The bright fate of the guard regiment
249 th regiment of the convoy troops of the NKVD of the USSR.
The regiment was formed with the beginning of the war in June 1941 of the year according to the mobilization plan of the NKVD of the USSR consisting of three companies as the 129 th separate convoy battalion of the convoy troops of the NKVD of the USSR. Deployment: Odessa, Ukrainian SSR. Soon, the number of personnel of the battalion was brought to the staff of the regiment -1070 man and 23 of June part was renamed 249-th convoy regiment of convoy troops of the NKVD of the USSR, is part of the 13-th division of the KV NKVD of the USSR.
Major Bratchikov Filipp Ivanovich, deputy commander for political affairs - battalion commissar Klimenko Vasily Artamonovich (Artomovich), chief of staff - captain Zub Dmitry Ivanovich was appointed commander of the regiment. The regiment consists of two battalions, the commander of 1-th - Art. Lieutenant Kreshevsky Ivan Dmitrievich.
As of 3 July, 1941, the regiment was manned, but lacked food supplies and especially shoes (70%) (From the summary of the convoy troops of the NKVD of the USSR).
Having completed the formation and putting together units and subunits, the regiment in late June and early July 1941 began to provide security on the streets of Odessa and the region, performs the tasks of protecting the military rear of the Southern Front, the Maritime Army, which is directly preparing for the battle for Odessa, as well as engaged in the evacuation of prisoners from prisons of Odessa, Nikolaev, Kherson (covered in the summary of the Directorate of the convoy troops of the NKVD of the USSR No. 21).
By August 1941, a difficult situation developed throughout the Soviet-German front: the Nazis captured the Baltic states, Belarus, and most of the left-bank Ukraine. The enemy, not taking into account the losses, rushed to the east. The main goal of the fascist army group "South" in those days was Odessa - a major seaport and transport hub, one of the main bases of the Soviet Black Sea fleet. As early as August 5, 1941, units of the 11th German and 4th Romanian armies reached the far approaches to the city and tried to break through Odessa fortifications on the fly. The first assault was repelled, the 73-day heroic defense of Odessa began. Together with the units of the Red Army and the Black Sea sailors, the soldiers of the internal troops of the NKVD of the USSR * died ...
In the figure, the servicemen of the NKVD troops in the form of a rev.1937g. On the left, a Red Army man in summer uniform, in the center is a lieutenant of infantry of the NKVD troops in winter uniform, on the right is the senior political officer of the NKVD troops in a jacket.
On the morning of August 8, when a state of siege was imposed on the city, the commander of the 249 regiment of the NKVD convoy forces Major Bratchikov was summoned to the commander of a separate Primorye army, Lieutenant General Georgy Sofronov. The major received an order: with one battalion to take up positions on the right flank of the line of defense near the village of Luzanovka, holding them to the last possible opportunity. Order is an order. But it was not easy to carry out to his major: almost all the units of the regiment had already been involved in solving various tasks. Some provided for the evacuation of prisoners and prisoners of war to the rear, others carried out the service for guarding the southern group's separate Primorye Army headquarters, others patrolled Odessa streets ... And yet the consolidated battalion was formed - in the evening of August 8 245 people led by senior lieutenant Ivan Kreshevsky were already digging around at Lusanovka . For a week, the enemy did not show much activity on this site, trying to break through to Odessa from other directions.
However, on August 16, the situation changed dramatically: the Romanians managed to find a gap in our defense and for about 16 hours by forces of up to one regiment with the support of tanks and artillery flanked the 1st Marine Regiment near the village of Shitsli and at a height of 37.5. Kreshevsky received a new task - at the head of the combined battalion urgently make a march to the Novo-Dofinovka area, together with the sailors counterattack the enemy and liquidate the breakthrough. The combined convoy battalion, whose fighters had only rifles, light machine guns and grenades, reached the line of attack by one o'clock in the morning. Losing no time, the battalion commander sent a platoon led by senior sergeant Nikolai Ilyin for reconnaissance, and he himself contacted the commander of the Marines by radio to coordinate actions. Having received information from the scouts, Kreshevsky realized that the enemy was not ready to repel a serious attack from this direction, expecting it from the position of the marines. And the senior lieutenant had a bold plan: to attack immediately, at night, while darkness obscured the small number of his units! Having informed the Marines of their plans, on August 17 Kreshevsky led the battalion into a night attack. A platoon of senior sergeant Ilyin hit the forehead of the enemy. Making as much noise as possible, he riveted the main attention of the Romanians. At the same time, two companies under the command of Lieutenant Alexander Schepetov and Junior Lieutenant Sergei Konkin fell on the flank of the German allies.
