The following abbreviations are used in the article: GSh - General base, CA - Red Army, cd (kp) - cavalry division (regiment), md (mp) - motorized division (regiment), sms - motorized rifle regiment, pd (nn) - infantry division (regiment), RM - intelligence materials, RU - Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Spacecraft, td (TBR, TP, TB) - tank division (brigade, regiment, battalion).
Earlier on the site were presented two articles with the analysis of the reliability of RM, which were received by the leadership of the USSR and the spacecraft in 1938–41. In one of them, the RM was considered about the presence of German troops (mostly infantry) near our border, and in the second, the deployment of large headquarters. In a new article, we will take a closer look at the RM on the mobile troops of Germany. This article completes the cycle about information that came from intelligence services to the country's leadership and spacecraft on the eve of the war.
The mobile troops in the German armed forces included motorized infantry regiments, motorized rifle, tank and cavalry regiments, anti-tank battalions, motorcycle-rifle, scooter and reconnaissance battalions (bulletin No. 276 dated 29.2.40). The article will consider only materials related to the presence and deployment of the CP, TP, MSP, etc., infantry motorized regiments (hereinafter referred to as MP), CD, etc., infantry motorized divisions (hereinafter referred to as MD).
The year is 1938. Estimation of the number of German troops
24.3.38, the chief of the General Staff B. M. Shaposhnikov prepared a Note, which stated:
The Soviet Union needs to be ready to fight on two fronts: in the West against Germany, Poland and partially against Italy with the possible joining of the limitrophes and in the East against Japan. Italy, very likely, will participate in the war with its own fleet, but the dispatch of an expeditionary corps to our borders can hardly be expected …
Finland, Estonia and Latvia were considered as limitrophe countries. According to the estimates of the General Staff, Germany had 96 infantry divisions, 5 md, 5 cd and 30 tb (up to 111 divisions in total).
The reserve divisions and divisions of the Landwehr did not even come close to matching the infantry divisions, but even taking them into account, the RM on the number of infantry divisions was greatly overestimated. The RM on mobile troops were fairly accurate. Intelligence only did not track the refusal to use the CD.
The General Staff assumed that Germany (if it had an enemy in the person of Czechoslovakia and France) would put up against the Soviet Union up to 60-65 pd (63 … 68% of all compounds of this type), 4 cd (80%), 4 md (80 %), up to 20 TB (67%). Thus, from the number of available mobile troops in Germany, more than 74% of the formations will be deployed against the USSR.
Where was the German grouping concentrated against the USSR stationed?
Since the summer of 1940, as troops concentrated in the East or against the Soviet Union, the RM RU provided information about divisions that were stationed in East Prussia and former Poland (Warsaw direction, Lublin-Krakow region and Danzig region, Poznan, Thorn).
In the RU summary dated 4.4.41, the territories located at the Soviet-Romanian border (Moldova and Northern Dobrudzha) were added to the above territories. On April 26, the summary included German divisions concentrated in Hungary (Carpathian Ukraine).
By 15.5.41, the grouping of German troops, concentrated against the Soviet Union, was finally determined in RU. This group was deployed in East Prussia, former Poland, Romania (Moldova and North Dobrudzha), Carpathian Ukraine and Slovakia.
On the Black Sea coast of Romania, according to intelligence, German-Romanian troops were stationed, which could be used for landing operations in the rear of the ODVO (including in the Crimea). However, these troops were not included in the grouping concentrated against the USSR.
1940 year. Intelligence materials about mobile troops
On 17.5.40, in the report of the 5th SC Directorate (the future of the RC spacecraft) it is indicated: [on] … The report does not say anything about the troops that were in East Prussia.
According to Müller-Hillebrant, there were no divisions that could be classified as mobile troops from November 1939 to July 1940 on the territory of East Prussia and former Poland.
On 20.7.40, the report of the 5th Department indicates:. By June 15, intelligence was able to somehow obtain information about the absence of tank units near the border. However, in the summary, the number of PDs turned out to be overestimated by 3, 9 times.
The same summary states that for the period from June 19 to July 14, 1940, a transfer to East Prussia and to former Poland was established up to two md, twelve kp, tbr, tp, six tb and a tank unit of unknown strength and numbering. A total of more than seven divisions of mobile troops arrived at our border, which did not really exist …
In the Help dated 8.8.40, the total number of mobile troops concentrated at the border can be estimated by the number: up to 6 TD, over 3 CD and 4 MP. Intelligence data on mobile troops is again unreliable, as until September 1940, there were no tank, motorized, cavalry units and formations near the border.
