Plasters. Glorious path Cossack special forces

26
Probably, each of us has known the expression “in a humorous way” since childhood. And it is connected in our consciousness, first of all, with a special way to crawl. “For their bellies” means to lay flat and crawl, clinging to the ground. But if there is a word “in a plastonic manner”, then there is the word “plastun”.

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.

Plasters. Glorious path Cossack special forces


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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  1. +13
    17 February 2019 06: 53
    Special Forces of the Russian Empire. Glorious combat past, difficult historical fate ....
    1. +12
      17 February 2019 13: 08
      Quote: Olgovich
      Special Forces of the Russian Empire. Glorious battle past

      "In January 1794, at the military council, which gathered the Bunchuk partnership, kuren and military foremen, colonels and chieftains of the Black Sea Troops, according to the old Zaporozhye custom, a lot was cast, allotting land plots for the location of 40 Cossack settlements - kurens. With the exception of Ekaterininsky and Berezansky, Named so in honor of the Empress and the loud victory of the Cossacks during the storming of Berezan, all the other 38 kurens received their former names during the time of the Zaporozhian Army. Many of the names of these kurens, which later became called stanitsas, have survived to this day. Plastunovsky kuren since March 1794. was located on the Kuban River, near the Korsunsky and Dinsky kurens.According to information provided by the kuren ataman, in January 1801, only 291 Cossacks lived in Plastunovsky, of whom only 44 were married. Constant cross-border clashes with the highlanders forced the Plastuns to move their families away from cordon, and in 1814 Plastunovsky kuren settled on the Kochet River s where it is still. "
      https://topwar.ru/38229-obrazovanie-kubanskogo-voyska.html

      Great Cossack relocation of the Cossacks to the Kuban

      1. 0
        17 February 2019 17: 38
        Are you from Plastunovka?
    2. +7
      17 February 2019 13: 28
      Quote: Olgovich
      Special Forces of the Russian Empire. Glorious battle past,

      "A huge role in the Caucasian War was played by the Cossacks of the Black Sea Army. Created from the resettled Ukrainian Cossacks, the Black Sea Cossack Army found itself in the very crucible of the outbreak of the Caucasian War. In the new theater of military operations, the formidable and legendary Zaporozhye infantry turned into a new outstanding branch of the Cossack troops - the Black Sea Plastuns, a kind of Cossack special forces. In the Kuban plastuns were the main guards of the Cordon Line. An eyewitness wrote: "Plastuns dress like Circassians and, moreover, like the poorest Circassians. This is because every search through gorges and slums causes a severe accident in their clothes. Circassian, tattered, covered with multi-colored leather patches; hat wiped, reddish, but as a sign of carefree courage wrung to the back of the head; chuvyaki made of wild boar skin, with bristles outward: here is the everyday decoration of a plastun. Add to this a baggy bag over his shoulders, a good fitting in his hands, a choker with a wooden heel in front about belts, and so-called garbage ly: a powder flask, a screwdriver, a grease gun, an awl made of the horn of a wild goat, sometimes a bowler hat, sometimes a balalaika or even a violin, and you will have a complete understanding of the traveling appearance of a plastun. Plastuns differed from other Cossacks both in clothing and in gait. They walked awkwardly, waddling, as if reluctantly. From under the overhanging eyebrows, the eyes look stern, the face is completely bronze from sunburn and winds.
      The business of the plastuns is to roam continuously along both banks of the Kuban, in a labyrinth that is smoother. They were given an endless lesson - to discover unknown or newly emerging paths in swamps and fords in a border river, to lay or check signs on all passages, to catch footprints, to lie down as a living trap. They embarked on their difficult searches in small parties, from three to ten people. The art of using the terrain, sensitivity, a keen eye, a shot without a miss replaced their numerical strength. " The combat training of the plastuns amazed not only contemporaries, but also descendants. Carrying out the tasks of guarding, defending the villages and cordons, they were able for days in any weather secretly, without movement and invisible to the enemy, to be in secrets and ambushes (to lie in a layer), to move unnoticed and without loss on the battlefield (to crawl and make dashes on their bellies ), quietly approach enemy posts (walk like a cat), silently remove the guards (throw a lynx), make secret hunting raids deep into the rear of the enemy for weeks (mouth of a wolf and tail of a fox). During the raids of groups of plastuns, through the Kunaks, they learned about the impending raids and stopped them. Excellent shooters, they were the first in the Russian army, back in the early XNUMXth century, to receive rifled rifles - fittings, weapons at that time were expensive and in short supply. Being tracked down, they went into the floodplains or forest heaps and with accurate fire forced the pursuit to abandon the pursuit. And their method of attacking Circassian positions under the cover of hay wagons became the classic offensive battle. Their efforts ensured the safety of Cossack settlements and eliminated many active abreks, organizers of the raids. The great warriors of that time highly appreciated the military work of the plastuns. So A.V.Suvorov called the Black Sea Plastun hundreds attached to him “the eyes and ears of his army”. "

