Pages of the history of the internal affairs bodies: the feat of the 10th division of the NKVD
The most significant, decisive battle of the Great Patriotic War is generally recognized as the Battle of Stalingrad. The troops of the NKVD took part in this great battle.
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the NKVD troops during the war. They became an indestructible shield that protected our country. It was with their help that it was possible to stop the retreating army, overcome the demoralized state of a number of army units, protect the country from the invasion of enemy saboteurs and bandits with personal participation, organize a powerful partisan movement behind enemy lines, stop the enemy's armed forces in the most important strategic directions, such as Moscow, the Caucasus , Stalingrad.
A special contribution to the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad was made by the 10th NKVD division, which was the core of the city garrison and held Stalingrad together with the militia until the retreating field units of the 62nd and 64th armies approached, and then in cooperation with them.
During the battle, the division consisted of five regiments: “271st Infantry Regiment (its backbone was the Ural metallurgists and machine builders); The 272nd Rifle Regiment was staffed by the Transbaikalians, the descendants of the Pugachev Cossacks and the hunters of taiga Siberia (it consisted almost entirely of Komsomol members); The 282nd regiment, which showed high qualities in battles, is manned by the personnel of the former border outposts and units of the internal troops of central Russia; The 269th and 270th regiments were formed in Stalingrad, mainly at the expense of the NKVD destroyer battalions, the core of these regiments was the workers of Stalingrad and Moscow "[1, p. 282]. The total strength of the division was 7.
The rifle regiment was an independent unit and was intended to protect objects located on a large territory. It consisted of: three rifle battalions, a four-gun battery of 45-mm anti-tank guns, a mortar company (four 82-mm and eight 50-mm mortars), a company of machine gunners, a communications company, a platoon: reconnaissance, engineer and chemical protection, rear units. Each battalion had three rifle companies and a machine-gun platoon (4 heavy machine guns of the "Maxim" system).
Thus, neither the division nor the regiments had their own artillery means to conduct a long battle with regular enemy units. They had to be strengthened with both artillery and tanks [2, p. thirteen].
The tactical training of the NKVD troops was carried out taking into account the tasks of protecting and defending individual objects. Actions according to the Combat Regulations of the infantry were studied only as part of a squad, platoon, company. The warriors did not know much about the material part of the machine gun and were lost when throwing combat grenades.
The division commander, Colonel A. A. Saraev, for five months of 1942 trained personnel in fire, special, tactical and political training. They took as a basis the program of the Red Army units based on the experience of battles in the defense of Moscow, Leningrad, Odessa, Sevastopol.
At the first stage of the battle, the NKVD division was entrusted with the task of protecting the rear, capturing saboteurs, and ensuring public order in Stalingrad. However, the situation at the front worsened. In the period from 22 to 25 July 1942, the 6th enemy army broke through the defense of the 62nd and reached the Don, and then broke through the defense of the 64th army and reached the Chir River.
On July 31, the enemy's 4th Panzer Army broke the resistance of the weakened 51st Army and captured Kotelnikovo, threatening to break into Stalingrad from the south. In this direction, the protection of the rear was carried out by the 270th regiment of the 10th division. At the turn of the Aksai River, the regiment's forces fought an unequal battle with the enemy's vanguard for three days, not letting them go to the northern bank of the river.
Soon, in view of the threatening situation, it was decided to deploy the main forces of the 10th division of the NKVD on the southwestern approaches to Stalingrad.
On August 23, 1942, the 16th Panzer, 60th and 3rd Motorized Divisions of the Germans (14th Panzer Corps) successfully crossed the Don, broke through the defenses in the Vertyachy, Peskovatka area and made their way to the Volga River north of Stalingrad and broke into the outskirts of the city.
However, an attempt to seize the city on the move, to seize the Tractor Plant located here was stopped by the workers of the Stalingrad Tractor Plant and the 282nd Regiment of the 10th NKVD Division that had arrived in time.
The NKVD fighters equipped rifle trenches, machine-gun platforms with several reserve positions and communication passages to the rear. Between the trenches in the caponiers, Stalingrad tanks were installed for firing from the spot. The division commander sought to create mobile reserves in the rear to eliminate the sudden breakthrough threats.
During the fighting, the soldiers of the 282nd NKVD regiment, despite the lack of artillery and anti-tank weapons, not only defended the northern approaches to the city, but also pushed the enemy 4 km away from Stalingrad in stubborn battles with a strong enemy.