In the summary and in the certificate it is said about the presence of TB at the border. It is now known that before the start of the war, the Wehrmacht had six TB, which were not part of the tank or light divisions.
The 40th TB was formed on 8.3.40 and arrived in Oslo 42 days later.
The 100th flamethrower TB was formed on 1.3.40 and was in Germany until July 1940. From 10.6.41, it was part of the 47th MK (2nd TGr).
The 101st flamethrower TB was formed on 4.3.40 on the territory of Germany. By the beginning of the war, it was part of the 39th MK of the 3rd TGr.
The 102nd flamethrower TB was formed on 31.5.41. By the beginning of the war, it was part of the 1st TGr.
The 211st TB was formed on March 24, 1941 on the territory of Germany and sent to Finland.
The 212nd TB was formed in the summer of 1941 on the island of Crete.
From the information provided, it is clear that for the 100th and 101st battalions there is no information about their location in the summer and autumn of 1940. As an estimate from above, we assume that they were at our border and that the information for two TB is correct.
For tank units, either mythical units or units that had tracked vehicles were taken. In one of the messages received in 1941, it was said about the unloading of a tank unit at a railway station. Nobody saw the tanks themselves, but the source determined that the unit was armed with light tanks and it was determined (!) By the tracks of the tracks on the ground …
It should be noted that the intelligence services of the Soviet Union were able to obtain accurate data on the names of a fairly large number of divisions and regiments, and this is very strange … It is strange that intelligence knows 24 exact names of subdivisions out of 39 available at the border and 135 exact names of subdivisions out of 154. Sadly, that in reality there are no more than fifteen of these divisions and, therefore, no more than 45 …
How can this be? This can be only in one case, when the German command deliberately spreads rumors or "lights up" fictitious formations with the help of insignia on the shoulder straps of servicemen. A similar situation can be observed with mobile troops. Of one TD, four TP and eight CP with numbers known to intelligence, there is neither a tank unit nor a formation at the border …
It turns out that the German command deliberately from the spring of 1940 imitated the presence of mobile troops near the border before the start of their redeployment from the West and even before the start of the war … Why did the German command need to do this? According to the author, this was done for the sole purpose of linking the observation of our intelligence sources behind the locations of the mythical units. In this case, it becomes clear why a significant number of these fictitious regiments and divisions, according to our intelligence, were at their deployment points (far enough from the border) on June 21, 1941.
In the certificate of the Main Directorate of State Security of the NKVD dated 6.11.40, it is indicated: [according to RM RU also 27 divisions. - Approx. auth.].
[according to RM RU - 40 pd, up to 2 md, tbr, tp and 6 tb. - Approx. auth.];
[according to RM RU - up to 50 pd, two tbp, two tp and 6 tb. - Approx. auth.];
[According to RM RU - up to 52 pd, 2 md, one td, two tbr, 5 tp and 3 tb. - Approx. auth.] ".
From the above document it can be seen that the data received from the intelligence agencies of the NKO and the NKVD differ slightly from each other and, therefore, all the mentioned RMs are unreliable.
According to Müller-Gillebrant, in the territory of East Prussia and former Poland, as of 10/7/40, there is one cd, one md and three so on. It can be seen that the number of German formations of mobile troops is significantly overestimated in the Republic of Moldova.
The draft Note of the People's Commissar of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff in the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks dated September 18, 1940, assesses the number of German troops:
Currently, Germany has deployed 205-226 infantry divisions (including up to 8 motorized ones) and 15-17 TD, and only … 10,000 tanks …
With the still unfinished war with England, it can presumably be considered that … of the above … divisions up to … 15-17 TD, 8 MD … will be directed against our borders …
In the fall of 1940, the General Staff believes that all the TD and MD (100%) available in the German army will be directed against the USSR.
In the summary of RU on the West, No. 8 says:
The total number of formations of the German ground army is 229-242 divisions, including 15-17 TD and 8-10 MD. As of 15.11.40, in East Prussia and on the territory of former Poland … 6 md, 7-8 td, … 21 kp …
RM on the total number of divisions in the armed forces of Germany is significantly overestimated. As of 12.21.40, there were up to 180, 7 divisions in total. This number includes 40 divisions that were in the stage of formation or on leave. Information about the presence of tank and motorized troops is close to their actual number: 20 TD and 12.7 MD.
Compared to 9/25/40, reconnaissance found a slight increase in mobile troops at the border by one MD and two CP. Information about the presence of mobile troops at the border can be checked using the map of the General Staff of the Wehrmacht Ground Forces (General Staff OKH) with the plotted situation on 2.11.40.