      Cossacks Reed




  2. +5
    17 February 2019 07: 26
    The writer Sergeyev-Tsensky has a wonderful story about the plastunas of the Crimean War.
    1. +6
      17 February 2019 19: 51
      Quote: kvs207
      The writer Sergeyev-Tsensky has a wonderful story about the plastunas of the Crimean War.

      Roman Sevastopol Strada. There you can learn about the history, preparation, and life of these hunters, snipers, scouts.
      The Cossacks and their heirs met a worthy enemy in the person of the Highlanders and completely began to change (carelessness disappeared, caution was hidden, etc.)
      but habits in everyday life and speech and even the behavior has not changed much.
      Especially their dislike of Krachmaria (worst curse)
      there in the floodplains they were not bored.
      1. +1
        18 February 2019 00: 39
        "Sevastopol harvest" - by itself. I meant the story - "Plastun Chumachenko".
        1. 0
          18 February 2019 15: 42
          In the epic-Sevastopol strada, there is the character Terenty Chernobrovkin, a runaway serf who became a plastunum of Chumachenko, who distinguished himself in the Kuban, he later fought in Sevastopol as part of the Plastun battalion.
          1. -2
            23 February 2019 16: 43
            Quote: sibiryouk
            character Terenty Chernobrovkin- a runaway serf who became a plastun Chumachenko