Despite the brutal bombing of the city, the city's factories continued to work and produced tanks, artillery and shells for defense. The adjutant of the 6th German army V. Adam in his memoirs writes that the 14th Panzer Corps “as a result of fierce counterattacks, especially on the open flanks, found itself in an extremely difficult situation. It had to be supplied with the help of planes and convoys of trucks, guarded by tanks ...
However, the 14th Panzer Corps failed to capture the northern part of the city on the move. For many days, isolated from the main forces of the 6th Army, he fought heavy defensive battles, taking up a perimeter defense ”[3, p. 140.].
The battles for Hill 135,4 were especially fierce.
Despising death, the soldiers of the 282nd Regiment of the 10th NKVD Division broke into the height of the enemy trench. The fascists stubbornly resisted. In a fierce battle, our soldiers literally picked them out with bayonets, jammed them with rifle butts, destroyed them with grenades, recapturing a trench after a trench [2, p. 99].
In the battle for the height, the military commissar A.M. Karpov performed a feat, showing the initiative: at a difficult moment of the battle, sitting in a T-34 tank, he crushed the enemy's machine-gun points into the ground and ensured the success of the regiment's attack at the cost of his life. The hero was posthumously awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
In the battles for the northern outskirts of Stalingrad, as part of the 10th division, dogs were successfully used as tank destroyers. The experience of battles tempered the division, the commanders got acquainted with the tactics of the enemy and analyzed everything useful that could be used in the fight against him.
In the central direction, Stalingrad was defended by the transferred 270th and 272nd regiments of the 10th NKVD division, reinforced with artillery and anti-tank weapons. The NKVD division received three regiments of rocket artillery (60 Katyushas), and each rifle regiment of the division acquired one anti-tank artillery regiment.
Each platoon now has an MTR calculation. In addition, the 73rd armored train of the NKVD troops, attached to the 271st regiment of the 10th NKVD division, operated in the city. The position of chief of artillery was introduced into the staff of the division, to which an experienced artilleryman, Major P.G. Tsygankov, arrived.
The German 71st and 76th infantry divisions acted against them, striving to capture the central railway station and the central pier on the Volga [4, p. 64].
Before the start of the fighting in the divisional newspaper "Stalinets" was published "Memo to the Red Army." Her text read:
“Be fearless in battle and merciless to the enemies of the people - everywhere and everywhere, without any pity, exterminate fascists like mad dogs. Maintain your exact combat score of the knocked out Nazis. The number of destroyed fascists measures your services to the Motherland ... In any conditions, keep your stamina and courage. The enemy appeared on the flanks, his groups infiltrated to the rear - do not lose your head. Wherever the enemy appears, you can always get it with either a bullet, a grenade, or a bayonet. The more handy - so hit ... A courageous fighter dies less often than a faint-hearted one, because he believes in himself, believes in his comrades ...
The strength of the army lies in discipline. Strong military discipline is a guarantee of victory in battle ... Without an order from the commander, not a step back, unorganized retreat does not reduce, but increases the danger that threatens you. To retreat without an order means to betray a comrade, harm our struggle for the Motherland, stand on a par with despicable deserters and cowards ... weaponwhile alive. And if you are wounded, take it away to pass it on to your comrade. Exterminate fascist tanks with a grenade, an incendiary bottle and a mine ... Know how to fight fascist planes, do not let the fascists fly at low altitudes, shoot them with a rifle and machine gun. Shoot enemy dive bombers. The Nazis are afraid of the Red Army bayonet. Dashing bayonet strike destroy the fascist reptiles. Survive Germans from settlements by night battle ...
The best countermeasure to mortar fire is a swiftly fast approach to the enemy. Mutual aid and gain in battle is the law of the soldiers of the Red Army. Help your comrades in battle, and they will help you. If you beat the enemy, it will become easier for everyone: both wounded and healthy. Protect the commander, commissar in battle, like a battle banner - they will lead you to victory. A coward and an alarmist exaggerates the strength of the enemy, underestimates the strength of his unit ...
Valiant defenders of Stalingrad! We will not allow the beautiful city of Stalingrad to be mocked! No step back! Only forward! We defend our Motherland ourselves with our own forces, with our blood and life ... The final defeat of the enemy must begin at Stalingrad "[2, p. 42-44].