On the territory on which the troops against the USSR are concentrated, part of the 60th MD, 1st CD, 1st and 6th TD is actually deployed. Up to four divisions in total, which can be classified as mobile troops. And intelligence recorded up to fourteen TD and MD in this territory, as well as 21 kp …
Is this information reliable? Of course not! These RMs are very similar to disinformation on the part of the German command. How can there be such a gross mistake in the RM? According to the author, this is possible only if rumors were spread about the presence of mobile troops near the border in specific settlements or field camps, and also if certain formations of German military personnel actively portrayed non-existent units and formations …
The author remembers his promise to provide links for a more detailed examination of the maps of the General Staff of the OKH. Links will be presented in the 3rd part of this article. At the address, you can also find a lot of maps with German intelligence data on the spacecraft troops.
Early 1941 Intelligence materials about mobile troops
Was there a clarification of the RM at the beginning of 1941? In February 1941, another report of RU was published:
The grouping of German troops in East Prussia … on 1.2.41 is … two TD, one MD …
The grouping of German troops against the Western Military District (without East Prussia) … is … two etc., one MD …
The grouping of German troops against KOVO … is … three md, one etc. …
In total, over 60 divisions are concentrated near the Soviet-German border, incl. five md and five etc. The summary notes that part of the mobile troops were redeployed from the territory of East Prussia and the former Poland to the Balkans. The figure below shows a fragment of the GSh OKH map with the situation at 6.2.41.
On a fragment of the map of the General Staff of the OKH, you can see only 27 German divisions concentrated near our border. This number includes one cd and two so. The deployment points of all three divisions did not change with respect to the data from November 2, 1940. For three months, all Soviet intelligence services could not find out that instead of 8-10 MD, etc., there are only two TD and 5-8 mythical formations near the border!
In accordance with the General Staff's plan for the strategic deployment of the Armed Forces of 11.3.41, it is assumed that Germany will put up all the TD and MD against the USSR:
Germany currently has 225 infantry deployed, 20 TD and 15 MD, and only … 10,000 tanks …
Provided the end of the war with England, presumably it can be assumed that … up to 200 divisions, of which up to 165 infantry divisions, 20 TD and 15 MDwill be directed against our borders …
It turns out that from the fall of 1940 to March 1941, the General Staff assumed that in the event of a war with the USSR, all tank and motorized divisions available in Germany would be concentrated near our borders.
In the message received by RU on 11.3.41, the number of German TD and MD has already increased:
The total number of divisions of the German army as of 1.3.41 is about 263 divisions, of which … 22 TD and 20 MD …
Recently, information has been received about the formation of heavy tank divisions. The increase in parachute and landing divisions continues. If by the end of active operations in the west, the German armed forces had one parachute and one airborne division, now there are three parachute and three airborne divisions …
RM on the number of PDs are again strongly overestimated. Information about the availability of 22 TD is close to reality, since there were actually 21 of them (including the 5th light division, which included a tank unit). The information about the number of MD is also close to reality: the summary says about 20 divisions, but in fact there were about 14.3. The difference is quite large, but if we add five more mythical MD near our border to 14.3 MD, then the total number of divisions is practically coincides with RM. Only there are no five front lines near our borders …
Misinformation of the German command is the RM received on the formation of tank divisions armed with heavy tanks and anti-tank anti-aircraft regiments, as well as the formation of up to four airborne and landing divisions … incl. 5 md and 4 td. In fact, there are all the same two TDs (1st and 6th) and 1st cd.
In the report of RU from 26.4.41. it says that as of April 25th:
In the East Prussian direction (against the PribOVO) [concentrated. - Approx. auth.] … 3 md, 1 td … On the Warsaw direction (against ZAPOVO) - … 1 md and 4 td. In addition, one motorized division. In the Lublin-Krakow region (against KOVO) … 3 md, 4 td …
In total, according to intelligence data, seven md and nine td are concentrated on the territory of East Prussia and former Poland … In fact, the same 1st cd, 1st and 6th td are located at the same points of deployment at the border. This can be seen from the map of the General Staff of the OKH with the situation at 23.4.41. The only change is the beginning of the arrival of the 4th TD in the vicinity of the city of Poznan.
Intelligence has again brought false data … The number of TD is overstated three times, and instead of seven discovered MD there is not a single one …
The same RM, far from reality, came from the intelligence of the NKVD border troops:
From April 1 to April 19, 1941, border detachments of the NKVD of the USSR on the Soviet-German border obtained the following data on the arrival of German troops at points adjacent to the state border in East Prussia and the General Government … In total, these areas arrived: … formations of 3 md, … 2 megapixels, 7 kp, … up to 7 TB …