            the gentleman killed the villain and fled to the Kuban. I changed it to the Kuban (Ukrainian) surname, more than that they gave out newcomers. He was captured, escaped from the highlanders. He went to fight, met the son of the master (for whose sake he killed his uncle so that his nephew was the master)
            But he served the state well.
  3. +10
    17 February 2019 08: 55
    In Soviet Russia, the plastunas were forgotten for a long time - the "tumbling" did not allow us to recall the heroism of the brave warriors.
    That is why I managed to communicate with one grandfather, the sweetest man, who fought for the White Cossack-Plastun in civilian life, who after the Civil War successfully trained the NKVD personnel, although he was "decoded", then "he was shot twice and exiled to Siberia, to the GULAG." .but grandfather did not know about it and lived until 1988.
    1. +6
      17 February 2019 11: 14
      I, as far as I remember. the first time I read about plastuns in the early 80s in the magazine 'Around the World' (if not confusing). There it was mentioned about their exploits in tsarist Russia and they were remembered in the Second World War. In my opinion, it was some kind of adventure story.
      One thought always struck me then, why not release more interesting books at that time, at least much more circulation, because there was always tension with them. After all, this would also give a tangible flow to the treasury, why were they so petty? And the magazine 'Vokrug Sveta' was a pleasant exception, although under it, as well as under other interesting magazines, it was necessary to subscribe to various propagandistic magazines in a load, which no one read.
  4. +2
    17 February 2019 10: 03
    I wonder, in what operations of World War I on the Austro-German front did the plastoons distinguish themselves?
    1. +8
      17 February 2019 17: 18
      for the Russian army began heavy fighting in Galicia, where in a hasty manner at the end of April 1915, Kuban plastuns were deployed, who played a significant role in stopping the Austro-German offensive and stabilizing the front.
      On May 3, 1915, the plastunas crossed the border of Austria-Hungary near Radzivilov and from May 5 to 12 they already participated in battles with the Prussian guard.
      Since July 1, 1915, the 1st and 2nd Kuban Plastun Brigades were temporarily reduced to the Combined Division and restrained the onslaught of the "iron phalanx" of German General Mackensen.
      On August 21-22, the Gulygi detachment (1st Kuban Plastun Brigade) stopped the advance of the Austrians with an energetic blow.
      On August 25, the 74th front retreated and thereby opened a front with a length of 8 miles, between the villages of Vygoda and Vinyatintsy. General Gulyga sent to the Benefit 3,5 hundreds of the 6th Kuban Plastun battalion. Despite the enemy’s three-fold superiority, the commander of the battalion of military foreman D.I. Khodkevich acted decisively and knocked out the enemy from his positions.
      In the summer of 1915, fierce battles broke out in Galicia for a height of 264. Two infantry regiments for three days could not master the height. The 9th and 10th Plastun battalions, consisting of Cossacks of the Batalpashinsky KVF department, were connected to the operation.
      On August 25, 1915, the Austrians, breaking through the fortified positions of one of the Russian units near the village. Vinyatinets-Vygoda, broke into the village. New towns, where the carts were. Colonel N.M. Demyanik, who had arrived in the same village with the 7th and 9th Kuban Plastun battalions before this, drove the Austrians out of the village.
      In the battles of August 21-25, the plastoons captured 33 officers and more than 2 thousand soldiers. Losses of the division during this time amounted to 30 officers and more than 1500 lower ranks killed and wounded.
      Cossacks often covered up the retreat of the main units and at the same time suffered significant losses themselves. In such an environment, the high command decides to create partisan and special-purpose detachments in the Russian army, which mainly consisted of Cossacks. Only from the Kuban - they were organized by the end of 1915 - 5.
      In the composition of the troops of the Southwestern Front, the plastunas were until the beginning of March 1916.
      1. +2
        17 February 2019 18: 43
        Why did they start only in April 15?
        Forgot Transnistrian Front - Khotyn operations in March 15, the page of glory of the plastuns.
        1. +1
          17 February 2019 18: 44
          It looks like the lower comrade is posting the same as the upper one)
        2. +1
          18 February 2019 01: 29
          Quote: Adjutant
          Why did they start only in April 15?
          Forgot Transnistrian Front - Khotyn operations in March 15, the page of glory of the plastuns.