The strength of the army lies in discipline. Strong military discipline is a guarantee of victory in battle ... Without an order from the commander, not a step back, unorganized retreat does not reduce, but increases the danger that threatens you. To retreat without an order means to betray a comrade, harm our struggle for the Motherland, stand on a par with despicable deserters and cowards ... weaponwhile alive. And if you are wounded, take it away to pass it on to your comrade. Exterminate fascist tanks with a grenade, an incendiary bottle and a mine ... Know how to fight fascist planes, do not let the fascists fly at low altitudes, shoot them with a rifle and machine gun. Shoot enemy dive bombers. The Nazis are afraid of the Red Army bayonet. Dashing bayonet strike destroy the fascist reptiles. Survive Germans from settlements by night battle ...
The best countermeasure to mortar fire is a swiftly fast approach to the enemy. Mutual aid and gain in battle is the law of the soldiers of the Red Army. Help your comrades in battle, and they will help you. If you beat the enemy, it will become easier for everyone: both wounded and healthy. Protect the commander, commissar in battle, like a battle banner - they will lead you to victory. A coward and an alarmist exaggerates the strength of the enemy, underestimates the strength of his unit ...
Valiant defenders of Stalingrad! We will not allow the beautiful city of Stalingrad to be mocked! No step back! Only forward! We defend our Motherland ourselves with our own forces, with our blood and life ... The final defeat of the enemy must begin at Stalingrad "[2, p. 42-44].
In these lines one can feel all the spiritual strength that drove our people to victory, the determination with which the NKVD fighters were preparing to meet the enemy. It was at Stalingrad that Hitler's troops realized their defeat not only in tactical, but, above all, in patriotic terms. In the letters of German soldiers home, one can find a recognition that Hitler is waging an unjust, aggressive war, while the Russians, on the contrary, are defending their land, and their war is just.
On August 30, in heavy battles with units of the 6th Army on the outskirts of the city, the 270th regiment suffered heavy losses. He was withdrawn deep into the defenses to defend the central part of the city.
The soldiers of the 272nd regiment in September 1942 showed the highest courage and heroism.
On September 2, the German 24th Panzer Division broke through the front of the 62nd Army and reached the line of Upper Yelshanka, Sadovaya Station, Experimental Station, finding itself in front of the 271 and 272 NKVD regiments. In the regiments there were unfired fighters, so the command of the division had fears for their stamina. However, these doubts were soon dispelled.
On September 4, at the height of 147,5, after a brutal air strike, the soldiers of the 3rd battalion of the 272nd regiment attacked 37 tanks with a landing. Eight tanks were knocked out by force of 8-mm anti-tank guns and special anti-tank rifles (ATR), but the rest of the tanks rushed to the front line of the defense at full speed, crushing guns and soldiers with tracks. Enemy infantry ran behind the tanks, firing on the move from MP-45 submachine guns and throwing hand grenades into the trenches of the NKVD soldiers.
Confusion began among the soldiers of the 272nd regiment, they could flinch at any moment, and then the enemy would break into the city. At that moment, junior political instructor Dmitry Yakovlev felt that a critical moment was coming. With a cry "For the Motherland!" he, with two anti-tank grenades in his hands, rushed towards the German lead tank. There was an explosion, and clouds of black smoke escaped from under the bottom of the tank.
This feat inspired the rest of the soldiers, and they launched a counterattack.
Using grenades and Molotov cocktails, they forced the German tankers to retreat, and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy infantry. At this time, the battalion commander's reserve approached, with a swift blow the enemy was defeated and thrown back.
After the battle, the remains of the hero Dmitry Yakovlev were found under one of the 17 knocked out German tanks. In his locket, they found a note written by him with his own hand:
“I am the son of the party, and the Fatherland is my mother, in battle I will not retreat back, let my friends and enemies know. And if I die in a fierce battle, tell the people in words: he honestly, worthily gave his life in battles with the enemy for freedom ”[2, p. 117].
The soldiers were greatly helped by the support of Katyushas and armored train number 73. In acute situations, the commander of the 272nd regiment, Major Savchuk, successfully used his reserve - a company of machine gunners - to counterattack.
For three days (September 3, 4, 5, 1942), the 4th company of the 2nd battalion of senior lieutenant D.P. Stupin of the 272nd regiment did not leave the battle, heroically defending the Experimental Station, more than once going into counterattacks. The entire division knew about the exploits of the 272nd regiment, since the divisional newspaper wrote about its actions. By their example, they learned courage, resilience and courage in the fight against the enemy, boundless love and devotion to the Motherland. The enemy changed the direction of attacks, trying to find a weakness in the defense of the 10th Division.
