUMX-I field bakery, XNUMX-th division veterinary hospital, XNUMX-I floor Wai's post office and XNUMX-I Field ticket office of the State Bank. Major-General Peter I. Metalnikov (XNUMX-XNUMX) was appointed the division commander.
After the war, in the 1946 year, the division was reorganized into the 9-th separate personnel plastunsky rifle division of Krasnodar, the Red Banner, the orders of Kutuzov and the Red Star brigade named after the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR. In 1949, the 9 Mountain Division of Krasnodar, the Red Banner, the orders of Kutuzov and the Red Star Division, located in Maykop, was recreated on the basis of the brigade. In 1954, the division was renamed 9-th rifle, and in 1957 year - in 80-th motorized rifle. In 1964, the division number was restored, and in 1992, the 9-th separate motorized-rifle Krasnodar, Red Banner, Kutuzov and Red Star orders, the Kuban Cossack Brigade were formed from the 131-th motorized rifle division.
From 2009, the successor to the listed brigades and divisions is the 7-I Krasnodar Red Banner Order of Kutuzov and the Red Star military base stationed in Abkhazia. Thus, the glorious traditions of the Kuban Cossacks who fought in all the wars waged by the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation, continue to this day.
The foundation laid by the Plastun detachments of the Kuban Cossack army is now actively used by special forces of the Russian army and other power structures of the country. And the word “plastun” itself is associated with incredible prowess and amazing skills to silently shoot a sentry, seize an enemy “language”, carry out the most incredible operations in the rear of the enemy.
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