          In battles on the Austro-German front in March 1915 Kuban Plastun brigades could not participate. 18 April Nicholas II conducted the Highest Review by both the 1st and 2nd Brigades in Sevastopol.
          The head battalions of the 1st Kuban Plastun Brigade began landing in Kamenetz-Podolsk only 1 June 1915 г. The enemy was 2-3 miles from Khotin, bridges across the Dniester were already preparing for an explosion. Immediately after unloading, two Plastun battalions under the general command of Colonel N.A. Bukretov was sent under Khotin, where he was placed at the disposal of the commander of the 3rd cavalry corps, Lieutenant General Count F.A. Keller. Heavily rugged, marshland, rains and fog impeded the action of the plastids. Despite this, within two days, a detachment of Colonel Bukretov knocked out the enemy from the village of Rukhotin, and then after a stubborn battle, he occupied the eastern outskirts of the villages of Rzhavantsy and Balamutovka. By June 6, 9 Plastun battalions and artillery were already operating in the battle line. Having received the order of Count Keller to attack the enemy’s positions at Balamutovka and Rzhavanets, the Kuban people carefully studied the surrounding area for two days. Hundreds of commanders personally went into reconnaissance, identifying hidden approaches to enemy positions, identifying weaknesses in its defense. Officers explained the task to each plastron, introduced them to the area with binoculars, and showed the attack areas of each platoon. Only after that, Major General Gulyga gave the order to advance on the night of June 8. Having accumulated in small groups in ravines, at 2 o'clock in the morning the plastunds secretly approached the Austrian trenches. From a distance of seventy steps we went on the attack and breaking through the wire barriers, knocked out the enemy from the fortifications and began to pursue him. By dawn, the Plastun hundreds were firmly entrenched in both villages. All the enemy’s attempts to launch a counterattack were thwarted by the hundreds of the 6th Plastun battalion.
          Hundreds of the 4th Plastun battalion especially distinguished themselves when taking enemy positions from Rzhavenets. The "Journal of Combat" contains a description of one of the tactical techniques used by the Kuban people in this battle ... in those places where it was not possible to cut the barbed wire quickly, the scouts threw their cloaks over them and climbed over them on the other side. Then the Cossack hundreds captured two machine guns, 7 officers and more than 160 lower ranks of the enemy. By June 12, the plastuns managed to clear the villages of Chorny Potok and Onut Russkiy from the enemy, thereby eliminating the threat of seizing the city of Khotin and throwing the enemy back onto the state border line. The commander of the brigade of the 52nd Honved division of Count Lubensky, 40 officers and more than 2 thousand lower ranks were captured. The trophies of the plastuns were 12 machine guns, a mortar, more than 1 rifles and a huge amount of cartridges for them.
          And on June 30, during the transition of General's 9th Army from infantry P.A. Lechitsky in a counteroffensive. "The first saber of Russia" Lieutenant General Keller threw the Plastun brigades "to slaughter." Plastuns attacked the center of well-fortified enemy positions - height 393 and the trenches near the village of Dobronuts. In addition to machine guns and many light field guns, the Austrians also had two 203-mm artillery batteries. The barrages were more than two miles wide in a dense forest. Only one equestrian division covered offensive of the plastuns (2 light artillery batteries) with a minimum supply of shells. For each plastunsky hundred accounted for only 5 scissors for cutting wire.
          Count Keller insisted on an attack in daylightthat threatened the plastunas with heavy losses. Fulfilling the order, on the morning of July 1, according to the clay loamy from the rain, four battalions of the 1st Plastun brigade went on an assault on height 393. By the end of the day, with great losses, they were able to overcome only half a hundred wire fences. Regrouping and replenishing ammunition, the Cossacks at about 3 a.m. on July 2 again went on the attack. Under the fire of Austrian artillery, the plastons struggled their way through the thicket, entangled in barbed wire. It was already very light when they approached the enemy’s positions and here a new obstacle awaited them - steel networks. It was impossible to break through them and the army commander ordered the plastuns to stop the offensive and withdraw to their previous positions. In two days, the losses of the plastuns amounted to 36 officers and 1400 lower ranks killed and wounded.