Without retreating from their positions, the regiment conducted constant counterattacks, caused rocket artillery fire on itself, incurring losses, but repulsing the superior forces of the enemy. On September 6, the regiment was withdrawn to the north of the city for replenishment and replaced by army units.
On the southwestern sector of the defense in the Upper Yelshanka area on September 8, 1942, the 94st regiment of the 29th NKVD division led a deadly battle with the forces of the 271th infantry and 10th motorized divisions of the Germans. Unable to break through the regiment's defenses to the front, the Nazis rammed the defenses of the neighboring 35th Guards Division, reached the Volga at the Kuporosny Plant and attacked the 271st Regiment's forces in the flank. The regiment was forced to counterattack to defend its left flank.
In these difficult conditions, the regiment commander, Major A.P. Kostenitsin, showed himself well. Soon, however, the enemy again changed the direction of his blow and captured brick factory No. 8. In the battles for the brick factory, commissar of the 1st battalion V.A. pistol four, but he himself died.
The enemy sought to deliver his blows at the junction of the defending subunits, seeking to use weaknesses in the interaction of troops. In these battles, great help was provided by the support of the 80th Guards Mortar Regiment, the 85th Artillery Regiment of the RGK, the 73rd armored train, as well as the creation of regiments of submachine gunners in the reserve for counterattacking.
On September 11, the forces of the 271st regiment successfully carried out a night attack on the Kuporosnoye village, part of which was captured by the enemy with heavy losses. Defending Kuporosny, the 7th company of the 271st regiment almost completely died. The decision to attack the village at night was proposed by Lieutenant Colonel V. I. Zaitsev.
About 300 German soldiers were killed in that battle. The machine-gun platoon of Ya. K. Chuiko was especially distinguished, taking an advantageous position and destroying up to 80 fascists who went over to a counterattack.
The fighters of the division actively used hand grenades, especially effective in night combat. The enemy incessantly bombed and fired at the defense of the regiment, in the village of Kuporosnoye and Voikov, introduced fresh forces, but was never able to break his resistance. The regiment commander, Major A.P. Kostenitsin, used up all the available reserves of the regiment, storekeepers, clerks, and cooks went into battle. Lieutenant N.I. Karpenko organized a bold attack on the enemy's warehouse in the rear, sending a small detachment with a heavy KV tank on a mission.
On September 11, the chief of artillery of the division, Major Tsygankov, first proposed and successfully applied artillery counter-preparation in the area of concentration of enemy forces on the approaches to the Kuporosnoye settlement and Verkhnyaya Yelshanka. As a result of the blow, the impending enemy offensive was disrupted, hundreds of soldiers and dozens of armored vehicles were destroyed.
At critical moments of the battle, the NKVD fighters showed courage, decisiveness, and initiative. They unexpectedly went to the advancing Germans in the rear, went into hand-to-hand combat, did not leave the battle, even being seriously wounded. The ranks of the soldiers of the 271st regiment were melting, but the stamina did not weaken.
On September 13, 1942, Nazi troops began a general assault on the city. The main attacks were aimed at the city center and the main height - Mamayev Kurgan, striking from the north and west [2, p. 138].
The 269th regiment of the 10th division of the NKVD defended the garden at an altitude of 93,6, to the west of the village of Krasny Oktyabr, a height of 126,3 and an airfield village, covering the main height of the city - Mamayev Kurgan. In an extremely difficult situation, the regiment was able to hold the defense sector on September 13, blocking the path to the Mamayev Kurgan, destroying up to a thousand soldiers and officers and 18 tanks.
The commander of the 269th regiment, Lieutenant Colonel I.I.Kapranov, who had fought the Nazis since 1941, acted firmly and competently. His regiment was in the second echelon of the defense. The enemy launched an offensive at dawn on 13 September. At 7:00 in the morning, the infantry and tanks went on the offensive, three hours later they broke through the defenses of the bloodied units of the 62nd Army and an avalanche fell on the 269th regiment.
When repelling tank attacks, tank destroyer dogs were used. Skillfully maneuvering in reserve positions, the regiment's mortar company operated. The nurses carried out the seriously wounded and sometimes stood behind machine guns, mortars or anti-tank guns. To contain the powerful onslaught of the enemy, it was necessary to remove fighters from the neighboring sectors of the front from the 270th regiment.