Another group of fighters, led by battalion commissar Vasily Klimenko, went to the Romanians in the rear, cutting off their retreat to the crossing of the Ajalyk liman. The enemy was trapped on three sides. Among the Romanians began to panic. And the enemy, who had guns, mortars, tanks at his disposal, four times as many as the combined convoy battalion, ran! And he ran exactly where his senior lieutenant Kreshevsky was trying to send him, towards Buldynka village, where the marines had dug in. The Chernomorets met the Romanians with dagger-gun and machine gun fire. In that night battle, the soldiers of the internal troops showed miracles of courage, bravery and heroism.
«17 August 1941 years - reported to the Army Commander commander of the southern group of the Maritime Army Brigade Commander Monakhov - the village Shitsli of the personnel of the battalion 249-th regiment of the NKVD troops particularly distinguished commander 2-th company of Lieutenant Shchepetov skillful and energetic action captured mortars enemy himself personally installed them against the enemy, and hit the enemy with the accurate fire of captured mortars. In this battle Comrade. Shchepetov heroically died. The squadron commander of the 2 Company, Lieutenant Mishan, captured two guns, being wounded, and together with the Red Army soldier Vavilov turned the captured guns towards the enemy and with accurate fire destroyed the fascists. The Red Army soldier Barinov, armed with a machine gun, broke into the enemy's position, destroyed the soldiers and officers with machine gun fire to 20, shot a retreating group of Romanians to 40 people, destroyed the command post, where the 12 officers were located. Comrade Barinov, being seriously wounded, did not leave the battlefield until the enemy was completely defeated. A Red Army soldier Tsykalov, being captured, was beaten and pinned to the ground with a bayonet. During the interrogation, a projectile exploded near, two Rumanian officers were killed by its rupture, and the rest ran off to the side. Tov. Tsykalov, using this moment, raised a grenade lying near and, freed from the bayonet, threw it into a group of officers, after which he reached the location of his unit. (It should be clarified here: I got crawling, bleeding as both Romanians pierced his legs with a bayonet). The battalion showed exceptional ability to conduct hand-to-hand combat. I note the high training of personnel. For the entire period of the battle, not a single case of not only panic was shown, but even a similarity of cowardice. In the battle of 17.08.41, the battalion defeated more than two enemy battalions with artillery, mortars and tanks ... ”.
In his report, the brigade commander, for unknown reasons, did not mention two other heroes: military regiment Xenia Migurenko who participated in the battle on equal terms with men and machine gunner Timofey Bukareva. This fighter, who received 7 (!) Wounds, entered into a hand-to-hand fight with two Romanian officers, armed only with a demining shovel. Having cut the skulls to both of them, he laid down for the captured machine gun and continued to smash the enemies with well-aimed bursts. The updated result of that night battle is as follows: the battalion (and in fact, two incomplete companies), headed by the senior lieutenant of the NKVD troops, Ivan Kreshevsky, completely destroyed two Romanian battalions and seriously patted the third one. As trophies, 4 operational light tanks, 20 artillery shells and as many mortars, 20 heavy machine guns were captured. The score for the captured machines went to hundreds ... The joy of victory was overshadowed by serious losses suffered by the battalion: 97 of its fighters and commanders fell in battle at Shitzli or were seriously injured, after which they could no longer remain in the ranks. It was not necessary to count on replenishment, and there was no order to move to the rear. And because the convoy battalion, in which there were only 148 active bayonets, continued to hold positions between Shittsli and Buldinka for 10 days.