    2. +2
      17 February 2019 17: 42
      When the heavy fighting in Galicia began, the Kuban Plastunds, who played a significant role in stopping the Austro-German offensive and stabilizing the front, were transferred there in a hasty manner at the end of April 1915.
      On May 3, 1915, the plastunas crossed the border of Austria-Hungary near Radzivilov and from May 5 to 12 they already participated in battles with the Prussian guard. From July 1, 1915, the 1st and 2nd Kuban Plastun Brigades were temporarily reduced to the Combined Division.
      On August 14, 1915, the enemy launched an offensive along the entire South-Western Front from Turki to the Dniester. Having wedged between the 6th and 13th army corps of the SWF, he forced the 11th army to clear the Dniester line. Following her, fearing a flank detour, the 9th Army began to withdraw. On August 18, the Austrians attacked a junction between the 2nd Cavalry Corps and the 74th Infantry Division. The infantry, unable to withstand a strong enemy onslaught, faltered and took to flight.
      Major General I.E., commander of the 1st Kuban Plastun Brigade, was ordered to restore the lost position. Gulyge. On August 21-22, the combined detachment of Gulygi pushed the Austrians with an energetic blow.
      On August 25, the 74th front retreated again and thereby opened a front with a length of 8 miles, between the villages of Vygoda and Vinyatintsy. Major General Gulyga sent 3,5 hundred of the 6th Kuban Plastun battalion to Vygoda. Despite the enemy’s threefold superiority, the battalion acted decisively and knocked out the enemy from their positions.
      In the summer of 1915, fierce battles broke out in Galicia for a height of 264. Two infantry regiments for three days could not master the height. The 9th and 10th Plastun battalions were connected to the operation. In the early morning of the next day, as a result of a bold and sudden blow, the height was taken. The Austrians tried to bring her back with the help of Tyrolean shooters, however, the plastunas of the assault recaptured and captured two companies of Tyroleans.
      On August 25, 1915, the Austrians, breaking through the fortified positions of one of the Russian units near the village. Vinyatinets-Vygoda, broke into the village. New towns, where the carts were. Colonel N.M., commander of the 9th Kuban Plastun battalion Demyanik, who had arrived in the same village with the 7th and 9th Kuban Plastun battalions before this, was ordered to rescue the injured units from danger and, attacking and shooting down the enemy, to restore the former position. Despite the destructive machine-gun and rifle fire of the enemy, Demyanik deployed both battalions in battle formation and led them from a place into a bayonet attack. Having driven the enemy out of the village, he continued his energetic offensive further than decisively changed the course of the battle. The battalions regained their general position and gained a foothold in all previously lost positions. At the same time, about 400 soldiers, 2 officers, 850 rifles and a mass of rounds were captured. However, regrouping forces and tightening reserves, the enemy began to bypass the combat area of ​​Demyanik from the left flank.
      The attack of the Cossacks Demyanik coincided in time with the approach of the 2nd Kuban Plastun battalion of Colonel A.A. Gaiman, who struck the enemy bypass column from the flank and knocked it into a ravine. The actions of Colonels Demyanik and Gaiman were highly appreciated by the command and by the highest order of May 23, 1916, both of them were awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree. The successful operations of the Consolidated Kuban Plastun Division at Vygoda and Vinyatintsy prevented the departure of the entire 9th Army on the river. Zbruch. In the battles of August 21-25, the plastoons captured 33 officers and more than 2 thousand soldiers. Losses of the division during this time amounted to 30 officers and more than 1500 lower ranks killed and wounded. As part of the troops of the Southwestern Front, the plastunas were until the beginning of March 1916 and in each battle they set an example of special stamina, valor and courage.
  5. +3
    17 February 2019 19: 54
    in the Crimean (Eastern) war, the plastunas played a significant role in counteracting the Zouaves snipers. Meanwhile, the offspring of the African wars, plastuns-the offspring of fighting with the Highlanders. Worthy duels were.
    Yes, and the availability of fittings. In addition, they became the main producers of trophy fittings.
    Trophy fittings were very much appreciated.
    1. +1
      18 February 2019 19: 26
      Quote: Antares
      in the Crimean (East) war, the plasmons played a significant role