However, by the morning of September 14, against the 269th regiment, the enemy concentrated up to eight infantry battalions and about 50 tanks. The soldiers of the regiment fought to the last bullet, the last grenade. The 5th company of junior lieutenant S.M.Surovtsev in hand-to-hand combat destroyed a company of enemy machine gunners. S. M. Surovtsev himself was wounded, but continued to lead the defense and in battle destroyed 11 fascists [2, p. 147].
By 14:00 on September 14, the battalion of fascists bypassed the forces of the regiment from the rear and occupied the summit of Hill 102,0 (Mamayev Kurgan), but by 18:00 after the counterattack, the height was again cleared of the enemy. The fortitude of the soldiers of the 269th regiment was higher than human capabilities, heroism was massive.
The machine gun crews had the main and two spare positions, connected by message moves. After each attack, our machine gunners changed their positions, leaving the dummies on the same and forcing the enemy gunners to shoot in vain. The battalion commander, Captain A. A. Shevchenko, surrounded by the Nazis at the command-observation post, summoned artillery fire on himself, destroyed the enemies and miraculously survived.
The soldiers fought, even with severe wounds. So, machine gunner Sergeant Alexei Obukhov was seriously wounded in the stomach, but continued to fight, then lost consciousness and, when he woke up, he realized that he was in the rear of the Nazis. Alexey turned his machine gun around and opened fire from the rear. The Nazis fled, and the soldiers of the regiment took advantage of this and recaptured their trenches.
In two days of fighting, the 269th regiment destroyed more than one and a half thousand soldiers and officers, knocked out 20 tanks, although it itself suffered losses. On September 15, the Nazis again broke through to a height of 102,0. The 269th regiment tried to counterattack, but to no avail, since the last reserves were exhausted.
In the period from 20 to 27 September 1942, the 269th regiment fought for the capture Historical shaft. However, the efforts made were not supported by neighboring units, the attack was unsuccessful, and the regiment suffered heavy losses. Fulfilling the order of the commander of the 62nd Army, the NKVD soldiers launched their last attack, approaching the Historical Wall, destroyed more than 400 enemy soldiers in a fierce battle, but they themselves were almost completely killed. After the attack, only 12 soldiers of the regiment returned to the command post.
The 270th regiment under the command of Major A.K. Zhuravlev defended Hill 13 (city cemetery) on September 112,5 against the superior forces of the enemy's 24th Panzer Division. The enemy managed to take the height on the first day, but an immediate counterattack after the Katyusha strike brought the height back. In the battle for the height, the company commander, Junior Lieutenant MT Bolonin, distinguished himself by destroying up to 50 soldiers and 4 enemy firing points.
On September 14, in the area of height 112,5, a battle began, which lasted for 5 hours. The soldiers of the NKVD regiment died, but did not leave their positions. Individual companies of the regiment withstood five attacks a day. Very heavy battles were fought for Dar Gora. The positions of a battalion of 40 tanks and two enemy infantry regiments. In the 3rd platoon of the 4th rifle company, four people remained alive by September 15: junior lieutenant Peter Kruglov, sergeant Alexander Belyaev, privates Mikhail Chembarov and Nikolai Sarafanov.
Within an hour, these fighters repelled the attack of 20 tanks. The enemy lost about 10 tanks and turned to the side. Of the four, the seriously wounded Sarafanov and Chembarov survived. Steel submitted to human fearlessness [2, p. 155].
On September 16, nine enemy tanks literally crushed an artillery battery platoon and two infantry platoons of the 4th rifle company of the 270th regiment. The remnants of the regiment were consolidated into one battalion under the command of political instructor A. V. Kovalenko and took up defenses on the northern bank of the Tsaritsa River, defending the railway bridge. On September 18, after a difficult battle, the combined battalion of Kovalenko was surrounded, took up a perimeter defense, suffering heavy losses. As a result, the Germans captured the bridge and began to threaten the left flank of the 272nd Regiment. By the end of the day on September 19, 270 people remained in the 90th regiment. On September 20, after Kovalenko was wounded, the remnants of the regiment were transferred to the 272nd regiment.
In the period from 13 to 24 September 1942 in the center of Stalingrad against the 71st infantry division of the Germans heroically defended the 272nd regiment. Twice during this time, the regiment fought in the encirclement and participated in the night attack of the enemy, which wedged into the defenses of the central part of the city. In one day, September 14, the 272nd regiment destroyed about two infantry battalions, a mortar battery, six tanks, two guns, the banner of an enemy regiment, six machine guns.