The subunit commander, Ivan Kreshevsky, was taken over by Captain Dmitry Ivanovich, Chief of Staff of the 249 Convoy Regiment, Captain Dmitry Ivanovich Zub, and after his death on August 28, lieutenant Sugak Junior Lieutenant, then Lieutenant Alexei Chernikov, adjutant of the battalion. Only 28 of August completely exhausted and thoroughly thinned units of the regiment were replaced at the defensive line by units of the Red Army. The remains of the regiment arrived in Odessa, where they were preparing for evacuation.
Odessa continued to fight, chained to her considerable forces of the Nazis. And in the trenches, and in the besieged city itself, side by side with the Red Army soldiers, sailors and militiamen, the soldiers of the 249 convoy regiment of the NKVD troops still served. Separate regiment units left Odessa together with its last 16 defenders in October 1941. On ships of the Black Sea Fleet, they were evacuated to Sevastopol. And they came from fire and into the fire. From archival documents it is known that the 3-I convoy company of the regiment under the command of Art. Lieutenant Kurinenko and ml. political instructor Korneev from October 30 1941 takes part in the battles for the Crimea.
Excerpt from the report of the chief of the political department of the border troops of the NKVD of the Black Sea District regimental commissar G.V. Kolpakov for 20 in November 1941 of the year: “30.10.41. When it became known about the penetration of the Nazis to the village of Bulganak, in 21.00 the company of the NKVD convoy regiment consisting of 80 people under the command of the company commander, senior lieutenant Kurinenko, and the political officer of the junior political officer, Korneev, in the company of the company, Senior Lieutenant Kurinenko and political officer of the junior political officer, Korneev, on the line, on the line, on the line, on the team of senior lieutenant Kurinenko and political officer of the junior political officer, Korneev, on the line, on the line, on the line, on the line, on the team of senior lieutenant Kurinenko and political officer of the junior politruk Korneev, in the company of the company, senior lieutenant Kurinenko and political officer of the junior politruk Korneev, on the line, put on the line, and put the game. area to stop advancing the enemy. Around 3.00, a company came across advanced Nazi units. Having no information about the forces of the enemy, the company took up defense and at dawn around 6.00 entered the battle.
The battle showed that against the convoy company the enemy acts many times over with superior forces, having also artillery and mortars. Despite this, the company completed the task of fighting to keep the enemy advancing. All fighters and commanders in battle showed exceptional stamina. Particularly distinguished gunner Red Army Shatila, a member of the Komsomol. With a machine gun fire, he destroyed 2 gun crews, two motorcyclists and many enemy soldiers.
After enduring a nearly two-hour battle, by the 8.00 the company, swept over from both sides by the enemy, left the positions in an orderly manner. The enemy in this battle lost killed to 60 soldiers and officers. Company losses - 6 fighters killed and 6 people injured, including the political instructor of the company Korneev. ”
12 November 1941, the 3 company, which was part of the 249 convoy regiment that arrived from Odessa, together with several subdivisions of the Crimean border guards, were brought to the Separate Regiment of the NKVD Troops.
The commander of the regiment was appointed a border guard Major Gerasim Rubtsov, who later fell in the battles for Sevastopol and was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
November 25 company in the regiment is involved in the attack of the German positions near Balaclava, breaking the next attempt to get the Nazis to the outskirts of Sevastopol. In the future, as reported by 2 in March 1942, the Commander of the Black Sea border area of the brigade commander N.S. Kiselev, the fighters of this unit "firmly held the lines occupied by them, and the fighting and feats accomplished by individual servicemen were widely popularized among the Red Army and Navy men of the Sevastopol garrison."
In the chronicles of the Sevastopol epic there is a little-known and rarely mentioned by historians fact: in February 1942, the Germans, having failed to break the resistance of the city’s defenders in the usual ways, attacked the positions of the Soviet troops with chemical shells at one of the offensive sites. Accidentally or not, it was precisely the sector of defense where the units of the consolidated regiment of the NKVD troops were selected as the object of the gas attack. It can be seen that the KGB fighters for the Hitler warriors were very annoyed ... But even after this act of intimidation, the spirit of the soldiers was not broken!
This company in full force was killed in March 1942, when the Germans made another attempt to assault Sapun Mountain, the key position of the Sevastopol defensive lines. Perished without stepping a single step.