      "The defense of Sevastopol showed many examples of the courage and resilience of the Nikolaev soldier. But among the brave and staunch, especially brave ones stood out, who performed fabulous feats. Among such people were the sailor Koshka and the Cossack of the Perekop village Osip Ivanovich Zubov. He ended up in Sevastopol as a hunter, he was already 55 years, but he was strong, vigorous, dexterous and desperately brave.He himself asked the sailors on the bastions, together with the legendary sailor Koshka, he constantly went on reconnaissance, behaved boldly and daringly, constantly delivering tongues and prisoners. Two battalions also gained special glory. Few knew about their Caucasian exploits, and in the Crimea at first they did not pay attention to the ragamuffins with Circassian rifles and daggers. But soon everyone started talking about them. In the battle of Balaklava, they captured 4 redoubts. And when they joined the garrison, they began regular In the morning the French would find the forward outpost cut or disappeared. Cossack sniper bullets hit any target withinrange of a shot. "
      1. -2
        23 February 2019 16: 49
        Quote: Centurion
        The defense of Sevastopol showed many examples of the courage and resilience of a Nikolaev soldier.

        the standard Nikolaev soldier lost.
        But all the rest showed resistance. Sailors on land, plastunas in Krymu, civilians in the defense of cities ...
        Quote: ded_mazai
        carry about dense forests in the Kuban, etc. Cossacks in the forest - nonsen

        Well, some kind of geographical fiction.
        Well this is swimming .. what is there a dead forest? And the forest zone is not there at all.
        Quote: ded_mazai
        In everyday life, the plastuns wore Circassian (Caucasian) type clothes

        at the stage of counteraction to the highlanders, they dressed under the underlying terrain and the environment (camouflage, waterproof clothing, by the way they quit smoking while they were).
        The Highlanders did not dress properly. They had a different tactic (hitting, grabbing, flying away - the hit and the wounds are shorter, and the plastuns - differentiated, church and Destroy)
        1. 0
          25 February 2019 22: 27
          Quote: Antares
          the standard Nikolaev soldier lost.
          But all the rest showed resistance.

          The losers were "Nikolayevskaya Russia" - first of all, officers who were stuck in old patterns and received ranks "for a frunt" or "for a pound." Well, the economy, tied to the scheme of the 17-18 centuries, with dirt roads and serf production.

          And the military commanders - from the same Transcaucasian army and the Separate Caucasian Corps - perfectly smashed the Turks, the Kurds, and their Caucasian allies, not to mention the Iranians.

          Quote: Antares
          Well, some kind of geographical fiction.
          Well this is swimming ... what is there a dense forest?
          You obviously do not imagine the forests of the Caucasus in the 19 century, during the Great Caucasus War ... And now there are good hunting grounds there ...

          Quote: Antares
          The Highlanders did not dress properly. They had a different tactic (hitting, grabbing, flying away - the hit and the wounds are shorter, and the plastuns - differentiated, church and Destroy)
          On the whole, yes, but not entirely - especially in terms of uniforms - the almost complete identity of the "Caucasian costume" between the Cossacks and the locals is a fact, and this was due not only to the "narrowness of the market", but also to make it difficult to identify by the enemy.
  6. +1
    19 February 2019 00: 58
    Just don’t carry a "blizzard" about dense forests in the Kuban, etc. Cossacks in the forest - nonsense. And this is generally a pearl: "In everyday life, the scouts wore clothes of the Circassian (Caucasian) type and were practically indistinguishable from the indigenous population of the North Caucasus."
  7. 0
    24 February 2019 08: 53
    One of the grandfathers in the Second World War served as a mortar man in the 9th Plastun Division, although there were no Cossack roots.
  8. 0
    25 February 2019 05: 43
    Quote: ded_mazai
    Just don’t carry a "blizzard" about dense forests in the Kuban, etc. Cossacks in the forest - nonsense ...

    N-yes, ...... with geography you are sad .....
    The entire region of the West Caucasian low mountains (GKH from Novorossiysk to Sochi) is a forest zone, "alpica" on the ridges of relatively few ridges.
    For example, the impressions of a tourist from Siberia, who first got on a camping trip to the Tuapse district (GKH in the area of ​​the city of Agoy), - "Yes, there is a real taiga, if not worse!"
  9. 0
    25 February 2019 11: 14
    The Black Sea Cossack army was formed not only from the Cossacks, but from the Donets and part of the Tertz, the so-called Cordon Line. According to statistics, 600 thousand Highlanders found death in the mountains. The scandal was terrible.
  10. -1
    2 March 2019 22: 41
    I correctly understand the 131 Maikop brigade, the same one that was surrounded at the station in Grozny. Why an endless series of renaming and reorganization? Plastuns reconnaissance and special forces of their time - why were they thrown into frontal attacks? Really did not have enough intelligence (I mean the generals) to select the appropriate tasks for them. For example, to go behind the enemy’s operational rear lines (in the second echelon of attack) and destroy the rear, reconnaissance in the interests of a battalion, regiment, division ... For them, they would find work on their specialization, ditch intelligence and special forces in a conventional attack - would they already be taught Academy of the General Staff. They told about Kuban plastuns working in the Western Caucasus, but how were things in the East Caucasus?

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