By September 16, the 272nd regiment defended the city garden and the railway to the left of the station. On September 17, about 272 fighters remained in the 300nd regiment against one and a half regiments of the 71st infantry division of the Germans.
After the capture of the bridge across the Tsaritsa River by the enemy on September 18, a company of submachine gunners of the regiment and a battalion of political instructor Kovalenko (the remnants of the 270th regiment) successfully counterattacked and recaptured the bridge from the enemy. At the same time, a courageous battalion commander was wounded, his deputy died, and the commander of the 272nd was wounded so far.
During the fierce battles on September 20, the remnants of the 272nd regiment found themselves in the rear of the Germans, who had broken through to the crossing along the Volga bank because of the Tsarina. On September 21, the enemy captured the brewery, cutting off parts of the 272nd regiment. On September 24, the enemy captured the Drama Theater. Gorky and surrounded the regiment's command post. The remaining thirty people under the command of Major A.S. Yastrebtsev went to the breakthrough, but only 11 fighters broke through to the positions of the 92 rifle brigade at the Kholzunov monument. The 272nd regiment was killed, but did not let the enemy pass. During the fighting, he destroyed about 6 enemy soldiers and officers, 000 tanks, eight guns, 46 mortars, 25 Nazi prisoners.
In the period from 13 to 18 September south of the Tsaritsa River against the superior forces of the 29th motorized and 94th infantry divisions of the enemy, the 271st regiment of the 10th division of the NKVD actively defended.
By September 15, only 135 people remained in the regiment. The heaviest fighting broke out at the elevator and at the Stalingrad-2 station. On September 17, regardless of losses, the enemy forces pushed the regiment's subunits, but after a counterattack, the soldiers of the 271st regiment again forced the enemy to return to their original position.
However, the forces of the regiment were exhausted. By September 18, only 271 people remained in the 65st regiment, at that moment they fought, being surrounded. Everyone fought: soldiers, commanders, doctors, orderlies, shoemakers, tailors, riflemen. The regiment inflicted huge damage to the enemy: it destroyed 3 soldiers and officers, 500 machine guns, 30 tanks.
The divisional commander, Colonel Sarayev, ordered the remnants of the regiment to withdraw from the battle, since in fact there were less company left of him, and ordered to break through from the encirclement to the Salt Wharf, but they failed to break through. The remnants of the regiment merged with the remnants of the 35th Guards Division.
By the beginning of October, of all parts of the 10th division of the NKVD, the 282nd regiment remained in the defense of Stalingrad, defending the northern part of the city, the rest of the regiments were almost completely killed, heroically defending the Motherland. The NKVD fighters defended the 144,2 heights captured by them in August until the last opportunity; 135,4, Tractor Plant, Spartanovka.
On October 1, the enemy broke through the defenses of the neighbors of the 282nd regiment and captured Orlovka, cutting off the height of 144,2. On October 6, they had to leave the height and break through to their own with a fight. After breaking through the defenses of the city center on October 2, the 282nd regiment was forced to defend its left flank on its own, at the expense of weakening other sectors of the defense. However, the forces were not equal, on October 5, with the support of 25 tanks, the enemy surrounded Hill 135,4.
After repelling seven attacks and using up most of the ammunition, the remnants of the regiment holding the height broke through to their own, having lost most of their strength. The surviving parts of the regiment were divided into two companies with the task of defending the tractor plant from the side of Spartanovka, the Market and the airfield. On October 11, the enemy broke through the defenses of the army units (149th and 135th brigades) at the Sukhoi Mechetka and southwest of the STZ, surrounding the 282nd regiment.
Fighting surrounded for a week, the soldiers destroyed 600 fascists and 4 tanks. Only after a week of fighting in the encirclement, when the ammunition began to run out, on October 18, the surviving fighters went on a breakthrough. From the entire regiment, only eight fighters returned to their own.
In October, the remnants of the 10th division of the NKVD were withdrawn beyond the Volga for reorganization. The remnants of the regiments gathered in the village of Zaplavnoe. To get a better idea of the severity of those battles, just look at the numbers below.