It remains to add that, having received a report on the heroic actions of the soldiers and commanders of the 249 convoy regiment during the defense of Odessa, the Commander of the NKVD of the USSR General-¬ Major Arkady Apollon personally asked the People's Commissar to award the military unit with the Order of the Red Banner in September 1941. But the regiment never received this award. Vasily Barinov, who received the Golden Star and the machine-gunner who destroyed Romanian soldiers and officers in one battle over 70 and submitted for this feat to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, did not receive the Gold Star. Only by mid-February 1942, a decree was signed on awarding participants in the August battle at Shitzli. Five of them - junior lieutenants Alexander Perelman and Sergey Konkin, senior sergeant Nikolai Ilyin, Red Army soldiers Mikhail Vavilov and Vasily Barinov - were awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Seven more servicemen — battalion commissar Vasily Klimenko, political instructor Ustim Koval-Miller, senior lieutenant Ivan Kreshevsky, lieutenant Mikhail Mishchan, sergeant Grigori Kapralov, junior sergeants Sergey Mukhin and Alexander Sysuev — became the knights of the Red Star order.
And what about the regiment? At the end of September 1941, he essentially experienced a rebirth. Several of its units and units that carried out planned convoy and other tasks in July-August could not return to besieged Odessa. These units were concentrated in Kharkov (1-th battalion), on the Crimean peninsula (3-I convoy company). At the beginning of October, the main forces of the regiment arrived in Starobelsk, Voroshilovograd Oblast, and the combat banner of the unit was also delivered there. In Starobelsk part of the regiment, replenished with personnel and weapons, are until October 1941 19.
A group of soldiers 249-th regiment of the escort troops of the NKVD of the USSR. In the center - battalion commissar Vasily Klimenko
On October 24, the newly formed 249 th regiment of the 13 th division of the KV NKVD of the USSR redeployed to Stalingrad *. Arriving in the wrong place, units of the regiment began to carry guard and convoy service, guarding the rule of law and the rear units preparing for the defense of the city named after Stalin.
In February 1942, the 13 Division was renamed the 35 Division of the KV NKVD of the USSR. The old warrior (in the Red Army from 249) is already commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bratchikov, continues to command the units of the 1918 regiment that became part of the newly formed division.
In the summer of 1942, Stalingrad turned into a front-line city. The soldiers of the regiment carried a guard service at the entrances to the city, on the crossings over the Volga, patrolled the streets of Stalingrad, simultaneously engaged in combat training.
In mid-August, the regiment is transferred to the northern part of Stalingrad, where it takes up positions in the fortifications of the northern sector of defense. 249-th entered the 10-th division of the NKVD troops under the command of Colonel A.A. Sarajevo.
In the morning of August 23, F. Paulus’s army, forcing Don in the Vertyachyi-Peskovatka area, by the forces of the 6 tank and 14 army corps launched an offensive from a bridgehead on the left bank of the Don and by 51 on August 16, the enemy’s team broke the match boundaries, on the site Katovka-village Market. Dozens of German tanks 23 of the tank corps appeared in the area of the STZ, in 14 — 1 km from the factory workshops.
At this point, only small portions of the Stalingrad garrison could be involved in repelling the German offensive from the north. The modest forces of the 62 Army continued to conduct intense rearguard battles on the eastern bank of the Don, while the main forces of the front were concentrated on the right flank, and the front command did not anticipate the possibility of such a quick German breakthrough on the left flank.
Before the regiments of the 10 division there was a difficult and responsible task. It was necessary to prevent the breakthrough of the shock fascist units to the city and, having won the time by active defense, to enable the Red Army troops to regroup and reach new frontiers. The task was complicated by the fact that the 10-division, which constituted the main force of the garrison, was deployed on the south-western approaches to Stalingrad, and the enemy was approaching its northern outskirts.
Battalion Commissar Vasily Klimenko
In addition to the five regiments of the 10 division, the Stalingrad garrison included the 21 training tank battalion (about 2000 people and 15 tanks), the 28 training tank battalion (about 500 people and several tanks), two battalions of cadets of the military-political school (about 1000 people), 32-th consolidated detachment of the Volga Military Flotilla (220 people), 73-th separate armored train of NKVD troops, consolidated battalion of the 91-th railway regiment and fighter battalions. In total, it was about 15-16 thousands of people who needed to cover the 50-kilometer front. Forces were clearly not enough. Moreover, the garrison had absolutely no artillery and anti-tank weapons.