The number of regiments of the 10th Rifle Division of the NKVD on 12.09.1942/269/1: 637th regiment - 270 people, 2th regiment - 437 people, 271st regiment - 1 people, 461nd regiment - 272 people, 1nd regiment - 505 people. Data on the number of regiments of the 282th division of the NKVD on 1/237/10: 15.09.1942th regiment - 269 people, 435th regiment - 270 people, 540st regiment - 271 people, 135nd regiment - 272 people, 210nd regiment - 282 people.
Looking at these numbers, you can see how difficult the battles were, and how many lives had to be paid for the Victory. In just three days of fighting, the size of the division was reduced by more than three times. Only boundless love for one's Motherland and faith in Victory could make thousands of people heroes.
For fifty-six days the NKVD division fought for the city. The regiments were dispersed on a 36 km front, which was required by the situation, but this made control difficult. To control a division, the headquarters had to work in constant motion. Operational groups with the leading officers of the division headquarters were in places of intense fighting, often engaging in battle themselves.
The division's communications system also showed itself well. So, communication with the regiments of the division and communication with the command of the NKVD troops in Moscow was well organized. The divisional newspaper, telling about the exploits of the personnel of the division, played a great role in patriotic education.
In the second half of September 1942, within 7-10 days of fierce fighting, almost the entire personnel of the 10th division of the NKVD was killed.
For 56 days of fighting, the 10th NKVD division destroyed over 15 thousand enemy soldiers and officers, about 100 tanks, 8 armored vehicles, 2 aircraft, 38 vehicles, 6 guns, 2 ammunition depots.
For the heroism shown in the battles in the defense of Stalingrad, 227 soldiers of the division were awarded government awards: 2 people were awarded the Order of Lenin, 36 soldiers - the Order of the Red Banner, 6 people - the Order of the Patriotic War, the Order of the Red Star - 103 soldiers, the medal "For Courage" - 105 people, the medal "For Military Merit" - 25 people.
On December 2, 1944, the 10th division of the NKVD was awarded the Order of Lenin and named "Stalingrad" [6, p. 302].
Seven streets of the city of Volgograd are named after the soldiers of the 10th division of the NKVD troops: Mikhail Bolonin, Alexander Belyaev, Alexey Vashchenko, Peter Kruglov, Nikolai Sarafanov, Mikhail Chembarov, commissar Shcherbina.
The feat of the soldiers and commanders of the 10th division of the NKVD, the Chekists of the Stalingrad Front, the soldiers of the fighter battalions and the militia of Stalingrad are immortalized by the obelisk erected in the center of the hero city.
Colonel-General, twice Hero of the Soviet Union A.I. Rodimtsev praised the activities of the Stalingrad militia. He wrote:
“A lot of help was provided by the police officers, who knew the city well, the location of streets and houses. They were our best scouts and guides in many operations ”[7, p. 87].
In the difficult days for Stalingrad, the militiamen fought along with the soldiers. Klychev, Uchakin, Vasiliev, Frolov, Avilov, Efimov, Manushin, Levin, Afanasyev and many other police officers showed valor and courage during the days of the Battle of Stalingrad [8].
Volgograd police officers and residents of the city will always remember the exploits of the heroes who fell at Stalingrad, selflessly loving their Motherland and their people, who did not spare their lives for the good of the Fatherland. They have become an example of supreme service to the Fatherland, which is a model for growing youth, a value guide for many generations.
List of bibliographic references:
1. From the report of the former commander of the 10th rifle division of the internal troops of the NKVD, now Major General A.A. Saraev at a meeting of veterans of the division and the public in Volgograd / Soldier's feat of militia, Volgograd, 1968, p. 282.
2. Saraev, A. A. Stood to death / A. A. Saraev. Volgograd, 1976 .-- 192 p.
3. Samsonov, A. M. Battle of Stalingrad / A. M. Samsonov. M., 1989 .-- 630 p.
4. Beevor, E. Stalingrad / E. Beevor. Smolensk: "Rusich", 1999. - 448 p.
5. Beria, L. P. "I will not stand the second war ...". Secret diary 1941-1945 Foreword by the publisher E. Kremlev (Breskun) / L. P. Beria. M .: "Yauza", 2011. - 564 p.
6. Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia: 1802–2002. Historical sketch in 2 volumes. T. 2 - St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. SPb. 2002 .-- 608 p.
7. Rodimtsev, A. I. "Battle for the Volga" / A. I. Rodimtsev. Volgograd. 1968 .-- 185 p.
8. Together with the army and people. Collection. Volgograd. - 1970.
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