August 23, the enemy inflicted cruel city aviation strike, in a few hours the enemy made up to 1200 sorties. The commander of the 10th Infantry Division of the NKVD, A. A. Sarayev, was also the commandant of the fortified area of the city. On his orders, the organization of the defense of the northern part of Stalingrad was entrusted to the 99th Tank Brigade, the combined naval detachment and the workers' fighter battalions. Major General N.V. Feklenko was appointed the head of the combat area. On the line Gorodishche-Gnusina-Verkhnyaya Elshanka-Kuporosnoye defense, the units of the 10th division occupied.
According to the operational summary No. 251 of the General Staff of the Red Army on the 8.00 8.09.1942, the division occupied defenses at the turn of the forest of the West. NP Barricades - a forest south-zap. eg Red October - mark 112,5 - prig. Minina - Elshanka.
The forward detachment of the Nazi 14 tank corps divided on the approach to the Volga: part of it moved towards the river, and part of it set its sights on the northern outskirts of Stalingrad, where the 249 regiment was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Bratchikov.
The bulk of the German tanks moved towards Latoshinka and Market. Here they were met by the massed fire of the 1077 batteries of the anti-aircraft artillery regiment of the air defense corps. A fierce protracted battle broke out. The anti-aircraft gunners repelled one enemy attack after another, almost at close range, shooting armored vehicles. But the forces were too unequal. By morning, the German tank avalanche swept over positions of anti-aircraft gunners. Almost all the gunners in the three divisions fell to the death of their heroes, completing the combat mission to the end. Before their positions, about seven dozen Nazi tanks were left to burn.
Several German tank divisions, at the cost of enormous losses, managed to reach the north bank with the Wet Mechetki. Here the units of the 21 and 28 training tank battalions and the fighter battalion of the tractor factory entered the battle. The night stopped a fierce battle. The fascists failed on August 23 to break through to Stalingrad.
Commander of the joint battalion, Senior Lieutenant Ivan Krishevsky
24 August day, the Nazi propaganda announced the day of the decisive assault on Stalingrad. The German command pulled fresh troops to the northern outskirts of the city, reinforced them with tanks and artillery. On this day, the Germans attacked in different directions several times, but all their efforts did not produce results. The enemy, leaving about ten tanks on the battlefield, 14 vehicles and 300 soldiers and officers, in the evening stopped trying to break through to the tractor factory.
25 August was ordered to impose a state of siege at Stalingrad. To strengthen the defense, the 282 th rifle regiment of the division was sent to the northern outskirts of the city, which 25 August to 6.00 occupied the area along the Mokraya Mechera beam at the front of the 28 training tank battalion. To the west, against Orlovka, at the same time the 249 th convoy regiment advanced.
After strengthening the defense of the northern sector, an attempt was made to counterattack the enemy in the area of forest plantations and the farm Meliorativny. In the area of forest planting attack did not bring success. The farm was taken, but the fighter battalions suffered heavy losses.
In the morning of August 26, the Nazis opened fierce fire on the northern sector. About a hundred German bombers participated in the raid on the defenders of the city. A bomb attack was also inflicted on the tractor plant and the Red October, on the workers' villages.
On August 26, the commander of the 282 regiment of the 10 division, Major MG Gruschenko, was appointed the commander of the northern sector of defense. In addition to the units that were already here, the 1186 th anti-tank artillery regiment arrived from the front reserve was also subordinated to it. And although the onslaught of the fascists on the left flank, south of Orlovka, did not weaken, the division commander, Sarajev, decided to strike a blow on the enemy with a view to seizing the dominant 135,4 and 101,3 heights and dropping the Nazis from the tractor factory. The front commander approved this decision, and on August 27 the offensive began on 17.00.
The first to move rapidly towards the enemy was the 282 regiment in cooperation with the tank crews, sailors and units of the 249 regiment.
Former company commander of the 249 regiment of the convoy troops of the NKVD of the USSR Sergey Konkin
29 August The 249 th regiment attacked in conjunction with the 124 th rifle machine-gun brigade of Colonel Gorokhov who came to help him. To the height of 135,4, the company of the first lieutenant Shkurikhin made its way
As a result of the offensive battles of 27-30 in August, despite the superiority of the enemy in manpower and military equipment, he was crushed and thrown away from the tractor factory for 3-4 kilometers. Our units captured the village of Rynok, a tree-planting and 135,4 height, which greatly improved their positions.
The 249 th regiment, which occupied the line south of the village of Orlovka, accepted its main battle here, perfectly fulfilled the combat mission. On August 27, his warriors knocked the enemy out of the village and advanced along the southern slopes of 144,2. The entire personnel of the regiment showed courage, the will to win and high military skill.
In the battles for Stalingrad, the regiment's veteran and favorite, Ivan Kreshevsky, also distinguished himself. Already the captain, the battalion commander, Ivan Dmitrievich “... showed exceptional organizational skills and personal initiative. During the attack of the battalion to the height of 144,2, he headed the leadership of the subunit operating on the main line of attack and first mastered the height, which ensured the attack of the regiment and the rout of the enemy near the height of 144,2 and Orlovka. Despite the fierce attacks of the numerically superior enemy forces, the battalion of Comrade Kreshevsky bravely kept the line he occupied. ” (From the award list, see the appendix). For fights on the defense of Stalingrad, Captain Kreshevsky became the knight of the second order of the Red Star.
After desperate attacks, having suffered a series of defeats, the enemy stopped the attacks in the Orlovka area and turned his attention to the central part of Stalingrad. The units of the 249 regiment, having received a breather, put themselves in order, strengthened their positions, and then on September 2, 1942 of the year surrendered their positions to the units of the Red Army and begin redeployment to Uralsk. There are not many military units in the Red Army that took part in the defense of the three cities, which became hero cities after the war!
It should also be noted that for the successful leadership of the regiment in the battles of Orlovka, the regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel Bratchikov was awarded his first (!) And truly deserved state award - the Order of the Red Banner. (This is me to the topic of supposedly unreasonable, numerous, undeserved and regular rewarding of units of the NKVD guarding the rear of the Soviet fronts and armies).
Former sergeant Nikolai Ilyin in the postwar period in the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs rose to colonel
Since January, the 43 Regiment has been following the advancing units of the Red Army, providing rear services for the fronts, and is in convoy service. Parts of the regiment serve in the city of Balashov in the Saratov region, in November the 1943-th regimental headquarters receives an order to relocate to Zaporizhia, then to Dnepropetrovsk, where it proceeds to perform operational tasks in the territory of Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye and Crimea regions. During this year, the regiment escorted more 62000 prisoners of war from the front line into the country.
In 1943-1944, the regiment carried out the tasks of guarding the army rear, escorting prisoners of war and guarding camps of prisoners of war in the 3 and 4 Ukrainian fronts.
In April 1944, the regiment was again based in liberated Odessa. A new order was received here: “The 249-th convoy regiment of the NKVD should be sent to the city of Dnepropetrovsk for service”.
For success in combat and political training, the regiment was awarded the rolling Red Banner of the 33 division of the NKVD and the rolling Red Banner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (in 1965 year).
In 1975, the 249-th separate convoy brigade of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR was awarded the Order of the Red Star by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for successful fights in the Great Patriotic War.
Already in peacetime, the fighters of this unit took part in the protection of public order in the Crimea and the republics of the Transcaucasus. Participated in hostilities in Afghanistan, in the aftermath of the earthquake in Armenia, the Chernobyl disaster.
Today, the tasks of the 3054 military unit of the Central Territorial Command of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (UCTCR) are very diverse: the protection of public order in Dnepropetrovsk, convoy, extradition and protection of defendants, protection of particularly important public facilities, participation in disaster relief in Ukraine .
Repeatedly, UTCTRK took the first place among the other territorial departments of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, and the 3054 military unit was recognized as the best in the administration. The military units with honor carry out the tasks assigned to them and adequately multiply the glorious military traditions of their grandfathers and fathers.
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